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See the full story · 1 sourcesThe Buffalo Bills have built one of the NFL's best blocking units.
Not just with their starters.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell named Bills center Lloyd Cushenberry III and tight end Jackson Hawes to his NFL All-Backup Team , recognizing two reserves whose biggest impact comes at the line of scrimmage rather than on the stat sheet.
Barnwell created a 53-man roster made entirely of backups, selecting no more than two players from each NFL team. His premise was that championship teams are often defined as much by their depth as their stars because injuries are inevitable over a 17-game season.
Cushenberry is entering his first season with Buffalo after signing with the Bills this offseason.
A torn Achilles ended his 2025 season in Tennessee and led to his release, but Barnwell believes the former big-ticket free agent — Cushenberry signed a four-year, $50 million free agent contract with the Titans in 2024 — still has starting-caliber ability.
"We'll give him a shot as our starting pivot in 2026," Barnwell wrote after calling center one of the NFL's thinnest positions.
Hawes earned recognition a year after the Bills selected him in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Known as one of college football's top blocking tight ends, Hawes quickly carved out a role in Buffalo's offense.
Barnwell wrote that Hawes' blocking allowed the Bills to move away from the six-offensive-lineman packages they frequently used with Alec Anderson in 2024 and rely more heavily on traditional two- and three-tight end formations in 2025.
Hawes was also named to NFL.com's optimal 53-man roster last month using the 2026 salary cap to construct the best possible team based on actual contracts.
While blocking remains his calling card, Barnwell also pointed out Hawes caught 84% of the passes thrown his way as a rookie, giving the Bills another reliable option when called upon in the passing game. Hawes recorded 16 receptions for 187 receiving yards and three touchdowns as a rookie.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Two unsung Buffalo Bills named to ESPN's NFL All-Backup Team
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