Key defensive line spot highlights four Buffalo Bills position battles that have already been all but decided
There's still plenty to be decided about the Buffalo Bills' 53-man roster heading into the final week of the NFL preseason, with competitions ramping up at various positions. Some spots are locks. We don't need to talk about Josh Allen, or the tight end duo of Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, or the starting defensive […]
There's still plenty to be decided about the Buffalo Bills' 53-man roster heading into the final week of the NFL preseason, with competitions ramping up at various positions. Some spots are locks. We don't need to talk about Josh Allen, or the tight end duo of Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, or the starting defensive tackle position held down by Ed Oliver.
Behind the obvious starters, and even at starting spots elsewhere on the roster, though, there is plenty to decide on. A few of those spots seem to have been already locked up with still a week of preseason football to go.
Offensive Line
The expecting starting unit on the offensive line has essentially held true to the expectation wire to wire throughout training camp, and we can confidently write the line down in ink. From left to right, it will be Dion Dawkins, David Edwards, Connor McGovern, O'Cyrus Torrence, and Spencer Brown.
If there's one kink in the chain here, though, it's the interior on the left side of the line. David Edwards has, on occasion, looked shaky through the first two preseason games, with rookie Sedrick Van Pran-Granger looking very good in the opportunities he has seen. With SVPG still only seeing third team reps, though, it's unlikely that he would make a sudden surge to push for starter opportunities. However, it's something to keep an eye on in the future. He's looked very strong and needs more chances.
Running Back 2
Ray Davis was drafted in the fourth round by the Bills, and he has immediately stepped up to showcase that he's capable of being the thunder to James Cook's lightning. In the second preseason game, Davis took eight carries for 58 yards, including a long of 19. Davis has size, speed, agility, and athleticism, and will be a key member of this offense in a complementary role to Cook.
The only battle at the running back position is for the third and final spot, which looks to be leaning towards UDFA and son of future Hall of Famer Frank Gore Jr.
Punt Return
The Bills used a sixth round pick on Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy this year, and after tonight's game, it looks like he likely has a roster spot secured. He got plenty of playing time on defense, looking sticky in coverage despite being undersized at only 5'9", but where he made the biggest impact was serving as the team's starting punt returner.
Hardy looked very, very good in the return game with his 4.38 speed. He should have the returner job locked up, while being able to serve as a depth corner on the 53-man roster. But dude, please stop fielding punts inside your own five yard line. Let those go.
Defensive Tackle depth
On the defensive line, depth matters. Teams continuously rotate through linemen to stay fresh and play them situationally. Last year, starting defensive tackle Ed Oliver played in 16 games, but only played 68.1% of the snaps. Having options that can rotate in is crucial, and this year, it looks like rookie third round pick DeWayne "Blastoise" Carter is going to get the first crack at it.
"I feel like the light has started to come on with them," head coach Sean McDermott said a couple weeks ago. "There was a couple, there was a series of practices early where, you know, probably wasn't what we needed it to be. And somewhere around the scrimmage last week, give or take maybe a day before the scrimmage, and then the scrimmage – I call it the scrimmage, you know, the Blue & Red scrimmage there – I thought he really flashed from a ‘that’s more what we need. And listen, he's going to play a pivotal role in that third, fourth defensive tackle spot for us, ideally. And so with that comes a lot of development that still needs to happen, but I’ve been impressed with some of his flashes of late."
Through two preseason games, Carter has been getting plenty of reps. The coaching staff has high expectations for his contributions to this team in his rookie season.
Three longshot rookies are making life difficult for Buffalo Bills’ Brandon Beane in a good way
These guys are making a real push for the roster.
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