HEADLINES

CB Kaiir Elam Expected To Play Big Role In Dallas

July 5th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys’ front office has been busy during the offseason, sending away lots of draft capital to bring in players like George Pickens, Kenneth Murray, Joe Milton, and Kaiir Elam. Pickens was clearly brought in to be WR2 across from CeeDee Lamb, Murray will fill in for the loss of Eric Kendricks, and Milton will be QB2 behind Dak Prescott. Elam, though, comes into an interesting situation. While he was never a full-time starter during his three years in Buffalo, Elam is expected to have a significant role on the Cowboys defense, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic.

While Elam never quite lived up to his first-round status with the Bills, he put forth fairly consistent performances each season. Though injuries have caused him to miss significant time (22 of a possible 51 games) in Buffalo, Dallas will be hoping he can come through during a time when injuries are hitting the team hard.

Last season, the Cowboys saw both Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland miss significant amounts of time. Bland quickly got back up to speed and began to show signs of returning to the All-Pro greatness he displayed in 2023. Diggs, though, is working his way back from knee surgery, and while he is aiming for a return by the time the season opener rolls around, his timeline for return is certainly in question. Mix in the loss of Jourdan Lewis to Jacksonville in free agency after a strong year in the slot, and the team has several questions to answer at the cornerback position.

Part of the solution could be third-round draft pick Shavon Revel, who was receiving first-round buzz prior to suffering a torn ACL early into his final season at East Carolina. Revel should be ready to play by the time the regular season begins, but he’s not projected to return until sometime mid-training camp.

With things the way they are, Machota makes it clear: “Bland is one starter, Elam is another.” As we discussed at the end of May, Bland has been working more this offseason in the slot. He’s excelled both inside and outside during his short time in Dallas, which makes him extremely valuable to the team in this situation. In a contract year, Bland likely isn’t going to want to establish himself as a nickelback, considering the highest-paid nickelback in the NFL (Taron Johnson, $10.25MM per year) makes just over half the salary of the highest-paid outside cornerback (Denzel Ward, $20.1MM per year). He’ll need to hope, instead, that the Cowboys will reward him for his flexibility and versatility.

So, Bland and Elam are starting, then when an additional cornerback comes on, it could be Revel that comes in, shifting Bland inside. Or it could be Israel Mukuamu coming into the slot, keeping Bland out wide. Mukuamu has never really played significant snaps in any season, but last year, he saw more time at nickelback than he did at any other secondary position.

When Diggs comes back, things will be clearer. He and Bland will start together, and Bland can shift inside whenever Elam or Revel come in for sets that require more defensive backs. Until then, though, Elam is expected to play a major role in stabilizing the position group to open up the season.

Extension Candidate: Zach Allen

July 5th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

A central reason the Broncos were able to make the playoffs despite the record-shattering Russell Wilson dead money bill, Zach Allen has played his best football since relocating to Denver in 2023. The short-term J.J. Watt Cardinals sidekick has been one of the NFL’s most disruptive interior D-linemen in two Broncos seasons.

Allen signed a three-year, $45.75MM contract on Day 1 of the 2023 legal tampering period, following Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey as part of Sean Payton‘s aggressive transactional start to his Broncos tenure. While McGlinchey and Powers are respectively on five- and four-year deals, Allen is in a contract year. The former Cardinals third-round pick, who entered the NFL in Vance Joseph‘s first Arizona offseason, resides in a good position to cash in.

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Allen recorded a whopping 40 QB hits last season; that not only led the NFL in 2024, it ranks near the top among modern pass-rushing seasons. Throughout the 2020s, only Nick Bosa‘s 2022 (48) and T.J. Watt‘s 2020 (41) delivered more QB hits than Allen’s 2024 brought. Even if the range is moved to cover the past 10 seasons, Allen’s 2024 showing still ranks eighth (J.J. Watt‘s peak was quite good). Allen also tallied 47 QB pressures last season; only Trey Hendrickson (54) produced more at any position.

A spring report pointed to Allen and Nik Bonitto being higher Broncos extension priorities compared to Courtland Sutton, who has been waiting for a deal longer. This is Bonitto’s first offseason of extension eligibility. Having spent his entire career in Joseph’s scheme, Allen represents a fairly safe bet for the Broncos. Going into only his age-28 season also represents a plus here, whereas Sutton will turn 30 in October. Allen has also expressed interest in a Broncos extension.

