The Buffalo Bills turned many heads last season as they overachieved and reached the AFC Championship against the Kansas City Chiefs. Even though they fell short of making it to the Super Bowl, the team still gained many positive things heading to next season.
Perhaps the biggest factor to the Bills' performance in 2020 was the continuous improvement of QB1 Josh Allen. He took another jump in his third campaign in the league last season as he notched career-best numbers of 4,544 passing yards and 37 touchdowns.
Certainly enough, he will be counted upon to lead the charge for the Bills once more but the rest of the roster should also play their part for the team's cause next season. Head coach Sean McDermott will definitely have to sort out the talents that will best complement Allen in their pursuit of making another strong playoff push in 2021.
Here are the two starters who could be relegated to a bench role for the Bills next season:
Dawson Knox
Tight end Dawson Knox was one of the weapons that provided a lift for Allen last season. He also played a sizable role in the Bills' playoff games as he contributed touchdowns in their matchups against the Indianapolis Colts and Chiefs during last year's postseason.
Based on his production in 2020, Knox is primed to have an even bigger role for the Bills in the upcoming season. However, he has yet to solve his issues with catching the ball as he recorded multiple drops in their preseason games thus far.
Meanwhile, a newly-acquired talent in Jacob Hollister has been taking advantage of Knox's struggles as he came out with a solid showing in their second preseason tilt against the Chicago Bears. Though Hollister is less talented than Knox, he is definitely showing that he can also have a valuable contribution for the Bills next season.
All is not lost for Knox as there is no doubt that he is capable of thriving as a serviceable tight end in the league, given his physical abilities. However, he still needs to work on his catching skills before Hollister completely overtakes him as their primary tight end in the near future.
Emmanuel Sanders
Veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders previously concluded his 11th campaign in the pros and still proved that he can be a threat for the New Orleans Saints last season. Though the 34-year-old is already heading towards the twilight stage of his career, he is still good enough to be considered as a starting option for any team in the league today.
However, a young stud in pass-catcher Gabriel Davis continues to show that he is deserving of being given a larger role with the Bills in 2021. Despite not getting a proper offseason last year, the UCF product still balled out with 599 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie for Buffalo in 2020.
Basing on Davis' preseason form, it seems like he is ready to make a leap upon entering his second season in the league. The 22-year-old recently starred in their previous game against the Green Bay Packers where he led the receiving unit with a total of 75 yards and a touchdown scored.
Certainly enough, both Emmanuel Sanders and Gabriel Davis will get numerous opportunities to prove their capabilities on the field. However, if Davis continues to impress the coaching staff leading up to Week 1 then it won't be surprising to see him join star receiver Stefon Diggs in the starting lineup for the Bills in the near future.
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