Latest news with #MitchellTrubisky
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Bills post-spring 53-man roster projection: A possible bump at receiver and trim at linebacker
The Bills wrapped up their offseason practice schedule with the conclusion of their mandatory minicamp last week, which means the franchise is now into its cool-off period. The Bills will have a little over one month to collectively catch their breath before training camp begins in late July, and they'll have the nation's attention as the featured team of HBO's 'Hard Knocks.' Advertisement Before they get back to work at St. John Fisher University, there is a batch of new information to process from what we saw throughout the practices. After taking in five full practices from the offseason program, how are things trending on the bubble and in who will make the team? Who could general manager Brandon Beane be looking at as their final decisions? With the spring workouts done, here is a brand new Bills 53-man roster projection before camp begins in late July. Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky Unlike previous seasons, the quarterback group isn't as decided before training camp begins. The Bills insinuated after the spring that the backup job would need to be earned, and given Mike White's starting experience, that isn't just talk. Trubisky and White will likely go head-to-head this summer, but for now, Trubisky gets the leg up due to his partially guaranteed salary and the fact that he has more of a mobile element to his game than White. Having a rushing element mirrors Allen's game a bit more, and that could really help Trubisky win the job. However, make no mistake, this competition appears wide open. Cut: Mike White, Shane Buechele James Cook, Ty Johnson, Ray Davis, Reggie Gilliam (FB) The Bills don't have much mystery regarding who will make the team at running back. They brought back the same group of players from last year's training camp, and the expectation is that the same four will emerge on the 53-man roster, barring an unbelievable preseason from one of Frank Gore Jr. or Darrynton Evans. The bigger question is how the Bills will spread their work around during the 2025 season between Cook, Johnson and Davis, as all three played well in their roles last season. Cut: Frank Gore Jr., Darrynton Evans Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Curtis Samuel, Elijah Moore, Laviska Shenault The Bills have generally kept five receivers on their 53-man roster, but in this version, I've got them keeping six — one of which for a clear special teams reason. Shakir, Coleman, Palmer and Samuel are all locks, Elijah Moore seems like he's close to a lock, but Shenault is a clear bubble player. There are two main reasons for Shenault's inclusion. First, the new kickoff rules for 2025 should bring on more returns, and his ability in the open field is quite conducive to that role. Second, the Bills will have two additional roster spots to play with for the first six games due to suspensions to Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi. That would be just enough time for the team to figure out if Shenault will be their kickoff return specialist for the whole of 2025, and if they need to move on, they can very easily. Cut: Jalen Virgil, Tyrell Shavers, Kaden Prather, KJ Hamler, Kelly Akhariyi, Stephen Gosnell, Kristian Wilkerson Advertisement Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Jackson Hawes The tight end group is pretty well decided for the 53-man roster, with Kincaid and Knox as complete locks and Hawes looking like a 90 percent lock, given his draft status and blocking skill set. Davidson is a locker room favorite and has had his moments in previous preseasons, so there is a chance — albeit a slim one — that he can make the Bills think they can't afford to cut him. Zach Davidson would need to show a dramatic improvement on special teams to do so, which makes those reps just as important, if not more, than what he does on offense. If he doesn't, I think there's a legitimate chance that both Davidson and undrafted rookie Keleki Latu wind up on the practice squad. Latu is an intriguing prospect with good athleticism for the position. Cut: Zach Davidson, Keleki Latu Dion Dawkins, David Edwards, Connor McGovern, O'Cyrus Torrence, Spencer Brown, Alec Anderson, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Tylan Grable, Chase Lundt The top eight of the offensive line list are all likely roster locks, but the rest of the conversation comes down to two questions. Do the Bills want to keep 10 offensive linemen? If not, and they go with their usual nine, who will make it between Ryan Van Demark and rookie sixth-round pick Chase Lundt? In this edition, considering the offensive line really doesn't bring many special teams benefits, I'll have them going with nine, and choosing the rookie over Van Demark. Despite being in their system for the last three years, the