The Buffalo Bills have one of the best rosters in the NFL, but the league doesn’t hand out awards for personnel strength. The Bills have suffered devastating playoff defeats over the past few seasons, and the job won’t be complete in Buffalo until Sean McDermott and Co. hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season.
The Bills’ Super Bowl quest will start during training camp when they’ll be forced to pare down their depth chart by making tough decisions. Let’s run through Buffalo’s current 90-man roster and determine how they’ll get down to 53 players before cutdown day.
Projecting the Buffalo Bills’ 2023 Roster and Depth Chart
Quarterback
- In: Josh Allen, Kyle Allen
- Out: Matt Barkley
After losing backup Case Keenum to the Texans in free agency, the Bills will go with an Allen and Allen duo at quarterback. Kyle Allen should enter the season as Josh Allen’s No. 2, as Buffalo is confident it can slide Barkley through to the practice squad. Barkley spent all of the last season on the Bills’ taxi squad before signing a reserve/futures contract in January.
Running Back
- In: James Cook, Damien Harris, Nyheim Hines, Reggie Gilliam (FB)
- Out: Jordan Mims, Latavius Murray
With Devin Singletary gone, Cook is projected to step into a more prominent role after being selected in the second round of the 2022 draft. The Bills signed Harris and Murray in an effort to improve in short-yardage work, but there’s probably enough overlap between the two that only one will make Buffalo’s roster. Harris is the favorite, while Murray should make his way to the club’s practice squad.
There’s a chance that the Bills retain four running backs plus Gilliam at fullback, but that would entail paring down at another position, potentially at wide receiver or somewhere on defense.
Wide Receiver
- In: Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir, Deonte Harty, Justin Shorter, Trent Sherfield
- Out: Marcel Ateman, Isaiah Coulter, KeeSean Johnson, Dezmon Patmon, Tyrell Shavers, Bryan Thompson, Jalen Wayne
Diggs and Davis are locked in as Buffalo’s top two receivers. For now, we’re penciling in Shakir as the Bills’ likeliest option in the slot, as the 2022 fifth-round pick flashed enough during his rookie campaign to see increased usage.
Harty will make the club as a special teamer and deep threat, while Shorter is safe as a developmental prospect. Buffalo gave Sherfield $750,000 this offseason, so he’s likely to earn a roster spot even if Shakir takes most of the team’s slot snaps.
Tight End
- In: Dawson Knox, Dalton Kincaid, Quintin Morris
- Out: Nick Guggemos, Joel Wilson
The Bills have given every indication that they’ll deploy more 12 personnel in 2023, and adding Kincaid as a mismatch weapon in the first round of this year’s draft only advances that notion. Meanwhile, Morris made Buffalo’s squad as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and quickly overtook fellow tight end Tommy Sweeney, who is now with the Giants. The Bills’ TE depth chart won’t feature any changes unless a training camp injury strikes.
Offensive Line
- In: Dion Dawkins, Connor McGovern, Mitch Morse, Ryan Bates, Spencer Brown, O’Cyrus Torrence, David Edwards, David Quessenberry, Ike Boettger
- Out: Alec Anderson, Nick Broeker, Tommy Doyle, Richard Gouraige, Kevin Jarvis, Greg Mancz, Brandon Shell, Ryan Van Demark
Buffalo’s top seven offensive linemen are set, but there are still questions about who will start at right guard. Bates struggled at times last season, and Torrence should have a chance to usurp him during training camp after being selected in the second round of the 2023 draft. If Torrence starts, Bates would become a super-sub who can play any position up front.
Edwards is a roster lock, leaving Quessenberry, Boettger, Doyle, Mancz, and Shell to compete for two spots. Doyle suffered a torn ACL in Week 3, and the Bills could place him on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list to buy extra time. Boettger is younger and more versatile than Mancz, while Quessenbery’s familiarity with Buffalo’s offensive system should give him the edge over Shell.
