2023 was a strange season for the Bills in many ways. They struggled to maintain any consistency early in the year, and found themselves foundering at 6-6 when the decision was made to change offensive coordinators. They then rebounded to win out and finish 11-6, stealing the AFC East title from Miami on the last day of the regular season. Still, another divisional round playoff loss, this time at home to Kansas City, left the team short of it’s ultimate goal to reach and win a Super Bowl. Here’s our preview of the 2024 season:
Front Office/Coaching
GM Brandon Beane has had to scramble this offseason, with the main monkey wrench in the works being forced to trade star receiver Stefon Diggs. He also decided to move on from a few other veteran leaders – Mitch Morse and Gabe Davis on offense, Leonard Floyd, Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde and Tre White on defense, along with core special teamers like Tyler Matakevich and Siran Neal. The bottom line is coach Sean McDermott and his staff will have to count on newcomers in a lot of positions. It will be a transitional, but not a rebuilding year. There isn’t a lot of experience at the coordinator positions either, with Joe Brady getting a full year and DC Bobby Babich holding that title for the first time.
Quarterbacks
QB Josh Allen, the engine of the Bills’ offense
Josh Allen is the starting quarterback and undisputed leader of the Bills. He is an annual candidate for league MVP, and with his receiving corps diminished, he’ll face his biggest challenge in 2024. The team brought back old friend Mitchell Trubisky to back him up, but with Mike White looming on the practice squad, this spot may not necessarily be etched in stone.
Running Backs
Ty Johnson, valuable backup RB
James Cook is the Bills’ starting running back , and he’s coming off a somewhat quiet 1,600 all purpose yard season. With OC Brady looking to use the running attack more, he could be in for a big season. In the backup roles are veteran Ty Johnson, a reliable runner capable of spelling Cook admirably. Rookie Ray Davis is a wild card. In the preseason he was impressive as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield. How much will Brady utilize his talents in addition to Cook and Johnson? Fullback Reggie Gilliam is back again to reprise his role as a blocking back, sometime receiver and special teams contributor.
Receivers
Khali Shakir, the only returning WR from 2023 season
Khalil Shakir returns as the only known commodity in the wide receiver room. There isn’t any so-called number 1 receiver in the group, but it remains to be seen if that turns out to be a liability or a positive for Allen and the offensive attack. The team will be relying on a promising rookie in Keon Coleman, and a group of veteran free agent signees who have had varying degrees of success in the league in Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The best receivers on the roster may be the tight ends. The duo of Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox rivals the best the NFL has to offer, and Quinton Morris is the ideal backup, not seeing the field that much with the 2 ahead of him, but finding a way to make plays when needed. Brady figures to utilize 12 personnel (2 tight ends) a lot this season.
Offensive Line
O’Cyrus Torrence solidified the right guard spot as a rookie
The Bills’ offensive line was extremely lucky in 2023 as the starting five man unit stayed intact and injury-free for the whole season. There will be a couple of changes on this year’s unit, however, as Connor McGovern slides over from left guard to center to replace the departed Mitch Morse, and David Edwards, the top reserve guard last year, moves into the LG position. Returning at right guard is O’Cyrus Torrence, a revelation as a rookie in 2023. He won the starting job in training camp and never gave it up, putting in a solid season. The starting tackles also return, with Dion Dawkins on the left side and big Spencer Brown on the right. The backups this year will include a pair of veterans, swing tackle Ryan Van Demark and the versatile Alec Anderson, who can fill in at any of the line positions. The other reserves are a pair of rookies – Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, who is a natural center but has been groomed to play guard also, and late round draftee Tylan Grable, who quietly had an impressive preseason playing with second and third stringers. If nothing else, the subtle changes in this group should translate into them being a better run-blocking unit.
