Buffalo Bills add depth at WR and DT with recent waiver wire claims
The Buffalo Bills added depth at wide receiver and defensive tackle on Tuesday with their recent additions.
The injury list and players absent from Buffalo Bills practice continues to grow. According to The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia, the Bills had 17 players absent from Tuesday’s practice. Of those 17 players, four were wide receivers (Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis, Marquez Stevenson, Isaiah Hodgins) and three were defensive tackles (Vernon Butler, Star Lotulelei, Harrison Phillips).
One player not listed was Isaiah McKenzie, who suffered a shoulder injury during practice and was reportedly set to get an MRI, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
While the Buffalo Bills do have some time before their first regular season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they do have to worry about one more preseason game which is Saturday against the Green Bay Packers.
Buffalo Bills claim WR Rico Gafford, DT Joey Ivie
With that in mind and the injuries the team is dealing with at those two positions, it isn’t surprising to see them claim Rico Gather and Joey Ivie, two players that should help the team’s depth heading into the final preseason game.
Rico Gafford recently was with the Arizona Cardinals but prior to that spent three seasons with the Raiders. He originally was an undrafted free agent and entered the NFL as a cornerback but while with the Raiders made the switch to wide receiver and has four career receptions for 66 yards and one touchdown.
He also knows a number of Bills from his college days at the University of Wyoming and was on the same team with Josh Allen, Tanner Gentry, and Jacob Hollister.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bills added defensive tackle Joey Ivie. He was a seventh round pick by the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills will be his eighth franchise over three years.
Must Read. 3 important preseason developments for the Bills. light
It will be hard to imagine either player is able to make enough of an impact to earn a spot on the 53-man roster but with a good week of practice and a strong performance in the preseason game, there is a chance they could play their way onto the practice squad for the Buffalo Bills.