Bills Training Camp Preview: 3 to Watch; Rookie Roles?
The Buffalo Bills are entering the 2023 NFL season with lofty, yet familiar expectations.
Having won their third consecutive AFC East title, the Bills finished the season with a 13-3 record, while maintaining their status as one of the league’s most formidable teams on either side of the ball.
Still, Buffalo would undoubtedly prefer to erase the bitter taste of their 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round. In doing so, they will require another MVP-caliber performance from quarterback Josh Allen, along with elite-caliber showings from both their stars and role players on offense and defense.
With training camp set to begin on Wednesday at St. John Fisher University, here is a look at three Bills on which fans may want to keep watch over the next few weeks.
Stefon Diggs
While the on-field fit between Diggs and the Bills has at times been a match made in gridiron heaven, their relationship has seemingly reached a rocky road as of late. Following his verbal sparring with Allen during the Bills’ playoff loss to the Bengals — a game in which he caught just four passes for 35 yards — Diggs once again raised some eyebrows when he did not report for the first day of mandatory minicamp. Though he arrived the following day, the rumor mill began to churn surrounding the All Pro receiver’s purported discontent with the Bills, as well as a potential disconnect with coach Sean McDermott.
Still, Diggs remains a part of Buffalo’s roster. Accordingly, they need the the 29-year-old to be at the top of his game. Perhaps his greatest contribution to Buffalo’s offensive repertoire is his ability to get open, even when he is covered. Diggs has fit the “WR1” moniker quite nicely, developing an often explosive on-field synergy with Allen. In 2022, he hauled in 108 catches for 1429 yards and 11 touchdowns. From the moment he arrives, Diggs is likely to draw the most attention of any attendee of Bills training camp — due to both his aptitude, and his attitude.
Dalton Kincaid
Buffalo used valuable draft capital to secure Kincaid’s services, selecting him at No. 25 overall. Not only was the Utah product the first tight end selected in a highly-touted Draft class, he was also the only one selected in the first round. Typically, such pedigree would indicate his taking a prominent position in the Bills’ offensive game plan. In fact, the 23-year-old already impressed his teammates during Buffalo’s offseason workout program.
Still, Kincaid brings a stellar resume with him to the pro level. While loftily compared to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, or perhaps more realistically to Zach Ertz of the Arizona Cardinals, Kincaid is a natural pass catcher. With incumbent starter Dawson Knox playing the traditional 'Y' role, any deficiency in opposing team’s secondaries will allow him the opportunity to maneuver in the middle of the field. If Kincaid is able to exploit the cracks in the opponent's defense, Josh Allen may benefit from some true 12-man personnel.
Von Miller
Having signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the club in March 2022, Miller was well on his way to becoming Buffalo’s premier pass rusher. However, Miller exited Buffalo’s Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Detroit Lions with an apparent knee injury. During exploratory surgery just days later, Miller was found to have torn his ACL and would miss the remainder of the season. Still, he finished the season with 21 total tackles (10 for loss,) 12 quarterback hits, eight sacks and one forced fumble in 11 games.
As expected, Miller’s continued recovery will be among the most closely watched storylines during training camp. While the seven-time All Pro was sidelined for Buffalo’s offseason workouts, he recently expressed his intention to participate in camp, with the hope of starting the season on time.
“If I can go, I’m going to be able to go,” said Miller, as transcribed by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “I’ll have some reps in training camp to help get me ready for Week 1.”
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL.
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