Bills training camp is right around the corner. But first, we’ll take stock of Buffalo’s offseason and look ahead to the storylines to watch for in training camp. Plus, I have some bold predictions, and I took a crack at what the Bills’ depth chart will look like when they open the season against the New York Jets on September 11.
Buffalo Bills Offseason Recap
Who’s In?
Who’s Out?
Meet the Rookies
2023 Outlook & Training Camp Storylines
The Bills are primed for a run at the Super Bowl, and those are the expectations in Buffalo despite a disappointing end to the 2022 season. On Friday, the Bills reaffirmed their confidence in head coach Sean McDermott and GM B🌠randon Bean 🐭with extensions for both.
With Leslie Frasier taking a break from coaching, Sean McDermott will call plays for the Bills’ defense full-time in 2023. The Bills had an impressive fourth-place ranking in defensive DVOA last season and an equally impressive eighth-place ranking in weighted DVOA. With the potential return of Von Miller for an entire season, there’s no reason why the Bills couldn’t improve upon their already impressive standing.
While the last couple of weeks have been rocky for 💞Buffalo, they have a roster that has the potential to make noise in the playoffs this season. Still, the AFC East will be no easy task this year.
Training Camp Storylines
How will the Bills incorporate Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid? Buffalo Bills fans were looking for a player to fill the slot position, but the team ended up addressing the issue in a different way. Dalton Kincaid was ava𝔍ilable for the team in the late first round, and Buffalo took him. The Bills plan to use him as a receiver in 12-personnel groupings.
Buffalo signed Dawson Knox to a four-year, $53.6 million extension last September, so they have to find a way to use Knox and Kincaid this season. Especially since they didn’t add a bona fide wide receiver through free agency.
Sorting out the offensive line will be interesting. In the offseason, Buffalo made a strategic move to enhance their interior offensive line by adding four guards to their roster. Among these guards, Connor McGovern and David Edwards have established themselves as experienced starters, while the promising O’Cyrys Torrence was drafted in the second round out of Florida.
The Bills will be auditioning five wide receivers in camp. Buffalo signed seven undrafted free agents this year. Five of them are wide receivers. Dalton Kincaid was their answer to the need for another day one pass catcher. However, Buffalo has loaded up 𓆉on lottery tickets and will be using training camps to see if any of them are winners.
Bold Predictions
James Cook will be the Bills’ X-Factor on offense in 2023. Opportunity is king, and James Cook will have plenty of it. That’s good news for the Bills. Cook ranked first among all running backs in breakaway run percentage per PFF. He also averaged 5.7 yards per carry and was top-15 in receiving grade. Cook is a dual-threat back, and he will not only have a chance to be RB1, but he also has a chance to become a serious part of Buffalo’s passing attack this season.
Dalton Kincaid will out-perform Dawson Knox. Imagine your $53 million tight end being the second-best tight end on your roster. I honestly believe thats’ the case in Buffalo right now. Kincaid is as pure a pass-catcher as any tight end in the 2023 draft class. He’s going to be TE1 in Buffalo by season’s end, and Knox is likely playing his final season with the Bills.
Wins Over/Under (10.5)
The Bills have so much potential. They also have some deficiencies, and they were exposed big time in the playoffs last season. The loss to Cincinnati was terrible. However, it was more of a masterclass by Cincinnati’s coaching staff than anything. But the Wild Card game against Miami was the type of game that gets people fired. Buffalo was lucky to win that game, at home, against Skylar Thompson and the battered Miami Dolphins. Still, we’re talking regular season here (for now), so 11 wins are very realistic for the Bills. What happens after? Well, we shall see.
Prediction: Over
Note: 2023 NFL Win Totals via
Buffalo Bills Projected Starting Lineup
