Getty Former Dolphins wide receiver Trent Sherfield at Highmark Stadium on January 15, 2023.
There will be several position battles when the Buffalo Bills training camp kicks off later this month, and of the biggest question marks is which wide receiver will take over in the slot.
With Stefon Diggs’ as quarterback Josh Allen‘s No. 1 receiver, and Gabe Davis as his backup, the Bills will choose between Deonte Harty, Trent Sherfield, and Khalil Shakir for WR3. The X-factor to this competition is pass-catching tight end Dalton Kincaid, the Bills’ first-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, who may also take snaps in the slot.
The Buffalo News‘ analyst Ryan O’Halloran predicts the team’s goal of using a ’12’ personnel (one running back, two tight ends, two receivers) will make Sherfield, 27, the odd man out, which would be a surprising development.
Amid Diggs’ absence from voluntary OTAs, Allen praised the former Dolphins receiver, who signed a one-year, who signed a $1.77 million contract with Buffalo this offseason.
Josh Allen to Gabe Davis and then Trent Sherfield today at open practices for week 3 of voluntary OTAs.
The connection between Allen and Sherfield only continued to grow. The Athletic‘s Joe Buscaglia reported in mid-June, “As has been the case throughout the offseason workouts, without Diggs available to team drills, newly signed receiver Trent Sherfield has stepped up and been a favorite of Allen’s.”
O’Halloran acknowledges Sherfield’s release seems off base. “Wait, didn’t the Bills just sign Sherfield in March? Affirmative, but he could be this year’s version of tight end O.J. Howard, who was cut in August. Hear us out. The best guess is the Bills have spent the summer plotting ways to get tight ends Dawson Knox and Kincaid on the field together. That, in most cases, puts Kincaid in the slot,” O’Halloran wrote.
“Two more factors – can the Bills use Harty and/or second-year receiver Shakir inside, too? That would impact Sherfield’s status.”
Most NFL Analysts Believe Trent Sherfield Will Make the 53-Man Roster
#Bills WR Trent Sherfield as the 1 up top. Comes in short motion & washes down Taron Johnson, opening up the 2nd level for the RB. His frame + blocking ability is a legit piece in an offense
While O’Halloran’s bold prediction seems to be an outlier thus far this offseason, roster forecasts can sharply change once head coach Sean McDermott sees what new additions like Sherfield can do once the pads go on at training camp.
USA Today‘s Nick Wojton believes six receivers will make Buffalo’s active roster: Sherfield, Diggs, Davis, Harty, Shakir, and rookie Justin Shorter. The Buffalo News‘ Jay Skurki made the same prediction.
If the decision was up to Allen, the former undrafted receiver out of Vanderbilt would stay put. “Sherfield [is] getting a lot of the Z reps and learning this offense. I love what I’ve seen from Trent so far,” Allen told reporters in May. “The dude works extremely hard. He’s one of the hardest-working guys on the team. He doesn’t complain about anything. He’s rolling right now and I don’t know if he would’ve gotten those reps without Stef.’
During the 2022 NFL season, Sherfield posted career-high numbers with 30 catches for 417 yards and two touchdowns.
The Competition for WR3 Will Likely Continue Through the Regular Season
Until more physical practices take place, it’s difficult to predict how the Bills’ offense will shake out. While there are high hopes for Kincaid to immediately become one of Allen’s top targets, historically, it takes time for rookie tight ends to adjust to the NFL, which may keep the Bills from immediately utilizing a ’12’ personnel.
With such versatile skill sets between Sherfield, Harty, and Shakir, the Bills may rotate them throughout the season. Buscaglia wrote on July 6, “Regardless of Kincaid, Shakir, Harty, and Sherfield will compete for playing time against each other all summer. But don’t be surprised if this battle continues into the regular season and the team uses a hot-hand approach with all of them.”
Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey appears to be waiting until training camp to decide how the team will deploy Kincaid, a determination will be key to predicting how the receivers room with operate.