Bills fullback Ben VanSumeren’s preseason usage raises a key roster question

The Buffalo Bills have a roster question hanging over training camp and the early preseason rhythm: how committed are they to the fullback role, and specifically to Ben VanSumeren as a reliable part of the plan. In a recent Bills-focused discussion, Yahoo Sports pointed to VanSumeren’s involvement in Buffalo’s work against the Cleveland Browns, highlighting 19 snaps and more than 30% of available playtime as the kind of workload that can report organizational intent, not just spot duty.

Fullbacks are not required by modern NFL schemes, and many teams use them as flexible pieces rather than weekly, feature-role assignments. Even so, when a player at a niche position gets a meaningful share of opportunities, it invites a deeper read. The relevant issue is not whether VanSumeren is capable, but whether the Bills believe the roster benefit of that skill set and alignment is worth carrying a dedicated fullback on game day.

The same Yahoo Sports breakdown also tempered that inference by pointing out that Week 2 looked like a broader competition environment, with depth players fighting for their spots. That matters because preseason rep distribution can be influenced by matchup plans, injury timing, and how coaches decide to rotate personnel while evaluation is ongoing. In that sense, the existence of VanSumeren usage is only a clue, not a conclusion about the starting plan that will follow once the Bills narrow their roster.

Still, the fullback job is rarely about one skill in isolation. It often sits at the intersection of run game structure, pass protection, and short-area blocking, roles that can be hard to replicate with random position groups. If Buffalo is leaning into an offense that wants a consistent lead blocker in certain formations, the Bills can justify a fullback if that player can earn trust early in game reps. VanSumeren’s snap share, as discussed in the Yahoo Sports piece, gives fans and analysts something concrete to track as the Bills move toward the regular-season cut line.

Another factor is how teams view “near starters.” Yahoo’s observation that the reps may reflect depth competition suggests the Bills might be testing whether VanSumeren can function as a dependable contributor even if he is not the core of the offensive identity. If that’s the case, his preseason workload could be less about committing to a fullback-led approach and more about determining whether Buffalo’s roster balance needs him every week, or only when specific personnel groups are deployed.

What to watch next is straightforward: whether VanSumeren’s snap counts remain steady when Buffalo’s quarterback-and-first-team rotations stabilize, and whether his usage clusters around the same offensive situations across weeks. If his reps spike again in situations that resemble regular-season game plans, it strengthens the idea that the Bills want him as a repeatable piece. If his opportunities fall off as the team trims to its primary group, the 19-snaps marker against Cleveland becomes a sign of preseason evaluation rather than a permanent direction.

For now, the Bills’ degree of commitment to VanSumeren as a fullback remains an open question, but the conversation has shifted. Thanks to the specific rep share cited by Yahoo Sports, the team’s next coaching and personnel decisions will matter more than they normally do for a niche role, because they will reveal whether Buffalo is building around the fullback position or keeping it as a matchup-only option.