Buffalo Bills Have Four Lingering Questions Entering Training Camp

Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady during Buffalo Bills Minicamp. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Buffalo Bills Have Four Lingering Questions Entering Training Camp

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI | By Alex Brasky | Last updated Jul 27, 2026 9:34 PM ET

Training camp is on the doorstep but there are still a few lingering questions surrounding the Buffalo Bills before they hit the road for Rochester.

The Bills underwent a distinct transition this offseason, firing former head coach Sean McDermott and promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady, along with several other seismic changes that will create an entirely new look up and down the coaching staff this season. The reaction to Brady’s hiring has been mixed, but one thing on every Bills fans' mind entering the 2026 campaign is whether Brady is the right man for the job.

Brady helped lead a Bills’ offense that was one of the team’s many inconsistencies throughout the 2025 season. Buffalo scored 20 points or fewer on five separate occasions last season, but somehow the offense’s performance last year was enough to catapult Brady, who is now the Bills’ top dog. Well, aside from Brandon Beane, but that’s a whole separate conversation.

It will be interesting to see whether Brady disproves the doubters or crashes and burns as many are expecting him to. There’s plenty of weight on his shoulders and he’ll have to carry it throughout what is a critical year for him and the entire organization.

Can Jim Leonhard transform the Bills’ defense?

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Buffalo’s defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard also has a great task in front of him in Year 1, with the Bills’ defense ushering in a number of personnel changes to suit his new 3-4 scheme. Whether it be through free agency or the draft, the Bills acquired a long list of new players that Leonhard will have to plug in and make the most of in a Super-Bowl-or-bust season.

Much like Brady, Leonhard is inexperienced in his new role, having never been an NFL defensive coordinator.

How big of a step forward will the Bills’ pass rush take?

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Two of the most significant additions that the team made over the past several months are new members to the Bills’ pass rush, including free-agent acquisition Bradley Chubb and second-round pick T.J. Parker. Greg Rousseau led the Bills in sacks with seven a year ago, while Chubb put up 8.5 for the Miami Dolphins in 2025.

This group should be more productive than it was last season, when the Bills were tied for 12th in the league in sack rate [6.8%], according to Next Gen Stats. But time will tell.

Will the Bills’ wide receivers be much improved?

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Another position that must be better than it was a year ago is wide receiver. After trading a second-round pick for DJ Moore and drafting Skyler Bell in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Buffalo is set up with a much more talented group of pass catchers than it had last year.

Khalil Shakir was the Bills’ leading receiver a year ago with 719 yards on 72 receptions. I think he and Moore will finish with similar numbers this season, while Bell will rapidly develop into the team’s No. 3 target.

This article first appeared on Buffalo Bills on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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