Bills Offseason moves to date & Projected Roster

[oldmanfan]

As the proud holder of undergraduate and doctoral degrees from UB, I am very proud we have had 3 former University AT Buffalo guys on our roster the past year; always point out they are alumni to all around me when Lewis, Ingram, or Little Joe make a play.  But I’m not sure any of them make the roster this year, especially Lewis and Ingram

[Doc]

On 3/10/2025 at 4:17 PM, GASabresIUFan said:

Offense (23) - Draftee, Underline = FA Signee

QBs (2) - Allen, Trubisky, Cut - White

RB/FB (4) - Cook, Davis, Ty Johnson, Gilliam (FB)

TE (3) - Kincaid, Knox, Hawes  Cut - Davidson

WR (5) - Coleman, Shakir, Samuel, Palmer, Moore  - Cut Shenault, Shavers, Prather

OL (9) - Starters - Brown, Edwards, McGovern, Torrence, Dawkins

              Depth - SVPG, Anderson, Grable, Van Denmark, Cut - Lundt, Green

 

Defense (27) - Draftee, Underline = FA Signee

DE (5) - Rousseau, AJE, Solomon, Bosa, Jackson

DT (5) - Oliver, Jones, Carter, Sanders, Walker  Cut - Logue

LB (5) - Milano, Bernard, Williams, Andreessen, Ulofoshio - Cut Spector

CB (7) - Benford, T Johnson, White, Hairston, Strong, Ingram, Codrington (KR) - Cut Jackson

S (5) - Rapp, Bishop, Hamlin, Forrest, Hancock - Cut - Lewis

 

Specialists (3)

Bass PK, Camarda P, Ferguson LS

 

Suspended: 6 games for PEDs

Ogunjobi DT

Hoecht DE

 

I'd keep Lundt and cut Ingram.  I also think Hardy over Codrington has a decent chance of happening if they find returners elsewhere among the 53.

Edited yesterday at 02:07 PM by Doc

[GASabresIUFan]

29 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

I'd keep Lundt and cut Ingram.  I also think Hardy over Codrington has a decent chance of happening if they find returners elsewhere among the 53.

The battles for the bottom of the roster are always hard to predict.  Beane will have to decide based on roster need, camp performance, cap considerations, familiarity with the system, position flexibility, special teams usage, injuries, and last but not least, can they sneak them on to the practice squad.  

 

For example take Lewis.

The positive: Lewis plays special teams, plays safety and CB, has 6+ years in the system and likely won't make it the PS.

The negative:  His on the field play was mediocre and he carries a $2 mill cap hit with a very low dead cap if cut (cap savings 1.8 mill).

 

As to Lundt

Positives:  He was drafted this year and plays a position of long-term need.  Beane also hates losing OL from the PS.  

Negative:  The Bills usually only carry 9 OL and unless some like Van Demark is injured or traded, Lundt is competing for the 10th slot.    

[Doc]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFan said:

The battles for the bottom of the roster are always hard to predict.  Beane will have to decide based on roster need, camp performance, cap considerations, familiarity with the system, position flexibility, special teams usage, injuries, and last but not least, can they sneak them on to the practice squad.  

 

For example take Lewis.

The positive: Lewis plays special teams, plays safety and CB, has 6+ years in the system and likely won't make it the PS.

The negative:  His on the field play was mediocre and he carries a $2 mill cap hit with a very low dead cap if cut (cap savings 1.8 mill).

 

As to Lundt

Positives:  He was drafted this year and plays a position of long-term need.  Beane also hates losing OL from the PS.  

Negative:  The Bills usually only carry 9 OL and unless some like Van Demark is injured or traded, Lundt is competing for the 10th slot.    

 

I think Lewis can be put on the PS.  If he's among the last cuts, it's late to add him to someone's active roster and learn the system.

 

As for Lundt, the Bills went into last season carrying 10 OL (Clapp was the 10th).  If Lundt shows anything, he makes the roster.

[Rocky Landing]

 

8 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

We were so bad last year in ST's that we fired the coach. We're not good enough in ST's to justify keeping mediocre players just because they know the system. Players like Lewis and Hamlin have been around too long. I'm all for depth but not mediocre depth.

Not sure why everyone keeps mistaking Lewis for a safety, when he plays far more at CB, where he was drafted. Be that as it may, we'd all love to have starter-level players at every position, but that will never happen. And while Lewis is not a particularly great DB, he is a difference maker on ST. Why would you expect new STC Chris Tabor throw the baby out with the bathwater?

 

This discussion happens every season. The Bills will have backup level players on the team, and the traits that earn them a roster spot are versatility, position flexibility, and special teams. It's the reason Reggie Gilliam is on the team. It's why Q Morris, Siran Neal, Taiwan Jones, to name a few, were on the team, and it's why they keep bringing Cam Lewis back.

[GASabresIUFan]

7 hours ago, Doc said:

As for Lundt, the Bills went into last season carrying 10 OL (Clapp was the 10th).  If Lundt shows anything, he makes the roster.

The Bills carried 9 OL to start last season.  Clapp didn’t make the team out of camp.  He was one of the last cuts and was re-signed to the PS.  

[Sierra Foothills]

38 minutes ago, Rocky Landing said:

Not sure why everyone keeps mistaking Lewis for a safety, when he plays far more at CB, where he was drafted. Be that as it may, we'd all love to have starter-level players at every position, but that will never happen. And while Lewis is not a particularly great DB, he is a difference maker on ST. Why would you expect new STC Chris Tabor throw the baby out with the bathwater?

