‘1. Cole Bishop: A little patience went a long way for the Bills when it came to Bishop’s development. After a rocky rookie season in 2024, the light bulb went on for Bishop last year. He started all 17 games in the regular season, finishing with 85 tackles, three interceptions, seven passes defensed and two sacks. His arrival helped stabilize the Bills’ secondary, which lost the other starting safety, Taylor Rapp, to a knee injury during the first half of the year. Entering his third year, Bishop is expected to become one of the Bills’ defensive leaders. His contract calls for him to count $1.785 million against the cap in 2026, which is just 0.59% of the team’s total cap.
Archives for April 2026
How the NFL draft reshaped the Bills’ linebacker depth chart
‘Parker will jump right into that four-man rotation, and while he had pass rush success at Clemson with 21.5 sacks, he was also a solid run defender which was always so important to Sean McDermott on the edge, and certainly will be with Leonhard.’
Bills sign former Eagles linebacker who turned into a fullback
‘He has rare athleticism for a player his size and position, running a 4.45-second 40-yard dash with a 42.5-inch vertical at the 2023 NFL Combine.
The Bills just signed a fullback who survived two devastating season-ending injuries in back-to-back years
‘In his first season at fullback for the Eagles, VanSumeren appeared in 11 games and made one start. The bulk of his playing time came on special teams (213 snaps). VanSumeren added 22 snaps on offense. He did not log any carries, but had one reception for zero yards. His second season ended in late-November due to a season–ending knee injury. VanSumeren returned to the Eagles in 2025, but his season ended in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. On the opening kickoff, VanSumeren suffered a patellar tendon tear that ended his season.’
The Jets thought the Bills wanted this wide receiver so badly they traded up to steal him
‘According to one Jets reporter, New York jumped from 33 to 30 specifically to leapfrog Buffalo and land Omar Cooper Jr. ESPN’s Rich Cimini shared the news on the Jets Collective podcast.’
Why the Bills focused on bringing youth and depth to defense
‘Many of the defensive players remain in the wake of Sean McDermott’s firing. But the roster has a few new veterans and is younger in terms of depth, something that president of football operations and general manager Brandon Beane acknowledged. A handful of veterans from last year’s team remain free agents — linebacker Matt Milano, cornerback Tre’Davious White and defensive ends Joey Bosa and AJ Epenesa.’
Analyst reveals key Bills path taken in NFL Draft
‘“After several early trades down, the Bills made 10 picks. Six of the first eight were on defense, and that includes second-rounders T.J. Parker and Davison Igbinosun,” Pereles wrote. “Both should contribute immediately and help shore up the run defense, especially.’
Analyst cautious of improvement due to Bills’ offseason change
‘“Based on adjusted games lost, they were the healthiest offense in the league in 2025,” Gagnon writes. “If that balances out in ’26, their depth will be tested following the loss of Edwards. And while shaking things up by moving on from Sean McDermott isn’t necessarily a bad call at this stage, simply rolling with next-man-up Joe Brady might not result in material improvements.”’
Capaccio: 2026 State of the Bills: Quarterback
‘The Bills like Buechele’s competitiveness and toughness a lot. He’ll get every shot to win the backup role during camp. But if Josh Allen were to go down for a game or two, as it looks right now, they’d most likely turn to and trust the 30-year old Kyle Allen to manage the game and keep them on track.’
Fans start to receive memorabilia from Highmark Stadium
‘“They had it laid out really nice — it was about as easy as it could be, I was shocked, and we signed our seats at the last game,” said Boglione. “The girls helped load them and I looked and said, oh my gosh, those are our actual seats.”’
Bills sign athletic fullback Ben VanSumeren to one-year deal
‘Two separate season-ending injuries wiped away both his 2024 and 2025 season. In 2024, VanSumeren did log limited time on the field before his injury, playing 22 snaps at fullback and recording one reception.’
Following the draft, an updated Bills 53-man roster projection
‘Safeties (5): Cole Bishop, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Geno Stone, Jalon Kilgore, Sam Franklin Jr. Analysis: The most noteworthy cut in this projection is Damar Hamlin, not so much for his impact on the field, but more for what he’s meant to the franchise off the field since going into cardiac arrest during a game against the Bengals in 2023. Kilgore’s addition, however, could be the acquisition that leads to the Bills moving on from Hamlin. Franklin’s role is primarily to play special teams.’
What the Bills’ draft says about their defensive line vision
‘Buffalo ranked 28th against the run in 2025 with an average yield of 136.2 yards per game, but more telling was ranking 30th in yards per rush (5.1), 31st in runs of 10 yards or more (65), and dead last in rushing yards per play allowed after first contact (3.93).’
Bills invite former Bengals third-round pick to rookie minicamp
‘Burton did not appear in a game in 2025. He was a healthy scratch for most of the year. The Bengals suspended him less than two hours before their Week 14 game against Buffalo for team conduct reasons. Cincinnati waived him the next day, Dec. 8, and he wasn’t claimed by another team.’
Bills produced the most athletic draft class of the Brandon Beane era in latest sign of new vision
‘There is a belief that not much changed with the post-Sean McDermott Buffalo Bills hierarchy. Even though McDermott had his hand fully submerged in the roster pot, Brandon Beane was still the general manager and had a big say in draft and roster construction. And while McDermott, as head coach, dictated the way Buffalo played offensively, Joe Brady still had play-calling autonomy.’