By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
As is with every draft, every player on the Buffalo Bills got some new teammates. But depending on who those players are… some incumbents from last season are feeling pretty comfy about things.
While others now have a young guy in their position group, potentially vying for their job.
If the 2020 NFL Draft is the fence right down the middle of things, one side of it has some winners while the other has some losers on Buffalo’s roster.
Here’s our list of winners and losers on the Bills roster following the recent draft:
Losers
RB TJ Yeldon
Both Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane said prior to the draft that they’d be fine with their backfield being Devin Singletary and TJ Yeldon.
It was their most obvious smokescreen to the rest of the NFL.
Everyone knew the Bills wanted a guy like Zack Moss. Bigger, more like Frank Gore and less like Singletary. Yeldon was not that guy. If Yeldon makes Buffalo’s final roster, he’ll likely be a candidate to be inactive plenty on game day once again like he was last year. There’s little chance he’ll see running back snaps next season unless injury strikes.
WR Duke Williams
Duke Williams still could be a fan favorite next season. There’s always one wide receiver that is. As an unlikely story going from the CFL to NFL, Williams is still a feel-good guy and rooting for him to make the final roster is a good choice. But that became a whole lot more unlikely.
The thing Williams had last year was size, near 6-foot-4. No one else had it in the wide receiver room. Now two other guys do in fourth-round rookie Gabriel Davis and sixth-rounder Isaiah Hodgins. Davis will have an easier path to the final roster, but Williams is going to be in a dog fight with Hodgins for a roster spot. One thing that hurt Williams making the roster a year ago was his lack of special teams contributions.
QB Matt Barkley
While the national narrative might insist Jake Fromm is a threat to Josh Allen, we know in Buffalo that’s not the case. Instead, it’s one for backup Matt Barkley.
Could Fromm takeover the No. 2 spot behind Allen? From the get-go, this just reads as one training camp battle that will come down to whoever takes it. Neither QB has the playing-style that Allen has, which make’s Fromm selection all the more intriguing. Adding another mobile QB could’ve make more sense, but maybe Fromm shows he’s got some of that in his game? No one thought Allen was a dual-threat player when he was drafted.
Another thought: The Bills have kept two QBs plenty of time on their final roster under Sean McDermott. Could Fromm and Barkley force his hand to keep three?
DE Trent Murphy
This one has been written, but we can also throw defensive end Darryl Johnson on here as well. With AJ Epenesa joining the Bills in the second round, his name will be written in pen on the depth chart with Mario Addison and Jerry Hughes. On paper, keeping Murphy makes plenty of sense because of the rotation the Bills run along the defensive line.
The salary cap is a different story, though. The Bills can certainly afford Murphy’s $9.75 million cap hit, the team isn’t in need of relief. But if Beane wants some comfort there, Murphy’s dead cap hit goes down to near $1.75M per Spotrac. Murphy’s standing will be one to monitor throughout training camp.
Winners
CB Levi Wallace
After adding EJ Gaines and Josh Norman to their cornerback room earlier this offseason, some still thought the Bills needed another younger cornerback in their locker room. Dane Jackson could surprise, but he’s a seventh-round pick. The Pitt product could just as easily be cut at the end of training camp.
Since the Bills didn’t add a defensive back with a higher draft pick, that spells well for Levi Wallace. He’ll certainly make Buffalo’s 53-man roster and will still have a chance to prove he can be that long-term option across from Tre’Davious White. Gaines and Norman are older and likely just short-term options. Heck, Wallace can still win that No. 2 role in the training camp battle that’s going to ensue this summer, don’t count him out just yet. Just worth noting the Bills didn’t use a higher pick on a cornerback.
QB Josh Allen
It could’ve been said there were no more excuses for Josh Allen after the Bills added wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Now we really should.
Diggs is the No. 1 but now Davis and Hodgins bring the missing size factor. Allen has plenty of guys that can go up and get the ball now, so now it’s up to him to be a bit more accurate to give them a chance to get there. On top of that, his whole offensive line is back and running back Zack Moss was added. Can’t forget Devin Singletary and Dawson Knox also hopefully making positive strides in their second seasons.
Allen’s been put in a good sitting in a few short seasons in Buffalo. Buckle up and hope for the best.
The whole offensive line
By whole, we mean whole. Starters and depth guys alike.
At the top of Buffalo’s offensive line, from left to right, we have Dion Dawkins, Quinton Spain, Mitch Morse, Jon Feliciano, and Cody Ford. Spain re-signing earlier this offseason means that entire unit is back for another season. The Bills, who didn’t draft any offensive linemen, are really, really banking that the continuity here makes this group improve in 2020. They were decent a year ago and can stand to improve at least a little. Let’s see what they’ve got.
But let’s not forget about the depth guys, either. No late picks to the Bills were linemen, either. That means guys like Ty Nsekhe, Spencer Long and Daryl Williams, all versatile depth pieces, will have good looks at being kept around as backups. But they should get a chance to start, too. Sean McDermott shouldn’t guarantee any starting spots if he’s smart.
DT Harrison Phillips
At the start of the 2019 season, Harrison Phillips was having a hell of a few games. It’s really unfortunate that a knee injury ended things early. While Buffalo’s defensive line does appear pretty stocked, defensive tackle could be a lower level need for the team. Is Phillips going to be OK next year coming off such an injury? Many hope so, but nothing is guaranteed with such a situation.
Others on the inside of the line include Star Lotulelei, Ed Oliver and Vincent Taylor. Quinton Jefferson might play some 3-tech as well, but maybe he’s on the outside at defensive end more, we’ll have to see what the Bills’ plan for him is. But with the draft in mind, the Bills kept things status quo and decided to rollback most of the same interior of the D-line, a good sign for Phillips.
OC Brian Daboll
For many of the same reasons labeled for Allen, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll won big at the draft. His receiver group was already stocked with Stefon Diggs, John Brown and Cole Beasley, but now with the bigger targets, Daboll now has some more pages in the playbook he can dust off.
In addition, Moss brings that Frank Gore style of running. While Devin Singletary was a strong rookie for the Bills and will likely get a good look at being the No. 1 rusher, Daboll opted for Gore plenty last season. So he can still do that with Moss in the fold. If things go well for Allen, Daboll could be lost to a potential head coaching gig in the future.