ORCHARD PARK - Every NFL head coach will tell you that the days leading up to the final roster cutdown are the most difficult they face all year.
Not only are you making big decisions about the makeup of your team, hoping you keep the right players and don’t cut someone who goes on to become a star somewhere else, but there’s the emotional aspect of it all because you grow attached to your guys and don’t want to possibly crush their dreams.
For new Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady, this is literally twice as hard because in the past, all he had to worry about was the offensive side of the team when he was a position coach and coordinator. Now, he’s in charge of everyone.
“It's not easy at all,” Brady said prior to the Bills 28-27 preseason-ending
victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers Thursday night at Highmark Stadium. “Honestly, it’s harder now as the head coach because before it was really hard on me for the 40 guys I was coaching, now it's the 90. I don't take what I do lightly and what the work that these guys do for me lightly. This is these guys’ lives and some of these guys might never play football again.”
As Brady and his staff decide which 53 to keep, at least for now, here’s my roster projection:
Quarterbacks
∎ Starter: Josh Allen
∎ Backup: Kyle Allen
∎ What to know: Kyle Allen was pushed by Shane Buechele, but it was going to take a Herculean effort from Buechele to win the job, and not even his comeback effort against the Steelers was enough. He’ll be released Sunday, and unless another team signs him to be their active backup, the Bills will re-sign him to the practice squad Monday.
Running back
∎ Starter: James Cook
∎ Backups: Ty Johnson, Ray Davis, Ben VanSumeren (FB)
∎ What to know: Both Ian Wheeler and Frank Gore Jr. played well in the preseason, but their chances of breaking through the threesome of Cook, Johnson and Davis were minimal unless there was an injury. And yes, Johnson did get hurt and missed the entire preseason, but the Bills are confident he’ll be ready to go for Week 1. I'm keeping VanSumeren at fullback because there's a role for one in Brady's offense, and he'll be a key special teams player.
Wide receivers
∎ Starters: DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer
∎ Backups: Keon Coleman, Trent Sherfield, Skyler Bell
∎ What to know: The only decision to make was at the No. 6 spot, which I’m pretty sure the Bills are going to use. And Sherfield is my choice over Mecole Hardman and Dante Pettis. Hardman and Pettis had a chance only if they could also lock down the punt return job, but it seems like the Bills really want Ray Davis - despite his muff Thursday - to handle those duties and thus open a roster spot elsewhere. Sherfield can catch the ball, he’s a good blocker in the run game, and he’s a core special teamer.
Tight end
∎ Starter: Dalton Kincaid
∎ Backups: Dawson Knox, Jackson Hawes
∎ What to know: Like running back, the three-man group was never in doubt. Keleki Latu, as he did last year while on the practice squad, flashed occasionally but it was never going to be enough to leapfrog Hawes for the third spot. Kincaid’s return to health was the biggest storyline at tight end and now the Bills need him to stay healthy and become the big-time weapon they believe he can be.
Interior offensive line
∎ Starters: Connor McGovern (C), Alec Anderson (LG), O’Cyrus Torrence (RG)
∎ Backups: Austin Corbett (G-C), Lloyd Cushenberry (C)
∎ What to know: Anderson winning the LG battle seemed almost preordained because he was always the first man to take the reps with the first unit, followed by Corbett. Corbett has value and should be retained as the swing guard, and Cushenberry has been working with the starters exclusively since McGovern got hurt on Aug. 8. Sedrick Van Pran-Granger has been with the Bills since 2024, but I just haven’t seen enough from him to warrant a roster spot and the Bills should try to find a trade partner because he could benefit from a change.
Offensive tackle
∎ Starters: Dion Dawkins (LT), Spencer Brown (RT)
∎ Backup: Tylan Grable
∎ What to know: Rookie Jude Bowry’s injury is a bit of a blessing in disguise because he’s not ready to play and now the Bills can stash him on injured reserve for the season. That said, Grable as the swing tackle has an awful lot to prove if he were ever called on to play. Carrying just three tackles is risky, and I think the Bills might consider signing someone after roster cuts have been made.