It can be argued Allen’s presence catalyzed Bonitto’s breakout. Both players zoomed to second-team All-Pro status, as Bonitto broke through for 13.5 sacks. Allen’s 8.5-sack total does not jump out as much, even with a Week 1 safety also landing on his resume, though Bonitto’s pressure numbers (36 to go with 24 hits) were not on the interior rusher’s level. Bonitto heading into his age-26 season will help his cause, but the Broncos also have the franchise tag to use in 2026.

Wilson’s punitive dead money penalty ending in 2025 would free up a tag slot for next year, and Bo Nix must remain on a rookie contract through at least 2026. Denver has John Franklin-Myers as a more affordable extension option in a contract year, and the team traded up for 3-4 DE Sai’Vion Jones in Round 3. It would seem unlikely, though, that the franchise — one set to rely on a top-tier defense once again — would chance moving on from Allen after one contract given his recent form and experience under Joseph.

The Broncos will be looking at a sizable raise here, as the defensive tackle market has moved twice since Allen’s March 2023 accord. As a second tier formed behind Aaron Donald‘s outlier deal in the spring and summer of 2023, four players (Daron Payne, Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons, Quinnen Williams) scored extensions between $22.5MM and $24MM per year. Chris Jones then used Donald’s deal as a springboard to gouge the Chiefs two days before the 2024 tampering period. Jones lifted the DT spot’s ceiling to $31.75MM per year and $60MM guaranteed at signing. Capitalizing on a Jones-less market, Christian Wilkins landed $27.5MM per year and $57MM at signing from the Raiders in 2024.

This year, Milton Williams became the NFL’s third-highest-paid interior D-lineman by commanding $26MM per year and $51MM at signing from the Patriots. Williams is nearly two years younger than Allen, but the ex-Eagle has not produced a season on the latter’s level. Even Allen’s 2023 featured 24 QB hits and 27 pressures. He has never been a sack maven, having tallied more than 5.5 just once. Williams’ next 5.5-sack season will be his first, however, while Wilkins and Nnamdi Madubuike each delivered outlier sack seasons in their 2023 contract years. Wilkins was also 28 when he signed his big-ticket Las Vegas deal.

Hitting free agency helped Wilkins and Milton Williams, and Allen could certainly bet on himself and do well in 2026. (Though, he will be negotiating ahead of an age-29 season in that scenario.) The Broncos will undoubtedly work to prevent that from happening, but even as the seventh-year vet can only negotiate with one team for the time being, that Payne-Lawrence-Simmons-Quinnen Williams tier should be a reasonable floor.

That is a steep hike from $15.25MM AAV, but the salary cap has ballooned from $224.8MM to $279.2MM since those 2023 extensions commenced. Allen’s camp will likely cite the Wilkins and Milton Williams deals as comps, making the previous DT second tier a logical compromise.

The Broncos extended four players — Quinn Meinerz, Patrick Surtain, Jonathon Cooper and Garett Bolles — between July 16 and December 12 last year. GM George Paton also paid Sutton in-season back in 2021, and a potential in-season Bonitto payday could be on track. The Broncos will surely ramp up discussions with their top two front-seven pieces before Week 1. Carrying a high-pressure/modest-sack resume, Allen’s negotiations will be a key storyline to follow as the Broncos attempt to firmly establish themselves as contenders after last season’s surprising playoff trek.

Chase Claypool Healthy, Eyeing 2025 Deal

July 5th, 2025 at 9:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

A toe injury resulted in Chase Claypool landing on injured reserve last August. He was waived with an injury settlement by the Bills, something which allowed him to hit free agency.

The Canadian wideout did not land an opportunity in 2024, however. As a result, Claypool spent the year rehabbing in preparation for his next NFL gig. A recent Instagram post confirmed he is now fully healthy as he eyes a contract in advance of training camp.

“I tore a ligament and a tendon in my second toe and have been rehabbing, working out, and recovering every day for the past year,” Claypool wrote. “I am back to being the strongest and fastest I’ve ever been and couldn’t be more excited to step back out on the field and let my actions speak for themselves.”

During his first two seasons with the Steelers, Claypool flashed considerable potential. The Notre Dame product posted 860-plus yards both years while totaling 11 touchdowns over that span. Things took a turn in 2022, however, with his Pittsburgh tenure ending by means of a trade to the Bears. The price Chicago paid – a second-round pick – to acquire Claypool proved to be exorbitant after he made just 14 scoreless catches in seven games with the team.

