Buffalo Bills: Breaking down the most vital position battles

Jul 30, 2016; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Cardale Jones (7) puts in some extra work after the first session of training camp at St. John Fisher College. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 30, 2016; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Cardale Jones (7) puts in some extra work after the first session of training camp at St. John Fisher College. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 30, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills inside linebacker Preston Brown (52) during the game against the New England Patriots at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports /

With players hitting the field, BuffaLowDown takes a look at the Buffalo Bills’ most important position battles heading into the new season.

The offseason workout program is in full force and with two of the three weeks of OTA’s now complete, that only means the mandatory minicamp is right around the corner. With that being said, position battles will start to heat up on a Buffalo Bills‘ squad full of them.

So far, what we’ve seen has created optimism for the season ahead. During the rookie camp, the Bills’ draft picks looked sharp and ready for the season ahead. When OTA’s began, we saw a lot of positive signs from Tyrod Taylor, Reggie Ragland, Eric Wood, Kolby Listenbee, Shaq Lawson and Sammy Watkins — all of whom returning from injuries.

We also saw improvement from Cardale Jones and young players embracing opportunity for increased role next season, like Jonathan Williams and Kevon Seymour. Marcell Dareus is showing signs of his old self and has received praise from the coaching staff early on.

If the Buffalo Bills are going to win in 2017, they’re definitely on the right track.

One thing that will help keep that optimism around is competition within the positions. There are a lot of new faces and that only means a lot of people will have to prove themselves before earning a spot on the roster — something McDermott has been vocal about.

With so many position battles currently in full swing, let’s go through some of the biggest throughout the depth chart — starting with the quarterbacks.