trouble with Van Demark is that he hasn't progressed enough as a right tackle, and being a one-position-only reserve offensive lineman, it is difficult to justify keeping that profile unless the team made a semi-significant draft investment in the player. In Van Demark's case, they did not draft him, and he's a restricted free agent after the year, whereas Lundt is on a four-year rookie deal and a clean slate. However, if Lundt doesn't take the necessary steps forward during camp and the preseason, this could easily swing back in Van Demark's favor. Cut: Ryan Van Demark, Kendrick Green, Richard Gouraige, Mike Edwards, Travis Clayton, Jacob Bayer, Rush Reimer Greg Rousseau, Joey Bosa, A.J. Epenesa, Landon Jackson, Javon Solomon There is some thought that Epenesa could be an expendable player via trade ahead of final cuts, but that would leave them fairly thin given that Hoecht is suspended for the first six games and Bosa has a lengthy injury history, and already has one minor injury to his name since joining the Bills. I would expect them to play it safe and keep Epenesa, given his starting experience. The Bills will see how far along Jackson is as a rookie by the end of the summer, and Solomon, at worst, will be a core-four special teams asset in 2025. Reserve/Suspended: Michael Hoecht Cut: Hayden Harris, Paris Shand Advertisement Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, T.J. Sanders, DeWayne Carter, Deone Walker Keeping six defensive tackles seems a bit rich, but it's something they've done before, and you don't need to look back further than last season for them rostering that many. But this year's roster has different challenges, including having six defensive ends and seven cornerbacks they'd like to keep. If there's one thing I'd keep an eye on, it would be a potential trade of Carter ahead of cutdown day, which would open up the pathway for Ogunjobi in Week 7 following his suspension. The Bills can always backfill the position with Zion Logue or a veteran they sign elsewhere to help in the first six weeks. However, two things stand in the way of a Carter deal. First, they would like to see that Walker, a fourth-round rookie, can show he's up to taking backup one-technique snaps to begin the regular season, but Walker may be a bit more of a project, so that's not a guarantee. Carter does serve as some Walker insurance, given that Carter can play one technique. Second, Beane would need to buck his recent trend of not trading his draft picks in their second year, something he has stayed away from since trading away Wyatt Teller in 2019. Even when the team traded Boogie Basham, a second-round pick, it was in Basham's third season. Carter was a third-round pick and has only one season with the Bills, which could lead to Beane wanting to hang on despite their roster crunch. Reserve/Suspended: Larry Ogunjobi Cut: Zion Logue, Marcus Harris, Casey Rogers Terrel Bernard, Matt Milano, Dorian Williams, Joe Andreessen, Baylon Spector This position might yield a slight surprise of only keeping five, but if there's one spot to cut from, linebacker is it. Bernard, Milano, Williams and Andreessen are all secure to varying degrees for the 53-man roster. Spector's spot is a bit more tenuous given his injury history, especially if Andreessen passes him for the backup middle linebacker job, but Spector remains a good special teams player. As for the released players, Edefuan Ulofoshio improved as the season went on last year, but he didn't prove to be such an overwhelming special teams player that would make the Bills feel like they couldn't subject him to waivers. In this case, the Bills would likely try to get both Ulofoshio and veteran Shaq Thompson back on the practice squad. Cut: Edefuan Ulofoshio, Shaq Thompson, Keonta Jenkins Taron Johnson, Cam Lewis A fairly straightforward cut, with Johnson as the starter and Lewis as the primary backup and trusted special teams piece. Te'Cory Couch has shown some good things over the last year, and he could be one of the team's future practice squad success stories in the coming years, but it seems a year too early right now. Brandon Codrington would need to win the return job because he's not enough of an asset on defense to justify his roster inclusion otherwise. Cut: Te'Cory Couch, Brandon Codrington Advertisement Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston, Tre'Davious White, Dane Jackson, Dorian Strong As of right now, cornerback comes down to Jackson versus Ja'Marcus Ingram. While Ingram stuck around on the 53-man roster in 2024, the Bills didn't boast nearly as much depth as they do now with the additions of Hairston, White, Jackson and Strong. As of right now, I give the edge to Jackson, who has started a lot of games for the Bills in his first stint with the team and can be a good special teams player for them. If Hairston doesn't acclimate quickly enough and White struggles, they'll like to have that experience