The coronavirus pandemic has not yet forced the NFL to postpone its schedule. But Sean McDermott fears the future impact of COVID-19 could exploit the depth of any given roster.
McDermott said teams should prioritize depth if they hope to be successful in 2020.
#Bills HC Sean McDermott: "The reality of this year is, what happens if said player comes down with the virus? You need to have depth… We need to make sure the depth is what we need it to be."
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) June 17, 2020
Positive cases of COVID-19 have become more prominent in the NFL in recent days.
Players on both the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans contracted the virus, and Denver Broncos defensive back Kareem Jackson also picked it up.
Still, the number of positive tests are relatively scarce. But league personnel are still very wary of a potential second wave later this fall, which would obviously have greater ramifications. Indeed, the NFL is currently considering a shortened preseason.
McDermott is focusing on the totality of the team, rather than the 22 starters. But the Bills are already one of the deeper teams in football, and they made a number of moves to increase that depth this past offseason.
Buffalo addressed a perceived need at the cornerback spot by signing veteran Josh Norman, and also signed both Vernon Butler and Mario Addison to shore up the front seven.
Of course, the Bills also made a splash in acquiring Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings.
Diggs gives the Bills another big-play weapon alongside John Brown on the outside, with Cole Beasley manning the slot. The onus will be on quarterback Josh Allen to take another step forward in his development.
On paper, the Bills already appear to be one of the most complete teams in the NFL. But McDermott wants to be sure he can count on all 53 players in the event COVID-19 begins to take a toll on the roster.
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