PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WKBW — The Buffalo Bills wrapped up training camp at St. John Fisher on Thursday and returned home to Orchard Park.
They will now prepare for the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears on Saturday and head coach Sean McDermott said the starters will play.
"It's an important step, hard to simulate the speed of a game," McDermott said. You can hear more from him in the video below.
But let’s now put a bow on training camp. After 12 practices, here are my biggest takeaways from St. John Fisher University.
Top performer:
DT Ed Oliver
Make no mistake, the top performer does not mean MVP. That’s easily quarterback Josh Allen who had a strong training camp. But the guy who consistently flashed for the entire camp was Oliver. It felt like every practice he was creating havoc in the middle and opening up lanes for his peers. With DaQuan Jones back, Oliver has the potential to follow up his best season as a pro with an even more dynamic year.
Honorable mentions:
CB Taron Johnson and DE Greg Rousseau
They have also been exceptional and deserve some shine for their strong summers. Johnson is legitimately a dominant force in the secondary and Rousseau could be on the verge of a breakout season.
Top rookie:
WR Keon Coleman
Coleman has been on the receiving end of most of the big plays from the offense for the last two and a half weeks. I’ve been surprised how often Coleman’s number has been called and it feels like he’s earned Allen’s trust. His skill set is unlike a player the Bills have had in years past and he could be a top red zone target as the team rolls out an entirely new group of receivers (aside from Khalil Shakir).
Most consistent performer:
WR Khalil Shakir
Speaking of Shakir, he’s been the guy who has made plays when called upon every day. As the only player who has caught a pass from Allen in an NFL game, he’ll be someone who should be leaned on early in the season. Shakir is more versatile than he’s given credit for and has a good chance at being the Bills most targeted wide receiver.
Pleasant surprises:
WR Tyrell Shavers and CB Ja’Marcus Ingram
When asked about any pleasant surprises during training camp in his final press conference at St. John Fisher University Sean McDermott specifically mentioned Shavers. His rise over the last two and a half weeks has been well documented and the minute he started getting reps with Allen and the first team offense it became clear he had a real chance at making this team. Add in his usage on special teams and at this point I’ll be surprised if Shavers isn’t on the 53-man roster.
As for Ingram, he’s been a solid corner and should give the Bills strong depth behind their top three guys. In years past the Bills have been pretty banged up at corner and needed to call in seasoned veterans to have peace of mind at the position. Ingram could give them that and finally earn a permanent role on the Bills roster after two seasons primarily on the practice squad.
Most improved:
CB Kaiir Elam
Elam has gotten more run with the first-team defense than anyone would’ve imagined. He leveraged a strong spring into an even stronger summer and is playing with a level of confidence we’ve rarely seen from the 2022 first-round pick. McDermott referred to Elam as the third cornerback during his final interview of camp, so we can put to bed any thought of him winning a job over Douglas or Benford, but he’ll be the first guy called upon if either player is injured. We could even see some sort of rotation like the Bills used to start the 2022 season with Elam, Benford, & Dane Jackson.
Biggest area of concern:
The safety position
With Mike Edwards and Cole Bishop both injured the Bills had to sign two veteran safeties and have been using Damar Hamlin in an expanded role. As we wrap up camp, I wonder if Micah Hyde will be getting a phone call from GM Brandon Beane. Edwards, who was slotted in as the starter aside Taylor Rapp, has missed most of the offseason with various injuries. Bishop had an uphill battle as a rookie to win a starting job out of camp and his injury has made that even more unlikely. If I had to guess right now I’d say the Week 1 starters are Rapp and Edwards, unless Hyde is back in the mix.
Top fantasy target:
TE Dalton Kincaid
I hate writing this because I’m sure some of my fantasy football competitors will see it and I don’t want to show my hand.
Kincaid is going to be a problem for opposing defenses this year. After 73 catches as a rookie it’s not unrealistic to think he could see that number substantially grow. With so many vacated targets after the departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, Kincaid should see a healthy dose of passes coming his way. I’ll be stunned if he’s not the Bills top pass-catching option this season and think he’ll see a big jump in touchdowns after catching just two in 2023.
Most disappointing:
WR Chase Claypool
This has nothing to do with what we saw from Claypool on the field and everything to do with how much time he missed. Claypool got injured before the team ever put on pads and practiced just four times in Rochester. After a really strong spring and plenty of momentum towards making the roster, Claypool has drifted into the background. It sounds like he’ll also miss the Bills first preseason game, which doesn’t give the young receiver much time to prove he’s worth a spot on the roster.
Most interesting roster battle:
TE Quinton Morris vs. TE Zach Davidson
Davidson, who is listed as the fourth tight end on the Bills roster, has made plays from the minute the team began voluntary workouts in the spring. Those flashes continued into the summer and he has even earned reps with Allen on offense. But he doesn’t play as big of a role on special teams as Morris. The Bills could keep four tight ends, but that feels unlikely. Allen himself said Davidson is making this a difficult decision for Beane and I very much agree.
Emptying out the notebook
Here are some of my other final thoughts as camp comes to an end:
- Ball security continues to be an area of concern for James Cook and Ray Davis. I’m not suggesting the sky is falling, but this has been a troubling trend during camp.
- Rookie CB Daequan Hardy has made some nice plays on defense. But his best chance of making the roster is as a special teams standout and he’ll have his chance in the preseason. To me, the primary kick/punt returner job will come down to Hardy or KJ Hamler but I can’t give the edge to either guy until I see them in a game.
- WR Mack Hollins is going to be on the field a ton. I think they’ll use him a bit like they did with Gabe Davis for the last few years as a great blocking option who can also contribute in the passing game. He won’t be as dynamic as Davis, but he will get his chance to make plays.