with Jackson on their roster. Cut: Ja'Marcus Ingram, Daequan Hardy, Daryl Porter Jr. Taylor Rapp, Cole Bishop, Damar Hamlin, Jordan Hancock Rapp, Bishop and Hamlin are all safe for the 53-man roster, so the conversation is rookie fifth-round pick Jordan Hancock against veteran free-agent pickup Darrick Forrest. Given what we saw of his skill set throughout the spring workouts, he looked much more comfortable when he could keep everything in front of him instead of one-on-one coverage. If the Bills believe Hancock is a safety, that could be bad news for Forrest, as they are far more likely to keep a draft pick than a free agent with low guaranteed money. For those wondering about Hamlin, his one-year, $2 million deal is fully guaranteed. Cut: Darrick Forrest, Wande Owens Tyler Bass (K), Brad Robbins (P), Reid Ferguson (LS) This summer's #Puntapalooza is a wide-open competition between Robbins and Jake Camarda. In the five practices during spring workouts, Robbins was the better of the two, but it wasn't so much better to think he is the clear favorite to win the job. This job will likely come down to consistency in practices, the three preseason games and how well each player meshes with Bass as a holder on field goal attempts. Cut: Jake Camarda (P)
New York Times
07-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Bills 53-man roster projection: Where new and returning players could fit in this season
The 2025 NFL Draft is well in the rearview mirror and the Bills added significantly to their defense in the hopes that it will catch up to their offensive prowess from 2024. And with the player acquisition phase of the offseason mostly over, the Bills are getting ready to start their on-field practices this week. It begins with their rookie minicamp on Friday, featuring all the defensive players who made up the beginning of the Bills' 2025 class. A little over two weeks later, the first of two straight weeks of Organized Team Activities begins on May 27, leading up to the only offseason event where attendance is required — mandatory minicamp. That scheduled three-day practice window begins June 10. Even without a single second of practice completed, the Bills are faced with several difficult choices for their 53-man roster. So, let's take a hard look at those choices; it's time for an obnoxiously early Bills 53-man roster projection as to how it could look by Week 1 and some of the nuances behind each decision. Quarterback (2) Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky Trubisky sticks as the backup in this early projection because it was his spot last year, but it's not as open and shut of a case as 2024. This summer, he has legitimate competition for the backup job in Mike White, and Trubisky doesn't have a heavy guarantee on his deal that would sway the battle in his favor. The Bills would save more cap space by keeping White over Trubisky, but not enough to sway it into White's favor, either. It will be a flat-out competition, with potentially only one spot on the 53-man roster on the line. Cut: Mike White, Shane Buechele Running back (4) James Cook, Ray Davis, Ty Johnson, Reggie Gilliam (FB) The Bills brought back Ty Johnson and didn't add anyone this offseason to challenge any of their top three, so the running backs will likely remain steady for another year. The bigger question is whether the team will continue to deploy their three backs in the same way it did last year, especially with Cook's contract situation and Davis potentially being ready for a bigger role in his second year. Davis and Johnson could also reprise their late-year role as the kickoff return duo. Cut: Frank Gore Jr., Darrynton Evans Wide receiver (5) Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Curtis Samuel, Elijah Moore Although the Bills didn't add a star piece to the receiver room this offseason, they definitely boosted the group from where it was at the end of last season. Palmer is an upgrade to both Amari Cooper and Mack Hollins, offering the team the separation skills they didn't have from their boundary receivers in 2024. Palmer's inclusion could pave the way for more defined roles on offense this year rather than a constant rotation. Moore was an instant post-draft addition, which is usually a strong sign of intent from the team that the player is in their plans. However, the exact contract details have not been revealed to this point, and if it's low on guaranteed money, it could open up the race for WR5 a bit more. There is a definite possibility that one of Laviska Shenault, Tyrell Shavers or Jalen Virgil could start to play their way on the team if they provide enough special teams value. Cut: Laviska Shenault, Tyrell Shavers, Jalen Virgil, Kaden Prather, KJ Hamler, Kelly Akhariyi*, Stephen Gosnell*, Hal Presley* Tight end (3) Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Jackson Hawes The Bills waved goodbye to Quintin Morris this offseason and replaced him with