What is the Bills’ biggest strength at minicamp?

The Buffalo Bills offense received a slight makeover during the 2024 offseason, with significant changes made to the receiving corps, in particular. The team parted ways with previous core contributors Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis and replaced them with Curtis Samuel, Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, its new pass-catching group more grounded in youth and value financial than on youth. demonstrated production.

And while Buffalo’s offense will look objectively different during the 2024 NFL season, it will still run — proverbially and literally — through quarterback Josh Allen.

The 28-year-old is one of the league’s best signal-callers by every meaningful metric, earning NFL MVP votes in three of the last four seasons. He is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks to ever step foot on a football field. He’s basically a linebacker with a bazooka strapped to his right shoulder who can cerebrally dismantle defenses as a passer, and if he gets tired of it, he can just run over. or through adult men as rushers.

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It’s Allen’s prowess as a runner that makes him as dynamic a player as he is; he has totaled 3,611 yards and 53 touchdowns during his six-year NFL career, including 524 yards and 15 scores during the 2023 campaign. Combine his excellence with the ability of third-year fullback James Cook, and you get the makings of a multi-faceted Buffalo rushing attack that clearly has the ability to serve as the backbone of the team’s offense.

The Bills’ backfield, while often overlooked by those who discount Allen in the team’s rushing attack, is perhaps the strongest element of its offense, especially given the reshuffle at receiver during the offseason. Bleacher Report’s NFL scouting department echoes that sentiment, recently identifying Buffalo’s backfield as its biggest strength.

“They will have time to understand their new wide receiver hierarchy and the passing game thanks to what Josh Allen and James Cook can do as runners,” the outlet wrote. “Allen led all quarterbacks in the EPA race by a comfortable margin. Cook emerged as the star for the Bills last season. Christian McCaffrey and Breece Hall were the only backs with more scrimmage yards than Cook’s 1,567.

Related: Bills rusher James Cook is ranked extremely low in NFL RB rankings

“The Bills looked to the draft to add depth behind Cook. They re-signed Ty Johnson, but he will battle with fourth-round pick Ray Davis and undrafted free agent Frank Gore Jr. to make the roster and win some carries. Davis and Gore are both tough, powerful runners who could take some of the work between the tackles off Cook’s plate. Some of Cook’s most notable receiving lines came when Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator for the second half of the season. He should contribute more as a pass catcher, which will get this offense through some early growing pains with a new receiving corps.

The outlet mentions fourth-round pick Ray Davis, who could sneakily prove to be a valuable addition for Buffalo. The former Kentucky Wildcat is a between-the-tackles runner who figures to spell Cook and Allen in short-yardage and goal-line situations; with 94 receptions and 12 receiving touchdowns tallied throughout his college career, he also has the ability to contribute on passing downs.

If Allen can continue to dismantle defensive dreams on the ground while Cook — who finished fourth in the NFL in rushing yards last season with 1,122 — can take another step forward, Buffalo’s rushing attack looks to be even more productive in the coming campaign than it was. Last year. This should bode well for the offensive unit as a whole, as relying on the ground game should not only give the receiving corps more time to determine their pecking order, but also open up more opportunities in play on Sunday.