The Buffalo Bills are currently enjoying some downtime before the team gathers at St. John Fisher University for the start of training camp on July 29.
From rookie minicamp and voluntary minicamp to organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, rookies and veterans alike have had a few opportunities to make a lasting impression on Brandon Beane and Joe Brady, but training camp and the team’s three preseason games represent the biggest chance for players to stake their claim to a spot on the 53-man
roster.
Today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off with thoughts from a few Bills beat writers on who they would name to Buffalo’s 53-man roster heading into training camp.
Check out the assessments and then be sure to leave your thoughts on who has earned a spot on the active roster, who still has work to do, and who is an obvious cut candidate in the comments section.
Predicting Buffalo’s 53-man roster
This exercise of projecting Buffalo’s active roster used to be standard under former head coach Sean McDermott, when a player’s ability to contribute on special teams was given extra significance when pairing down the Bills’ roster. We don’t know how new head coach Joe Brady will handle deciding those final roster spots, but it is reasonable to expect some tight competition to earn a roster spot, especially in the first year of Jim Leonhard’s defense, which is making the switch to a base 3-4 scheme.
We hear from a few outlets on who they think will make the active roster and who will be a cut candidate. Some of the interesting positional battles to watch include: along the defensive line—between promising rookie Zane Durant, veteran Phidarian Mathis, DeWayne Carter, and Mike Danna; at wide receiver—between Mecole Hardman Jr. and Trent Sherfield; at safety—can fan-favorite Damar Hamlin wrestle a spot away from someone like Geno Stone or Sam Franklin; and at fullback, where Jackson Acker is battling with Ben VanSumeren.
We also offer up some bold predictions and identify three players with “boom or bust” potential at training camp; learn what makes rookie wide receiver Skyler Bell a likely training camp standout; and more!
- Projecting the Buffalo Bills’ 53-man roster before training camp: Battles, trade candidates, more – newyorkupstate.com
- Projecting the Buffalo Bills’ 53-man roster before training camp – Olean Times Herald
- Buffalo Bills – WAY TOO EARLY 53 Man Roster Predictions – Cover 1
- Three Buffalo Bills Players With Boom or Bust Potential Entering Training Camp – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills
- Four Bold Predictions for the Buffalo Bills Ahead of Training Camp – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills
- Bills’ Rookie Skyler Bell Named Likely Training Camp Standout – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills
- 32 teams, 32 surprises: Which players stood out on every NFL team this spring? – ESPN.com
- What we learned from every NFL team during offseason workouts – The Athletic (subscription required)
Even more Bills news
Identifying which second-year players take the biggest jump forward this year. Plus, we see where running back James Cook ranks among the best backs in the league; learn who ESPN pegs as Buffalo’s most likely breakout player; find out why John Fox decided to bring his coaching talents to Buffalo; size up the competition to win the AFC East; and more!
- Which player takes the biggest step in Year 2 for Buffalo Bills? – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- Is it time for the Bills to start thinking about scaling back James Cook’s workload? – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- Who are the NFL’s best running backs? Execs, coaches and scouts helped rank the top 10 for 2026 – ESPN.com
- Bills star moves closer to the top of NFL rankings voted on by executives – Democrat & Chronicle
- Which NFL players could break out in 2026? Solak picked one early candidate from each team – ESPN.com
- John Fox returned at 71 because he believes the Bills can win it all – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- AFC East: Can Bills, Jets or Dolphins unseat the Patriots in 2026? – ESPN.com
- The stunning detail Sean Payton missed when preparing his fake punt against the Buffalo Bills that could have changed everything – newyorkupstate.com
- Buffalo Bills to host Return of the Blue & Red practice August 8, open practice August 18 – BuffaloBills.com
Buffalo Bills articles recently featured on Buffalo Rumblings
- Jim Leonhard must fix late-down struggles for Buffalo defense – Buffalo Rumblings
- What Bills’ defense may look like under DC Jim Leonhard – Buffalo Rumblings
- Would Brandin Cooks or Stefon Diggs make more sense for Bills to sign right now? – Buffalo Rumblings
- Trading for Josh Sweat would put the Bills over the top – Buffalo Rumblings
- Will Zion Logue emerge as vital DL depth in 2026? – Buffalo Rumblings
- What Bills position group carries most training camp intrigue? – Buffalo Rumblings
- Will this blocker and special teamer be the Bills WR6 this season? – Buffalo Rumblings
- Can you name this UB Bull/Buffalo Bills player in today’s in-5 trivia game? – Buffalo Rumblings
