Bills have finally answered one of the biggest offseason questions among 3 key takeaways from initial 53-man roster
The roster is set, for now.
After a flurry of moves at the roster deadline, the Buffalo Bills have assembled their roster. There are plenty of exciting storylines and heartbreaking moments throughout as some dreams are made and others are unfortunately ended for now.
The Bills’ initial 53-man roster had more than a few surprises. The team is keeping six wide receivers, Tre’Davious White wasn’t designated for return on the Injured Reserve, and the team stockpiled its defensive line. Here were our three biggest takeaways from the initial roster.
The Bills are keeping 6 wide receivers
One of the biggest talking points all offseason was what the Bills would do regarding the receiver position. There were a lot of cooks in the kitchen and not enough footballs to go around. Many had speculated that the team would look to trade Curtis Samuel, and that either Elijah Moore or Tyrell Shavers wouldn’t make the roster.
Now, the guessing game is over. Based on the initial 53-man roster, the Bills will carry Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, Curtis Samuel, Shavers, and Moore. They have waived or released Laviska Shenault, Deon Cain, Grant DuBose, Stephen Gosnell, K.J. Hamler, and Kristian Wilkerson.
Shavers cemented his spot on the roster, and we’ve discussed ad nauseam throughout the entire preseason about how he was going to make the roster. A strong camp followed by a strong preseason, capped off with an impressive one-handed touchdown, cemented his spot on the team. All that’s left to do is wait for the Bills to take on the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 7 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY. The new(ish) look offense will surely have a lot of eyes on it.
White avoided IR… today
With the recent cuts and various moves, one of them to watch out for was what the Bills would do with White. He needed assistance from a medical cart after an injury in practice, and the front office has been tight-lipped ever since about his recovery or the severity of the injury. While he’s by no means out of the woods yet, White made the initial 53-man roster and avoided the designated to return tag that teams are allowed to use for two players ahead of the deadline. Buffalo used those on Maxwell Hairston and Tylan Grable.
Even with him making the team, he could still be placed on IR just 24 hours after the deadline has passed. Buffalo released veteran Dane Jackson in a flurry of roster moves to get cap compliant, with many speculating that if Jackson were cut, it could be a good sign for White. The jury is still out on White’s injury since there’s been no official word from the team at the time of publication.
Changes are a-coming
The Bills kept 10 players on the defensive line (5 defensive tackles, 5 edge), and it may have been because of something totally out of their control. During the offseason, the team brought in Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi, and shortly after, they were suspended by the NFL. In their absence, the team ensured that they loaded up across both defensive tackle and edge positions. DeWayne Carter was a name mulling around as a potential waiver candidate, but he made the team.
Once Hoecht and Ogunjobi return, the team must make room for them on the roster. While we examine the team’s 53-man initial roster, it’s named just that because of the numerous changes that occur throughout the regular season. For this group, specifically, it will not look the same at the end of the year, depending on who is available and currently part of the team.
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Goodbye, sweet prince.
