At the end of the month the Buffalo Bills will reconvene for training camp, in what will be a crucial time for a team that has playoff aspirations in 2016. There are a plethora of questions facing the team as we get closer to the start of camp at St. John Fisher College.
Through the weeks leading up to camp, 7 ABC will examine the 20 most pressing questions the Bills have for the upcoming season.
Each year, players that slipped through the cracks of the NFL Draft try to defy the odds and make a roster after training camp and the preseason. Can any that the Bills brought in pull off that exact feat?
9) Which undrafted rookies might stick?
Through the 2016 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills brought in seven new players that they hope to not only make, but to help the roster get where they ultimately want to go this season. The rest of their rookie class -- the undrafted players -- are just hoping for a shot at making the roster outright.
After originally signing 14 players in addition to their seven-person draft class, the undrafted group is now down to 11 heading into training camp on July 30. The group consists of outside linebacker Bryson Albright, wide receiver Davonte Allen, wide receiver Gary Chambers, long snapper Reid Ferguson, fullback Glenn Gronkowski, center Rober Kugler, guard Jamison Lalk, offensive tackle Marquis Lucas, kicker Marshall Morgan, linebacker Eric Striker, and defensive lineman Justin Zimmer.
Based on how the roster is constructed at the moment, the majority of the players are long shots to make the roster, but in my opinion there are three players of those 11 that have a better chance to make the roster this summer.
The top three:
1) ILB Eric Striker
- Based purely on numbers at the position and who's ahead of him, on paper Striker has the best chance to make the roster. The only two locks to make the roster at this point are Preston Brown and Reggie Ragland. Zach Brown, with the Bills on a one-year deal, is assumed to have the next highest percentage to make the roster. After that, the situation is up for grabs. Jamari Lattimore, Randell Johnson, and Kevin Reddick will all battle with Brown and Striker to make the roster, but it could end up favoring the most versatile player. Striker, Lattimore, and Johnson all have experience as an edge rusher, and that could factor into the ultimate decision. Special teams will also play a huge role in determining who makes the team.
2) DL Justin Zimmer
- Although defensive line will be one of the toughest position groups to crack into for the 53-man roster, Zimmer provides an intriguing skill-set that must be considered by the coaching staff. Even if he's a tad undersized at 6-foot-3 and 292-pounds, Zimmer has shown the coaching staff some versatility along the line of scrimmage. During offseason workouts, he lined up at both nose tackle and as a five-technique defensive end, which could help his case by the end of the preseason. He's also an explosive defensive lineman, which is what makes him such an intriguing player. He'll need to unseat either Jerel Worthy or Leger Douzable to make the team outright, however. The practice squad might be the likeliest outcome.
3) K Marshall Morgan
- It's a clear as day opportunity for Morgan. If he out-kicks veteran Dan Carpenter throughout both training camp and the preseason, the job can be his. Carpenter's misfires on extra point attempts in the 2015 season are well-documented, and he even struggled with his confidence through the preseason last year. Morgan is a big-legged kicker that the Bills have described as one of the few college kickers available this year that could actually latch on to an NFL roster. He will have to win the job outright seeing as how a tie will likely go to Carpenter, but the chance is there.
Bills Training Camp 20 #TC20
1) Is Tyrod ready to take the next step?
2) Who steps up in place of Shaq Lawson?
3) Which wide receiver will win the No. 3 job?
4) Do the Bills have the defensive depth?
5) When will Karlos Williams be ready?
6) Will Stephon Gilmore hold out?
7) A breakout season for Sammy Watkins on the horizon?
8) How much can we expect from Cardale Jones?
9) Which undrafted rookies might stick?
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