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Bills predicted to move on from Damar Hamlin.

The Buffalo Bills made a surprising move this offseason by deciding to re-sign safety Damar Hamlin to a one-year, $1.265 million contract. Hamlin played only five games last season, leading many to believe the Bills would not bring him back this year. However, now that Hamlin is returning to Buffalo, it doesn’t necessarily mean he will take the field this season.

There’s still plenty of time before the Bills kick off the regular season, and roster cuts are on the horizon. Just because Hamlin is under contract doesn’t mean Buffalo won’t consider parting ways with him this offseason if he doesn’t perform well during training camp, or even beforehand.

Buffalo’s offseason program is set to kick off this week, starting with rookie camp on May 8. Following that, there will be a series of workouts with veteran players over the next few weeks, leading into June.

Hamlin is Under a Lot of Pressure This Offseason

Meanwhile, Brandon Ray from Fansided believes Hamlin faces significant pressure as he heads into the offseason program.

“It was very surprising that the Bills brought back Damar Hamlin back on another one-year deal,” Ray wrote on Tuesday. “He didn’t just decide to come back, he signed a deal with Buffalo after the Bills had already signed C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone. The Bills then drafted Jalon Kilgore in the 5th round, which adds even more competition on who will be the running mate next to Cole Bishop.”

“It truly does feel like Hamlin might just be a training camp player because of the type of player Jim Leonhard wants on his defense. Maybe he’s nothing more than a depth player who might play on special teams, but Hamlin faces an uphill battle this summer.”

The Bills’ signing of Gardner-Johnson and Stone this offseason suggests they may not have much confidence in Hamlin’s chances of making the roster. Buffalo’s decision to bring Hamlin back could have been primarily to have him in camp for another offseason, especially with the significant changes happening within the team. With a new head coach, Joe Brady, and a new defensive coordinator, Leonhard, Hamlin could help the team adapt to the changes.

Bills Also Added Jalon Kilgore

The Bills made a strategic move in the fifth round of this year’s NFL Draft by selecting South Carolina safety Jalon Kilgore. Kilgore has the potential to be an asset for the Bills in the future, and he is likely to secure a roster spot this season, even if he doesn’t see much action while he adjusts to the NFL game.

The Athletic’s lead draft analyst Dane Brugler ranked Kilgore as his eighth-best safety and assigned him a third-round grade heading into the draft.

“Kilgore is a tough eval when projecting him at a position other than nickel, but his size, athletic talent and ball-hawking skills should give teams confidence to make that bet,” Brugler wrote on April 8. There is a high-risk, high-reward scenario waiting for the team that chases his upside.”

It will be interesting to see how the Bills manage Kilgore this offseason and whether he will get on the field early in the season.