Following an unproductive start to the 2023 campaign, Claypool remained away from the Bears while a trade was sorted out. His arrival in Miami did not yield a notable role on offense, and to no surprise he was not retained last spring. Claypool’s brief Bills stint came about via a one-year, $1.23MM pact. A similar deal will be expected if he is to line up a gig in advance of training camp.

At the age of 27 (as of Monday), the 6-4, 238-pound Claypool could offer modest upside as a depth option for interested teams this summer. The Saskatchewan Roughriders currently own Claypool’s CFL rights, but his attention remains focused on securing another deal south of the border.

5 Key Stories: 6/29/25 – 7/5/25

July 5th, 2025 at 8:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the calendar having flipped to July, training camps are not far away around the NFL. The past few days have fallen within what is traditionally the slowest part of the offseason, but they have not been shy on trade action. In case you missed any of the top developments from the past week, here is a quick recap:

  • Dolphins, Steelers Complete DB Blockbuster: The Dolphins remained committed to moving on from cornerback Jalen Ramsey this offseason, and a trade partner was found in the form of the Steelers. Pittsburgh appeared to be out of the running to acquire the All-Pro cover man, but a deal was ultimately struck. Ramsey was dealt to the Steelers as part of a swap involving safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, meaning the latter will return to Miami after beginning his career there. The trade marked the first time since 2002 players with five-plus Pro Bowl nods were dealt for each other. Both players have term left on their contracts, and Ramsey could be in store for a hybrid role within the Steelers’ secondary for 2025 and beyond.
  • Smith Inks Steelers Extension Upon Arrival: The other main element of the Ramsey-for-Fitzpatrick swap was the inclusion of tight end Jonnu Smith. Extension talks with Miami came up short, something which opened the door to a trade after only one Dolphins campaign. Smith was dealt to the Steelers and will therefore reunite once again with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The Pro Bowler inked a one-year, $12MM extension upon arrival in Pittsburgh, meaning he is now under contract through 2026. Coming off a career year (88-884-8 statline), Smith will look to serve as a productive option alongside Pat Freiermuth in Pittsburgh’s new-look offense.
  • Waller To Resume Career In Miami: In the wake of trading away Smith, the Dolphins were understandably linked to a tight end acquisition. They took an unexpected route to find a replacement, however, by working out a trade with the Giants to land Darren Waller. The 32-year-old retired last summer, but he will resume his career with Miami by reuniting with Frank Smith, the Raiders’ tight ends coach during Waller’s time in Vegas who is now the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator. Under contract for one season, Waller will look to post a healthy campaign and in doing so provide his latest team with a pass-catching option at the tight end spot after Smith posted a franchise record-breaking year at that position in 2024.
  • Steelers Extend Khan: Since 2022, Omar Khan has been in place as the Steelers’ general manager. Kevin Colbert’s successor has maintained some longstanding organizational traditions (such as an avoidance of in-season extension talks), but deviated from standard practice in other respects. The 2025 offseason has served as an example, and in the wake of moves like the Aaron Rodgers signing, the D.K. Metcalf acquisition and the recent trade with the Dolphins, Khan has landed a three-year extension. He is under contract through 2028 as a result. The quarterback spot (beyond 2025) remains a question mark as Khan’s previous moves have not yielded a long-term answer. He will be counted on to fill that vacancy and end the team’s playoff drought regardless of how this offseason’s moves play out, though.
  • Watson Expected To Miss 2025 Season: Since his second Achilles tear, the expectation has remained that Deshaun Watson will not be available in 2025. Indeed, signs point to the Browns placing the high-priced passer on the reserve/PUP list to begin the campaign, sidelining him for at least four weeks. Activation after that point is not expected, something which will add further to the extent his acquisition has backfired for Cleveland. Still attached to his fully guaranteed deal for another two years, Watson has only played 19 games with the Browns to date. That figure is highly unlikely to increase in 2025.

Bears LB Ruben Hyppolite In Contention For Starting Spot

July 5th, 2025 at 7:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

Earlier this offseason, Bears head coach Ben Johnson made it clear an open competition would take place for the weakside linebacker position. Training camp will of course be critical in determining a winner, but an early standout emerged during spring practices.

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Ruben Hyppolite impressed the team’s coaching staff during minicamp and OTAs, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin writes. T.J. Edwards missed time due to a soft tissue injury, something which allowed Hyppolite to receive considerable reps with the starting defense. The fourth-round rookie primarily played at middle linebacker in college, but his early showings at the weakside spot were encouraging.

“He’s done a great job adjusting to that speed as we’ve gone through, and that’s going to have to show up once we do get the pads on,” Johnson said of Hyppolite. “But I think he’s been improving every single day, and really, we’re hoping that course continues.”

