Part of being a great team in the NFL is living up to expectations. Whether it is having a winning record, taking the division or even making a run at the Super Bowl, teams in the league have some sort of expectations whether they are small or large. The Buffalo Bills have had high expectations put on them the last couple of seasons. While they have taken the step forward from the slump they were in from the early 2000s to 2016, the organization cannot take the leap to the Super Bowl as they have been knocked out the past five years starting in 2019.
Brandon Beane and the front office made a great amount of changes this offseason to the roster that Sean McDermott and the coaching staff will need to make work on the field. Some of the big changes for the Bills came from the defense with a new look secondary that no longer features Micah Hyde or Jordan Poyer. Heading into the season, Buffalo will get some notable players back from injury including Matt Milano and a hopeful full season production from DaQuan Jones.
To start off this upcoming season, the new look Bills will host the Arizona Cardinals who have had a splash of an offseason. Kyler Murray is back and fully ready to go and Monti Ossenfort delivered a strong draft class that is headlined by wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. who is expected to make a huge splash in his rookie year. However, the Cardinals may have drafted a rookie that no one outside of Arizona is talking about that is being overlooked.
Will RB Trey Benson make an immediate impact in Week 1?
Matt Holder from Bleacher Report published a list of overlooked rookies heading into training camp and Trey Benson made the list for the Cardinals. Arizona drafted Benson in the third round to pair with James Conner in the Cardinals backfield. With Conner going into a contract year, it makes sense why Benson was taken where he was in the draft.
Benson rushed for back-to-back 900+ yards the last two seasons at Florida State and is now part of a Cardinals team that was near the top of the league in rushing yards last season. Not to mention, Arizona improved their offensive line and could easily do more damage on the ground again in 2024.
The Bills’ defense will be tasked to contain the rushing attack that the Cardinals are bringing. It will not be a simple challenge as the Bills have had a tough time stopping the run the last couple of years. If the Cardinals give Benson the chance to showcase his talents in Week 1, Buffalo needs to stop the rookie and force the veterans to try and beat them.