The Buffalo Bills made some improvements to their wide receiver room this offseason, but there's still a fairly sharp dropoff in talent after the first couple of names on the depth chart. Any injury could put the team in a bad spot. And, well ... there appears to be an injury to contend with, as Keon Coleman was spotted in a walking boot after sitting out practice on Tuesday.
So, what should the Bills do if Coleman misses time? They should probably go all out in trying to trade for Brian Thomas Jr., but barring that, Brandon Beane will need to hit the free-agent market. The pickings have gotten slim there, but there are still some names left who could potentially contribute.
Sterling Shepard
Sterling Shepard remaining unsigned might be one of the biggest surprises this offseason. It's not that I think he's a good NFL wide receiver at this point in his career, but he seems like the perfect guy to have for depth purposes.
The 33-year-old spent the past two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, catching 39 passes for 371 yards and a touchdown in 2025. He's at the point in his career where he's not much of a deep threat, but Shepard is still capable of moving the chains.
Now, maybe that's not what the Bills need, as D.J. Moore and Khalil Shakir kind of already occupy that role. Still, sometimes you just need to go out and add reliable talent to the roster, and Shepard fits that description.
Curtis Samuel
Maybe the Bills will just opt to play it safe, bringing back someone who has experience playing with Josh Allen? Curtis Samuel would certainly fill that mold, even if he's not a very exciting option.
Last season, Samuel appeared in just six games for the Bills, catching seven passes for 81 yards. That came after a 2024 season when he was viewed as a fairly big addition for Buffalo, only to have him post just 31 catches for 253 yards and a score.
What makes him at least a little intriguing is that Samuel does have the speed to stretch the field a bit, even if his 5-foot-11 stature makes him better suited for playing inside. You'd have to be creative with formations if you wanted to best take advantage of what Samuel can do, but the fact that he's played with Allen before is a plus — even if it's not much of a plus.
Tyreek Hill
Yeah, yeah, I couldn't write this whole article without addressing the biggest name left in free agency: Tyreek Hill.
Here's the thing: Hill's 2025 knee injury is an issue, and if the Bills need a short-term replacement for Coleman, then looking Hill's way isn't going to be the answer. As recently as July, Hill said he had "no power in [his] left leg at all." Not great.
But as Hill continues to work his way back, the Bills might see some long-term upside here. The Coleman injury exposes the depth issues in this room, and even getting Coleman back won't make those issues go away. Even if Hill can't contribute Week 1, could you take a shot on him regaining his pre-injury form and thus having a chance to be an impact player by maybe Week 10?
I know, I know: Hill doesn't answer the question set forth in the article title, but he does have appeal for this Bills team, which is relying on Coleman and Joshua Palmer to be the deep threats. Hill at 80 percent of his pre-injury self is likely a better option than either guy; Buffalo just has to hope he can actually get back to that level. It's a risk that's probably worth taking.
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