Over the course of his five years at Maryland, Hyppolite topped 60 tackles on three occasions. His pre-draft testing included a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, and translating that speed to the NFL will be key in his efforts to secure a starting gig right away. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds are set to reprise their first-team roles in 2025, and both veterans have multiple years remaining on their deals.

For the coming campaign and beyond, though, the Bears will need to find a consistent producer at the third LB spot. Johnson and new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will spend training camp and the preseason evaluating Chicago’s options to replace Jack Sanborn, which also include Noah Sewell, Amen Ogbongbemiga and Swayze Bozeman. Hyppolite will be worth monitoring as the summer unfolds as he looks to continue his early bid to win the competition.

Steelers, T.J. Watt Not Close To Extension Agreement

July 5th, 2025 at 6:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

JULY 5: During a Saturday appearance on SportsCenter (video link), ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported both term length and guarantees are a sticking point in this case. Team and player will thus need to make considerable progress on multiple fronts over the coming weeks if a deal is to be struck in time for training camp.

JULY 3: Throughout the offseason, it has become clear that T.J. Watt and the Steelers have not had a smooth process with respect to extension talks. Since the former Defensive Player of the Year’s absence from minicamp, uncertainty has picked up regarding his future.

Team and player have publicly expressed a desire to work out a third contract, one which will bring about a raise from the $21.05MM Watt is currently owed for 2025. The four-time All-Pro could move to the top of the pecking order amongst defensive players once his new pact is signed, but it remains unclear when that will take place. Surprising as a trade may be, it is also yet to be seen if Watt will indeed stay in Pittsburgh moving forward.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports Watt and the Steelers are “nowhere close” to a deal at this point. Time remains until training camp for progress to be made, of course, but the financial gap present in this case has added to the interest shown by outside teams. Suitors have reached out to Pittsburgh about a potential trade even though hammering out an extension is still the priority for general manager Omar Khan and Co.

During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan (audio link), Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirmed Watt is currently unhappy with the nature of contract talks. At least one offer of unknown value has been submitted, and to no surprise the matter of guarantees will be a sticking point in negotiations. Fittipaldo predicted an extension will be the outcome in this situation while adding “nothing is off the table” with regard to a potential trade.

Watt led the NFL in sacks for the third time in a four-year span in 2023. His production in that respect slipped last season, one in which he still managed to top the league with six forced fumbles. At the age of 30, the Steelers will need to weigh the risks of a drop-off in play with age to a much larger extent this time around compared to their 2021 Watt investment. That deal came about after a lengthy negotiating process, and it appears the situation will not be much different this summer.

Myles Garrett leads the way with a $40MM AAV amongst edge rushers. The Steelers – a team which has done away with standard operating procedure this offseason in terms of roster moves – could wind up matching or surpassing that figure in Watt’s case. If that is to happen, however, considerable progress will need to be made over the coming weeks.

Colts Rookie CB Justin Walley Could See Field Early

July 5th, 2025 at 6:02pm CST by Ely Allen

Last year, the Colts fielded a strong trio of cornerbacks in Jaylon Jones, Samuel Womack, and Kenny Moore. The team then added Charvarius Ward on a three-year, $54MM contract in free agency. That made it all the more shocking when Indianapolis selected a cornerback — one with a Day 3 grade, mind you — in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Well, according to Stephen Holder, that selection stands a strong chance of contributing to the defense as a rookie.

The Colts cornerback trio was extremely impressive in 2024. Though the defense struggled as a whole, they ranked sixth in interceptions with Jones, Womack, and Moore combining to contribute eight interceptions and 28 passes defensed. The three players accounted for 92 percent of the team’s snaps at outside cornerback, while Moore doubled as the primary nickelback, as well, and all three defenders graded out in the top 45 players out of 116 at the position, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Then, the team added Ward to the mix. Ward had a bit of a down year in San Francisco last season, but he has been a consistently strong starter in every other season of his career. In 2023 alone, he reeled in five interceptions and led the NFL with 23 passes defensed. Ward’s presence likely pushes Womack down to CB4, granted he returns to his usual quality of play. So, with four strong cornerbacks in rotation, what could’ve prompted the Colts to use their second Day 2 pick on Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley?

A three-star recruit out of Mississippi, Walley started in six games as a rookie with the Golden Gophers and served as a full-time starter for the rest of his collegiate career. In four years, he tallied seven interceptions and 34 passes defensed. His speed and aggression put him on scouts’ radars, but his undersized frame had scouts thinking that he would be easily overpowered in that aggression against NFL competition. This led to projections of him being picked late on Day 3 of the draft in the last three rounds.

