The Buffalo Bills enter the 2020 season coming off two playoff appearances in the past three seasons -- their first playoff appearances of this millennium. With 10 starters on either side of the ball returning, as well as their coach (Sean McDermott), defensive coordinator (Leslie Frazier) and offensive coordinator (Brian Daboll), the Bills are expected to compete for their first AFC East title since 1995. The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday. Here is a projection:
QUARTERBACK (2): Josh Allen, Matt Barkley
Allen enters a pivotal third year as the Bills evaluate whether to fully commit to him as their quarterback. Two straight playoff appearances would likely get his fifth-year option exercised.
Throughout training camp, Barkley has outplayed Davis Webb and Jake Fromm, who might be competing for a spot on the practice squad. GM Brandon Beane spent a draft pick on Fromm, but Webb has been the better passer during training camp.
RUNNING BACK (4): Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, T.J. Yeldon, Taiwan Jones
Singletary and Moss are roster locks as they figure to split carries in Buffalo's backfield. Yeldon is a contingency plan if either of them misses time. Jones, who has missed practices in training camp with a knee injury, might not play much (if at all) on offense, but will be a critical special teams player.
FULLBACK (1): Patrick DiMarco
DiMarco has missed nearly all of the padded practices in training camp with neck soreness, but he's one of the team's leaders and should make the final roster despite an inspiring performance by rookie Reggie Gilliam, whose versatility still could earn him a job on the practice squad.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Stefon Diggs, John Brown, Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis, Andre Roberts, Isaiah Hodgins
The first four names on this list are no surprise -- Diggs, Brown and Beasley form one of the league's better starting trios in the NFL and Davis has been the darling of training camp to this point. Roberts' value as a returner might go underappreciated outside of One Bills Drive, but within the building, they know he is one of the best returners in the league. Hodgins' size is unmatched on the Bills' roster and gives him an edge over the versatile Isaiah McKenzie.
TIGHT END (3): Dawson Knox, Tyler Kroft, Lee Smith
Buffalo is excited about Knox's potential in his second season as a do-it-all tight end who can make plays after the catch. Now healthy, Kroft adds value in two-tight-end sets and is an accomplished receiver. Smith operates as the Bills' blocking tight end. Tommy Sweeney, the team's seventh-round pick in 2019, should start the season on the physically unable to perform list with a foot injury.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10): Dion Dawkins, Quinton Spain, Mitch Morse, Jon Feliciano, Cody Ford, Daryl Williams, Ty Nsekhe, Ryan Bates, Brian Winters, Evan Boehm
The Bills' starting five from 2019 remains intact -- at least, it will when Jon Feliciano returns from a pectoral injury. Nsekhe and Williams are both starting-caliber linemen who add quality depth, as is former Jets starter Winters. The commonality throughout this offensive line group is versatility, with most of its members able to play multiple positions.
DEFENSIVE LINE (8): Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison, AJ Epenesa, Darryl Johnson, Ed Oliver, Vernon Butler, Quinton Jefferson, Harrison Phillips
This will be a strength for the Bills in 2020, with several players who can play both inside and outside.
Expect Frazier and defensive line coach Eric Washington to get creative with their blitz schemes and personnel groups -- as Addison put it, "everyone on this defensive line is a pass-rusher."
Phillips takes over as Buffalo's primary run defender for Star Lotulelei, who opted-out of the 2020 season. Oliver ideally takes the next step after a good rookie season.
LINEBACKER (6): Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, A.J. Klein, Tyler Matakevich, Andre Smith, Tyrel Dodson
Edmunds and Milano might be two of the most underappreciated linebackers in the league, although Edmunds did make the Pro Bowl for the first time last season. Klein adds experience within McDermott's scheme while Dodson is a valuable depth piece Buffalo would like to develop. Matakevich is another standout special teams player on a team full of them.
CORNERBACK (5): Tre'Davious White, Josh Norman, Levi Wallace, Dane Jackson, Taron Johnson
White was an All-Pro last season and should be in the running for another selection this year. Norman is nursing a hamstring injury that will keep him out indefinitely, but Wallace, who started 23 games over the past two seasons, is more than capable of manning the other starting spot opposite White. The seventh-round rookie Jackson adds depth at outside corner and Johnson should operate again as the team's starting nickel corner.
SAFETY (5): Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Jaquan Johnson, Dean Marlowe, Siran Neal
Hyde and Poyer are the "quarterbacks" of the Bills' defense and Johnson and Marlowe are quality backups. Neal is arguably the most versatile of the bunch, with the ability to play both cornerback spots and safety -- but his best role is on special teams, where he and Taiwan Jones should form a potent duo at the gunner positions.
SPECIALIST (3): Tyler Bass, Corey Bojorquez, Reid Ferguson
The rookie Bass officially won the kicking competition when Buffalo released Stephen Hauschka during the second week of padded practices. Bojorquez also won the punting competition on the same day, beating out Lachlan Edwards and Kaare Vedvik.