By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun Senior Sports Columnist
Joe Brady summed it up in nine words.
“This week is not the most fun for me.”
The Bills first-year coach admitted, of having to cut his 91-player roster to the 53-man regular-season limit with 17 on the practice squad including one international player. But that also means 21 players will be either waived or put on injured rosters by Sunday afternoon at 6 o’clock.
For the third time in franchise history, Buffalo (3-0) went unbeaten in preseason history, including Thursday night’s rally for a 28-27 victory over the Steelers in the first night game in the new Highmark Stadium’s history.
Before the game even started, one position battle was settled as Brady announced that Alec Anderson had won the starting left guard job in his competition with free agent Austin Corbett. That would seem to mean Sincere Haynesworth, Tylan Grable, DeMetrius Weatherspoon, Nick Broeker and rookies Armaj Reed-Adams and Chris Lundt are competing for the other three roster spots behind Dion Dawkins, Connor McGovern, O’Cyrus Torrence and Spencer Brown.
Unless Brady opts to keep three quarterbacks ,starter Josh Allen and backup Kyle Allen will keep their jobs with third-stringer Steve Buechele practice-squad bound.
At tight end Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox and Jackson Hawes are locks with Kelecki Latu and Shane Zylstra likely bidding adieu.
Wide receiver provided the most tightly contested competition with trade acquisition D.J. Moore, possession specialist Khlil Shakir and rookie fourth-round pick Skyler Bell (rushing TD) or third-year pick Keon Coleman the likely starters with Trent Sherfield (game-high seven catches), Ja’Mori Maclin, Mecole Hardman and free agent Dante Pettis bidding for the other one or two wideout reserve spots.
Running back is an interesting position with starter James Cook one of the NFL’s elite, but backup Ray Davis botched a punt that led to a Pittsburgh touchdown and free agent Ian Wheeler scored two preseason TDs while Frank Gore Jr. outplayed Davis.
ON DEFENSE, at edge rusher and outside likebacker the starters and subs are pretty much set with Greg Rousseau, former second-rounder T.J. Jackson, free agent Bradley Chubb, Michael Hoecht and Javon Solomon outside and Deone Walker, Greg Gaines and Ed Oliver, dealing with the drowning or his two-year-old son, and Philarian Mathis, currently on suspension, inside. That means DeWayne Carter, Zion Logue, Zane Durant and international player Travis Clayton will likely be waived.
At linebacker are Terrell Bernard, Dorian Williams, Kalen Elarms-Orr and T.J. Parker.
Brady announced that Maxwell Harrison and Christian Benford would start at cornerback with Igbinosun Davison and DJ Miller in reserve and Dee Alfred and Jordan Hancock serving as nickel backs.
At safety are Cole Bishop and C.J. Gardner-Johnson with Damar Hamlin and rookie Jalon Kilgore in reserve.
On special teams, it appears rookie Tommy Doman Jr. won the punting job comfortably as he outshined last season’s punter, Mitch Wishnowsky, who had a tough training camp and a worse game against the Steelers.
Place kicker Tyler Bass, after struggling in training camp, retained his job after making five of his last six field goal attempts.
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
