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2022 Buffalo Bills 53-man roster projection: Pre-training camp

The Bills’ roster cuts aren’t going to be easy

Matt Warren is Associate Director of NFL coverage for SB Nation and previously covered the Bills for Buffalo Rumblings for more than a decade.

Following the 2022 NFL Draft and free agency, the Buffalo Bills are up to 90 players heading into training camp at St. John Fisher. With at least 37 roster cuts on the way between now and the start of the 2022 NFL season, here’s my most recent crack at the final 53-man roster as we head into training camp.

At the back end of the article is our best guess at what the depth chart looks like right now.

Note: Players listed alphabetically. Free-agent signings marked by asterisk(*). Draft picks marked with a plus sign(+) while undrafted free agents are double-plus (++)

Quarterback (2)

Josh Allen
Case Keenum*

Cut: Matt Barkley*
Change from previous: N/A

The Bills have traditionally kept two on the active roster with one or two on the practice squad. I’m a bit surprised they didn’t add a younger fourth arm for camp.

Running Back (5)

James Cook+
Taiwan Jones
Zack Moss
Devin Singletary
FB: Reggie Gilliam

Cut: Duke Johnson*, Raheem Blackshear++
Change from previous: N/A

Singletary and Cook are your game day actives, while Taiwan Jones plays special teams and Reggie Gilliam is a special teamer and fullback/H-back. It doesn’t leave any room for Moss for the game roster, but he’s a solid choice as your third option. Cook essentially replaces Johnson on the roster following his selection. Blackshear is a candidate for the practice squad. Could Gilliam be a roster cut in favor of a tight end? I’m not there yet with his special teams snap count (73% in 2021). Jones is a vested veteran, so Buffalo could leave him off the initial 53-man roster and he wouldn’t be subject to waivers, allowing them to sneak a player onto IR.

Wide receiver (7)

Tavon Austin*
Jamison Crowder*
Gabriel Davis
Stefon Diggs
Jake Kumerow
Isaiah McKenzie
Khalil Shakir+

Cuts: Isaiah Hodgins, Neil Pau’u++, Marquez Stevenson, Tanner Gentry
Change from previous: Austin was signed

The Bills kept seven wide receivers on their roster through 2022, but started the season with six after placing Stevenson on IR. They kept ample reserves on the practice squad, too, so maybe that comes into play here. They have cross-train abilities from Jamison Crowder and Khalil Shakir. All of the cuts could find their way to the practice squad. Stevenson was my last guy off the roster earlier this offseason, but I think the addition of Austin is the last nail in his coffin. I have the veteran as the punt returner. Kumerow is on because of special teams.

Tight end (3)

O.J. Howard*
Dawson Knox
Jalen Wydermyer++

Cut: Quintin Morris, Tommy Sweeney
Change from previous: N/A

Buffalo only kept two tight ends on their 53-man roster a year ago but I suspect they will feature more two-TE sets, which would necessitate keeping one more tight end on the final roster. I am sticking with Wydermyer over Tommy Sweeney at this point, even though Sweeney will start camp as TE3. Sweeney is entering the last year of his deal and has probably reached his ceiling.

Offensive tackle (4)

Spencer Brown
Dion Dawkins
Tommy Doyle
David Quessenberry*

Cuts: Bobby Hart, Luke Tenuta+, Will Ulmer++, Alec Anderson++
Change from previous: N/A

Last year, the Bills cut a late-round offensive lineman before adding him to the practice squad and Jack Anderson was eventually signed away. Tenuta would have to outplay Davis Quessenberry, who provides depth at multiple spots, or Tommy Doyle, who finished 2021 as their top reserve, unless they keep five offensive tackles. That’s a big ask with such a stacked team.

Interior OL (5)

Ryan Bates
Ike Boettger (PUP)
Cody Ford
Rodger Saffold*
Greg Mancz*
Mitch Morse

Cuts: Jacob Capra, Derek Kersetter++, Tanner Owen++, Greg Van Roten
Change from previous: Van Roten was added to the roster, but cut here

Mancz can play backup center and has taken snaps everywhere along the offensive line, so he beats out Van Roten. Tanner Owen is my practice squad guy. If they are going to place Boettger on PUP, they have to do it at the start of training camp. Otherwise, he could be a guy that makes the initial 53-man roster before being placed immediately on injured reserve.

Defensive tackle (4)

DaQuan Jones*
Ed Oliver
Jordan Phillips*
Tim Settle*

Cuts: Eli Ankou, Brandin Bryant, Prince Emili++, C.J. Brewer++
Changr from previous: N/A

The Bills kept five defensive tackles last year along with lots of guys who could float between DE and DT. I went with one less this year but Ankou and Bryant spent so much time on the practice squad, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were back. I needed one extra spot for my third tight end, and 11 defensive linemen like last year was too much. Plus, Justin Zimmer won’t be healthy for a bit and can be added later if they want him.

