We are one step closer to the start of the NFL season with the rookies for the Buffalo Bills reporting to training camp. The rest of the team will report to St. John Fisher University on July 23rd and then we really begin true training camp leading into the first preseason game. The Bills are getting a fresh start after another heartbreaking playoff exit last season. Brandon Beane has put together a roster that is a little bit out of character than what Bills fans are used to, but we will get to see what they are like meshed together on the field.
Training camp is an exciting time for fans as they will do their own scouting and put together projections as far as how the team will do, and who will make the roster. At the end of the day, it is up to the front office to make the tough choices of deciding who will be dressing for the Bills on game days and who will be released.
With the rookies reporting for training camp, there are three rookies that Bills fans should keep an eye on throughout the next couple of weeks. These rookies have a chance to be immediate contributors or eventually become an above average starter in the future.
This should be the obvious number one choice. After the Bills traded back twice in the first round and eventually kicked off the second round of the NFL Draft, they took Keon Coleman out of Florida State. Coleman brings a physicality to the game where he can win contested catches and be an outside-the-numbers threat. While he is not expected to make an immediate number one receiver presence that Stefon Diggs left, he will need to show that he was the correct receiver the Bills picked.
It should come to no surprise that the Bills were going to draft a safety, but the fact that Cole Bishop fell into the late second round pick into the Bills’ lap is a huge pickup. While Taylor Rapp and veteran free agent signing Mike Edwards may get the nod as the starters early on, Bishop is the future at the position. The run-stopping safety will be excellent in the run defense with a little bit of development. It will also be great to see Bishop develop into a defender who can cover tight ends one-on-one, a job that is never easy.
Believe it or not, Javon Solomon has the high potential to be a steal for the Bills. Despite being undersized as an edge rusher, it actually gives him an advantage when coming off the snap. He is quick off the ball so his ability to help slow down the run at the line of scrimmage can be helpful by creating pressure in the pocket. It would not be surprising to see Solomon eventually transition to outside linebacker if he can provide the versatility as well.
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