Which 53 players will make the Buffalo Bills final roster for the 2020 season?
The Buffalo Bills already had a relatively shallow roster last season, with few pieces of reliable depth at several positions like running back, wide receiver and cornerback. Luckily, they were able to stay healthy for most of the year and had few injuries with which to contend.
However, the Bills have been quite active in free agency and the draft, signing ten players during the free agency period and trading nearly a quarter of their draft capital for Stefon Diggs. They also made seven picks in the 2020 NFL Draft and signed eight undrafted free agents. Add in the two veterans they signed post-draft and that leaves the Bills with 28 total acquisitions.
Thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the Bills will now be able to activate two members from their practice squad to the 53-man roster on a weekly basis to make a 55-man roster on game days. However, those two players must immediately be returned to the practice squad following the game. The team can only call up the same player from the practice squad to the active roster twice during the regular season under this rule; if he is activated a third time, he must be signed to the 53-man roster.
With Tom Brady finally gone from the AFC East, the Buffalo Bills’ roster decisions are more important than ever. There is a realistic path in sight for a division title and playoff success, so the Bills will have to make difficult choices between rostering veterans who can contribute or rookie projects.
Now that all of the major acquisitions from free agency and the NFL Draft are accounted for, let’s take an early look at how the Bills’ roster will shake out.