Per Holder, though, Walley has more than proved to be worth his draft stock so far in Indy. He’s reportedly been turning heads throughout the offseason, continuing his aggressive coverage while showing impressive instincts, as well. Head coach Shane Steichen noted that Walley “has been making a ton of plays through OTAs,” calling him “really sticky in coverage.”

With so many strong players at his position, he likely won’t be earning a starting role, but he’s looking to be too talented to keep off the field. The Colts are expecting for him to be part of their dime package and a frequent rotation in nickel, as well. He could end up being well worth the third-round pick used on him.

Texans Offensive Line Positions Starting To Settle

July 5th, 2025 at 4:50pm CST by Ely Allen

A week ago, we dove into some speculation about the potential starters that could emerge from several position battles along the offensive line in Houston. According to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN, roles are “starting to sort themselves out for a completely revamped unit.”

To review, the departures of Laremy Tunsil, Shaq Mason, and Kenyon Green left the Texans with three vacant starting positions: left tackle, left guard, and right guard. Of the two positions with returning starters, the presumed right tackle starter could be moved elsewhere on the line, while the center position will likely have to be won through competition regardless of returners.

Nothing has changed on the situation at left guard. Veteran free agent addition Laken Tomlinson comes to Houston with 10 years of starting experience, all at left guard. He took the most reps at the position throughout the spring, and it appears to be his job barring injury. Similarly, there’s still a strong feeling that Tytus Howard will be a starter on the offensive line, though the team doesn’t know where. Over his six years in Houston, Howard has started 48 games at right tackle, 27 games at left guard, and four games at left tackle. Most of his time in the spring, though, was split between right tackle and right guard, so with Tomlinson at left guard, he’s likely pinned at the two spots on the right side of the line.

At left tackle, the Texans have been shuffling veteran free agent addition Cam Robinson and rookie second-round pick Aireontae Ersery on the first team. Robinson is likely the expected starter on the blindside, while Ersery appears to cross training at both tackle spots. This means Ersery is also rotating first-team snaps at right tackle. His competition on that side is last year’s second-rounder Blake Fisher, but Zachary Thomas is a new name Bien-Aime throws into the mix here.

Thomas joined the Texans last years after spending half the season in New England and two years before that with the Rams. He doesn’t have any starting experience in the NFL, so it’s interesting to see him getting rotated in with the two youngsters for first-team snaps. Whether they’re just checking every possibility or they lack confidence in their first- and second-year options remains to be seen, but it appears that Thomas has put himself in the conversation. If none of the three work out, Howard can always man the spot, and the new important position battle will be at right guard.

To look for who may start at right guard if Howard isn’t there, one must look to the position battle at center. Jarrett Patterson split time at the position with Michael Deiter in 2023 and then did the same with Juice Scruggs last year. Patterson and Scruggs return for another competition, but they’re now joined by Jake Andrews, a center that Houston claimed off waivers from the Patriots. Any of the three could win the job, and one may assume the best loser will have a good shot at filling the right guard spot, should Howard move back to tackle.

Elsewhere on the offense, Bien-Aime comments on the preferred wide receivers in Houston at the moment. With Nico Collins firmly atop the pecking order and with Tank Dell‘s prospects for playing in 2025 still uncertain, rookie second-round pick Jayden Higgins and veteran trade acquisition Christian Kirk have emerged as likely key contributors.

Higgens, a big-bodied pass catcher out of Iowa State, has reportedly been making plays on some of the Texans’ defensive starters as he develops a new chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud. After a down, injury-ruined year, Kirk is hoping his move to Houston will be fruitful. Kirk had already earned the nickname “slot demon” by the end of minicamp by the defense, and he seems to be establishing himself as a reliable safety blanket for Stroud, who was sacked last year more than every other quarterback in the NFL (except Caleb Williams).

With a new group of weapons on the offense establishing themselves and a re-tooled offensive line starting to figure out where everyone fits, the Texans are making quick and necessary progress on their new-look offense full of questions marks. They’ll hope to put together a group that can win its third straight division title and earn its third straight playoff appearance.

