Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills have to pare down their roster to 53 active players by 4 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, August 26. It’s a painstaking process that takes annually takes the wind from head coach Sean McDermott and the rest of Buffalo’s coaches, as well general manager Brandon Beane. It’s a reality check that the NFL is a business, and that there’s a league-wide total of 1,696 roster spots to be had at any one time among the 32 NFL clubs.
Without further ado…
No notes.
There’s not a lot to discuss at the top of this group. It’s a trio that’s been well-established since early in the offseason. Shakir was Allen’s favorite target in 2024; Coleman has been hyped (and shown) all summer long as a Year 2 breakout candidate; Palmer brings a deep threat as an all-around receiver on the same page as Allen.
Where things become challenging is at the back half of the list. Tyrell Shavers has made his case for the roster this season, and the Bills shouldn’t risk exposing him to waivers in hope of hiding him on the practice squad. At this point, Shavers should be viewed more as a lock than a surprise addition.
Curtis Samuel makes this roster only because of his salary, and what outright releasing him would mean for the team’s cap. He’s proven anything other than durable and dependable. If I’m the head coach making roster decisions, Samuel has done immense harm his roster status this summer. The old adage that “the best ability is availability” perfectly suits Samuel’s situation. Short of sounding like a Drill Sargent here, missing the final preseason game due to illness instead of continuing to get up to speed doesn’t sit well with me (unless we’re talking uninterrupted time in a bathroom, of course). Buffalo can’t even afford to send Samuel to IR now since he’s not currently injured; doing so might actually harm their ability to work out a trade if that’s in the cards. The best hope may be to feature Samuel early and often, and work on a trade option to get out from his salary this season and/or next.
Beyond Samuel, I have to view the team’s roster through the lens of a McDermott list. What’s most important with depth receivers? Special teams — another area where Shavers figures to mix in. But that’s also true of Laviska Shenault, who brings a unique element as a kickoff returner with size and potential to develop into an offensive threat.
PS: Elijah Moore is a top priority, but he may not clear waivers if another team believes in his potential. To be clear, Moore has plenty of it — but...
