Bills approach training camp with questions about wide receivers

Buffalo, New York — Several minutes after the Buffalo Bills’ second mandatory minicamp practice ended, Josh Allen and the rest of the team’s quarterbacks — Mitch Trubisky and Shane Buechele — remained on the practice field, talking and working with some of the team’s receivers and running backs, as well as other small groups of players getting in more practice. They focused their extra effort on route timing, as well as general communication and comfort.

The next day, coach Sean McDermott did something he hadn’t done in several years: he held a practice on the third day of minicamp, albeit a more casual version with some starters not participating in team drills.

“Well, not necessarily [any specific changes from previous years] other than, obviously, a high percentage of new players, new faces,” McDermott told reporters. “So, the more reps we get, the better, and pay attention… I’d want to say that I appreciate the guys’ willingness and attitude when they went out there. Not all teams are practicing on the third day of minicamp, and I like their attitude.”

Perhaps no position group on the roster better exemplifies the new faces than the Bills receiving room, which has experienced a near-complete overhaul since the end of 2023 season. It is also one of the most significant questions coming into training camp (which begins on July 24 at St. John Fisher University) and the regular season.

How will Allen fare with a new group of receivers that does not include Stefon Diggs, the receiver he has primarily targeted throughout his career? Tight ends and running backs will also play roles in the receiving game, but with so many receiver changes, how will this Bills offense look and function?

“Every team’s a new team, but this is truly a lot of new faces,” general manager Brandon Beane remarked at the end of minicamp. “Some players coming from other teams that have had success or maybe things didn’t work out as well, and we’ve got a fresh opportunity for them to reestablish themselves.”

Mack Hollins was one of the loudest speakers during offseason sessions. Chase Claypool demonstrated that he can be a downfield target worth watching and maybe making the roster. Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling improved their rapport with quarterback Josh Allen, while newcomer Keon Coleman worked one-on-one with wide receiver coach Adam Henry during rookie minicamp.

With Diggs traded to the Houston Texans and Gabe Davis signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency, the team’s best two wide receivers from the previous two seasons have left. The only wide receiver on the roster Allen has targeted in his career is Khalil Shakir — who sustained an injury during mandatory minicamp, but Beane believes Shakir will be fine — who is coming off a strong second season but accounts for only 2% of Allen’s total throw attempts. Diggs accounts for 21% of Allen’s career targets, which is 11 percentage points more than the next highest player (Cole Beasley, 10%).

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To replace that, the room was rebuilt in the summer through the draft and free agency, taking chances on a range of veterans who have demonstrated talent in a variety of offenses.

When meeting with the media for the first time in his new role as offensive coordinator in May, Joe Brady, who was promoted from his interim position this summer, made it quite apparent that the Bills offense would continue to revolve around Allen.

“Only time will tell.” Look, at the end of the day, this is Josh Allen’s offense. Brady said. “You’re gonna put together the offense around the guys that you’ve got.”

With Mitch Morse’s departure, Connor McGovern moved from left guard to center, but the rest of the starting offensive lineup has remained virtually unchanged. Brady has taught them that “everybody eats.” The mindset, with the season months away, can also serve as a contrast to Diggs’ over 150 targets in each of his four seasons with Buffalo.

“That’s the mentality [Brady will] tell us all the time, ‘Everybody eats,'” Shakir said. “And whether you’re running a specific route, you’ve got to go and clear the way for your buddy who’s coming from an out route or whatever. But, as I mentioned earlier, what goes around comes around. If you can sit there and run a go [route] 50 times at full speed, the 51st time might be you running that out while someone else clears the ball for you.”

The first step toward answering some of those questions will come when training camp begins, with the competition to make the 53-man roster. Some players are locks, including Samuel, Shakir, and Coleman. Hollins has rapidly established himself, with Shakir and others recognizing his presence both on and off the field.

“The vibe is really good [in the receiver room], because the way I see it, receivers, they all play a certain part, and they’re all not the same, and so that’s what makes it great,” Adam Henry, the quarterbacks coach, said. “So, there’s a lot of experience in there just to push them aside. The room is really coming together and establishing a culture.

A number of receivers are in “prove-it” situations, signing one-year contracts with one of the league’s best quarterbacks to demonstrate their abilities. Claypool is a perfect example of a guy who had success early in his career — back-to-back seasons with over 100 targets and 850 receiving yards each — but has subsequently battled to find his position, having played for three different teams since 2022.

“If it’s frustrating to the outside world [not living up to his potential], it’s even more frustrating for me,” Claypool claimed. “I know where I should be. And I see that I have not reached their standards. That is why I work harder and harder and harder each year. So I can meet and perhaps exceed those expectations.”

Claypool has been among the guys who have worked late after offseason workouts and made several spectacular plays during OTAs, but securing one of the 53 roster slots is not guaranteed. Going into camp, one appears to be Valdes-Scantling, who showed promise during his stint with the Kansas City Chiefs, particularly in the postseason, but was erratic at times (5.5% drop percentage in 2022 and 9.1% in 2023).

“Obviously, I’ve been one of the league’s best deep threats for most of my career. So I’m going to get a lot of attention whenever I’m on the field,” Valdes-Scantling said. “So, just being able to go out there and do whatever is necessary to help the team win, I’m all for it, man. I’ve had to do it before, and sometimes the balls are thrown at you.”

A clear pattern for some of the Bills’ arrivals this year has been size to aid Allen — six receivers on the current roster are 6-foot-4. Two of those players, Claypool and Hollins, can contribute on special teams, which will aid both in solidifying roster positions, and will be a must for whoever takes that final receiver spot, with the new kickoff regulations also providing a twist.

KJ Hamler, the Denver Broncos’ 2020 second-round pick, is also in the room searching for another opportunity. He has only appeared in 10 games over the last two seasons owing to injuries. Justin Shorter, Andy Isabella, Tyrell Shavers, Bryan Thompson, and undrafted free agents Xavier Johnson and Lawrence Keys complete the lineup.

The offense will also focus on the continued development of second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid, as well as whether running back James Cook can enhance his receiving skills and what rookie back Ray Davis can provide as a pass receiver.

Continuing to add to the group is not out of the question; yet, given the Bills’ limited resources entering the offseason, these receivers are being given opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.

“The guys are really in the learning phase, too, and we’re still competing,” he said. “But for us right now, it’s, you compete against yourself and be the best version of yourself.”