Having depth across the roster and, thus, under-utilized players is a good problem to have.
It's the issue the Buffalo Bills currently find themselves with as they sit with a 5-2 record going into a Week 8 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. The team is getting healthier and has reloaded with wide receiver Amari Cooper being traded to the Bills last week. Buffalo will still be looking for others to step up when their names are called on with the argument that more playing time is needed for them.
Here’s a look at some players who should see a more increased workload on the Bills.
RB Ty Johnson
A lot of people would think that of all the running backs, it should be rookie Ray Davis getting more playing time, but Buffalo might be missing something with Ty Johnson. Davis has played 23% of the snaps on offense while Johnson has 26% of the snaps.
What separates the two is what Pro Football Reference calls the success rate on plays which includes gaining at least 40% of yards required on first down, 60% on second down, and 100% on third or fourth down. Davis has a success rate of 43.1% on runs and 55.6% on catches. Johnson tops Davis in both categories with 50% on runs and 57.1% on receptions.
Johnson only has 19 total touches on offense for 141 yards and three touchdowns, which is an average of 7.4 yards per touch. Primarily a third-down back, Buffalo is missing opportunities to use Johnson as a way to better move the football down the field on early downs.
WR Khalil Shakir
While there is an increase in how much Khalil Shakir is playing, he is still only on the field for 56% of the offensive snaps (though he did miss a game due to an ankle injury). Rookie second round pick Keon Coleman is getting more snaps than Shakir with 66% despite Shakir having more experience in the offense.
Shakir has been near automatic catching the ball, as he has reeled in 27 of his 28 targets for 314 yards and two touchdowns. He has averaged more yards per game (52.3) than Coleman (46.6).
Amari Cooper complicates things, as he and Coleman will start taking targets away from Shakir. Josh Allen has the tough task of spreading the ball around but shouldn’t forget about Shakir, who is the team's most reliable target in the passing game.
DB Cam Lewis
It’s already been a career season for Cam Lewis, as he picked up significant playing time when Taron Johnson missed multiple games due to injury. Lewis was playing between 72-100% of the snaps in each of the first five games before Johnson came back; Lewis was reduced to 5% and 31% in the last two matchups.
Lewis has accumulated 40 tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass deflection in seven games, with four being starts. It’s easy to understand why Lewis might see the field less with Johnson back in the picture, and while it's nice to have him as a depth piece, he was impactful enough in spot duty that he should have somewhat of a role even when the defense is at (relatively) full health. Buffalo needs to find some rotation to ensure Lewis gets on the field more often.
DE Dawuane Smoot
At the defensive end, it all starts with Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa off the edge, with Von Miller also being in the picture when he is done with his suspension. That has given Dawuane Smoot more time on the field, as he has played 49% of the defensive snaps, including 59% in Week 5 and 68% in Week 6.
Smoot has stacked 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one quarterback hit, and one forced fumble in five games. The former Jacksonville Jaguar may not possess the same traits that Rousseau and Epenesa have, but he has a nice blend of stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback that warrants more than 50% playing time.
