Bills expected to cut former second-round pick

The Buffalo Bills have overhauled their wide receiving corps this offseason, replacing their top two players from last season with a mix of veterans and young talent.

Despite the wide-open competition, a former second-round pick could still struggle to land on the team’s final roster. Nick Wojton of USA Today’s Bills Wire predicted that KJ Hamler, a speedster who earned a futures contract from the Bills in January, could end up on the wrong side of the draft bubble come summer’s end.

Bills rely on veterans in selection projection

Wojton predicted the Bills would keep just six wide receivers on the active roster this season, led by rookie Keon Coleman and free-agency pickup Curtis Samuel. Khalil Shakir also returns after a breakout season in 2023, while Wojton saw veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mack Hollins and Chase Claypool as the others who could earn spots on the 53-man roster.

Wojton didn’t believe Hamler would earn a spot — and may not be the first name mentioned if the Bills decide to keep seven pass-catchers instead of six. He noted that speedy wide receiver and return specialist Andy Isabella could be closer to the roster bubble than Hamler.

“Isabella was one of the people at minicamp who reportedly showed some promise,” Wojton wrote. “But with Shakir and Samuel also serving as slot targets, Valdes-Scantling and Claypool — who also impressed this spring — are favored with their more versatile skill sets.”

The Bills have enough production to make up for last season. The team traded No. 1 receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans and let No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis go in free agency.

Hamler is also known for his speed and showed potential in his rookie season with the Denver Broncos in 2020, making 30 catches for 381 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games. Hamler has since battled a series of injuries, appearing in just 10 games and making 12 total catches for 239 yards.

He spent the 2023 season on the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad but was never called up to the active roster.

KJ Hamler hopes for recovery with bills

Hamler wants to make the most of his opportunity in Buffalo. In an interview with The Buffalo News, the 25-year-old acknowledged that he has faced a lot of adversity in his career, but said he is not ready to give up yet.

“I’m staying positive because I know my grandma would want me to stay positive,” he said. “After everything I’ve been through and her being gone for the last two years, you can go one of two ways: bend a little bit or break a little bit. I chose not to break. I chose not to fold.”

Hamler added that he has a new perspective now that he spent last season on a practice squad.

“The benefit of last year was that I was able to look at things from a different perspective,” Hamler said. “When I was on the practice squad, I wouldn’t say it was humiliating, but it was a learning experience. I was just trying to be useful to the team without being on the field.”