Bills' inexperienced WR group dubbed their biggest concern entering training camp

One outlet questions whether the Buffalo Bills have enough talent at wide receiver for quarterback Josh Allen to succeed.

Jan 7, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) catches the football against Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou (4) during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a general truth that holds validity in several walks of life—the better you are at your profession, the more that you’ll be asked to do.

The Buffalo Bills are certainly asking quarterback Josh Allen to do quite a bit in the 2024 NFL season. The team revamped its receiving corps in the spring, moving on from perennial Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs and complementary piece Gabriel Davis in an attempt to free up long-term financial flexibility. The moves leave the team without its two leading pass-catchers from a season ago and Allen in search of new go-to targets, a storyline that will be tracked with scrutiny throughout this summer’s training camp.

Buffalo added a bevy of bodies to its receiving corps in the offseason and also hopes to replace some of its departed production internally, but some still question whether the team has done enough at the receiver position to truly give Allen a proper opportunity to succeed. The Athletic has identified the pass-catcher group as the Bills’ biggest “concern” entering training camp, with writer Tim Graham questioning whether “Allen [has] enough to work with at wide receiver” in a recent article breaking down the biggest qualm facing each NFL team at camp.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs off the field after a 27-24 loss to the Chiefs in the divisional round. / Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and

“Just one wideout on the roster has caught a pass from Allen in a game,” Graham wrote. “That’s third-year pro Khalil Shakir, who has looked promising but still has a ways to go to establish his bona fides. Buffalo parted with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, who combined for 162 receptions, 2,0002 yards, and 15 touchdowns last year. Also gone are depth receivers Deonte Harty and Trent Sherfield. 

“The organization has collected a menagerie to complement tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, including newcomers Curtis Samuel, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, K.J. Hamler, Mack Hollins, reclamation scratch-off ticket Chase Claypool and 2023 [fifth]-rounder Justin Shorter. Fans are excited by 33rd pick Keon Coleman, although rookie receivers offer no guarantees. The new faces must win Allen’s trust to make this offense work.”

Related: ESPN says recent first-round pick was Bills' most surprising player at minicamp

It’s a fair concern for Graham—or any writer, pundit, or fan—to have, as Allen, on paper, objectively does not have a lot to work with. There are reasons for optimism—both Kincaid and Shakir flashed down the stretch of the 2023 season and Samuel, who inked a three-year deal with Buffalo in the offseason, is reuniting with the offensive coordinator who previously led him to his best production as a professional—but there are still a lot of question marks. There’s hope, but hope isn’t a plan.

The Bills are very much hoping that Allen, who has cemented himself as one of the NFL’s premier players in recent years, can elevate what, on paper, is an inexperienced pass-catcher group. It’s something the Kansas City Chiefs have asked Patrick Mahomes to do in recent years after moving on from All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill in the 2022 offseason; it hasn’t necessarily hampered the team, as they’ve won two consecutive Super Bowls.

Buffalo’s aerial contributors have long-term promise—Kincaid and Shakir are 24 while Coleman is 21—but doubts about the immediate feasibility of the unit are warranted. Allen and the offense, as a whole, will attempt to silence some doubters when training camp commences at Rochester’s St. John Fisher University next month.

—Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI—

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