We are very close to the Buffalo Bills opening the gates of training camp in Rochester, NY. This season is arguably the most important in the Josh Allen era. After falling just four points shy of a Super Bowl berth last year, the team re-hauled their defense and kept their high-powered offense fully intact. They even added more firepower with the additions of Joshua Palmer and Elijah Moore at wide receiver.
As the season nears, it feels more and more like the Bills have to reach the pinnacle this year. With the ever-challenging Chiefs still in the way, the Ravens looking even more dangerous, and the Bengals refreshed after a down year, the Bills will need to be firing on all cylinders.
That means putting the best players out there, regardless of experience level or contract value. There will be plenty of position battles throughout this summer at training camp to determine who those players are. Fans should pay close attention to these specific battles.
4 training camp battles to watch closely in Bills training camp
No. 1: CB2 & depth
Christian Benford has evolved into one of the league’s best and most underrated cornerbacks and will return as the number one after a huge extension. Taron Johnson will obviously start at nickel-back, having arguably been the best in the league at that position for years now. The Bills used their first-round selection on rookie speedster Maxwell Hairston, and he is the obvious choice to start opposite Benford. However, we all know head coach Sean McDermott likes to make young guys earn it, so we could see him start training camp off on the second team.
When all is said and done, the Bills desperately need the athleticism, speed, and ball skills that Hairston brings, so he likely will break camp as the number two corner.
That leaves us with depth, which is a huge reason the team failed to make the Super Bowl last winter. The Bills brought back old friend and former All-Pro Tre'Davious White, along with another old friend, Dane Jackson. Injuries robbed White of prime years in his career in Buffalo, and he started last year badly with the Rams. A deadline trade saw him play well for Baltimore. He will be perfect as a depth player in the system he saw all his success in, and a perfect mentor for the younger defensive backs.
After that, it gets tough to watch. Dane Jackson was solid for the Bills and a good depth option, but they could choose to go the younger route. They also have Ja’Marcus Ingram, who has played very well when called upon, rookie Dorian Strong, who looked good in OTAs, rookie Jordan Hancock, who they supposedly have big plans for, Brandon Codrington, and Daequan Hardy. The team even loves Cam Lewis as a safety and backup nickel hybrid.
Outside of Benford, Hairston, and Johnson, no one is a lock to make the team. White seems like a lock, and at this moment, I would consider him to be. That leaves maybe two outside corner spots open, and at least one backup nickel spot open. That leaves six to seven guys battling for those three spots in what will be the largest training camp battle of the summer for the Bills.