Brandon Beane's Five Most Critical Roster Decisions Could Define Bills' Season

Buffalo's roster is now set heading toward its opening game against Houston, but several decisions will loom large later on this season.

Terry Pegula, owner and CEO/President of the Buffalo Bills, and general manager Brandon Beane talk while walking off the field at the end of practice at the Bills' training camp at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York, on July 24, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Believe it or not, the NFL regular season is just around the corner, Bills Mafia.

And, Western New York’s beloved Buffalo Bills will soon play their first meaningful matchup of the year on Sunday, September 13, at 1 p.m. ET down in the Lone Star State to face the Houston Texans.

Regardless of anything that has happened in the spring or summer months—including the team’s rather rare undefeated preseason this August—the matchup in Week One with the Texans at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, will truly be the official start of the “Joe Brady Era” for Buffalo.

Houston’s home opener will be tough first test for Buffalo

Nov. 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans' owner Cal McNair (right) talks with Buffalo Bills' owner Terry Pegula (center) and his daughter, Laura Pegula, before the Bills play the Texans at NRG Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

And, it appears to be a juicy matchup for many reasons: just ask new Bills’ safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

But, even with that said, it’s still up in the air whether or not the AFC-East squad will be able to right the ship of seasons of the past in that stadium.

In case fans forgot, former 2024 NFL MVP quarterback Josh Allen has yet to win within that specific venue in Texas, which is shocking to say the least.

So, keeping that in mind, while OTAs, minicamp, training camp, and the preseason all count for something, they certainly don’t always correlate to regular-season success come September. 

But, Brady’s ability to scheme up the “X’s and O’s” will have a lot to do with whether or not the team can make things happen between now and the middle of February in order to reach Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Valentine’s Day 2027.

It’ll be a lot of weight to carry on his shoulders.

Roster makeup will play large role in where WNY’s team can go this season

Buffalo Bills' first-year head coach Joe Brady (center) watches his offensive line on the field during first-half action of the Bills' preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium on Aug. 27, 2026, in Orchard Park, New York. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

However, as the saying goes, “It’s not the X’s and O’s, it’s the Jimmys and Joes”. 

So, for as much as Brady will take the blame for any misfortunes that may come the organization’s way this season, it will also be up to the players to take accountability.

But, did general manager Brandon Beane get it right with his final 53-man roster and practice-squad picks?

It’s critical that he did because those players will be the ones who are going to be depended upon to put into action anything that Brady, as well as coordinators Pete Carmichael Jr., Jim Leonhard, and Jeff Rodgers, see fit in order to accomplish their ultimate goal of finishing the season off by hoisting a Lombardi Trophy across the country in a little over five months.

So, keeping that in mind, here are 5 roster decisions recently made by Beane and Co. that could ultimately define this upcoming slate of games for the Bills in a positive way—or in a disastrous manner—in 2026.

Bills went heavy on OL, which meant sacrifices were made elsewhere on roster

Buffalo Bills' offensive guard Alec Anderson (left) and center Connor McGovern (right) head out to the field after Bills' quarterback Josh Allen says a few words to the offensive line in the tunnel before they take the field to warm up before their game at the old Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Dec. 28, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last year, Buffalo kept nine offensive linemen on its initial 53-man roster.

But, for whatever reason, Brandon Beane decided that it was prudent for the team to stash 10 on the offensive front to start September this go-around, which included keeping rookie seventh-round guard Ar’maj Reed-Adams, who—despite having never taken a live regular-season NFL snap in his career yet—will already be 25 years old at the very beginning of November this fall.

And, with the decision to keep Reed-Adams, came sacrifices at other positions. The main area to seemingly take a hit?

The cornerback room.

Although stellar undrafted rookie cornerback Kani Walker wound up making it through waivers and back onto the practice squad, seventh-round rookie corner Toriano Pride Jr. didn’t end up returning to Western New York as he was claimed by the Cleveland Browns.

Aug. 27, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers' tight end Lake McRee (81) dives for the end zone while former Buffalo Bills' defensive back Toriano Pride (32) tries to stop his forward progress during the first quarter of a preseason game at the new Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now, Buffalo has just three true outside cornerbacks on the active roster in Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston, and rookie second-rounder Davison Igbinosun.

And, although recent free-agent signing Dee Alford can also play on the boundary for the Bills if needed, that’s still a little risky, especially if one other player on the depth chart goes down in the middle of the game.

Ultimately, it could be a non-factor. But, it’d be naive to think that it couldn’t wind up biting Buffalo in the “behind” at some point.

And, for what? All to possibly lose an older guard prospect who probably would’ve made it through to the practice squad in the end, anyway?

Maybe not, though.

Reed-Adams could’ve gotten claimed in a similar fashion to former Bills’ rookie tackle Luke Tenuta in 2022 or eventually poached off the practice squad like former rookie interior lineman Jack Anderson in 2021.

Aug. 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills' rookie guard Ar'maj Reed-Adams (60) lines up for a play against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of a preseason game at the new Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Clearly those past player losses have left a sour taste in Beane’s mouth. 

But, hopefully the decision to keep Reed-Adams doesn’t leave a sour one in the collective mouths of Bills Mafia this season, either.

We’ll see.

