Four Winners & Three Losers With Bills Training Camp Approaching

Buffalo Bills training camp will begin on July 28, but the rookies are set to arrive in just a couple of days. July 21 will be when they make their way to St. John Fisher University and begin preparation for the 2026 season.

This is a crucial year for Buffalo, after they decided to move on from long-time head coach Sean McDermott and promote Joe Brady from offensive coordinator. With McDermott out, they're revamping their entire defense to fit Jim Leonhard's scheme.

Buffalo's coaching staff is going to face a lot of pressure to succeed early, since McDermott consistently had them fighting for a chance at the Super Bowl. The players will also be facing plenty of pressure, especially team leaders like Josh Allen. With all this change going on, let's take a quick look at which members of the roster stand out as winners and losers with the Bills' start of camp quickly approaching.

Winner: DJ Moore

Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore runs for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Critics claim Buffalo overpaid for DJ Moore after they sent a second-round pick to the Chicago Bears for the veteran receiver. While I personally don't hate the move, it did make my list of the worst offseason move for Buffalo since it was a premium price to pay for a player who is coming off of back-to-back seasons with declining production.

Looking beyond the price Buffalo paid to acquire Moore, his addition makes plenty of sense. He's worked with Joe Brady in the past, spending two years as his number one wide receiver while Brady was the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. For Moore, it's a chance to change the narrative. There are plenty of mouths to feed in Chicago, with Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Cole Kmet, and Colston Loveland in the same offense.

That won't be the case in Buffalo, as they were short on wide receivers in 2025. That means Moore should see plenty of targets go his way, which will give him a chance to prove he can still be a high impact player in the NFL.

Loser: Joshua Palmer

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer catches a pass and protects the ball while an Eagle player tries to strip it out. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The addition of DJ Moore and rookie wide receiver Skyler Bell doesn't bode well for Joshua Palmer, especially since the Bills aren't ready to give up on Keon Coleman either.

That means Palmer, who signed a three-year $30 million contract in 2025, has an uphill battle ahead of him. With Khalil Shakir at receiver as well, there's a legitimate chance that Palmer is unable to move beyond the WR5 spot. From there, the question becomes whether or not he even remains with the team. That's a pretty far fall from grace for one of Buffalo's prized offseason additions from a year ago.

Winner: Kaleb Elarms-Orr

Buffalo Bills linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr trains during Buffalo Bills Minicamp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rookie fourth-round pick Kaleb Elarms-Orr out of TCU was one of the brightest stars during OTA's and minicamp for Buffalo. He earned the praise of defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, and there's a belief he could be in line for a major role during his first NFL season. Without much depth at the position, Elarms-Orr is taking advantage of the opportunity in front of him and enters training camp as one of the team's biggest winners of the offseason.

Loser: Dorian Williams

Buffalo Bills linebacker Dorian Williams takes the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Elarms-Orr was making waves, fellow linebacker Dorian Williams was dealing with an injury. His absence allowed Elarms-Orr to make waves and insert himself in the starter conversation. That means Williams has some ground to make up as he enters training camp, which is less than an ideal situation for him as he enters a contract year.

Winner: Michael Hoecht

Buffalo Bills defensive end Michael Hoecht gets ready to move to another area to start a new drill at Bills Training Camp. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Michael Hoecht played in just two games for Buffalo during the 2025 season, but made an impact in those showings. Hoecht had two sacks, but then suffered a torn Achilles during the Week 9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Due to the timing of his injury, Hoecht was expected to miss the start of the 2026 campaign. That might not be the case as he not only attended the off-season workouts, but he was a surprise participant as well. There's a chance he enters Week 1 ready to roll, which is a huge win considering how severe of an injury he was dealing with.

Loser: Javon Solomon

Buffalo Bills DE Javon Solomon celebrates after a missed field goal during the first half against the Miami Dolphins. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Hoecht returning, the Bills look rather deep on the edge. In addition to Hoecht, Buffalo has Gregory Rousseau, Bradley Chubb, and rookie second round pick T.J. Parker. They also signed veteran Mike Danna, which pushes Javon Solomon rather far down the depth chart.

Solomon has yet to make his mark in the NFL, and there was a belief he could succeed under Leonhard in more of a outside linebacker role. Now thanks to the depth, he has an uphill battle to make the roster.

Winner: Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throws the ball during Buffalo Bills Minicamp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No player stands to gain more from this offseason than star quarterback Josh Allen. The 2024 NFL MVP turned 30 in May, and there's mounting pressure for him to take Buffalo to the Super Bowl. The front office understands that they need to do all they can to help him, which is why they made the coaching change, but made sure to keep a head coach that Allen likes.

Allen has played exceptionally well under Joe Brady, which means the transition should be seamless for him. He also has more weapons this year with the addition of Moore, as well as rookie Skyler Bell. The Bills also found a way to keep center Connor McGovern, which will give Allen confidence in his O-line.

In addition to the offensive moves, Buffalo believes their defense could be improved in 2026 under Jim Leonhard, which will take pressure off of the shoulders of Allen. Not every move they made was perfect, but the Bills are in a better spot entering 2026, which makes Allen one of the team's biggest winners.

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