Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady might not admit it this week, but much of One Bills Drive has likely begun preparing for their 2026 NFL regular-season debut in less than two weeks at the Houston Texans. In fact, Brady was certain to tell reporters gathered in the team’s media room that, for now, the team’s focus remains “Buffalo on Buffalo.”as they acclimate to the current 53-man roster and 17-man practice squad.
That makes sense for Brady and Buffalo’s coaches as he said it’s about seeing the team “fly around now that their legs are back from a training camp.” It’s about leveraging important moments before the regular season begins, which come with a potentially more nuanced evaluation period this week where the key goal will be fielding the best starting units for their trip down to Houston.
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Many of Buffalo’s starting roles are well defined such that even a few good days of in-house work won’t upset the apple cart. In a perfect world, one might expect the Bills’ active roster to remain fairly or entirely consistent game to game. After all, these players have been hand-chosen by the coaches and those in premiere positions among the front office. Yet there are a handful of places where surprise efforts could capture the attention of those watching closely any given week.
For example, when asked about the position of fullback, Brady revealed that despite the talent and work from that room this summer, roster decisions came down to building the best unit in terms of talent. That meant keeping four tight ends from a unique room on the active roster instead of a single fullback.
But don’t let the team’s initial 53 catch you sleeping. Brady covets versatility and he understands the opportunity afforded to NFL clubs via the practice squad. Brady likes to say that iron sharpens iron, and it appears he’s looking to lean on that mantra within every corner of Buffalo’s roster.
Look no further than a player like Frank Gore Jr. A player like Gore has seemingly done everything possible to crack the active roster, but he’s failed to do so simply due to the players ahead of him on the depth chart. There are many who claim running back to be among the most replaceable positions on a football field. That’s only true to an extent, especially when someone’s trying to leapfrog running back James Cook III, or even well-tenured and proven backs like Ty Johnson and Ray Davis.
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It doesn’t mean that Brady sees no path to playing for Gore and others on the practice squad. The unit’s term itself is perhaps a bit of a misnomer these days, simply due to the readiness asked of all 17 guys on that portion of the roster. That likely makes for really motivated guys who are hungry for their time to shine, and upset their stuck so far down the depth chart.
Brady stated that he wants “a bunch of guys that don’t want to be on the practice squad,” instead preferring it if players get “pissed” when they’re denied a spot on the 53. That comes down to the requisite “personality and edge” as Brady shared. Yet Brady knows the mountain ahead of Gore, even though he managed to suit up for his first game during the Wild Card playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.
Gore (as well others on the current practice squad) appears more than capable at this point, and Brady revealed something interesting by saying:
“(F)or all of these guys, they have to be ready. With these new rules, you know we get two call-ups every week. You know, there’s that potential (for a PS player to be elevated to the active 53.) And so just because a guy’s not on your 53 right now doesn’t mean he’s not going to be playing for you Week 1. And are these guys going to be ready when their opportunity gets called on. Right?”
Brady then dove a bit deeper into his mindset when talking with players, saying of his conversations that it’s not necessarily delineated such that:
“(Y)ou’re 53 and you’re practice squad, and you’re treated differently. Like, you know when we go into it and we’re talking about the depth chart and the roster each week, there’s going to be guys on our practice squad that are, you know, above guys on the active roster.”
It’s unlikely this is a unique mindset, nor something entirely new to the NFL or even the Bills. It is, however, a slightly better peek inside the inner-workings of the team’s roster management. Though Brady is a familiar name and face in Buffalo now, it’s important to remember that this is a new regime. It may be wise to keep focused on the Bills’ practice squad this season.
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