This article is part of our 2020 Training Camp Preview series.
Expanding upon our team preview collection from earlier this offseason, we're gearing up for an irregular August with a series of team-specific articles to get you up to speed for training camp. You can find the previous writeup on the Buffalo Bills here.
State of the Franchise
Rarely can the success or failure of a season be reduced to a single player dynamic, but when it comes to the 2020 Buffalo Bills, that might just be the case. The defense is a known commodity at this point and should hold opposing offenses at bay. On offense, the rushing attack is stable, led by Devin Singletary and Zack Moss, and bolstered by Josh Allen's scrambling ability.
With a sound running game and solid receiving options, the Bills should keep the chains moving. But to really set themselves apart from the field, they'll need to limit turnovers and generate chunk plays. Management seemed to have this in mind when the team dealt a basketful of draft picks to Minnesota for Stefon Diggs.
Back-to-back seasons of 1,000-plus yards are nice, but let's focus on Diggs' ability to separate deep. The 26-year-old has logged at least 10 receptions of 20 or more yards in each of his five seasons as a pro, including 20 such catches in 2019. Now he's teamed up with Allen, who arguably has the most powerful arm in the league. If Allen can avoid the deep interceptions and continually hook up with Diggs on the long ball, it should be a great season in Buffalo.
Job Battle
The current Buffalo roster holds a group of players that accounted for 88 percent of the team's snaps in 2019, a league-high figure. Consequently, there aren't too many job battles of note.
One to keep an eye on is how the team's tight end targets are parsed out. As a rookie third-rounder last year, Dawson Knox was expected to work behind free-agent signee Tyler Kroft. However, after Kroft suffered a broken foot in OTAs, Knox was thrust into an expanded role early on and hauled in 28 of his 50 targets for 388 yards and a pair of TDs. In the process, Knox had the NFL's worst drop rate (14.3 percent) among qualified tight ends, and his 56 percent catch rate was also among the worst.
Though Kroft did return to suit up in 11 games, he was limited to just six catches (on 11 targets) for 71 yards and a TD. The 42-404-7 stat line that he recorded in Cincinnati in 2017 was presumably more in line with what the Bills were looking for when they handed Kroft a three-year, $18.75 million contract last spring. That deal has since been re-worked, so unless the team decides to part ways with Kroft in a cost-cutting move, he has a chance to carve out a larger role in the offense and possibly even supplant Knox as the team's top pass-catching tight end.
Another big question is how large of a role rookie running back Zack Moss will have in the team's offense out of the gate. He's bigger than second-year man Devin Singletary, was a higher draft pick and brings a more physical running style to the table. So, does that mean he initially carves out a niche as a goal-line back? Or could he possibly supplant Singletary as the lead back?
Medical Tent
The third-year defensive lineman has been recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL. He should be close to 100 percent when training camp opens.
DE Jerry Hughes
Entering his age-32 season, the starting defensive end is coming off of an offseason that included wrist surgery in January and groin surgery in February. The hope is that the surgeries will clean up some nagging issues that slowed Hughes down in 2019 and that he'll be ready to go for training camp.
The 28-year-old started 16 games at right guard for the Bills last year, even while playing with a torn rotator cuff. Feliciano underwent surgery in January, with his recovery projected to take 4-6 months. The Bills hope he'll be back to normal for camp and that the repairs could lead to improved play in 2020.