 

This discussion happens every season. The Bills will have backup level players on the team, and the traits that earn them a roster spot are versatility, position flexibility, and special teams. It's the reason Reggie Gilliam is on the team. It's why Q Morris, Siran Neal, Taiwan Jones, to name a few, were on the team, and it's why they keep bringing Cam Lewis back.

Do you predict he’ll return for his 7th season?

 

[Rocky Landing]

40 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

Do you predict he’ll return for his 7th season?

 

It wouldn't surprise me if he retires a Bill. He's the new Siran Neal, who was the new (old) Tiawan Jones. They let go of Siran at 30, and Taiwan was a Bill until he was, I think, 34. And Lewis is better than either of them at his listed position. I certainly think he'll play his sixth season in '25 as a Bill, especially with the losses of Hollins, and Morris. Mediocrity notwithstanding, '24 was actually his best season. 

[Doc]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFan said:

The Bills carried 9 OL to start last season.  Clapp didn’t make the team out of camp.  He was one of the last cuts and was re-signed to the PS.  

 

You are correct.  I was going off the gamebook which (I didn't realize until you mentioned it) included PS callups for the game.

Edited 20 hours ago by Doc

[FLFan]

On 5/2/2025 at 6:15 PM, Rocky Landing said:

Cam Lewis is capable of playing backup safety, but he is a cornerback. He's also a core special teamer, and with the departure of Mack Hollins, and Quinten Morris, that makes Lewis that much more valuable. 

Lewis is the primary backup to Johnson at Nickel.  They clearly brought in competition, but I would be surprised if a fifth round rookie shows enough to warrant dumping Lewis quite yet.  If they can improve then, great, but it’s a long shot year one.  

Edited 20 hours ago by FLFan

[Doc]

3 minutes ago, FLFan said:

Lewis is the primary backup to Johnson at Nickel.  They clearly brought in competition, but I would be surprised if a fifth round rookie shows enough to warrant dumping Lewis quite yet.  If they can improve then, great, but it’s a long shot year one.  

 

Hardy is the one who could unseat Lewis. 

[Rocky Landing]

1 hour ago, FLFan said:

Lewis is the primary backup to Johnson at Nickel.  They clearly brought in competition, but I would be surprised if a fifth round rookie shows enough to warrant dumping Lewis quite yet.  If they can improve then, great, but it’s a long shot year one.  

Lewis was also the starting safety in place of Taylor Rapp for two games in weeks 15, and 16 of last season.

[Richard Noggin]

2 hours ago, FLFan said:

Lewis is the primary backup to Johnson at Nickel.  They clearly brought in competition, but I would be surprised if a fifth round rookie shows enough to warrant dumping Lewis quite yet.  If they can improve then, great, but it’s a long shot year one.  

 

This sounds mostly right to me, although there is both a guy like Hardy (no S flex but def returner candidate) and a guy like Hancock (most talented/best traits by far of this trio) in this mix.

 

2 hours ago, Doc said:

 

Hardy is the one who could unseat Lewis. 

 

Hardy's STs value is likely to determine his roster candidacy, and who he replaces in that scenario depends on how well he plays DB too. (Could be Codrington, of course, but could also be a WR6, or I guess a DB ahead of him, like Lewis, if he looks ready to provide reliable DB depth.) 

 

8 minutes ago, Rocky Landing said:

Lewis was also the starting safety in place of Taylor Rapp for two games in weeks 15, and 16 of last season.

 

His position flex is valuable, and probably valued even more by this org than some others. 

 

[GASabresIUFan]

Hardy and Codrington are fighting for a KR job on special teams.  If one of them makes the team they’ll be the 12th DB.  Depending on how camp goes at other positions, like WR, the Bills might not keep a 12th DB.  
 

Codrington definitely has the edge in Hardy.  The Bills cut Hardy in favor of Codrington gave the Bills mostly solid play as a returner.  Neither guy will be relied upon to play corner.  
 

The good news for them is the Bills don’t have anyone else with recent punt returns in the NFL.  Moore returned 2 in 2023 and Shenault only has experience as a Kickoff returner.  Ray Davis also returned kickoffs last year. 

As you the rest, with 7 guys as locks, the last 4 jobs will be a battle between Lewis, Ingram, Forrest, Strong, Hancock and Jackson.  If the Bills are trying to add more speed to the secondary, the two rookies are the fastest players of these 6 guys. Forrest is the slowest.  

 

 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by GASabresIUFan

[Doc]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFan said:

Hardy and Codrington are fighting for a KR job on special teams.  If one of them makes the team they’ll be the 12th DB.  Depending on how camp goes at other positions, like WR, the Bills might not keep a 12th DB.  
 

Codrington definitely has the edge in Hardy.  The Bills cut Hardy in favor of Codrington gave the Bills mostly solid play as a returner.  Neither guy will be relied upon to play corner.  
 

The good news for them is the Bills don’t have anyone else with recent punt returns in the NFL.  Moore returned 2 in 2023 and Shenault only has experience as a Kickoff returner.  Ray Davis also returned kickoffs last year. 

As you the rest, with 7 guys as locks, the last 4 jobs will be a battle between Lewis, Ingram, Forrest, Strong, Hancock and Jackson.  If the Bills are trying to add more speed to the secondary, the two rookies are the fastest players of these 6 guys. Forrest is the slowest.  

Forrest has 4.41 speed. And if Hardy can’t play defense, he’s a goner.