Defensive end (5)

Boogie Basham
A.J. Epenesa
Shaq Lawson*
Von Miller*
Greg Rousseau

Cuts: Mike Love, Kingsley Jonathan++, Daniel Joseph++
Change from previous: N/A

I don’t see the Bills cutting bait on A.J. Epenesa just yet. Basham can play some DT. I like this group with the addition of Miller. I don’t think Lawson is a great candidate for the game day roster, with Epenesa playing a lot of special teams in 2021. He’s not a roster lock, but they would need to see big gains from all the young guys to move on from the veteran.

Linebacker (5)

Terrel Bernard+
Tyrel Dodson
Tremaine Edmunds
Tyler Matakevich
Matt Milano
Andre Smith (Suspended)

Cuts: Joe Giles-Harris, Marquel Lee*, Baylon Spector+
Change from previous: Smith was suspended

Buffalo kept six a year ago, so hard cuts are coming at this position group. Perhaps this is the year Matakevich is gone, even though he led the team in special teams snaps by a wide margin in 2021. Spector is definitely a PS candidate if he can’t play his way onto the roster. I like what Dodson brings to the defense and he played 64% of the special teams snaps, so he’s my fourth LB behind Milano, Edmunds, and Bernard. Andre Smith is only there for special teams, and he’s suspended for the first six games, which at least opens the door for Spector. Smith’s suspension instead allowed me to keep my extra WR in punt returner Tavon Austin.

Cornerback (6)

Christian Benford+
Kaiir Elam+
Dane Jackson
Taron Johnson
Siran Neal
Tre’Davious White

Cuts: Olaijah Griffin, Tim Harris, Nick McCloud, Jamarcus Ingram++, Tavon Fuller++
Change from previous: N/A

Buffalo consistently carries fewer DBs than I want them to, but just like in the NFL Draft, I think this is the year they carry an extra one. Maybe they want to place Tre White on the PUP list to start the season to make sure he’s 100% for the home stretch. That would keep him out of games against the Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Kansas City Chiefs plus then they have a Week 7 bye so he’d be pretty fully healed by the end of October. If that’s the case, they would free up that roster spot, but that would mean he doesn’t practice at all until October, which I think is unlikely. More likely, Buffalo carries him on the active roster through the initial cuts, then places him on injured reserve, which would allow him to return four games into the season. (They could cut Reid Ferguson or Taiwan Jones at the initial 53-man roster and re-sign the player the next day in order to make this work.) They kept five cornerbacks last year, but they had a lot more experience to weather that storm. If they place Tre on IR or PUP, McCloud would sneak on as my last man. When McCloud was cut last year, he was claimed by the Bengals, plus he has stepped up in the spring, per media reports. Cam Lewis is a priority practice squad player and backup in the slot.

Safety (4)

Damar Hamlin
Micah Hyde
Jaquan Johnson
Jordan Poyer

Cuts: Josh Thomas
Change from previous: N/A

Literally the same list as last year. They didn’t even add a UDFA.

Specialists (3)

P Matt Araiza+
K Tyler Bass
LS Reid Ferguson
KR Isaiah McKenzie
PR Tavon Austin

Cuts: P Matt Haack, KR/PR Marquez Stevenson
Change from previous: Austin is PR, replacing McKenzie

They didn’t draft Punt God to cut him. If he can hold even remotely well enough, he is the new punter. It’s a bit of a camp battle here at returner, and after the smoke clears I think it’s McKenzie on kickoffs and Austin on punts. Last year, the Bills cut Reid Ferguson to get to 53 players and then re-signed him a few days later so they could place Stevenson onto the short-term IR list and they can do that again this year if they wish. I have them cutting Stevenson. If he’s not the returner, I don’t see a role for him but McKenzie is locked in at WR.

LAST MAN OFF: CB Nick McCloud (but signed if Tre goes to IR)
LAST MAN ON: TE Jalen Wydermeyer


You can see our projected depth chart below.

Bills 53-man roster final projection

Position Starter Backup Reserve
Position Starter Backup Reserve
QB Josh Allen Case Keenum
RB Devin Singletary James Cook Zack Moss
FB Reggie Gilliam
WR1 Stefon Diggs Jake Kumerow
WR2 Gabriel Davis Jamison Crowder Isaiah Hodgins
SWR Isaiah McKenzie Khalil Shakir Marquez Stevenson
TE Dawson Knox Tommy Sweeney Quintin Morris
LT Dion Dawkins Tommy Doyle
LG Rodger Saffold Ike Boettger
C Mitch Morse Greg Van Roten
RG Ryan Bates Bobby Hart
RT Spencer Brown David Quessenberry
LE Greg Rousseau Boogie Basham Shaq Lawson
1T DaQuan Jones Tim Settle
3T Ed Oliver Jordan Phillips
RE Von Miller A.J. Epenesa
MLB Tremaine Edmunds Tyrel Dodson Tyler Matakevich/Baylon Spector
WLB Matt Milano Terrel Bernard Andre Smith
CB Tre'Davious White Kaiir Elam
FS Jordan Poyer Damar Hamlin
SS Micah Hyde Jaquan Johnson
NB Taron Johnson Siran Neal
CB Dane Jackson Christian Benford
K Tyler Bass
P Michael Palardy
LS Reid Ferguson
KR/PR Khalil Shakir