Bills shake up roster and bring on fan favorite, but disaster strikes as promising young star is placed on injured reserve
Some good, some bad news ahead of Week 5 vs. New England Patriots.
Ladies and gentlemen, linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo has been signed to the 53-man roster. He was called up ahead of the Week 5 contest against the New England Patriots.
The fan favorite won over the hearts of fans across the country during various segments on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” Now, Ciarlo gets a chance to see some NFL action.
Dorian Strong was placed on the injured reserve
However, it wasn’t all good news on the day, especially on the injury front. Bills rookie cornerback Dorian Strong has been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least the next four games.
Strong got some snaps in place of cornerback Tre’Davious White in the victory over the New Orleans Saints and looked to be making a name for himself on the roster.
Head coach Sean McDermott discussed cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram stepping up after Strong went down with an injury. The cornerback room is looking rather depleted, especially when you factor in rookie Maxwell Hairston, who the team still hasn’t made available to practice yet.
Outside of Ingram, the only other boundary cornerbacks besides Christian Benford and White would be Brandon Coddrington, who was a healthy scratch in Week 4
In subsequent moves, the team called up defensive tackle Zion Logue and defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis, which could spell bad news for the likes of defensive tackle Ed Oliver seeing the field on Sunday. For that matter, rookie defensive tackle T.J. Sanders’ injuries and uncertain game status could also be a reason for the call-ups.
Oliver and linebacker Matt Milano have been progressing through injuries all week, and despite being limited, there was hope that the two would see the field. With two defensive tackles and a linebacker called up, it’s not looking good for Oliver or Milano.
Injuries are inevitable, but their loss has been felt, especially in run defense. Much like Sanders, it could be that linebacker Dorian Williams also isn’t available, with the call-up for Ciarlo to fill in there, along with mostly helping on special teams.
With injuries piling up, the Bills’ depth will be tested again when they take the field against New England. It’ll be a whiteout in Western New York under the bright lights of “Sunday Night Football.” With a victory, Buffalo could pull further ahead in the division and tie a franchise record for most consecutive regular-season home wins with 15.
Bills Mafia, get ready.
Buffalo Bills News
Protect him at all costs: Jimmy Ciarlo’s emotional response after returning to the Bills is further proof why he belongs in Buffalo
A welcome addition to the organization.
