Free Agency Additions: The Running Back and Wide Receiver Position
Similar to how I broke down the defensive line and secondary additions, this blog will cover the additions to the running back and wide receiver positions. These two positions were at the bottom of my priorities list compared to the additions I felt the team needed to make on the defensive side of the ball.
I have seen fans clamoring for the Bills to add a #1 wide receiver via trade or free agency to the room or use a first-round pick on the position in the draft, and I do not share that mindset. I was intrigued at the possibility of trading for one of the premier receivers earlier this offseason, but I quickly realized it's not the top priority. Buffalo is coming off their best season offensively (30.6 ppg) since Josh Allen became their quarterback. Defensively, it was the second-worst season (2020 - 1st) since Allen’s arrival. They need the defensive overhaul more than adding a big-name receiver.
Buffalo is returning Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, and Khalil Shakir, who will welcome Joshua Palmer to make up the top four wide receivers on the roster before the draft. This is a better group than what they started 2024 with, and as much as the addition of Amari Cooper helped at the time last year, it became apparent his skills have diminished. Cooper remains unsigned, and fan favorite Mack Hollins signed with the Patriots for a number Buffalo was never going to match. KJ Hamler, Tyrell Shavers, and Jalen Virgil are also still on the roster. Buffalo carried five receivers last year for most of the season with some PS callups throughout the year. I anticipate a similar approach this year, especially with a healthy Dalton Kincaid entering year three, and Dawson Knox returning.
New Arrivals
Darrynton Evans - This is Evans’s third stint with the Bills. He was released during training camp in 2023 and placed on injured reserve during training camp last year before being released halfway through the season. They like what he brings to the group, and he has a build similar to James Cook. With only $15k of his contract guaranteed, this is a good depth signing for training camp, and maybe a larger role depending on how things shake out.
Joshua Palmer - Palmer is a talented receiver who started his career buried on the depth chart with the Chargers after being selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He was fighting for targets in his first two seasons with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams before being joined by first-round pick Quentin Johnston in 2023 and second-round pick Ladd McConkey last year. Over the previous two seasons, he has developed into a better deep threat with his average depth of target over 9 yards, but his targets almost cut in half from his career high in 2022. His addition to the Bills’ receiver room makes him their top perimeter receiver heading into training camp. I like the addition because I believe he allows the receivers to play in their natural slots on the depth chart and still allows the team to add a receiver in the draft if they have one in mind.
Laviska Shenault - Shenault is listed as a receiver, but this may be more of a special-teams signing. He had 16 returns last season, averaging 28.7 ypr with one touchdown. His contract indicates that he will be a training camp player fighting to make the roster, so carving out a role on special teams is the best opportunity. Making the roster could open the door for him as WR6, with maybe a few designed plays to get the ball in his hands and see what he can do on offense. I like this signing due to the versatility he brings. This is not a player being brought in with the expectation to be a key contributor on offense.
Still Available
I do not believe the Bills need to add another wide receiver to the room before the draft. The two players I am listing would be veteran minimum contracts that bring something to the group that it has been lacking: speed and deep-threat capability. I prefer the Bills draft a receiver they want versus taking this route. Signing either of these players would be similar to how they approached last off-season when they cast a wide net with the receivers they rostered in training camp: Chase Claypool, Andy Isabella, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. I feel confident with the top four-five receivers that Buffalo can afford to take a flyer on either of these receivers and see if something clicks when they have Josh Allen throwing them the ball.
DJ Chark - Chark is a 6’3” pure deep-threat receiver. He’s coming off a hip and groin injury that derailed his stint with the Chargers last season and will be 29 entering the season. This is probably his last chance at making an NFL roster, as it seems like a lifetime ago when he posted his only 1000-yard season when he made the Pro Bowl in his second season with the Jaguars.
Terrace Marshall - At 6’2” and a 4.4 40-time, this is all about size and speed. Marshall’s best season was in 2022 with Sam Darnold as his quarterback, when he had 28 catches for 490 yards. Last year, he spent time on San Francisco and Las Vegas’s practice squads before being called up to the active roster for the second half of the season. This is a low-risk chance on a player who will be 25 to start the season and averaged 10.4 yards per target the last time he had consistent quarterback play (2022).
