Eight Veterans on the Bills' Roster Bubble

Running back Zack Moss heads the list of players who could be on their way out.

Dozens of difficult decisions loom for the Buffalo Bills coaching staff as the team has assembled its finest roster of the NFL salary cap era.

They will have to balance youth with experience, judge short- and long-term cost effectiveness and determine which players fit best while figuring out a way to pay them — all while operating at the uppermost limit of the cap.

Because of this, the team will not be able to keep all of its valued veterans if it can find younger players, usually rookies, who can do the same job cheaper and with cost-controlled contracts.

Here is a look at eight veterans who are less than locks to make the team again this year — and why they might not survive training camp.

RB Zack Moss

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The Bills signed free agent Duke Johnson, drafted James Cook and added explosive undrafted free agent Raheem Blackshear to go with Devin Singletary. They also re-signed special-teams ace Taiwan Jones. Moss, who ended the 2020 season ahead of Singletary on the depth chart, fell behind him last year. Do the math.

RB Taiwan Jones

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Even after re-signing with the Bills this offseason, Jones is not a lock to remain. If one of the rookies can prove themselves on special teams, the Bills could decide that Jones, who will turn 34 in July, is expendable.

LB Tyler Matakevich

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A core special-teams player, Matakevich nevertheless could be out of a job if younger, lesser-paid players prove they can do the same kind of job. He features a cap hit of $3.25 million that would be reduced by $2.5 million if traded or released.

DE A.J. Epenesa

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Because the Bills added Von Miller and brought back Shaq Lawson to go with last year's first-round pick, Greg Rousseau, Epenesa could be in trouble after he failed to take the giant step forward the Bills expected him to in 2021. On the other hand, they can afford to be patient and see if he blooms in his third year.

OL Cody Ford

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All the changes the Bills have made to their offensive line since drafting Ford in the second round in 2019 don't bode well for him. The former starter is now even behind some reserves on the projected depth chart.

T Bobby Hart

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Though he has started 67 games for three teams over seven seasons, Hart performed hideously for the Bills in the 2021 preseason before being cut. They brought him back as a depth piece anyway after he was cut by Tennessee. He would need to have a remarkable career turnaround to spend any regular-season time at all with this team in 2022.

TE Tommy Sweeney

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When the Bills signed free agent O.J. Howard, it ostensibly meant that the only way Sweeney survives training camp is because of injury to Howard or starter Dawson Knox. No way are the Bills keeping more than two tight ends.

WR Jake Kumerow

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Like last year, Kumerow likely will have to sweat out the final cuts. But with a cap hit of nearly $2 million, he could be gone because Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Jamison Crowder and Isaiah McKenzie aren't going anywhere, and Khalil Shakir was drafted in the fifth round. The numbers aren't working in his favor.

The Bills start Organized Team Activites (OTAs) on Monday. Mandatory minicamp follows in June, and training camp will return to St. John Fisher College in late July for the first time since 2019.

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Bills offseason schedule

OTAs

May 23-24

May 26

May 31-June 2

June 6-7

June 9-10

Mandatory minicamp

June 14-16

Training camp

TBA at St. John Fisher College and ADPRO Sports Training center

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Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.