Bills OTAs: Projecting Starters on Offense - Choices at WR3, Dalton Kincaid Over Dawson Knox?
The Buffalo Bills are beginning some of the most important days of their offseason on Monday with the official start of OTAs. The baby steps continue to be taken ahead of what is fixing to be another season full of championship expectations.
Though they're retaining most of the same core group on offense headed into the fall, the Bills and general manager Brandon Beane made quite a few additions to the offense this offseason. Expect some new faces to contribute on that end in 2023, but will it impact the team's ideal starting lineup? As of now, this doesn't appear to be the case, as Buffalo will likely be trotting out a similar starting group from last year with a few exceptions.
Here's BillsSI.com's projected offensive starters:
QB: Josh Allen
RB: James Cook
WR1: Stefon Diggs
WR2: Gabe Davis
WR3: Deonte Harty
TE: Dawson Knox
LT: Dion Dawkins
LG: Connor McGovern
C: Mitch Morse
RG: O'Cyrus Torrence
RT: Spencer Brown
The clear changes include Cook sliding in to the RB1 role, though he'll have some eager vets waiting behind him. The team signed running back Damien Harris and Latavius Murray this offseason while retaining Nyheim Hines, giving Buffalo plenty of proven options to choose from. The growth Cook showed near the end of last season while playing alongside Devin Singletary warrants him starter's playing time, but expect to see some impactful plays from his friends in the backfield.
At receiver, the Bills added Harty and Trent Sherfield in free agency this offseason. Not splash signings by any means, but the Harty addition could prove to be the most interesting. Posessing dangerous speed and proven play-making ability, it seems to make the most sense for Harty to be that third receiver and potential slot option due to the youth of second-year pass-catcher Khalil Shakir, the unknown production from Sherfield and the adjustment period that fifth-round receiver Justin Shorter will likely have to tread through before seeing passes come his way.
As for tight end, there's no reason to over-complicate things, but Knox is the starter at tight end ... at least for now of course.
"I don't want to get into the usage part cause this guy's gotta come in here and learn our offense," Beane said of Kincaid. "He'll be a rookie, it's gonna take him time. It's just another weapon for (offensive coordinator Ken) Dorsey."
Kincaid is the wild card here, as he could very well receive starter-like playing time based on some of the personnel looks Beane has teased at. But the Bills general manager has made it clear that Knox won't be seeing the field any less, as his pass- and run-blocking skills and red-zone prowess are still invaluable to the offense.
"Dawson's still gonna be very involved," Beane said. " ... Dawson is a clearly better in-line blocker, still a receiving threat. I don't think Dawson's gonna be going anywhere."
The Bills will clearly have some decisions to make before Week 1 against the New York Jets. But for now, we're predicting this is what the starters will look like for the start of the season.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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