a fifth-round pick in Hawes, who will be on a four-year, cost-controlled rookie deal. Zach Davidson, who they've kept around in Buffalo for the last three years, has a pretty big mountain to climb to make the team as the third tight end, or to force his way on as a fourth tight end. He would need to show a lot more special teams potential to do so. Cut: Zach Davidson, Keleki Latu* Offensive line (9) Dion Dawkins, David Edwards, Connor McGovern, O'Cyrus Torrence, Spencer Brown, Alec Anderson, Tylan Grable, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Chase Lundt The top eight seems set right now with the starting five and the trio of reserves in Anderson, Grable and Van Pran-Granger. But there is one bubble battle setting up, and weirdly enough, it's between two players who once started together on the same college team. Lundt, a sixth-round pick out of UConn, will battle Ryan Van Demark for the ninth and potentially final offensive line roster spot this year. Van Demark has been a practice squad success story, having made the 53-man roster the last two years. However, struggles while playing at right tackle last year took away some of the swing tackle potential they may have seen for him, and he was instead passed on the depth chart by Grable. Lundt's four-year rookie deal gives him a leg up to be the team's healthy scratch offensive lineman this year as they'd try to get Van Demark back to the practice squad for elevations throughout the year. Cut: Ryan Van Demark, Kendrick Green, Richard Gouraige, Mike Edwards, Travis Clayton, Jacob Bayer*, Rush Reimer* Defensive end (5) Greg Rousseau, Joey Bosa, A.J. Epenesa, Landon Jackson, Javon Solomon Rousseau, Bosa and Jackson are all guaranteed to make the team, and Hoecht will rejoin the 53-man roster in Week 7, which is why it makes what they do with Epenesa and Solomon especially interesting. If Solomon shows that he is a core-four special teams player to new coordinator, Chris Tabor, he will have a great chance to stick. Epenesa is an interesting one to track. On one hand, he's the clear third-best defensive end in the room and good Bosa injury insurance. On the other, Epenesa is in the last year of his deal and could fetch something worthwhile in a trade if they need the roster spot. It might come down to how far along Jackson is in his first training camp, and if they'd feel comfortable with him in a top-three role through the first six games until Hoecht is back from suspension. The likeliest outcome is that Epenesa remains with the team through the season. Suspended: Michael Hoecht Cut: Hayden Harris*, Paris Shand* Defensive tackle (5) Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, T.J. Sanders, DeWayne Carter, Deone Walker Defensive tackle is another complicated situation due to having six near locks for the 53-man roster at a position that offers nothing to special teams. The good news is they don't have to feel the wrath of having that many defensive tackles on their roster and can keep a player at another position until Week 7, when Larry Ogunjobi's suspension lifts. And should an injury strike to open a roster spot by Week 7, they may never have to feel the brunt of having six defensive tackles, but they don't have many options. They could try to trade Carter, though that would be taking away a rotational option in 2025, and it would be general manager Brandon Beane giving up on a draft pick after only one year. Beane is extremely hesitant to do that since he traded Wyatt Teller in 2019. The most likely outcome is that the Bills keep all six in one way or another. Suspended: Larry Ogunjobi Cut: Zion Logue, Devin Brandt-Epps* Linebacker (6) Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Baylon Spector, Joe Andreesen, Edefuan Ulofoshio The Bills have not brought in any competition that carried a substantial offseason investment for the backend of their linebacker room. That should mean the majority of the six from last year are safe again in 2025. However, one thing to keep an eye on is if Ulofoshio, a 2024 fifth-round pick, could be susceptible to getting cut due to how many defensive linemen the Bills would need to keep on the 53-man roster. It all depends on Ulofoshio's special teams impact, but he also might be a player they can sneak onto the practice squad. Cut: Keonta Jenkins* Nickel (2) Taron Johnson, Cam Lewis Some might wonder if Lewis' days are numbered this summer for the Bills after they drafted the versatile Jordan Hancock in the fifth round, but Lewis played a pivotal role for them last year as their dime backer on third downs, an every phase special teams player and the primary backup to Johnson. On top of that, he could even moonlight at safety in a pinch. This could be the last season for Lewis in Buffalo because he's a free agent in 2026, but planning to move on from a reliable special teams player on a manageable contract who took as many snaps as he did last year is not usually how Beane