Up/Down arrow ahead of Buffalo Bills roster cut day

The final preseason game for many teams isn’t about starting position battles. In many cases, projected starters and even second-string players don’t even see the field. Instead, the final preseason game is a chance for teams to evaluate the 50th through 53rd guys on the roster and their practice squad goals.

For example, maybe the Buffalo Bills have 52 players decided and only one spot left unfilled heading into the third week of the exhibition schedule. The guys at the very bottom of the list will have ample opportunity to showcase their talents. But overall, it’s unlikely that there will be any major swings in the decision-making based on performance in that game.

If a player isn’t injured or traded in 2024, his or her spot on the final 53-man roster is likely secured. If it’s a player who takes snaps in the final quarter of the final preseason game, his or her spot on the roster is not guaranteed.

Ironically, this usually means that individual players get the chance to play more snaps in the final preseason game than they otherwise would, because the roster is more compact. This leaves the door open for a player to actually have an impact on the game as a whole, which can lead to fan support. We saw this phenomenon most recently with Bills running back Frank Gore Jr., who rushed for 101 yards on 18 carries against the Carolina Panthers.

But in true pre-season style, when And with whom your play is much more predictive of your selection status than How you’re playing. Let’s start with the undrafted Gore, as we look at what the Buffalo Bills’ final preseason game likely indicates about their likelihood of being on the final 53-man roster this Wednesday (after cuts have been made and all the roster shenanigans with the short-term Injured Reserve have come to fruition).

Down Arrow: RB Frank Gore Jr.

James Cook did not play.
Ray Davis did not play.
Ty Johnson didn’t play. (At least not on offense. He played two special teams snaps.)
Reggie Gilliam did not play.

It’s highly likely that this will be the team’s initial 53-man running backs (and fullback, in Gilliam’s case) when all is said and done. The Bills have to make a practice-squad decision on Gore Jr., and it seems likely that he’s made his case well to be the Buffalo Bills’ preferred practice squad player. The team hadn’t even scheduled another running back to get carries against the Panthers, instead having wide receiver KJ Hamler man the backfield when Gore left with an injury (running back Darrynton Evans also suffered a hamstring injury).

Arrow Up: OT Tylan Grable

Rookie interior offensive lineman Sedrick Van Pran-Granger played 30 snaps for the Bills against the Panthers. Drafted swing tackle Ryan Van Demark also played 30 snaps in the game. How many snaps did offensive tackle Tylan Grable play? You guessed it: 30 snaps. He left as the first half ended, along with two other offensive linemen who are expected to be key reserves for the team.

When Grable was drafted 204th overall in the sixth round in April, his path to the active roster wasn’t entirely clear. Now, it appears his name will be on the Buffalo Bills’ social media post outlining their 53-man roster on Tuesday night.

Arrow Up: CB Ja’Marcus Ingram

Ingram played the same number of snaps as Kaiir Elam against Carolina (14), and he figures to become a permanent fixture at the Bills’ fourth outside cornerback position, behind Elam and starters Christian Benford and Rasul Douglas.

Up Arrow: WR Tyrell Shavers

Shavers has an upside from the circumstances. With Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Curtis Samuel out sick, the Bills could opt to keep six wide receivers on the active roster to start the 2024 season — and Shavers figures to be the sixth man up based on preseason usage. He was neck and neck with Andy Isabella and Xavier Johnson on both offensive and special teams snaps, but he played with the “starters” in the first half and then wasn’t on the field to start the third quarter.

Arrow Up: LB Joe Andreessen

Like Shavers, Andreessen has circumstances on his side. Baylon Spector and Edefuan Ulofoshio are both injured (though Ulofoshio played alongside Andreessen for much of the Panthers game), and it gives the Bills enough food for thought about the MIKE position on their defense to keep Andreessen, who they know can contribute on special teams and who has shown in the preseason that he can shine.

Nicholas Morrow was reportedly set to be the backup to Dorian Williams, while Andreessen would replace Bernard at center until everyone was healthy. By all accounts, “Buffalo Joe” has outperformed Ulofoshio — and the Bills could pull off an Isaiah Hodgins-esque move and place Washington’s fifth-round rookie (Ulofoshio) on IR for his rookie season.

So, there’s a good chance that Grable, Ingram, Andreessen and Shavers could potentially make the Buffalo Bills’ 53-man first-round pick in 2024, while Frank Gore Jr. appears to be a candidate for the practice squad. There will be consternation about exposing a fan favorite to waivers (because they happen every year), but approximately 1,184 players are cut each season on roster cutdown day.

Of that number, about 10 are typically claimed each year (less than one percent). Teams overwhelmingly prefer to keep their own team on their rosters and practice squads after spending months of the summer with them. This year, the focus for Bills Mafia is on Gore Jr. and Andreessen, but the likelihood is that much of the concern is unwarranted.

Ultimately, the Bills’ final preseason game has given us some clarity on what could happen to the team between now and Tuesday. By examining the circumstances surrounding the players more than their stats or highlights, we can make some informed predictions about their roster status.

…and so the cookie crumbles. I’m Bruce Nolan of Buffalo Rumblings. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @BruceExclusive and tune in every Thursday on the Rumblings Cast Network for new episodes of “The Bruce Exclusive” – ​​see more on my LinkTree!