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The Buffalo Bills cut their roster down to a league-required 53-man roster on August 26th. The Bills made some surpassing cuts, but nothing I would consider shocking compared to a few other teams around the league. Let’s take a deep look into some players that some considered wouldn’t make the roster, and some players now available in free agency.
Underrated Guys
Here are some players that you may not have expected to make the Bills’ 53-man roster.
- Tyrell Shavers; Making the roster is a feel-good story as the 2024 UDFA still has a lot to prove at the NFL level. His versatility being a deep threat and redzone threat helped his case.
- Jackson Hawes; Sure, being drafted helps your case to make the team, as the front office has invested draft capital into you, but his blocking ability warrants him to be TE3, with his playing time predominantly being on the goal line.
- DeWayne Carter; The Bills loaded up on defensive line through free agency and the draft, and some thought Carter would be overlooked. The 2024 draft pick will be struggling to maintain his roster status once Larry Ogunjobi is back from suspension.
Suspensions and IR
It’s worth noting that guys like DeWayne Carter, mentioned above, are likely going to be transitioned back to the practice squad when Larry Ogunjobi comes back. Ja’Marcus Ingram and Javon Solomon are also likely in the same boat as Maxwell Hairston has been placed on IR and will miss the first four weeks, while Michael Hoecht, also facing a suspension, will likely replace Solomon. While I bring up the practice squad, I guess now is a good time to take a look at the current Bills practice squad before I dive into possible free agent targets!
New Free Agents To Target
Teams around the league cut some notable guys that I believe the Buffalo Bills should consider taking a look at.
- Cole Strange, the former first-round pick, started every game since being drafted by the Patriots and can easily provide the Bills with some much-needed interior offensive line depth.
- Tyler Huntley, the former Pro Bowler, due to Josh Allen never attending, was cut by the Browns, but is still a very solid NFL QB. His mobility alone makes him a better fit in our system than Mitch Trubisky. Backup QB is a major need in Buffalo.
- Chuck Clark, a seasoned veteran that can fill the same role as Kareem Jackson did last season on the Bills practice squad, some veteran presence at the safety position is always nice to have as Cole Bishop and Jordan Hancock develop.
- Taylor Heinicke, who has the same reasons as Tyler Huntley, has playoff experience and can provide better QB play than Trubisky.
- Trent Brown, one of the most shocking releases as the Texans‘ offensive line was already suffering from the loss of Tunsil, Brown finds himself ring chasing towards the end of his career, and there’s no better place to do that than Buffalo this season.
- Desmond Watson, the infamous Bucs UDFA that has some weight issues. It will take some time, but imagine we make it to the Super Bowl and we need to stop the Eagles’ tush push. Deone Walker and Desmond Watson side by side would clog the goal line as much as possible.
*Note, as of writing this, the Bills signed a familiar face. Jordan Poyer returns to the team likely in the same player/coach role we saw Micah Hyde in last season. They can still look to add another veteran safety, like Chuck Clark mentioned above.
What’s Ahead
In the coming days before the season starts be on the lookout for my record predictions and an article featuring Tyrell Shavers amazing come up!
Check out our newest YouTube video where Stephen, Nick, and I do a mock draft on the Blitz Fantasy Football channel.
