With training camp starting next month for the Buffalo Bills, it should be no surprise to see them still making roster additions. Competition is what makes the team better and with starting a new era under Joe Brady, the Bills are going to need to make sure that they have their best roster going into the regular season.
Even at the positions that look solidified, there will always be competition brought in and that’s exactly what the Bills did at the running back position. According to the Bills’ PR team, Buffalo has signed running back Ian Wheeler. For those who don’t know Wheeler, he was recently with the Louisville Kings of the United Football League.
He was with the Chicago Bears in 2024 after going undrafted, and then spent time with the New Orleans Saints last season on their practice squad. Wheeler was named the MVP of the United Bowl for the Kings, and now he gets his chance to prove himself with the Bills.
It may seem like that this is just a signing for training camp to have the roster filled out, but you could easily make the case that Wheeler could put a Bills veteran in roster trouble.
Ty Johnson could very well be in roster trouble after recent Bills signing
The Bills already have James Cook and Ray Davis as their main backs, but Ty Johnson has been very serviceable for the team as well. Infact, he was arguably the team’s real RB2 behind Cook while Davis focused on special teams. However, Cook and Davis are under contract beyond the 2026 season…Johnson is not.
Even though Johnson knows the offense and knows what Brady is like as a play caller, him going into a contract year puts pressure on him already. Now with Wheeler having success in the UFL and having some experience in the NFL, he could very well surprise the Bills and earn a roster spot.
Wheeler wouldn’t be taking the spot of Cook or Davis, so that’s where Johnson faces some pressure to perform well in training camp. While it’s more than likely that Johnson will be the third running back on the team, competition brings out the best (and worst) in players. A position that wasn’t getting much thought now suddenly has a spotlight going into training camp next month.
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