Buffalo Bills training camp 2025 preview: Key dates, notable additions, biggest storylines

With NFL training camps kicking off in July, it's time to get up to speed on all 32 NFL teams. Bobby Kownack has the lowdown on position battles, key players and notable subplots across the AFC East.

Catch up on the Buffalo Bills' offseason developments and 2025 outlook below.

Training Camp Dates/Information

• Players report: July 15 (rookies); July 22 (veterans)
• Location: St. John Fisher University | Rochester, N.Y. (fan information)

Notable Roster Changes

Preseason Schedule

• Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears | 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 10 (NFL Network)
• Week 2: at Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 17 (FOX)
• Week 3: vs. Carolina Panthers | 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 24

2025 Schedule Note

• Six of the Bills' first seven opponents missed last season's playoffs ... and four of their final five foes did the same.

-- NFL Research

What You Need To Know

1) James Cook said he wants $15 million per year, which would tie him for the league’s third-highest-paid running back, but Bills general manager Brandon Beane said prior to the draft he doesn’t see a deal coming to fruition anytime soon. Cook, for his part, attended mandatory minicamp. Assuming he follows suit with training camp, it’ll be interesting to see how Buffalo incorporates him in the backfield. He’s certainly the lead back, but also in a contract year seeking an expensive extension. Buffalo has a powerful bowling-ball back in Ray Davis who complements Cook well, along with pass-catching threat Ty Johnson. Will the Bills adopt more of a committee approach, or run Cook ragged before letting him test the market? Perhaps a deal comes together in camp -- or tensions rise in the absence of one.

2) Josh Allen doesn’t need a star wide receiver -- he’s the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player coming off the third 13-win season of his career. Still, it’d be nice to have one. The Bills, however, seem to have doubled down on an ensemble approach. They signed Josh Palmer and Elijah Moore, who should be solid, if unspectacular, contributors. Khalil Shakir inked an extension as Allen’s best possession wideout. Keon Coleman would be the most likely to emerge as a stud, motivated by an injury-affected rookie season he described as “trash.” Dalton Kincaid, similarly dinged up in 2024, could also be a healthy season away from joining the upper echelon of tight ends should things fall right.

3) Buffalo’s defense fell out of the top 10 in points allowed for the first time in three seasons and experienced its worst ranking in yards allowed since 2017. That still amounted to an 11th- and 17th-place finish, respectively, but such margins are vital in a stacked AFC. While the Bills’ signing of Joey Bosa is intended to elevate their middle-of-the-pack sack production (39; tied-18th), the oft-injured pass rusher is already dealing with a calf issue. He must prove he can make it through camp, let alone a full season. Buffalo's 24th-ranked secondary has a pair of familiar faces returning, with both Dane Jackson and Tre'Davious White back after a year away, though the Bills would likely prefer rookie Maxwell Hairston shows enough to render them veteran depth rather than starters.