Joe B: State of the Buffalo Bills' Roster Heading into the 2018 Preseason Finale

[26CornerBlitz]

Joe B: State of the Buffalo Bills roster heading into the 2018 preseason finale

(WKBW) - It's getting close to decision time for the National Football League, and more specifically, the Buffalo Bills. There is only one more game in the preseason, and by the time the contest is over and done with, the Bills will begin the process of whittling down their roster to 53 players.

 

At the time of this post, the Bills have 87 players left on the roster, which means a whopping 34 have to be released by Saturday at 4 pm. The fourth preseason, to its core, brings an evening where everything is on the line for about a third of the roster.

 

All the players that are serious candidates for the roster have only one more chance to make a final impression, and plenty of game time to do so.

 

Considering the stakes, I wanted to bring you a state of the roster heading into it, mostly focusing on the actual bubble players in the upcoming game. You'll also find the 'locks,' 'near-locks,' and those 'on the outside looking in.'

Edited August 29, 2018 by 26CornerBlitz

[wppete]

We are in trouble this season. Don’t trade our #1 pick this year because it’s going to be a good one.

[Formerly Allan in MD]

If Trent Murphy is placed on the PUP list, is there a suspense date that he must be removed by and possibly go to IR?  In either case, it will free up a roster spot early on.  Looks like a very bad signing given his injury history.

Edited August 29, 2018 by Formerly Allan in MD

[26CornerBlitz]

Just now, Formerly Allan in MD said:

If Trent Murphy is placed on the PUP list, is there a suspense date that he must be removed by and possibly go to IR?  In either case, it will free up a roster spot early on.  Looks like a very bad signing given his injury history.

 

He can't go on PUP after being "active" since camp began.

[BillsFan17]

I'd be really surprised if the Bills cut Coleman.

[Aussie Joe]

10 minutes ago, wppete said:

We are in trouble this season. Don’t trade our #1 pick this year because it’s going to be a good one.

 

But Mack?

 

You wanted him pretty bad last week... 

[Captain Murica]

Locks (36)
QB: Nathan Peterman, Josh Allen
RB: LeSean McCoy, Chris Ivory, Marcus Murphy
FB: Patrick DiMarco
WR: Kelvin Benjamin, Zay Jones, Jeremy Kerley
TE: Charles Clay
OT: Dion Dawkins, Jordan Mills
G: Vlad Ducasse, John Miller, Wyatt Teller
? Ryan Groy, Russell Bodine
DE: Jerry Hughes, Trent Murphy, Shaq Lawson, Eddie Yarbrough
DT: Kyle Williams, Star Lotulelei, Harrison Phillips
WLB: Matt Milano
MLB: Tremaine Edmunds
SLB: Lorenzo Alexander, Deon Lacey
CB: Tre'Davious White, Phillip Gaines, Taron Johnson
S: Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Rafael Bush
K: Stephen Hauschka
LS: Reid Ferguson

 

Near-locks (6)
RB: Taiwan Jones(just say no) 
WR: Andre Holmes(no again) 
TE: Khari Lee, Jason Croom
WLB: Ramon Humber
CB: Vontae Davis(Ughhh) 

 

I'm not a fan of either Jones or Holmes making this roster. I rather keep 3 RB's and Ford on the PS. Then would really like to see 6 WRs(KB, Jones, Kerley, Coleman, Reilly, Ray Ray) and  and 4 TEs (Croom, Clay, Lee, and Thomas)

 

 

Edited August 29, 2018 by Captain Murica

[26CornerBlitz]

 

I love how the board SW interprets the center position as ? Ryan Groy, Russell Bodine   

[Captain Murica]

2 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

I love how the board SW interprets the center position as ? Ryan Groy, Russell Bodine   

It's funny, I was like wtf, I'm not on my phone. 

[wppete]

17 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

 

But Mack?

 

You wanted him pretty bad last week... 

 

If its for Mack then yes trade the #1 pick. Thats the only trade I would make. Everything Im reading suggest the Raiders wont trade Mack anytime soon. 

[Aussie Joe]

Just now, wppete said:

 

If its for Mack then yes trade the #1 pick. Thats the only trade I would make. Everything Im reading suggest the Raiders wont trade Mack anytime soon. 

 

Ok fair enough..,

 

As much as I rate Mack, I would probably keep the pick at this stage...

 

Come draft day 2019 it might be the Bills on the other end of the multi pick haul that some  QB desperate team is looking to trade up for..

[thurst44]

38 minutes ago, wppete said:

We are in trouble this season. Don’t trade our #1 pick this year because it’s going to be a good one.

Go back and look at the comments at this point the last few years because we were mostly saying how bad we were going to be, yet we are over .500 in that stretch. Nothing is ever that definitive.

[wppete]

1 minute ago, Aussie Joe said:

 

Ok fair enough..,

 

As much as I rate Mack, I would probably keep the pick at this stage...

 

Come draft day 2019 it might be the Bills on the other end of the multi pick haul that some  QB desperate team is looking to trade up for..

 

I agree with you having that First round pick is very valuable considering we might be looking at a top 5 pick this year. But Khalil Mack is a game changer. If we have the opportunity to trade for him we make that trade. 

[frostbitmic]

21 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

I love how the board SW interprets the center position as ? Ryan Groy, Russell Bodine   

I thought that was intentional.

[26CornerBlitz]

Just now, frostbitmic said:

I thought that was intentional.

 

It's not that way in the article, but it might be appropriate. 

[Cripple Creek]

Why in the name of all that is sacred must DiMarco be a lock? Please cut him and keep an extra TE.

[wppete]

Just now, Cripple Creek said:

Why in the name of all that is sacred must DiMarco be a lock? Please cut him and keep an extra TE.

 

Completely Agree with this ^^^^^^^^

[dpberr]

It is obvious to me the Bills are planning on running a new 5-TE set.  

 

I'd actually like to see that in a game.  

[thurst44]

One line that makes me wonder a bit:

 

"Levi Wallace offers the most on defense but hasn't played many special teams this summer"

 

Aside from grammar issues, the basic premise may be true, but it leaves out the fact that Wallace was on the coverage teams this past Sunday and had at least two impressive plays -- and that's just what my inexpert eye noticed.

[swnybillsfan]

1 hour ago, Aussie Joe said:

 

Ok fair enough..,

 

As much as I rate Mack, I would probably keep the pick at this stage...

 

Come draft day 2019 it might be the Bills on the other end of the multi pick haul that some  QB desperate team is looking to trade up for..

if we are awful and have a really high pick, this is where i land. please let some desperate team trade a king's ransom to grab a qb at that pick. a bidding war for it would be wonderful. 

1 hour ago, wppete said:

 

I agree with you having that First round pick is very valuable considering we might be looking at a top 5 pick this year. But Khalil Mack is a game changer. If we have the opportunity to trade for him we make that trade. 

while i don't disagree that mack is a phenomenal player, he plays on the wrong side of the ball. i really want to see an effort made to put most of our resources into the offense going forward. i would rather have a team that can score 45 than one that has to win by holding the opponent under 17.