Football is back.
It is, of course, only a poor facsimile of the sport, and the contest will be met with only a fraction of the fanfare of the typical regular season matchup, but recognized and regulated football will take place at Highmark Stadium this weekend when the Buffalo Bills host the Chicago Bears in their 2024 preseason opener.
This particular contest has been what the team has been working toward throughout its 2024 training camp, which has unfolded at Rochester’s St. John Fisher University over the past few weeks. Several Buffalo players have shined throughout the set of practices, positioning themselves for runs at the 53-man roster throughout the preseason. The three-week stretch of games also serves as an opportunity for overlooked players to step up and make a name for themselves, transforming themselves from roster long-shots into indispensable assets.
With that in mind, here are seven Bills you should keep an eye on in the team’s preseason opener against Chicago.
Buffalo selected Kentucky running back Ray Davis in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft to serve as its immediate goalline and short-yardage rusher, a role the stout 5-foot-8 back looks ready to thrive in as a rookie. He’s shown that he’s perhaps prepared for a more prominent immediate role throughout camp, displaying burst, explosiveness, and receiving ability to the tune of several impactful, highlight-reel plays.
He’s struggled with ball security throughout camp, however, putting the ball on the ground on several occasions. There’s reason to believe that this won’t be a persistent issue; he fumbled the ball just once in his final collegiate season, per PFF, this on 197 carries. He recorded just one fumble on 233 rushing attempts the year prior at Vanderbilt; if his collegiate career is any indication, there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with Davis’ technique with regard to ball handling.
If Davis can eliminate fumbling concerns in the preseason and continue to showcase the explosiveness he’s displayed throughout camp, he could position himself for a potentially increased offensive role come September.
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WR Tyrell Shavers
Buffalo’s receiving corps was the topic of much offseason discussion due to the departures of perennial Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs and complementary weapon Gabriel Davis, and while several of the team’s additions at the position—namely Curtis Samuel, Keon Coleman, and Mack Hollins—have flashed throughout camp, it’s an overlooked returning contributor who has received the bulk of the fanfare.
Tyrell Shavers has been one of the most surprising stories of this year’s camp, seeing consistent time with the first and second teams and not looking particularly out of place when given his opportunities. The big-bodied pass-catcher has showcased his understanding of the Bills’ offensive system after spending his rookie year on their practice squad and has, thus, turned himself into a realistic 53-man roster candidate; he’s earned consistent praise from Buffalo’s brass, with head coach Sean McDermott stating that he was “very impressed” by the 24-year-old before offensive coordinator Joe Brady told reporters that he’s “made the most of” his opportunities. Quarterback Josh Allen even got in on the applause, stating that he’s “rooting” for the sophom*ore.
The players deployed around Shavers when he takes the field—and his snap count—will be interesting to track this weekend. Is he lining up opposite Khalil Shakir and catching passes from Josh Allen early, or is he fighting for passes from Shane Buechele in the fourth quarter? This will give some indication of his early roster prospects. It will also be interesting to watch the wideout on special teams; he was one of the nation's best gunners at San Diego State, and Buffalo is looking for a new player to fill the role following the offseason departure of stalwart Siran Neal.
Former undrafted free agent Alec Anderson perhaps surprisingly cracked Buffalo’s 53-man roster last year as the team’s backup Swiss-army knife, a player with the ability to confidently slot in at all five offensive line positions in an extreme pinch. He wasn’t the Bills' first choice in this role—that was Ryan Bates—but after the offseason departure of the veteran to, coincidentally, Chicago, the primary five-tool player role looks to be Anderson’s to lose.
This makes the 24-year-old a virtual roster lock, but it will be interesting to see which position(s) Anderson sees the bulk of his snaps at this weekend. It will also be fascinating to track the number of snaps he gets at center and which players are lined up alongside him when these snaps come; the third-year player saw first-team snaps at center during Sunday’s training camp practice, this in the wake of new center Connor McGovern’s occasional snapping woes. A center position battle likely isn’t afoot, but Anderson could quell fan concerns about the position should he flash at the pivot throughout the preseason.
