Buffalo Bills Sign 8 Free Agents to Contracts on Friday

DB. Marcus Cromartie comes to the Buffalo Bills from the San Francisco 49ers, where he spent the past three seasons. He played 21 games over that span. He fits the bill of what Sean McDermott has been looking for in his defensive backs — versatility and ability to play special teams. He will have a good chance at making the roster, looking at the depth they currently have at both cornerback and safety. A strong offseason will guarantee that.. 20. Buffalo Bills. MARCUS CROMARTIE

OT. Buffalo Bills. CAM JEFFERSON. OT. Cam Jefferson will be fighting for a roster spot if the team selects a quality offensive tackle in the draft. If not, then there’s a good chance he stays on the roster for depth reasons — noting that Jordan Mills is the team’s starting right tackle currently. Another thing working in his favor is his versatility on the offensive line, giving him the same kind of abilities as Ryan Groy. With an offensive line that was hurt a lot last season, this signing makes sense. Plus, he was on the Denver Broncos team that won a Super Bowl against the Carolina Panthers (ahem, McDermott).

Buffalo Bills. JACOB LINDSEY. LB. After going undrafted last year, Lindsey will look to add depth at the linebacker position that just saw Zach Brown sign with the Redskins. With Ragland making his debut and Preston Brown/Lorenzo Alexander looking like the other two starters, he will still have a chance to make his first NFL roster. He was a productive Harvard standout with 185 tackles, 2 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 5 forced fumbles and 14 pass breakups over the course of 30 games.. LB

OL. Mudge has yet to enter the NFL after going undrafted in 2012, but luckily he has stayed busy in the Arena Football League. Listed at 6’4”, 315 pounds, Mudge has made a name for himself as one of the best offensive lineman in arena football, which should stand for something. With the depth already on the Bills’ offensive line, it will be more of a challenge to make that 53-man roster.. OL. Buffalo Bills. JORDAN MUDGE

DL. Buffalo Bills. JAKE METZ. DL. Jake Metz is a monster, coming in at 6’7”, 295-pounds. He does a great job of finding the quarterback and getting the sack, but can also find the ballcarrier for a tackle. In his four years at a Division-II school, he racked up 30.5 sacks and 219 tackles. He has spent some time in arena football as well, most recently a league in China — where he was named Defensive Player of the Year last season. Without a lot of depth behind Lawson, Hughes and Ryan Davis on the outside, he could find some rotational time there. There’s also not a whole lot of depth on the inside, so that could be an option as well.

Buffalo Bills. BRADLEY SYLVE. CB. Bradley Sylve attempted to get drafted last season and was even expected to go in a later round. Unfortunately, the young cornerback suffered a torn Achille’s at his pro day, hurting his draft stock enough not to find a home. After recovering, Sylve will look to make his first impression with the Bills. He’s fast, previously being clocked with a 4.27 40-yard dash and is a beast on special teams, which should reward him points with McDermott — especially noting that McDermott can make any defensive back look good.. CB

Buffalo Bills. JUNIOR SYLVESTRE. LB. The second of three linebackers signed to a contract on Friday, Sylvestre was the only one to find a spot on a roster last season. He can do a little bit of everything, which is very important in McDermott’s 4-3 defense. In his 50 games at Toledo, he recorded 286 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, one interception and 8 passes defensed. He was waived by the Indianapolis Colts after spending a little over a year with the team.. LB

LB. The final signing of the day on Friday was LB Eddie Yarbrough, another versatile linebacker that fits the bill of what McDermott needs in a linebacker. He was released by the Denver Broncos during training camp after going undrafted in 2015. In 47 collegiate games, Yarbrough totaled 256 tackles, 21.5 sacks and 39 tackles for loss, meaning he can fill in on the inside or outside. That’s a good quality to have in a depth player.. LB. Buffalo Bills. EDDIE YARBROUGH