Defensive Tackle
- In: Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, Poona Ford, Tim Settle, Jordan Phillips
- Out: Eli Ankou, Cortez Broughton, DJ Dale, Kendal Vickers
Although he was viewed as a potential trade candidate, Oliver ultimately signed an extension to remain with the Bills. Buffalo also added Ford and re-signed Phillips to complete their defensive tackle room.
Phillips remains a question mark — he underwent shoulder surgery earlier this year and hasn’t participated in offseason work. If he’s forced to start the season on the PUP list, Dale could make the roster as an undrafted free agent. Alternatively, the Bills could keep another body at a different position, potentially in the secondary.
EDGE
- In: Von Miller, Greg Rousseau, Leonard Floyd, Boogie Basham, Shaq Lawson, A.J. Epenesa
- Out: Kameron Cline, Kingsley Jonathan, Shane Ray
Miller’s health will affect how the Bills organize their EDGE depth chart. After tearing his ACL in September, the veteran defender has indicated he’s likely to be available for Week 1 but cautioned that he’ll follow orders from Buffalo’s medical staff.
Rousseau has developed into an above-average pass rusher, while the late addition of Floyd gives the Bills added depth in the event that Miller isn’t ready for the start of the season. Still, Buffalo needs to see increased production from Basham or Epenesa, neither of whom has blossomed as the Bills might have hoped. If Miller can’t go in Week 1, Ray — a former first-round pick who hasn’t played since 2018 — could become an interesting option.
Linebacker
- In: Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard, Tyrel Dodson, Dorian Williams, Tyler Matakevich
- Out: Travin Howard, A.J. Klein, Baylon Spector
Buffalo will stage a training competition to find Tremaine Edmunds’ replacement, with Bernard and Dodson the two most likely contenders. There’s a chance Williams could also be involved in that battle, but the third-round rookie is likely to see reps as Milano’s backup on the weak side rather than fight for a starting job at middle linebacker.
Matakevich, Klein, and Spector are all vying for the same role, and we’re giving the edge to Matakevich since he played the most special teams snaps on the Bills’ roster last season. However, Buffalo may ultimately retain only four linebackers with the hope that Matakevich and one of Klein or Spector can be sent to the practice squad.
Cornerback
- In: Tre’Davious White, Kaiir Elam, Taron Johnson, Christian Benford, Dane Jackson, Siran Neal
- Out: Alex Austin, Cameron Dantzler, Ja’Marcus Ingram, Cam Lewis
Elam will enter the offseason as the favorite to start opposite White, but the 2022 first-round pick was outplayed by Benford at times last season, while Jackson also has a path to a starting job. Elam should be considered the most likely option, but he’s far from a guaranteed starter.
Lewis was the most difficult cut on Buffalo’s roster, but Neal makes more sense as the direct backup to Johnson in the slot. However, if Miller or Phillips has to start the season on the PUP list, Lewis would be the first candidate to take the vacated roster spot.
Safety
- In: Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Taylor Rapp, Damar Hamlin
- Out: Zayne Anderson, Dean Marlowe, Jared Mayden
Hyde and Poyer remain one of the NFL’s most productive safety pairings, and the Bills landed a steal by re-signing Poyer on a two-year deal worth just $12.5 million. Rapp (one year, $1.77 million) is another potential bargain who should see action if Buffalo employs big nickel/three-safety looks.
All indications are that Hamlin is ready to get contribute this season, making him a shoo-in for the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award. If the Bills decide to start him on the PUP list, Lewis would likely make the club, but Marlowe — whom Buffalo acquired from the Falcons at the 2022 trade deadline — would also see his chances improve.
Specialists
- In: Tyler Bass (K), Sam Martin (P), Reid Ferguson (LS)
The Bills aren’t even feigning a competition for their special teams roles. Bass, Martin, and Ferguson will return as Buffalo’s specialists for the second consecutive season.