Buffalo Bills add depth by signing free agent Jordan Simmons
On Monday, the Buffalo Bills announced a roster move after they signed free agent offensive guard Jordan Simmons to a one-year deal. The Bills entered camp with only 89 players on the roster so there was no need to cut a player to add Simmons.
Simmons was an undrafted free agent signing by the Raiders in 2017 and spent his rookie season on their practice squad. He would return to the Raiders in 2018 but be cut prior to the season and be claimed off waivers by the Seattle Seahawks.
Simmons would spend the next two seasons with the Seahawks and appear in 20 games and start nine for Seattle. Last year, Simmons would start the season on the Seahawks’ practice squad but head back to the Raiders after they signed him during the season. He would appear in five games for Las Vegas.
Buffalo Bills add much-needed depth at offensive guard
Entering training camp, the depth on the interior offensive line could have been viewed as a potential concern. However, that concern became a bigger issue as the Bills opened training camp yesterday.
Head coach Sean McDermott noted that Ike Boettger would start camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. This wasn’t necessarily a surprise as he is working his way back from surgery due to an Achilles injury and it seemed unlikely he would be ready for the start of camp.
The surprise, and what might have caused the team to feel the need to sign Simmons, is that Rodger Saffold was placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list. The former Tennessee Titans’ guard was in a car accident prior to camp and suffered a rib injury.
Sean McDermott did not provide a timeline of when either might be back so bringing in another player at the position makes sense. The addition of Simmons could be an indication that Saffold or Boettger might not be back any time soon and it will be interesting to see if either are able to get in any practices at St. John Fisher University during training camp.