Final 53: Predicting the Buffalo Bills Roster Ahead of Cutdown Day
NFL cutdown day is upon us. By 4 PM tomorrow, every team must trim its roster to 53 players, and the Buffalo Bills are no exception. Below is my projection for who makes the final cut in Orchard Park, and what players Bills fans may see on the Practice Squad.
On the Bubble: Players with the Most At Stake in Tampa.
The Buffalo Bills head into their final preseason game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday night with a lot of questions yet to be answered for Bills Mafia. Coach McDermott announced yesterday that Josh Allen will not be playing, making it the first time in his career that he will not play in a preseason game. It will be interesting to see how many more starters accompany him on the sideline.
Buffalo Bills 53-Man Roster Prediction
The NFL rosters will be reduced to 53 tomorrow at 4 PM. Below is who I believe the Bills will keep on the 53-man roster for the deadline. I expect that Brandon Beane will do some roster gymnastics, and the 53 on the roster tomorrow will not be the 53 when the regular season starts against the Arizona Cardinals on September 8th.
Bills vs Panthers Recap
The Bills played their most entertaining game of the preseason Saturday in their final game before roster cutdowns with a 31-26 loss to the Carolina Panthers. All of the expected starters heading into the regular season sat to prevent any more injuries to an already banged-up roster. Some positives came out of this game, but the challenge is how many will translate to the regular season since most players will not be on the 53-man roster after 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
Bills at Steelers Recap
The Bills looked like a more energized team Saturday night vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers compared to their week one performance. The defense played strong from start to finish, led by Greg Rousseau early on and the new fan favorite, Joe Andreessen. Andreessen took advantage of the opportunity provided by the injuries to players ahead of him and took a big step toward securing a spot on the 53-man roster.
The Loss of Matt Milano: Who Steps Up?
I will not act like this isn't a significant loss for the Bills’ defense when you factor in the other leaders they lost this offseason. They have time to adjust and find Milano’s replacement before the season starts, unlike last year, when they had to change five weeks into the season.
Bills vs. Bears Recap
I’ve never heard a player come out and say, “We’re not game-planning for these games,” but it makes sense. I view preseason games as a way to identify players' performance more than the teams’ performance.