NFL Staff Updates: Chargers, Bills, Saints

July 5th, 2025 at 3:13pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are a few recent staffing updates to front offices in the NFL:

  • According to ESPN’s Seth Walder, the Chargers are losing a member of its analytics staff. Senior analyst Alex Stern will be leaving the team in order to take a position with “Teamworks Intelligence (formerly Zelus Analytics), a major third-party sports analytics company with NFL clients.” After being named a finalist in the 2019 Big Data Bowl and concluding an analytics and research internship with the University of Virginia, Stern joined the Chargers as a research analyst in 2021. He was promoted to senior analyst last June.
  • Where one team loses an analyst, another team gains one. Walker reported this week that the Bills are hiring a new football research assistant. Cole Jacobson makes his NFL debut in the position after years of doing freelance, seasonal, and part-time work with NFL Media, MLB Media, FOX Sports, Stats Perform, and Championship Analytics. He and his team were named finalists in this year’s Big Data Bowl.
  • Lastly, the Saints have hired an operations admin out of Boise State in Garrett Holle to serve as their new director of rehabilitation, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Holle heads to New Orleans after a quick rise through the collegiate ranks. Following an internship at Arizona State in 2023, Holle joined Boise State in the same season, rising from assistant athletic trainer and rehabilitation coordinator to assistant athletic director of sports performance and health and wellness in 2024. He fills the role vacated by Johnathan Gress, who left for the University of Oklahoma after six years in the position with the Saints.

Bills’ Draft Board Not Aligning At WR Led To Elijah Moore Signing

July 5th, 2025 at 12:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills took some criticism after waiting until Round 7 to draft a wide receiver. One such instance prompted Brandon Beane to address the matter in a radio interview. But the ninth-year Buffalo GM did have the position on his radar during the draft.

Although the Bills gave Josh Palmer a three-year, $29MM deal in free agency, they were in on receivers during the draft. The team’s haul included a pick at the position — No. 240 overall pick Kaden Prather (Maryland) — but it certainly sounds like an earlier add was strongly considered. The team felt it needed to make a post-draft move to address the position.

Signing Elijah Moore after the draft, the Bills added a player who is likely a fifth roster lock at the position. But Moore’s fully guaranteed $2.5MM contract came about because the team’s draft board did not align with its receiver interests, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia notes.

It is not as though the Bills lack young talent at receiver; they drafted Keon Coleman 33rd overall last year. Coleman, 22, joins three second-contract players — Palmer, Moore, Khalil Shakir — and third-contract veteran Curtis Samuel at the receiver position in Buffalo. The Bills will not lack for experience at the position this season, effectively swapping out Amari Cooper and Mack Hollins for Palmer and Moore. Hollins signed with the Patriots in March; Cooper remains in free agency.

Stefon Diggs was a crucial part of Josh Allen‘s progression from a raw but ultra-talented prospect into perennial MVP candidate. The reigning MVP enjoying the season he did without Diggs certainly bodes well for the Bills’ latest receiver cast, though the team still likely will need Coleman to take a step forward. Moore and Palmer have proven to be complementary cogs to date, though the former will soon see a major QB upgrade after toiling on Jets and Browns rosters during his rookie contract.

The above-referenced quintet will almost definitely break camp as the Bills’ top five receivers, potentially leaving one spot remaining. If the Bills keep six wideouts, Buscaglia adds Laviska Shenault should be considered the favorite to nab the other spot. This would stand to leave Prather as a more likely practice squad stash, provided he clears waivers. Shenault’s return ability stands to bolster his chances of making the 53-man roster.

A former Jaguars second-round pick, Shenault showed some early-career promise at receiver by posting 600-plus-yard seasons in 2020 and ’21. This Bills regime liked the Colorado alum’s skillset entering the 2020 draft, per Buscaglia, and the NFL’s emphasis on increasing kick-return volume works in the veteran returner’s favor.

Shenault has caught just 15 passes over the past two years, but he has logged 22 kick returns in that span. Last season’s dynamic kickoff debut preceded Shenault returning 16 kicks. With the NFL moving the touchback line to the 35 in order to increase return numbers this offseason, the journeyman presents an intriguing option for the Bills. Splitting time with the Seahawks and Chargers last season, Shenault notched a 97-yard return TD under the updated kickoff setup.

The Bills will need to make multiple moves based on the suspensions handed to D-linemen Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht. Both players received six-game PED bans this offseason, which will lead to both being stashed on the reserve/suspended list. A No. 6 WR spot could be a place Buffalo targets to find roster space for the D-linemen, per Buscaglia. Shenault is a vested veteran and would not need to clear waivers — until the trade deadline, at least — to pass to the practice squad, though other teams dangling an active-roster spot in the event of an October release would be a variable the Bills would have to navigate in this scenario.

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