Defensive Line
DT Ed Oliver had a breakout season
Buffalo likes to use a heavy dose of rotation along the front line on defense in order to keep the big guys fresh over a long season. For that reason they have 10 players on the roster who play on the D-line. Von Miller, a future Hall of Famer, is listed as a linebacker but really is classified as an edge rusher. His pass rushing skills, missing due to injuries for a lot of his tenure here, hopefully will be back as he is finally completely healthy. Miller leads an impressive group of defensive end/edge rushers that includes 2 emerging impact players in Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa, a veteran whose skill level is somewhat unknown in Casey Toohill, and a promising rookie who will need development time in Javon Solomon. The interior line boasts 2 solid starters in DaQuan Jones, an underrated space eater, and Ed Oliver, who broke out with an unrecognized Pro Bowl-caliber year in 2023. Austin Johnson, a free agent pickup, is a veteran backup who will be able to rotate in with little drop in production. Last but not least is Dawuane Smoot, another vet free agent signee who can play inside or on the edge and has the type of versatility the coaches love.
Linebackers
LB Dorian Williams, starter by default
The loss of All Pro Matt Milano due to injury again from this unit really stings. Hopefully he is able to return late in the season to help down the stretch run. In the meantime second year player Dorian Williams will have to man that spot. He is a hard hitting tackling machine, but needs a lot of work on his coverage skills if he is to hold down the starting position. The other backer is reliable Terrel Bernard. He emerged as the leader of the defense last season and is on the road, if he continues to develop, to All Pro status himself. As for backups, Baylon Spector is back but due to recurring injuries has never been able to garner much playing time on defense, but is a special teams contributor. The same goes for newcomer Nick Morrow, signed as a free agent with a reputation for top special teams play. Rookie Edefuan Ulofoshio lacks experience but has the skill to overtake Williams over time if he can develop properly. The last reserve LB is the hometown storybook hero, Joe Andreessen. He came out of nowhere (Lancaster, NY and the University of Buffalo actually) to win a job on the 53 man roster. Expect him to be used mainly on special teams as he learns.
Defensive Backs
Solid veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas
Most of the veteran departures on defense this year happened in the secondary. Coach McDermott and DC Babich will have to figure out which players will be the best fits to get the unit to improve as the year goes on. The starting cornerback jobs should be in decent shape. Taron Johnson, a Pro Bowl slot corner, leads the way as he allows the team to play a nickel defense as their regular unit with both stellar coverage skills and solid tackling ability. Christian Benford is slowly growing into a young dependable outside corner, while veteran ballhawk Rasul Douglas mans the other side. Douglas was a big play machine after being acquired in-season in 2023. The opening day starting safeties are unknown at this point. Just like they did with Bernard last season, one of the players who missed all of the preseason with injury could suddenly wind up in the starting lineup. It appears that Taylor Rapp, an important backup last year, will be promoted to one starting spot but the other is wide open. Veteran Mike Edwards was signed for that role but nagging injuries have kept him on the sideline. Damar Hamlin manned that spot in the preseason and might start also. The plan is likely to have rookie draft pick Cole Bishop eventually grow into the job, but he also has been hit by the injury bug. Versatility and the ability to play basically every position in the secondary has kept Cam Lewis on the squad, and he is now a valuable member of the defense, along with being a contributor to special teams. Another UB product who fought his way from last year’s practice squad to the regular roster is Ja’Marcus Ingram. He and Kaiir Elam are the other CB reserves. Elam has not been able to overtake Benford despite being a higher draft pick in the same year, but he is a solid backup. One other player listed on the roster as a cornerback is Brandon Codrington, but he is solely going to be used to return kicks.
Special Teams
PK Tyler Bass will be under the microscope
Special teams was somewhat of a disaster in 2023 for the Bills. They allowed a punt return for a touchdown in overtime to lose the opening game, had 12 men on the field on a missed field goal attempt that led to a home loss to Denver, and blew a chance to tie the divisional playoff game when Tyler Bass missed a makeable field goal. Long snapper Reid Ferguson is the only member of the specialty teams that has been consistent. Tyler Bass is no longer “Bass-o-matic” and if he doesn’t recover his previous skill level he may not survive the season. Punter Sam Martin has also been wildly inconsistent. The club is still looking for answers for a reliable and somewhat dynamic presence in the return game. Codrington, grabbed in a late trade with the Jets, is the latest to audition for the job. Holding auditions for any job with the regular season already beginning isn’t exactly the best way to go, but give the Bills credit for constantly trying to improve no matter when it is.
Here’s your annual song to get psyched up for the upcoming season, the Bills’ Shout song: