Bills News & Notes

How New Role Players can Benefit the Bills Offense

Wagons Circled Staff

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Damien Harris arrived at the Buffalo Bills with a blank slate. Having spent his initial four seasons with the New England Patriots, the running back sought a fresh beginning and inked a one-year contract in free agency.

Harris now finds himself "thriving" and aims to carry this momentum into training camp and the upcoming regular season. Reflecting on his time in New England, he openly admits that it didn't conclude the way he had hoped. Without any reservations, Harris states, "My last year wasn't my best year, and I have no qualms about admitting that. I'm determined to bounce back, rebuild myself, and rebrand my image."

At 26 years old, Harris considers this offseason his most productive since being drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Patriots. He will assume a significant role in a revamped running back unit, where second-year player James Cook faces the pressure to progress as a potential lead back.

Harris, who boasted an average of 4.4 yards per carry last season, is just one piece of the puzzle among the several offensive playmakers the Bills acquired during the offseason. This group includes wide receivers Trent Sherfield and Deonte Harty, as well as first-round tight end Dalton Kincaid.

Despite boasting the league's second-best scoring offense last year (28.4 points per game) during coordinator Ken Dorsey's inaugural season, the Bills experienced a decline in performance during the second half of the year. Their offensive efficiency dropped from 54.37 (second) in terms of offensive EPA from Weeks 1-8 to 38.31 (eighth) from Weeks 9-18. Several factors, including quarterback Josh Allen's elbow injury, contributed to this downturn. The addition of these new skill players aims to address the Bills ,very limited, offensive shortcomings.