of Buffalo Bills The Warriors will enter 2024 without their starting wide receiver duo and last season’s team captains, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Centered on Buffalo Podcasts, Buffalo BillsThe WR room “will definitely have a different feel.” With superstar QB Josh Allen at the helm, new faces will surely emerge as Buffalo’s top receivers. As training camp approaches, fans and analysts alike are eager to see who will step up and become key members of the revamped receiver corps.
Let’s take a look at where the receiver corps stands right now and how it has changed since the end of the 2023 season.
Main retirees
Stefon Diggs
Buffalo’s former bona fide No. 1 receiver leaves a big hole after averaging 111.25 receptions, 1,343 receiving yards and 9.25 touchdowns in four seasons with Buffalo. Houston Texans.
Gabe Davis
The former fourth-round draft pick thrived as the Bills’ second-string offensive lineman, but never topped 1,000 yards in any season. “Big Game Gabe” was known for stepping up when it mattered most, but now Jacksonville Jaguars.
Main additions
Curtis Samuel
The seven-year veteran signed a three-year contract with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent in the offseason. Samuel has the electric speed and big-play power that Buffalo’s offense needed.
Keon Coleman
Coleman is Buffalo’s top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The rookie would be a breath of fresh air for the Bills’ receivers and give Allen a big target to play above the rim.
Marquez Valdes Scanting
Buffalo acquired a wide receiver from their arch rival when they signed MVS to a one-year contract in free agency, and the speedster will provide depth and a big-play threat when Allen throws the ball.
Major returning players
Khalil Shakir
Shaquill is the Bills’ current starting slot wide receiver, but I expect he’ll also be used on the outside. From Week 8 through the end of the 2023 season, Shaquill outreach Stefon Diggs in receiving yards and did so on half the targets Diggs did. Shaquill enters 2024 as one of Allen’s favorite options.
What’s the Bills’ game plan for receivers?
With two big names gone and new faces coming in, the Bills offense will face big changes this offseason and will be searching for solutions to revamp their passing attack. Bills general manager Brandon Beane has certainly brought in a variety of options to find the right talent, but will it be enough? Let’s explore the possible game plans for the Bills’ new passing attack in 2024.
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Some may be concerned that Josh Allen doesn’t have a proven No. 1 receiver to throw the ball to, but Beane doesn’t necessarily think that’s the case. longHe said, “Don’t get too caught up in ‘we don’t have a No. 1 wide receiver,'” but “look at the bigger picture and remember that different players bring different skill sets to the table.”
The downside of not having a true “number one” wide receiver is that there’s no safety for Allen to rely on, but the upside is just as valuable: Allen is free to make his own progress and find open receivers without worrying about forcing targets on Stefon Diggs.
I believe the Bills have a receiver corps with diverse skill sets to exploit mismatches all over the field. They have special talent at wide receiver and strong pass-catching options at running back and tight end. Putting it all together, some of the specialized skill sets look like this:
- Khalil Shakir: His talent is growing, he’s a versatile player who can do anything and can play anywhere on the field.
- Keion Coleman: Jump ball monster, big target, red zone threat
- Curtis Samuel: Jet sweeps and screens, big play threat, gadget guy for the run after the catch
- Marquez Valdes Scanting: Deep threat, quality depth, plays in big games
- Dalton Kincaid: Big slot, open in the middle, mismatch nightmare
- Dawson Knox: Great blocker, hard to take down, great chemistry with Allen
- James Cook: Athletic receiving assets out of the backfield, mismatch with linebackers
Tight ends need love too
“I read the rules and it’s legal to throw to a tight end,” Beane said. long. The Bills boast one of the best tight end duos in the league, veteran Dawson Knox and former first-round draft pick Dalton Kinkaid. The Bills have only Shaquill as a wide receiver who has caught a pass from Josh Allen, so the Bills are looking forward to the tight end duo’s performance due to their good chemistry with Allen. Last season, Kinkaid was third on the team in receiving yards and had the second-most targets. Head coach Sean McDermott said, Centered on Buffalo Podcasts “We’re primed for a great season and that rapport with Josh is going to be very important for us,” Kinkaid said.
The new top dog
With Diggs gone, someone needs to step up and take over as the “top dog” wide receiver. It remains to be seen, but Bills No. 1 draft pick Keon Coleman seems like a likely candidate. Brandon Beane has highlighted Coleman’s potential. long“He has the speed to play. I saw him live. LSU“He made the skinny post catch, he blew past the guy, he split the safeties and got the ball. And then you saw his athleticism on the punt return. There aren’t many guys that are 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4 that can track the ball, bend it and adjust.”
The rookie receiver will have an uphill battle to become a mainstay in the Bills’ offense, but with recent success from rookie receivers in the NFL, the Bills are hopeful he’ll contribute sooner rather than later.
Coleman is a strong candidate to be the Bills’ No. 1 WR, but maybe not the most likely, and Shaquill is quietly making a name for himself as a third-year breakout candidate with a late 2023 potential. Playoff TD Against Steelers This is a great sign for things to come, so don’t overlook him when drafting your fantasy team this year, as there’s very little that can stop him from being a breakout star next season.
Wildcard
As mentioned above, the Bills have acquired a variety of options at wide receiver through free agency and the NFL Draft, but there are some players with high potential to consider. The Bills took a chance on former second-round draft picks KJ Hamler and Chase Claypool, both of whom showed flashes of talent before their careers fizzled out.
Additionally, Justin Shorter is still an unknown quantity. After being selected by the Bills in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Shorter had to miss the entire season on IR. The former five-star recruit looks like a WR made in a lab, but his potential has yet to be realized on the football field.
These three wild cards have a chance to make the Bills roster, though that’s unlikely, but if one of these reinforcement projects pans out and contributes, the Bills WR room could unexpectedly outperform in 2023.
The combination of experienced veterans, promising rookies and potential rebuilding projects will create an exciting and unpredictable offensive force. The stage is set for a rebuilt receiver corps that is poised to redefine the Bills’ passing game and usher in a new era of success.
