BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- As July is nearing its end, football season is just getting started.
The Bills begin their training camp on Wednesday as they ramp up for the start of the regular season in September, and after cutting ties with several veterans this offseason, Buffalo has plenty of new faces and young players stepping into key roles. Despite the mini rebuild, the Bills are still projected to be a playoff, and potentially Super Bowl, contender.
Here are four questions surrounding the Bills roster as their preseason prep kicks off:
With the departure of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason, the Bills' wide receiver core is the most unsettled it's been since arguably the 2019 season and Josh Allen's second in the NFL.
So who will step up in the receiving game? It might have to be a team effort.
Buffalo no longer has a solidified No. 1 receiver, but will likely look to spread the ball around to a versatile pass-catching room headlined by rookie Keon Coleman. The Bills want the second-round pick out of Florida State to play on the boundary, and he'll likely get an audition there throughout camp and the preseason.
After a strong end to last season, the Bills will hope Khalil Shakir, who became Buffalo's longest-tenured wideout this offseason, is poised for a breakout campaign. Veteran additions Curtis Samuel, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mack Hollins and Chase Claypool could also be notable contributors, albeit not in a No. 1 role. Andy Isabella, KJ Hamler and Justin Shorter will also compete for a roster spot.
Training camp will allow Allen an extended period to build a stronger rapport with his new targets, and also give a better sense of where offensive coordinator Joe Brady sees each player slotting in.
For the first time since 2016, the Bills will not have Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer holding down the backend of their secondary together, as Poyer signed with the Dolphins this offseason and Hyde is currently mulling retirement.
Heading into this season, one of the starting safety spots appears to be in the hands of Taylor Rapp, who re-signed with Buffalo on a three-year deal this offseason. The other position will seemingly fall to either free agent addition Mike Edwards or second-round rookie Cole Bishop, which will be one of the more notable camp competitions to watch unfold. A dark horse in the race for a starting job is Cam Lewis, who is entering his fifth season in Buffalo where he's been a serviceable backup, while Damar Hamlin will likely be competing for a roster spot.
Alongside wide receiver, safety is the position with the most notable turnover from last season, especially considering how stable it's been in the Sean McDermott era.
The Bills ranked fourth in the NFL a year ago with 54 sacks, but the biggest contributor to that number is now gone after Leonard Floyd and his 10.5 sacks signed in San Francisco, which leaves a notable hole in Buffalo's pass-rushing attack.
The Bills brought in some depth pieces at defensive end this offseason, including Casey Toohill, Dawuane Smoot and fifth-round selection Javon Solomon, but none of them are the proven talent that Floyd was. That means Buffalo will have to look to players like Gregory Rousseau, AJ Epenesa and, most notably, Von Miller to pick up the slack.
Rousseau and Epenesa combined for 11.5 sacks last season, a number that will likely need to increase this season, while Miller infamously finished with none. The 35-year-old alluded to the fact he shouldn't have been playing last season in a recent interview and said he wants to "get back to playing (his) style of football." Based on the lack of a major addition along the D-line, it would seem the team is gambling on Miller resurrecting his pass-rushing prowess.
With new kickoff rules that incentivize more runbacks going into effect this season, returners have become a bit more of a commodity than in years past. With Deonte Harty being released by the Bills this offseason, Buffalo will be on the hunt for a new No. 1 punt returner in training camp, and potentially for kickoffs as well.
Among the favorites to run back punts is rookie cornerback Daequan Hardy, who tallied two punt return touchdowns during the 2023-24 season at Penn State. Hardy will be in a battle to make the Bills roster at defensive back, but his returning abilities could boost his argument greatly.
Isabella and Hamler also have returning experience but sit firmly on the roster bubble entering training camp.
Running back Ty Johnson is likely the top choice to return kicks for the Bills this season, as he led the team with eight kickoff returns last season, but the competition should be open. Preseason games will give fans their first taste of the new kickoff rules and likely an indication of who the favorites to be Buffalo's returners are.
Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the WIVB News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here.
