6 intriguing Bills with most to gain in NFL Preseason Week 2 clash with Steelers

Here are the six Buffalo Bills with the most to gain in this weekend's preseason clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Kyle Silagyi | Aug 12, 2024

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

Buffalo Bills | News, Scores, Schedules & Standings

The Buffalo Bills kicked off their 2024 preseason slate last weekend in a Saturday bout with the Chicago Bears, a generally uneventful game that the blue and red will want to quickly forget. Buffalo lost 33-6, looking generally apathetic as the game slowly got out of hand.

Few players overwhelmingly flashed in the game, a wrong several individuals will look to right in the team’s Week 2 preseason clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers. There are a handful of players who have a lot to gain in this Saturday’s clash, and we’ve decided to highlight six such players here.

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Teams signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling have a strong idea of what they’re in for at this juncture: he’ll occasionally flash his speed and big-play ability and come up with crucial plays in opportune moments, but whether or not he’ll ultimately catch the ball varies on a snap-to-snap basis. The 29-year-old has struggled with drops throughout his six-year professional career, as his career drop percentage of 9.1% (per PFF) is far from ideal.

His struggles in this area reared their head in Buffalo’s preseason opener, as he dropped his sole target of the game. A single drop in a meaningless preseason game isn’t an issue in a vacuum; however, it looks as though the Bills are trending toward rostering only five wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster. Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, and Mack Hollins are locks, and given his training camp breakout and special teams ability, Tyrell Shavers may be in line for that fifth spot; if this situation ultimately manifests, Valdes-Scantling would be left off the 53-man roster come the end of August.

The veteran can re-insert himself into the roster picture by mitigating his drops throughout the rest of the preseason. He offers intangible elements to a young Buffalo receiving corps that the unit would love to have (experience, championship pedigree, etc.); the Bills likely want to have Valdes-Scantling on the roster, and it’s now up to him to prove that he’s a player worth keeping around.

WR K.J. Hamler

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

As alluded to in the Valdes-Scantling analysis, Buffalo appears set to roster only five—or, at most, six—wide receivers on its initial 53-man unit, which, in theory, makes reclamation project K.J. Hamler’s roster aspirations rather hollow. Once one gets to the bottom of the roster, however, a player’s listed position becomes less important than their special teams ability, which is the 25-year-old’s most realistic path to the unit.

Hamler is listed as the primary kick and punt returner on the Bills’ current depth chart, returning two kicks for 21 yards and one punt for 15 yards in the preseason opener. He misplayed a kickoff and allowed the ball to hit the ground, prompting Sean McDermott to be critical of the team’s return efforts after the game by stating that both Hamler and rookie cornerback Daequan Hardy “were having a little bit of trouble tracking the ball.” The speedy wideout also failed to make an impact offensively, having a ton of space after reeling in his only catch of the game but falling before he could turn the play into anything special.

Hamler, like Valdes-Scantling, is likely a player that Buffalo, in theory, wouldn’t mind keeping on the roster; he has the talent necessary to be an electric special teams contributor, and his offensive versatility could allow him to serve as a depth option in Curtis Samuel’s presumed Swiss army knife role. The fifth-year wideout needs to prove he’s a player worth keeping around, however, something he has an opportunity to do this weekend in Pittsburgh.

TE Zach Davidson

Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Fourth-string tight end Zach Davidson is a player who flashed throughout the entirety of the team’s training camp at Rochester’s St. John Fisher University, frequently displaying his 6-foot-7 frame as he came down with several splash plays. He didn’t carry that impact over into the preseason opener, however, receiving only one target. He can’t be solely blamed for his lack of production—Buffalo’s quarterback and offensive line play were putrid in the loss—but he didn’t necessarily help his roster aspirations last weekend.

Despite his training camp breakout, Davidson was still listed as the fourth tight end on the team’s initial depth chart. The idea of the Bills rostering four tight ends on their initial 53-man roster seems steep, especially considering the versatility of fullback Reggie Gilliam. Davidson will need to unequivocally usurp Quintin Morris in order to stake his claim on the roster, and a strong outing against the Steelers could help his cause.

C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Sedrick Van Pran-Granger is listed as the third center on Buffalo’s depth chart, but the initial listing isn’t a necessarily accurate reflection of the position; former undrafted free agent Alec Anderson isn’t even listed at the position on the depth chart, but he appears to be the team’s primary backup center. Anderson saw reps at center in the Bills’ preseason opener, helming a second-quarter miscue in which he snapped the ball and nobody moved. This was a simple miscommunication that will obviously be ironed out, but it was an ugly play, regardless.

Van Pran-Granger, conversely, looked solid when given his reps, not allowing any sacks or quarterback pressures, per PFF. There also weren’t any snapping miscues, which is now something we’ve seen from both starter Connor McGovern (throughout training camp) and the presumptive backup in Anderson. The general offensive line play was poor on Saturday, but the fifth-round pick wasn’t a weak spot; if he plays well against the Steelers, an ascent up the depth chart may be in the cards for the rookie.

DT Gable Steveson

Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson looked as good as a player who has never played football at any level can look in Buffalo’s preseason opener. He actually flashed as an interior pass-rusher, showcasing his strength and understanding of leverage as he recorded one quarterback hurry, per PFF. His play against the run wasn’t great, but this is to be expected of an undersized defensive tackle who laced up a pair of cleats for the first time earlier this summer.

Here are Gable Steveson's 8 snaps at DT (61) in his NFL debut

The Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA Champion wrestler is attempting to make the Bills at 24-years-old pic.twitter.com/rC94hKnjfp
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 11, 2024

The Bills’ brass simply wants to see glimpses of Steveson’s raw potential and promise at this point of his development, which is something that he displayed against the Bears. He’s still an extreme roster longshot, but if he continues to flash against the Steelers, he could at least make Buffalo’s decision a bit more difficult; it also wouldn’t be shocking to see a lesser team with more roster flexibility gain a bit of interest in the trait-sy 24-year-old with a decorated amateur wrestling background.

LB Joe Andreessen

Bills linebacker Joe Andreessen signs autographs for fans following practice. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Linebacker Joe Andreessen has one of the more endearing stories on Buffalo’s current roster; a former small-school standout who transferred to his hometown University at Buffalo for his final year of collegiate eligibility, the defender signed with the Bills after a May tryout. He made his NFL debut for his boyhood club at Highmark Stadium last weekend, a truly surreal moment that he’ll never forget.

He didn’t necessarily look out of place against Chicago’s depth players, tallying four tackles. Most of the defense looked apathetic as the game progressed, but Andreessen still played with energy as the game got out of hand. His snap count will be interesting to monitor this weekend; linebackers Edefuan Ulofoshio and Nicholas Morrow have missed most of the team’s offseason workouts with injuries and also missed its preseason opener, and if they miss this Saturday’s contest, Andreessen, again, could be in line for a fair number of snaps.

He’s already a great story, but the tale could have a storybook ending if he can somehow, someway find a path to Buffalo’s 53-man roster. He can do so with additional strong preseason outings, starting this weekend in Pittsburgh.

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