Buffalo Bills Depth Chart 2019 Bills Depth Chart

Preseason Analysis: Bills Looking to Make the Jump to Consistency

Offseason Moves

Buffalo had a really strong offseason, and while the names aren’t going to standout, they are improvements for the team. Wide receiver has been a position by need, and while they didn’t get a guy in the draft, they did add Cole Beasley and John Brown. Both will jump into a strong role, but this also leaves the bills thin in terms of a bigger bodied wideout. Robert Foster also emerged last season, which creates some competition with him and Brown. The Bills beefed up their running back depth, and with two older backs it makes sense. Frank Gore continues to churn out productive seasons, and will split some time with LeSean McCoy. Buffalo didn’t stop there, adding T.J. Yeldon and drafting Devin Singletary.

It was a bit odd for them to add both those names, even if Buffalo is going to be forceful on running the ball. In need of a tight end, Buffalo signed Tyler Kroft, and drafted Dawson Knox. This will create some competition for snaps and targets. On the defensive side, they added Lorenzo Alexander, and their first draft pick went to Ed Oliver. This was a great move, and Oliver was a steal at this point in the draft. They will get some much needed youth on the defensive line.

Position Battles

There are a few battles, but not for prominent roles within the offense. It was odd to see so many wide receivers of the same skill set on the roster, but you have to think the new signings have an edge. Robert Foster and John Brown are speedy deep threats, and this will be something to watch out for if Zay Jones plays that outside role. He wasn’t successful there when asked to play, and thrived more in the slot. Now that Cole Beasley is there, it is unlikely he moves back to that role. With the Bills not being a heavy passing team, and Josh Allen isn’t a complete passer, the targets are going to be scarce. TJ Yeldon and Devin Singletary both can work as receiving backs, and Singletary has some potential as a true runner as well. With McCoy and Gore in the mix, one of these names is going to be an odd man out.

Singletary might be a wait a year type guy given the experience of the surrounding names. The next position battle is going to be interesting. Tyler Kroft will battle it out with rookie, Dawson Knox. Kroft has battled injuries in his career, which might make it an easier path for Knox, but he is far more athletic and might steal the job anyway.

Looking Ahead

The Bills are headed in the right direction, but are still a year or two out. An aging running back core isn’t a plus, and they need some better red zone targets. Addressing both offensive and defensive lines was crucial, and they got two studs in the draft. While we can question why they needed to sign these exact wideouts, they still needed depth. Buffalo is looking to build on their six win season, and if Josh Allen continues to look comfortable, they might just do that. The secondary is a strong one with good safety help, and a shutdown corner.

The linebacker core looks improved with the addition of Alexander, and they also added Trent Murphy as a defensive end. Defensively the Bills are good enough to keep this offense from having to turn to the pass early in games. They should continue to run the ball and that will feed into their defense. The AFC East outside of New England is currently in that building mode, but Buffalo is in a good spot.