Defensive line
∎ Starters: Ed Oliver, Deone Walker, Landon Jackson
∎ Backups: T.J. Sanders, Greg Gaines, Zane Durant
∎ What to know: Based on what I’ve seen, Jackson should be a starter ahead of Sanders, but what might end up happening is they have a timeshare where Jackson plays on run downs and Sanders replaces him on passing downs. Oliver and Walker should shine in the new defense, and Gaines is a really nice late-summer addition who rendered DeWayne Carter expendable in my view. Carter playing at the end of Thursday’s game was not a good sign for him. Durant, a fifth-round rookie, was guaranteed a spot as a draft pick, but he also earned it with some impressive reps.
Outside linebacker
∎ Starters: Bradley Chubb, Greg Rousseau
∎ Backups: Michael Hoecht, T.J. Parker, Javon Solomon
∎ What to know: This was a really tough call between Solomon and Mike Danna, but this is a crowded position and the fifth man probably isn’t going to play much on defense and will have to contribute on special teams. Solomon has been a reliable special teamer for two years and Danna is not, so despite some flashy plays in the games, Danna is on the outside. In reality, he was signed primarily as insurance in case Hoecht was slow to recover from his Achilles injury, but Hoecht experienced no issues and is ready to go.
Linebackers
∎ Starters: Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams
∎ Backups: Kaleb Elarms-Orr, Keonta Jenkins, Joe Andreessen
∎ What to know: Williams and Elarms-Orr have waged a great battle and I’m not sure either player won the job. I think they’re going to share the job based on matchups. Bernard is battling an injury but he is expected to be ready for Houston. If he’s not, I have both Andreessen and Jenkins making the team and that’s a coin flip between the two as to who would fill in.
Cornerbacks
∎ Starters: Christian Benford, Max Hairston, Dee Alford (NCB)
∎ Backups: Davison Igbinosun, Kani Walker, Jordan Hancock (NCB)
∎ What to know: Brady said Thursday that Hairston is the starter opposite Benford, a rare public admission of that sort. Hairston was once again limited by injuries, but the Bills apparently think Igbinosun isn’t quite ready to start, though that could change in a hurry and Hairston will need to play well to keep his spot. I have Hancock here because he can play in the slot, but he’s been getting just as many reps at safety. Walker was one of the surprises of camp and was the best of a weak bunch. His spot is tenuous if the Bills can sign a veteran off waivers.
Safeties
∎ Starters: C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Cole Bishop
∎ Backups: Damar Hamlin, Jalon Kilgore, Sam Franklin
∎ What to know: Gardner-Johnson and Bishop went unchallenged as the starters, but they also hardly played together due to injuries and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard admitted that’s a concern for him. Hamlin was clearly the next-best safety as he outplayed Geno Stone. I’m keeping Kilgore and Franklin instead of Stone because Kilgore is a versatile rookie draft pick and Franklin is a strong special teams player.
Special teams
∎ Starters: Tyler Bass (K), Tommy Doman (P), Reid Ferguson (LS)
∎ Backups: None
∎ What to know: Bass was a little erratic in practice and the games but he finished strong Thursday. I still thought the Bills should have brought in some competition. They did that at punter and I have Doman staying put and veteran Mitch Wishnowsky getting cut. The Bills spent a seventh-round pick on Doman which gave him a leg up, pun intended, and they also save a little cap space by releasing Wishnowsky.
Practice squad predictions
The Bills may carry a 17th practice-squad player through the NFL’s international-player exemption. Travis Clayton, who entered the league through the International Player Pathway, could fill that spot. As for the other 16 spots, here are some of the released players I think the Bills would love to bring back:
- QB Shane Buechele
- RB Frank Gore Jr.
- RB Ian Wheeler
- TE Keleki Latu
- WR Ja’Mori Maclin
- OG Ar’maj Reed-Adams
- OT Chase Lundt
- OLB Mike Danna
- OLB Andre Jones
- CB Toriano Pride
- S Geno Stone
- DT DeWayne Carter
- DT Zion Logue
- CB Te’Cory Couch
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for more than four decades including 37 years as the full-time beat writer/columnist for the D&C. He has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Our final Bills 53-man roster prediction ahead of Sunday's deadline
