Three important decisions Bills must make before regular season

The Buffalo Bills were forced to cut ties with a number of key contributors earlier this offseason due to salary cap constraints, but they remain one of the most talented teams in the AFC. Even so, with several areas of the roster facing uncertainty, Buffalo must answer a few questions during training camp to prove it should still be considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

With that in mind, here are three important decisions the Bills must make before the start of the regular season.

Who should be the focal point of the passing attack?

Buffalo's wide receiver room looks drastically different in 2024 compared to last season following the respective departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, the team's former top two wideouts. Diggs and Davis leave behind 241 targets from last season for the revamped receiving corps to divvy up, and it'll be interesting to see how the pecking order plays out in training camp.

Although the Bills have lost star power, they still have an intriguing group of pass-catchers capable of filling the void left by Diggs and Davis. Third-year wideout Khalil Shakir, who caught 39 passes for 611 yards and two touchdowns in 2023, should be more involved in the offense and could be poised for a breakout season. Meanwhile, second-round rookie Keon Coleman, along with free-agent signings Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins, each have the potential to carve out significant roles.

However, it's possible Buffalo's leading receiver this season might not even be a wide receiver. Tight end Dalton Kincaid, a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, showed massive upside as a rookie, finishing second on the team in targets (91) and receptions (73) and third in receiving yards (673).

Kincaid's versatility to play in the slot makes him arguably Buffalo's most dynamic offensive playmaker. If one of the wideouts doesn't emerge as a viable No. 1 receiver during training camp, it wouldn't be surprising if Kincaid becomes QB Josh Allen's new favorite target.

Should the Bills add another pass-rusher?

Last season, the Bills racked up the fourth-most sacks in the NFL ( 54 ), but the team's pass-rushing unit took a massive hit this offseason with Leonard Floyd signing with the 49ers. Floyd was the team sack leader in 2023 with 10.5, and although he was a significant departure, Buffalo couldn't adequately replace him due to its financial troubles, most notably signing edge-rushers Dawuane Smoot and Casey Toohill.

In turn, this could pave the way for OLB Von Miller to have a massive role on defense. As long as he stays healthy, Miller should have a more productive season than he did in 2023, but that's not saying much. After tearing his ACL in 2022, the first season of his six-year, $120M deal with Buffalo, Miller returned to action last year and appeared to be a shell of his former self. In 12 games last season, the eight-time Pro Bowler didn't record a sack and racked up just three tackles while generating 13 pressures.

If Miller doesn't prove he can be a viable rotational piece for the Bills during training camp, the team should explore the free-agent edge rusher market. Options are extremely scarce this late in the offseason, but Yannick Ngakoue (four sacks last season) could be a low-risk, high-reward insurance option in case Miller struggles again in 2024.

Who starts at safety?

Buffalo's most notable losses on the defensive side of the ball are undoubtedly safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. Taylor Rapp is penciled in to be a starter after signing a three-year contract extension earlier this offseason, but it remains unclear who will start alongside him.

So far in training camp, Damar Hamlin, free-agent signing Mike Edwards and rookie Cole Bishop have rotated with the first-team defense. Hamlin , who is almost two years removed from his infamous on-field cardiac arrest, has seen the majority of first-team reps, though it's possible that's more so due to his familiarity with the system.

Edwards , a two-time Super Bowl champion, suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday and will miss at least the next week of training camp as a result. This could lead to a two-man race between Hamlin and Bishop, and while the former has NFL experience, the latter's versatile skill set makes him a compelling candidate to start. In 11 games last season, Bishop did it all for the Utah Utes, finishing with 60 tackles, 6.5 for loss, three sacks, two interceptions and four pass breakups.