What is the Bills' biggest roster strength entering minicamp?

Bleacher Report has identified what they feel is the biggest strength on the Buffalo Bills' roster amidst OTAs.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) hands off to running back James Cook (4) in the second quarter of the NFL Week 9 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY

The Buffalo Bills' offense received a bit of a makeover in the 2024 offseason, with significant alterations being made to the receiving corps, in particular. The team parted ways with previous lead contributors Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis and replaced them with the likes of Curtis Samuel, Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, its new pass-catching group more so predicated on youth and financial value than demonstrated production.

And though Buffalo’s offense will objectively look different in the 2024 NFL season, it will still run—proverbially and literally—through quarterback Josh Allen.

The 28-year-old is one of the best signal-callers in the league by every meaningful metric, earning NFL MVP votes in three out of the past four seasons. He’s one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks to ever step foot on a football field—he’s essentially a linebacker with a bazooka attached to his right shoulder who can cerebrally dismantle defenses as a passer, and if he bores of that, he can just run over or through grown men as a rusher.

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It’s Allen’s prowess as a runner that makes him as dynamic of a player as he is; he’s rushed for 3,611 yards and 53 touchdowns throughout his six-year NFL career, including 524 yards and 15 scores in the 2023 campaign. Combine his excellence with the ability of third-year back James Cook, and you have the makings of a multi-faceted Buffalo rushing attack that demonstrably has the ability to serve as the backbone of the team’s offense.

The Bills’ backfield, though oft-overlooked by people who don’t factor Allen into the team’s rushing attack, is perhaps the strongest element of its offense, especially given the offseason shakeup at receiver. Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department echoes this sentiment, recently identifying Buffalo’s backfield as its biggest roster strength.

“They will have time to figure out their new wide receiver hierarchy and the passing game because of what Josh Allen and James Cook can do as runners,” the outlet wrote. “Allen led all quarterbacks in rushing EPA by a comfortable margin. Cook emerged as the Bills' featured back last season. Christian McCaffrey and Breece Hall were the only backs with more yards from scrimmage than Cook's 1,567.

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“The Bills turned to the draft to add depth behind Cook. They re-signed Ty Johnson, but he'll battle with fourth-round pick Ray Davis and undrafted free agent Frank Gore Jr. to make the roster and earn some carries. Davis and Gore are both stout, powerful runners who could take some of the between-the-tackles work off Cook's plate. Some of Cook's more notable receiving lines came when Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator for the second half of the season. He should contribute more as a pass-catcher, which will keep this offense going through early growing pains with a new receiving corps.”

The outlet makes mention of fourth-round pick Ray Davis, who could sneakily prove to be a valuable addition for Buffalo. The former Kentucky Wildcat is a between-the-tackles rusher who figures to spell Cook and Allen in short-yardage and goalline situations; with 94 receptions and 12 receiving touchdowns tallied throughout his collegiate career, he also has the ability to contribute on passing downs.

If Allen can continue to dismantle defensive dreams on the ground while Cook—who finished fourth in the NFL in rushing yards last season with 1,122—can take another step forward, Buffalo’s rushing attack figures to be even more productive in the upcoming campaign than it was last year. This should bode well for the offensive unit as a whole, as leaning on the ground game should not only afford more time for the receiving corps to determine its hierarchy, but also open up more in-game opportunities on Sundays.