The Buffalo Bills open training camp for the 2020 NFL season on July 28 at the AdPro Training Facility in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills finished the 2019 regular season 10-6, advancing to the postseason for the second time in three years. Buffalo lost to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round of the playoffs, but it will return 10 starters on each side of the ball, and there's hope that continuity will help it take the next step as a contender. Quarterback Josh Allen's development will be the key.
Here's a 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): Allen, Matt Barkley, Jake Fromm
Unlike last season, the Bills keep three quarterbacks after drafting the Georgia product Fromm in the fifth round of this year's draft. Barkley is a reliable veteran backup whose importance is accentuated by the lack of spring practices. Despite his inauspicious offseason, Fromm might be the backup quarterback of the future in Buffalo, but he's not ready to be Allen's primary backup right now.
RUNNING BACK (5): Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, Patrick DiMarco, T.J. Yeldon, Taiwan Jones
One year after looking like the third wheel in the Bills' backfield, Singletary is its unquestioned leader in his second NFL season. Moss, a third-round pick this year, will presumably play a short-yardage role while Yeldon represents a steady fill-in option who will likely be inactive on game day, similar to his role in 2019. Jones is a steller special teams player and returns to Buffalo after playing a key role in the Bills' playoff loss last season as a member of the Texans.
WIDE RECEIVER (7): Stefon Diggs, John Brown, Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis, Isaiah Hodgins, Andre Roberts, Isaiah McKenzie
The top four receivers are set -- Diggs, Brown and Beasley are one of the league's better starting trios and this year's fourth-round pick, Davis, is essentially a roster lock. This year's sixth-round pick, Hodgins, adds much-needed size to the receiver room and McKenzie's versatility makes him too valuable to part ways with. Roberts might not see much action on offense, but was a Pro Bowl returner in 2019 and should hold that position down this season.
TIGHT END (3): Dawson Knox, Tommy Sweeney, Tyler Kroft
Knox is poised for a breakout season after flashing brilliance as a rookie and deserves the lion's share of snaps at tight end. Sweeney didn't have much of a role in 2019, but is an adequate enough blocker and receiver to take the place of blocking specialist Lee Smith. Although he battled injuries last season, Kroft is a worthwhile receiving threat when healthy, which the run-heavy Bills could use.
OFFENSIVE LINE (8): Dion Dawkins, Quinton Spain, Mitch Morse, Jon Feliciano, Cody Ford, Darryl Williams, Ty Nsekhe, Spencer Long
Buffalo's starting five return in 2020, along with depth pieces Nsekhe and Long. Williams is a former All-Pro who will prove to be an excellent under-the-radar signing if he returns to form. He adds position flexibility at tackle and guard, which is a common theme throughout this group.
DEFENSIVE LINE (8): Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison, AJ Epenesa, Quinton Jefferson, Ed Oliver, Star Lotulelei, Harrison Phillips, Vernon Butler
Addison gives the Bills a productive pass-rusher opposite Hughes, and both will serve as sterling examples for 2020 second-round pick, Epenesa. The rookie won't just sit and watch during his first season; his skills as a run defender should make up for the loss of Shaq Lawson. Jefferson can play inside and outside, and Butler gives Buffalo impressive depth if he can replicate his 2019 season.
LINEBACKER (6): Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, Tyler Matakevich, Vosean Joseph, A.J. Klein, Corey Thompson
Edmunds and Milano are excellent and Klein slides in as the replacement for the retired Lorenzo Alexander. Thompson and Matakevich add special teams value beyond their roles on defense, as should Joseph, who spent all of last season on injured reserve.
CORNERBACK (6): Tre'Davious White, Josh Norman, Levi Wallace, E.J. Gaines, Taron Johnson, Dane Jackson
After keeping just four cornerbacks last season, Buffalo made sure it has plenty of depth at the position this year. White might be the second-best cornerback in the NFL -- that side of the field is secure. Norman, Wallace, and Gaines will jostle for the starting job opposite White while Johnson operates as the team's starting nickelback. Buffalo is high on the seventh-round pick Jackson, who can play both outside and in the slot.
SAFETY (4): Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Siran Neal, Jaquan Johnson
Hyde and Poyer, who form one of the most underappreciated safety tandems in the league. Johnson was promising when given the opportunity last season and can play special teams. Neal can play safety and cornerback in a pinch, and might be the best special teams player on this roster.
SPECIALIST (3): Tyler Bass, Corey Bojorquez, Reid Ferguson
Stephen Hauschka signed a two-year extension last offseason, but GM Brandon Beane spent a 2020 sixth-round pick on Bass for a reason. The rookie's strong leg is perfectly suited for the strong winds at the Bills' stadium. Kaare Vedvik will give the incumbent Bojorquez some competition, but the Bills ultimately go with the player they know at punter.