Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Skyler Bell was one of the most productive pass-catchers in college football in 2025, recording 101 catches for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns across 13 games at the University of Connecticut. After being drafted in the fourth round this past April by Buffalo, Bell has a chance to emerge as an immediate contributor in the NFL. The Bills added veteran wideout DJ Moore over the offseason to a wide receiver corps that also features Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, and Keon Coleman. However, Buffalo has been searching for high-impact wide receiver talent for the last several seasons. If Bell proves that he can be a difference-maker with a strong showing this summer, the Bills' incumbent wide receiver options will not hold him back from seeing the field. As the WR106 by current redraft ADP, Bell is a late-round sleeper for fantasy managers to target entering 2026
Last season, the Buffalo Bills led the NFL in rushing yards and dynamic running back James Cook was the NFL’s rushing champion after scampering for 1,621 yards on 309 carries, a robust 5.2 yards per run. The Bills have a crowded running back room, led by Cook, Ty Johnson , Ray Davis and practice squad back Frank Gore Jr., but on Thursday, Brandon Beane brought in another option for the Bills’ backfield when he signed United Football League MVP Ian Wheeler. Today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off by introducing Wheeler to Bills fans, although some fans will recall Wheeler enjoying a pair of solid preseason performances for the Chicago Bears against Buffalo. Check out the assessments of Wheeler’s skillset and then let us know how you think Wheeler will contribute in the comments section. The Buffalo Bills know a little bit about their latest member of the backfield, as Ian Wheeler made an impression on the team through his performances in both the 2024 and 2025 NFL preseasons. Wheeler, who signed with the Bears as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Howard University in 2024, played two preseason games for the Bears against the Bills. In 2024, he rushed five times for 43 yards with a pair of touchdowns in a 33-6 Bears win at Highmark Stadium. Then, in a 38-0 win in 2025, Wheeler rushed 19 times for 80 yards and a pair of TDs, giving him 24 carries for 123 yards and four TDs against the Bills in two preseason games. Wheeler suffered a torn ACL before roster cuts were made in 2024 and was released by the Bears. He spent time on the New Orleans Saints ’ practice squad before claiming United Bowl MVP honors after rushing for 81 yards and the go-ahead TD as the Louisville Kings won the UFL championship. During the 2026 UFL season, Wheeler amassed 541 rushing yards on 83 carries in 11 games, scoring eight touchdowns. In the playoffs, Wheeler averaged 10 yards per carry, finishing with 170 yards and two TDs on 17 carries. While at Howard, Wheeler totaled 1,154 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns, caught 23 passes for 234 yards, and averaged 25.4 yards per kickoff return on 42 runbacks with three TDs. He will look to make another impression on the Bills’ brass with a strong showing at training camp. Bills sign UFL standout running back Ian Wheeler – Buffalo News (subscription required) 5 things Bills fans need to know about Ian Wheeler, the explosive UFL MVP joining Buffalo’s loaded backfield – newyorkupstate.com Bills sign UFL MVP who put medical school on hold for NFL dream – Democrat & Chronicle Bills sign running back Ian Wheeler – WGR 550 Bills sign RB Ian Wheeler – BuffaloBills.com Bills Create Preseason RB Competition, Bring Spring League Star Back Into NFL – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills Bills sign UFL RB Ian Wheeler – NBC Sports Hear from quarterback Josh Allen on what impressed him the most about Buffalo ’s offseason workout program. Plus, how rookie offensive lineman Jude Bowry came to be called “The Bear;” checking in on Buffalo’s roster after the conclusion of mandatory minicamp; identifying the best and worst Bills uniforms in franchise history; and more! Josh Allen feels Bills had good spring – WGR 550 Recapping 2026 OTAs and Mandatory Minicamp – BuffaloBills.com ‘He is such a protector’: Bills rookie Jude Bowry earns his nickname, ‘The Bear’ – Buffalo News (subscription required) Buffalo Bills full updated roster following minicamp moves – Democrat & Chronicle Every NFL team’s best and worst uniform in franchise history – The Athletic (subscription required) AFC East preview: Jets take over from Sabres as most playoff-starved major pro franchise – Buffalo News (subscription required) Bills fans are snapping up Highmark Stadium seats at Wegmans – WGRZ How close have Bills and Rams been the past nine seasons? – Buffalo Rumblings The metric with strong predictive power to pick the Super Bowl winner – Buffalo Rumblings Cole Bishop is the right man at the right time for Jim Leonhard’s defen
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Gore has yet to make a regular-season appearance in the NFL, though he dressed for both of Buffalo's playoff games this past postseason. The son of 16,000-yard rusher Frank Gore had 4,022 rushing yards at Southern Mississippi, where Gore Jr. played from 2020 through 2023. Even if the younger Gore secures a roster spot, he's unlikely to see the field much in a Bills backfield that's returning James Cook, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson from last season
