Could Lance Lenoir be a surprise addition on the Buffalo Bills 53-man roster?
At the end of May, the Buffalo Bills made some roster moves by releasing Tre Walker and replacing him on the roster by signing free agent Lance Lenoir. Last season, Lenoir was briefly with the Seattle Seahawks but prior to that spent three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He joined them as an undrafted free agent out of Western Illinois in 2017.
In those three seasons, Lenoir appeared in eight games but did not register a reception and primarily made his impact on special teams. In 2018, Lenoir played seven games and was on the field for 26% of the Cowboys special teams snaps. He finished the year with one tackle.
While it is unlikely Lenoir would be able to move up the depth chart at wide receiver, he does have a potential path to making the 53-man roster this season with the Buffalo Bills.
Profile
Position: Wide Receiver
Age: 26
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 208 pounds
Years of Experience: 3
Expectations for the 2021 season with the Buffalo Bills
If Lance Lenoir is going to make the 53-man roster this season with the Buffalo Bills, he will have to emerge out of training camp as the team’s starting kickoff/punt returner. The Bills need to find a replacement for Andre Roberts and while Isaiah McKenzie is likely the favorite, this is a training camp battle that is far from over.
The Bills added free agent Brandon Powell and drafted Marquez Stevenson this year but Lenoir has experience as a returner from his time at Western Illinois. In those four seasons, Lenoir has 40 career kickoff returns for an average of 20.2 yards per return. He also had 28 punt returns and averaged 7.6 yards per return with one career punt return for a touchdown.
In the end, Lenoir likely is competing for a spot on the practice squad but if he impresses as a returner, he could start the season on the Bills’ active roster.