Teams in the NFL seldom make major transactions mere weeks before the start of the season, but anything is possible. The Buffalo Bills have demonstrated that if they can acquire future draft capital from a certain player, Brandon Beane will make a trade to reduce the roster. We’ve seen it before, but it’s likely that there will just be roster cutbacks. We haven’t seen the Bills trade for a player thus close to the start of the season in a long time.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine has suggested one trade scenario for each NFL team before the start of the 2024 season, and the Bills are included as a team that should make a trade for someone from the NFC South. Ballentine believes the Bills should consider trading for Atlanta Falcons safety Richie Grant, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
While Grant has contributed to the Falcons, Ballentine believes that Jessie Bates III and DeMarcco Hellams should take over as starters in the backend, putting Grant at a significant disadvantage and ensuring that he will spend his final season with the Falcons (if he is not traded or released before then).
“Grant was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft and has been a starter for the Falcons the last two seasons, although Jessie Bates III and DeMarcco Hellams could be the starters after the latter had a solid rookie season.
With Grant in the final year of his rookie contract, the Falcons could be inclined to trade him for a selection. Perhaps playing in Sean McDermott’s defensive scheme would help him have a breakout season.”
The Bills do not need to address the safety position.
The Bills already have veterans Taylor Rapp, Mike Edwards, and Damar Hamlin on their roster. They also chose Cole Bishop in the second round, with the hope that he may become a starter sooner rather than later. Rapp and Edwards are most certainly going to be the Week 1 starts, and Bishop will need to find a way to earn playing time. Hamlin’s roster fate is uncertain, as this is the final year of his contract.
Wasting draft capital on a position that does not require attention would be a waste of time. If Buffalo wants to make a deal before the season began, it should add depth at cornerback. Outside of Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford, the depth behind them does not provide stability if an injury occurs.
3 observations from the Buffalo Bills first three days of training camp.
The Buffalo Bills completed their first week of training camp at St. John Fisher University in front of Bills Mafia. They’ll recuperate on Saturday before returning to the field on Sunday, July 28. Overall, the Bills enjoyed a good start to training camp and will aim to carry that momentum into the second week before returning to Orchard Park for the Blue and Red practice at Highmark Stadium on August 2nd.
The first week of training camp concluded with a hearty welcome from Kim Pegula, who assisted in breaking down the team huddle on Friday. After the first three days of practice, we look at three observations that fans should be mindful of as the second week begins.
Ed Oliver continues where he left off in 2023.
The Bills’ rising star defensive lineman enjoyed a breakout season last year and will seek to build on that momentum. His presence was quickly noticed, and he is causing significant disruption to the offensive. Beat reporter Sal Capaccio stated that Oliver was always generating issues for the offense.
Ed Oliver once again with a burst through the line to disrupt a Josh Allen dropback
— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) July 26, 2024
If Oliver can maintain his dominance and put pressure on the offense, it will be intriguing to watch what he can bring in 2024. The Bills can only hope he maintains his current level of performance.
Keon Coleman is burning it up!
The rookie wideout has not only turned heads this offseason with his flamboyant style, but his play is also gaining attention. According to Alex Brasky, Coleman has performed admirably early in training camp, with “several” touchdown catches throughout.
Keon Coleman continues to shine at #Bills training camp. Many were worried if he could make an immediate impact, but those concerns are dissipating with every touchdown pass he catches — and there have been several #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/Xa5gSkTNSN
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) July 26, 2024
Coleman has an argument for being in the finest situation of any rookie wide receiver. Having Josh Allen as your quarterback and the opportunity to develop into Buffalo’s number one receiver is something that not many athletes get. If Coleman lives up to his promise, the Buffalo offense may be formidable as early as this season.
Josh Allen takes more control of the offense.
There is no better connection than when your quarterback and wide receiver are on the same page. According to Alex Brasky, offensive coordinator Joe Brady discussed how Allen has been able to step up and take “more ownership of the Bills offense”.
Joe Brady says it’s been fun taking a step back and letting Josh Allen take more ownership of the #Bills offense. Says with the boatload of new faces offensively, it’s critical pass catchers know what Allen is thinking, more than just simply running a play. pic.twitter.com/ET7TYBjrTk
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) July 25, 2024
Allen’s increased involvement demonstrates that he has complete control of the offense. It’s not that he wasn’t before, but Brady makes an excellent point about how there are more crucial things than simply knowing the play. With a nearly brand-new receiver room, appropriate offensive development will be critical.
As training camp progresses, Bills fans should keep a watch on the contests and hope that no catastrophic injuries occur. The Bills return to the practice field on Sunday at 9:45 a.m.