operates. If Lewis plays himself off the roster, that would be another story, but that's not the expectation right now. Cut: Te'Cory Couch Cornerback (5) Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston, Tre'Davious White, Dane Jackson, Dorian Strong The late-round pick of Dorian Strong makes this a semi-difficult situation for the Bills to navigate. Benford, Hairston and White are all either a lock (Benford and Hairston) or a pretty good bet (White) to be on the team this year. That leaves Jackson, Strong and Ja'Marcus Ingram, who could all be vying for two spots. Strong gets the benefit of the doubt as a draft pick for now, which brings it down to Jackson and Ingram. I went with Jackson, for now, due to his starting experience in the defensive scheme, but it is not an open-and-shut case. Part of me does wonder if Jackson might become the veteran player they'd like to stash on the practice squad for the season while preserving Ingram on his exclusive rights free agent (ERFA) status in the coming offseason and to use Ingram on special teams every week, but his lack of starting experience may be what gives Jackson the edge. Cut: Ja'Marcus Ingram, Daequan Hardy, Daryl Porter Jr.* Safety (4) Taylor Rapp, Cole Bishop, Damar Hamlin, Jordan Hancock The Bills will likely make Bishop earn the starting role this summer, but odds are that they will give him the opportunity and leeway to do so as a second-round investment. Hamlin's return in free agency is quite likely to be the experienced backup should an injury happen to one of Rapp or Bishop, as well as plenty of special teams reps. The Bills haven't finalized where Hancock's eventual role will be, only saying they'd give him reps at both safety and nickel, but what is clear is that his spot on the roster would have to come from somewhere. At this point, that spot is most likely to be free agent Darrick Forrest, who signed a veteran minimum deal with only a small dead cap charge for his signing bonus. It would leave the Bills with Hancock and Lewis on the 53-man roster, who could play safety if they suffer two injuries or more to their top safety trio. Cut: Darrick Forrest, Wande Owens* Specialists (3) Tyler Bass (K), Jake Camarda (P), Reid Ferguson (LS) #Puntapalooza 2025 is ready to take the stage, with Camarda up against Brad Robbins for the job this year. It's also going to be quite a scene because it features two punters wearing non-traditional punter jersey numbers. Unless they change before camp, Camarda will sport jersey No. 32 and Robbins No. 40. At this point, the Bills' earlier investment in Camarda gives him the inside track to the job this year. Cut: Brad Robbins *Denotes a rookie undrafted free agent agreement, according to a league source, that has yet to be announced by the team. (Top photo of Ray Davis: Mark Konezny / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
7 former Bears playing in 2025 NFC, AFC Championship Games
The NFL 2025 postseason continues with the conference championships, where the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles will face off in the NFC Championship Game and the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs will square off in the AFC Championship Game for a spot in Super Bowl LIX. While the Bears have missed the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, there are some familiar faces for fans to watch for this weekend, including Commanders tackle Cornelius Lucas, Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel. Here's a look at the former Bears who are playing in the NFC and AFC Championships: *Note: There are some players on this list that are listed on injured reserve OT Cornelius Lucas (Commanders) EDGE Jayln Holmes (Commanders) LB Nicholas Morrow (Eagles) QB Mitchell Trubisky (Bills) RB Darrynton Evans (Bills) S Deon Bush (Chiefs) DT Mike Pennel (Chiefs) This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: NFC, AFC Championships: Former Bears playing on Sunday
USA Today
26-01-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
7 former Bears playing in 2025 NFC, AFC Championship Games
The NFL 2025 postseason continues with the conference championships, where the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles will face off in the NFC Championship Game and the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs will square off in the AFC Championship Game for a spot in Super Bowl LIX. While the Bears have missed the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, there are some familiar faces for fans to watch for this weekend, including Commanders tackle Cornelius Lucas, Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel. Here's a look at the former Bears who are playing in the NFC and AFC Championships: *Note: There are some players on this list that are listed on injured reserve Commanders vs. Eagles OT Cornelius Lucas (Commanders) EDGE Jayln Holmes (Commanders) LB Nicholas Morrow (Eagles) Bills vs. Chiefs