The Buffalo Bills led the NFL in rushing yards last season. That was due in large part to the success of top running back James Cook , who led the NFL in rushing yards himself. It doesn’t hurt that quarterback Josh Allen is among the best running quarterbacks in the league, either. With Buffalo returning their top three running backs from last season, it would appear on the surface that there isn’t much room for new names to crack the rotation heading into the 2026 NFL season. No one would blame the Bills for breaking camp with the same three running backs that they rostered last season. However, there is a fourth name that should sound familiar for multiple reasons. In today’s edition of “91 players in 91 days,” we discuss the son of a future Hall of Fame running back, a player who is looking to make the team on his own for the first time in his third professional season. _____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Frank Gore Jr. Number: 20 Position: RB Height/Weight: 5’8” 201 lbs. Age: 24 (25 on 3/13/2027) Experience/Draft: 1; signed with Bills following the 2024 NFL Draft College: Southern Mississippi Acquired: UDFA signing Financial situation (per Spotrac): Gore signed a reserve/futures contract with the Bills following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL season. That two-year contract is worth $1.935 million in total. For the 2026 season, Gore Jr. carries a cap hit of $885,000 if he makes the active roster. There is no guaranteed money on the deal, so Buffalo will carry no dead cap charge if he is released. 2025 Recap: Gore Jr. once again carried the load during the preseason, leading the Bills in rushing attempts (23), rushing yards (104), rushing touchdowns (1), and fumbles (1) during the exhibition slate. Gore Jr. was once again released as part of final cuts, and he stuck with the Bills on their practice squad. He did not appear in a game during the regular season, but thanks to an injury to Ty Johnson , Gore Jr. made his professional debut during Buffalo’s 27-24 Wild Card victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars . In that game, he played four snaps on offense, catching his only target for a six-yard gain. He had zero carries in the win. During the following week, Buffalo’s 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round, Gore Jr. was active once again. This time, he did not appear on offense, but he played 10 special teams snaps, notching his first career tackle. Positional outlook: Gore Jr. is one of five running backs on the current roster. James Cook, Ray Davis , Ty Johnson, and Desmond Reid are the others. Jackson Acker and Ben VanSumeren are the fullbacks on the 91-man roster. 2026 Offseason: Gore Jr. is healthy and he has attended OTAs to date. 2026 Season outlook: Buffalo could save a touch over $2 million by releasing Johnson, as his dead cap number ($820,000) is much lower than his $3.275 million cap hit for the year. If we assume that they’d swap Gore Jr. in for him, that means that Buffalo would pay around half of Johnson’s cap hit to release him and keep Gore Jr. instead. In order for that to happen, the team would have to be sure that Gore Jr. provides the same juice in the passing game and as a backup that Johnson does. A savings of $1.6 million would be nice, but is it worth moving on from a productive player to obtain it? Right at this moment, my answer to that question is “no.” However, I reserve the right to change my mind over the summer. Buffalo is clearly going to roll with Cook as their RB1, and I’d be stunned if Davis isn’t on the roster after the success he had as a kickoff returner last season, which only added to his all-around value. Of all the seasons where Gore Jr. has been with the Bills, I think this is the one where he has the clearest path to the 53-man roster. He showed that he can step up in clutch situations last year by making his NFL debut in the playoffs. What’s wild is that, technically, he still doesn’t have off
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Bills head coach Joe Brady said he was pleased with the attendance at the start of Organized Team Activities. But one high-profile Bills player wasn’t there: James Cook. Cook, who led the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards, was not present for the start of OTAs. It’s unclear whether Cook plans to attend voluntary practices for the rest of the offseason, and there’s been no reason given for his absence. Missing OTAs will cost Cook his $250,000 workout bonus. Often when star players aren’t at OTAs, that’s a sign that they’re not happy with their contracts. Cook just signed a four-year, $46 million contract nine months ago, so it would be awfully early for him to become unhappy. But last week Dolphins running back De’Von Achane signed a four-year, $64 million contract, which could have changed Cook’s assessment of whether he’s being properly paid as the NFL’s leading rusher. With Cook not on the practice field, third-year running back Frank Gore Jr. got a lot of work at the start of OTAs. Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com reports that Gore looked explosive and decisive during the non-contact practice
James Cook, the Bills' leading rusher, was absent from the start of OTAs. This has led to increased opportunities for third-year running back Frank Gore Jr., who reportedly looked explosive and decisive. Cook's absence could be related to contract disputes, especially after a recent high-profile running back contract signing
Buffalo signed Gore to a reserve/future contract Monday. Gore has yet to log a regular-season NFL snap, but he got into both of Buffalo's postseason games this year, tallying four snaps on offense and 10 on special teams while recording one catch for six yards. The Southern Miss product will remain with the organization and will get an opportunity to compete for a roster spot ahead of the 2026 campaign
Buffalo elevated Gore from the practice squad Friday. With Ty Johnson's (ankle) status in question for Saturday's divisional-round game against the Broncos, Gore will again have a chance to play behind James Cook and Ray Davis. Gore made his non-exhibition NFL debut last Sunday against the Jaguars, catching his lone target for six yards while playing four offensive snaps
The Bills reverted Gore to their practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log. Ty Johnson (ankle) missed Sunday's wild-card win over Jacksonville, giving Gore an opportunity to log his first non-preseason NFL action as a pro. Gore ended up playing four offensive snaps, catching his only target for six yards. If Johnson is unable to return to action for Saturday's divisional-round matchup against Denver, Gore could be elevated again, though he'd be well behind James Cook and Ray Davis in the RB pecking order
The Bills elevated Gore to the active roster from their practice squad Saturday ahead of Sunday's wild-card matchup versus the Jaguars. Gore is set to be elevated for the first time this season, as Ty Johnson is questionable due to an ankle injury. Gore would serve as the team's No. 3 running back behind James Cook and Ray Davis if Johnson ends up being unable to play