Keeping only four ILBs, but adding starter from last year’s lineup to practice squad is strange

Much like with the secondary mentioned above, the Bills decided to go a little bit thinner at inside linebacker in lieu of keeping some more players at different positions around the roster.

Right now, it’s just veterans Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, and Joe Andreessen, as well as rookie fourth-rounder Kaleb Elarms-Orr, on the active 53-man roster for Buffalo.

While it’s not totally outlandish for a team to have just four inside linebackers on its depth chart, especially in a 3-4 defensive scheme versus a 4-3 scheme, it was at least a little bit of a curious decision that Beane decided to allow second-year linebacker Keonta Jenkins to be subject to the waiver wire on Sunday evening.

Luckily, Jenkins made it back to the practice squad, but the team also decided to add last year’s starting linebacker Shaq Thompson to the extra 17-man group, as well.

Buffalo Bills' veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson (45) looks over his shoulder after making an interception during the first quarter of last year's AFC wild-card playoff matchup versus the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ultimately, one would have to assume both players will be eager to get on the field if they can this season, which might make the practice-squad additions of those two linebackers a moot point in the end, anyway.

At the very least, it’s safe to assume that Thompson will want a spot on the 53-man roster at some point this regular season after getting up to speed with the playbook, so that just makes for more “roster gymnastics” needed to be made later on from Beane.

That could spell trouble for the front office—or it could be smooth sailing—who knows? 

Fans will have to wait a little longer to find out.

Did OL Alec Anderson earn starting LG spot? Or was he the Bills’ plan all along?

Jan. 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills' offensive lineman Alec Anderson (70) jumps into the stands | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Right from the start of training camp, it appeared like left guard Alec Anderson had the inside track for the starting guard position in Western New York this season between left tackle Dion Dawkins and center Connor McGovern.

And, although he did rotate with veteran interior lineman Austin Corbett throughout the summer, it was recently announced that Anderson was the man for the job for first-year head coach Joe Brady and new offensive line coach Pat Meyer this upcoming season, at least to start September.

So, that begs the question to be asked: how much of a competition was it really? 

Because, when pulling back the curtain a little more, it is at least slightly peculiar that Anderson got the starting nod, especially considering that it appeared both players were supposedly neck-and-neck according to various reports throughout August.

Corbett has made 94 regular-season starts during his first eight years in the league, which included 11 starts for the Carolina Panthers last season, and he’s also started in—and won—a Super Bowl with the Rams in February 2022.

Meanwhile, Anderson has mostly been a reserve while in Buffalo over the past two seasons as he’s only made six starts in 34 regular-season appearances.

Aug. 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills' offensive lineman Alec Anderson (70) lines up for a play against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of a preseason game | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One has spunk, and the other has wisdom in spades.

But, I guess everyone is about to find out whether Joe Brady made the right decision with that call pertaining to the depth chart.

The matchup against Houston will be a huge test to start.

The debacle along the interior of the DL, and what transpires next . . .

Buffalo Bills' defensive lineman DeWayne Carter (90) dances around the field before the final day of Bills' training camp at St. John Fisher University on Friday, August 7, 2026, in Pittsford, New York. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Defensive lineman Phidardian Mathis’ suspension and fellow defensive lineman Greg Gaines’ addition to the roster in Western New York this summer certainly made for some interesting twists and turns at training camp over the past few weeks for the Bills, particularly on cutdown day.

Many media members and fans thought that third-year defensive lineman DeWayne Carter might be the odd man out at the end of training camp with the signing of Gaines, but the former Duke Blue Devils’ captain kept his spot.

However, that could change when Mathis’ three-game stint away from the team is up. 

So, needless to say, Carter—for his own purposes—needs to figure it out fast before he unfortunately finds himself off the roster later on this fall.

Buffalo Bills' defensive lineman DeWayne Carter (90) tries to get to Pittsburgh Steelers' backup quarterback Will Howard (18) during first-half action of the Bills' preseason game against the Steelers at the new Highmark Stadium on Aug. 27, 2026, in Orchard Park, New York. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ultimately, it always throws a wrench in the plans when there’s a suspension somewhere on the roster.

And, Buffalo is going to have to navigate it as best as it can, just as the team did last year with the six-game suspensions of EDGE rusher Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.

Either way, though, it could cause some chaos on the defensive side of the ball to start the season off, and not for Buffalo’s opponents.

Choosing to stick with seventh-round rookie punter over wily veteran

Buffalo Bills' seventh-round rookie punter Tommy Doman Jr. (39) has to kick the ball from the end zone during the second half of the Bills' preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Aug. 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Bills’ rookie seventh-round punter Tommy Doman Jr. was fairly consistent all training camp and preseason long. 

And, against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the summer finale, the former Florida Gator even attempted kickoffs to show Buffalo that he was willing to do anything it took to stick on the final roster.

So far, that’s been accomplished. 

But. how Doman Jr. does at his more preferred job—punting—this upcoming regular season will be the bigger question.

Was it a mistake to let last year’s starter Mitch Wishnowsky go? 

He’ll be back in Orchard Park, New York, in Week Four punting for the New England Patriots, so that will be a good head-to-head matchup to witness between the two players.

The Bills certainly won’t want their youngster, who is a one-time Gator and Michigan Wolverine standout, to falter against the wily veteran.

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