The Buffalo Bills are in a quiet stretch right now, with training camp at St. John Fisher University set to open on July 29. That makes this the perfect time for roster speculation, especially after the team has already gone through rookie minicamp, voluntary minicamp, organized team activities and mandatory minicamp.
Those workouts gave rookies and veterans a chance to leave an impression on Brandon Beane and Joe Brady, but the real sorting-out begins in camp and during Buffalo’s three preseason games. That’s where players can separate themselves and make a case for one of the 53 spots.
A few Bills beat writers have already started laying out their early roster projections, and the exercise brings plenty of familiar pressure points into focus. Under former head coach Sean McDermott, these kinds of projections often leaned heavily on special teams value when the roster got trimmed. How Joe Brady will handle those final decisions is still unknown, but the competition should be fierce, especially with Jim Leonhard installing a new defense and shifting Buffalo to a base 3-4 scheme.
Several position battles are already worth watching. On the defensive line, rookie Zane Durant is in the mix with veteran Phidarian Mathis, DeWayne Carter and Mike Danna.
At receiver, Mecole Hardman Jr. and Trent Sherfield are among the names fighting for a place. Safety could get interesting too, with fan-favorite Damar Hamlin trying to push past players such as Geno Stone or Sam Franklin.
And at fullback, Jackson Acker and Ben VanSumeren are battling for position.
The roster chatter doesn’t stop there. There are also bold predictions floating around, along with three players tagged as having “boom or bust” potential for camp. Rookie wideout Skyler Bell is being pointed to as a likely training camp standout, which adds another name to the list of players worth tracking closely once the pads come on.
The roundup also points readers to a broader batch of Bills coverage, including second-year players who could make the biggest leap, James Cook’s place among the league’s top backs, ESPN’s pick for Buffalo’s most likely breakout player, John Fox’s decision to bring his coaching talents to Buffalo, and a look at the AFC East race.
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Bills Fans May Not Love Who's Emerging As Buffalo's Breakout Pick
Training camp is bringing a fresh look on defense for Buffalo, with Jim Leonhard installing a new scheme that could change how the front seven is used. For a team that spent last season sorting through roles and fit, the shift to a 3-4 setup is creating a new set of questions about which young players can grow into bigger responsibilities.
One name drawing attention is T.J. Sanders, the second-round defensive tackle from last year who had a modest rookie season but now looks like a possible leap candidate in the new system. His ability to line up inside and spend time at defensive end gives him a path to more snaps, and if the scheme unfolds the way some around the league expect, Buffalo may be hearing a lot more about him by 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Defensive Tackle Faces Defining Test In Buffalos New Defense
Zion Logue has spent two seasons on Buffalos practice squad after arriving from Atlanta, and now the defensive tackle is getting a real look as the Bills sort through the pieces of a new front under coordinator Jim Leonhard. He has appeared in five games over the past two seasons and logged half a sack, but the next step is less about flashes and more about whether he can carve out a place on the 53-man roster.
The challenge is that Buffalos interior rotation is crowded, and Logue is trying to hold his ground at nose tackle while the Bills evaluate other options in the same lane. The added bulk he has brought into camp suggests the team sees a specific role for him in Leonhards odd-front defense, but the final answer will depend on how he stacks up against the other linemen fighting for those same snaps. [Read more 🡒]