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While it’s true that the Buffalo Bills are never fully idle, we have reached the quietest point of the year with regard to news based around the team’s roster. That doesn’t mean, however, the Bills are anywhere near set personnel-wise. To be certain, Bills Mafia has plenty to say
about the current roster’s makeup, and where things could use some fine tuning even before anyone’s seen a more organized version of new head coach Joe Brady’s vision.
With our latest Reacts poll, we want to know what position group (among those outlined a bit later on below) remains your biggest concern ahead of training camp?
Most anyone looking to critique Buffalo’s roster is concerned about how things looked and unfolded the previous season. Doing so is made more difficult simply because of the new regime, and of course a defensive system set for overhaul after almost a decade in Sean McDermott’s disciplined 4-3 base alignment.
Perhaps the biggest question right now is how any of McDermott’s previous chess pieces who remain with the team fit into a 3-4 base system that prioritizes attacking opponents. Additionally, has president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane done enough in adding the right kind of new talent to account for what new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard plans to run?
So much remains unknown about the defense that it’s natural for fans to gravitate toward wanting to add “x, y, and/or z” to the group. In the 3-4 base, we’ll now see former defensive end/edge rushers line up at outside linebacker. Without getting into the weeds of in-depth positional football, Greg Rousseau and company will essentially be tasked with doing most of the things they handled before, but it may look different at first with them aligned as edge rushers positioned as outside linebackers.
Are you comfortable with the team’s EDGE group of:
Greg Rousseau
Bradley Chubb
Michael Hoecht
T.J. Parker (rookie)
Javon Solomon
Michael Danna
Andre Jones Jr.
Cade Denhoff
As for the inside linebackers, namely Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams, the team will need more from both in 2026. Behind both sits a lot of inexperience, with the Bills’ linebacking room overall consisting of:
Terrel Bernard
Dorian Williams
Joe Andreessen
Keonta Jenkins
Jimmy Ciarlo
Theron Gains
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
At defensive tackle, where we could see Hoecht moonlight a bit, the group seems pretty stout. However, Beane and company seemed to avoid adding a bona fide three-tech space-eating D-tackle. That raised tons of alarms for fans, but One Bills Drive seems unaffected by such concerns. It would seem as though counting on Deone Walker to man that role is a stretch, given his move to shed weight and add lean muscle this offseason. He looks ready to expand on his role as a pass disruptor, if run stuffer isn’t in the cards.
Apart from Hoecht, there’s another potential wild card at defensive tackle with rugby-player-turned-NFL-hopeful Travis Clayton. You may recall Clayton had been drafted by the Bills to play offensive tackle, but that he’s been observed practicing at defensive tackle. There’s also the news that prior edge rusher Landon Jackson is set to stay on the defensive line, but as a D-tackle.
Is Buffalo set at defensive tackle with the following room?
Ed Oliver
Deone Walker
T.J. Walker
DeWayne Carter
Landon Jackson
Zane Durant
Phidarian Mathis
Tommy Akingbesote
Zion Logue
Kody Huisman
Then there’s the defensive backs, where starting outside cornerbacks Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston look to anchor the pass defense. Joining them will be starting safeties Cole Bishop and (likely) C.J. Gardner-Johnson, plus Dee Alford in slot/nickel looks.
Rookie cornerback Davison Igbinosun could challenge for starting snaps, depending on the situation,
While it may at first appear fairly well-stacked, is the defensive backfield a group that concerns you most when accounting for its makeup overall?:
OCB Christian Benford
OCB Maxwell Hairston
OCB Davison Igbinosun
OCB Toriano Pride
OCB Kani Walker
OCB Jordan Dunbar
NCB Dee Alford
NCB Jordan Hancock
NCB Te’Cory Couch
S Cole Bishop
S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
S Jalon Kilgore
S Sam Franklin
S Damar Hamlin
S Geno Stone
S Wande Owens
Finally, there’s wide receiver. Fourteen players currently reside in the wide receivers room. It’s a group that brings plenty of potential, but also a bit of yearning from the fan base. In trying to address last season’s deficit, Beane traded for wide receiver DJ Moore — who will man the WR1 role for quarterback Josh Allen. Perhaps rookie wide receiver Skyler Bell also provides a spark Buffalo’s offense needs in the passing game. There’s always the ever-reliable Khalil Shakir, who was WR1 by default last season. Then there’s Keon Coleman, who should be ready to prove naysayers wrong.
Certainly, expectations will surge for Joshua Palmer and hope for a deeper breakout by Tyrell Shavers based off last season’s results.
Despite those additions and who’s returning, does the wide receivers group concern you most?
DJ Moore
Khalil Shakir
Keon Coleman
Joshua Palmer
Skyler Bell
Tyrell Shavers
Mecole Hardman Jr.
Stephen Gosnell
Jalen Virgil
Trent Sherfield
Ja’Mori Maclin
Max Tomczak
Mac Dalena
Deven Thompkins
So that’s it. A lot of names, and a lot to consider. What position group discussed above remains your biggest concern a bit more than a month away from the start of training camp?
Vote below!
