Buffalo Bills' receiving corps may surprise critics in 2024

The Buffalo Bills' WR corps has been labeled as a weakness, but is that assessment fair?

Ralph Ventre | Jul 21, 2024

Dec 13, 2020; Charlotte, NC; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Curtis Samuel (10) is tackled by Denver Broncos cornerback De'Vante Bausby in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

Buffalo Bills | News, Scores, Schedules & Standings

Losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis doesn't necessarily spell doom for the Buffalo Bills' passing attack.

There are rightfully plenty of questions surrounding the Bills' receiving corps, but the critics' level of concern may be a bit overblown. CBS Sports writer Jared Durbin unnecessarily sounded the alarm by labeling wide receiver a problem position for the Bills in Every NFL team's biggest roster hole or question mark entering 2024 season.

Identifying "where each of the league's 32 teams is still lacking," Durbin landed on the Bills' new-look WRs group.

"Without Stefon Diggs, Buffalo has Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel and second-round pick Keon Coleman as Josh Allen's top three receivers. Everyone has talked themselves into Coleman being really good because he showcased an awesome personality in his pre-draft interview, but he wasn't especially productive at Florida State. Can he step up and be a No. 1 guy?" said Durbin.

Possibly because they aren't household names, it seems as if the author is automatically dismissive of the potential of the three aforementioned receivers.

First, Shakir flashed his ability down the stretch last year and appears poised to make another leap forward in Year 3.

Samuel is a proven veteran who has performed respectably despite spending much of his career in less-than-ideal quarterback situations. It's certainly worth mentioning that the one season (2020) when he totaled 1,000+ scrimmage yards, current Bills' offensive coordinator was the Carolina Panthers' playcaller.

Coleman has first-round talent, but his draft stock dropped due to a slow 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine. To the idea that he was "not especially productive" at Florida State, Coleman led the Atlantic Coast Conference in touchdown receptions (11) and punt return yards (300) last year.

There's no reason why the Shakir-Samuel-Coleman combination can't be as effective as the Panthers' 2020 receiving trio that produced strong numbers in what was a Joe Brady's lone season as OC.

While Brady was cutting his teeth in Carolina with Teddy Bridgewater as the QB1, Robby Chosen and DJ Moore posted 1,000-yard receiving campaigns and Samuel finished with 851 receiving yards.

Now, let's see what Brady can cook up with Josh Allen at quarterback.

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