First time in training camp the #Bills swapped out first-team offensive linemen. Alec Anderson in for Connor McGovern and Ryan Van Demark in for Dion Dawkins #BillsMafia
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) August 4, 2024
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DE Javon Solomon
There have been frequent discussions throughout camp regarding Buffalo’s defensive line, these conversations typically focused on Ed Oliver’s continued dominance, Von Miller’s renewed prowess, and Dawuane Smoot’s ascent up the depth chart. Though Javon Solomon hasn’t been an oft-mentioned name, the fifth-round draft pick has offered the occasional flash throughout camp, something the 23-year-old will look to build on throughout preseason.
The former Troy Trojan has obvious pass-rushing talent—he led the FBS in sacks last season with 16—and as a fifth-round pick, he’s likely already penciled onto Buffalo’s 53-man roster. His preseason play will likely determine his immediate role; if he frequently gets lost in the shuffle, he could be a gameday inactive throughout the vast majority of his rookie season. If he’s able to flash his ability and upside, however, he could entrench himself as the DE5 on a Bills roster that typically dressed five defensive ends on gamedays last year; this would likely earn Solomon a weekly spot on the active roster. It will be a challenge for the undersized, but naturally gifted Solomon, but he has the talent necessary to flourish.
It will also just be fun to watch him play. Skilled pass-rushers typically feast on marginally talented offensive linemen in the preseason given the NFL’s depth dichotomy at the positions; Solomon could realistically put up some numbers throughout the preseason, and this starts against Chicago.
Don’t expect Gable Steveson to log significant snaps against the Bears—he is entirely new to the game of football, after all—but it will be interesting to watch what he’s able to accomplish assuming he suits up. An Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler who signed with the Bills in May despite never playing organized football at any level, Buffalo took a swing on the 24-year-old due to his natural strength and understanding of leverages, two factors paramount to success at the defensive tackle position. Steveson has put these elements on display throughout camp, with defensive coordinator Bobby Babich recently stating that he’s doing a “nice job” in his transition to football.
Again, you shouldn’t expect Steveson to put up gaudy numbers against the Bears or in the general preseason, but an occasional flash of the power and burst that initially piqued Buffalo’s interest would be encouraging.
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CB Kaiir Elam
Kaiir Elam has perhaps been the most oft-discussed player throughout Buffalo’s training camp; a glaring question mark entering the multi-week stretch given the early hurdles he's faced throughout his professional career, he’s flashed throughout camp, displaying his superb ball skills to the tune of several interceptions and pass breakups.
The impactful plays have never been Elam’s issue, however, as he’s made several throughout his first two campaigns; it’s been what occurs between the splash plays that’s been concerning. He’s an immensely talented, but generally aggressive defender who has a penchant for taking inopportune penalties and making untimely mistakes, the latter two factors preventing him from earning the unabated trust of the Bills’ coaching staff. It’s in this area that Buffalo has seen growth from Elam, a maturity that it hopes the 23-year-old continues to showcase against the Bears.
The Bills would be encouraged if Elam comes down with an interception or impressive pass breakup against Chicago. It would likely be encouraged if the third-year defender is consistently in position and mitigates his aggression.
Buffalo parted ways with stalwart safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer in the offseason, eliminating a combined 202 starts from their defensive backfield. The team figured to fill their vacancies with a position battle throughout training camp and preseason, a competition that already looks to be decided not even two weeks into camp.
Taylor Rapp entered camp with a starting role and never looked back, with the post alongside him figured to be manned by fourth-year defender Damar Hamlin, offseason signee Mike Edwards, or rookie Cole Bishop. Edwards and Bishop both picked up early camp injuries and will be sidelined for the next several weeks, leaving Hamlin as the presumptive Week 1 starter opposite Rapp barring any unforeseen circ*mstances.
This may have been the trajectory the battle was trending in any way, as Hamlin has earned praise from his coaches and teammates throughout the offseason for his consistent high-level play. The comfort and confidence with which he plays and his impact on the defense will be the most interesting thing to watch this weekend; Hamlin was once a trusted player within Buffalo’s defense, not looking out of place when he was forced to start 13 games in place of an injured Micah Hyde in the 2022 season.
Bills fans have not seen him consistently on the defensive side of the ball since he suffered a cardiac arrest in the team’s 2022 Week 17 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. The defensive back has since made a miraculous full recovery and appears to have regained his former form; his play against Chicago could help determine whether Buffalo is fully confident in its safety situation, or if it again wants to look outside the organization as Edwards and Bishop recover from their respective injuries.
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