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Home » Pollock: Bills take some risks in cut to 53-man roster, which will change come Sept. 8

Pollock: Bills take some risks in cut to 53-man roster, which will change come Sept. 8

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(Photo: After two inspired preseason performances (20 combined tackles) UB alum and local tryout survivor, Joe Andreessen, made the team as a linebacker. Photo courtesy Dave & Adams Buffalo on Facebook)

A column by CHUCK POLLOCK, Sun Senior Sports Columnist

One thing is certain about the Bills’ season-opening roster come Sept. 8 at Highmark Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals.

That 53-man squad won’t look exactly like the one Buffalo revealed after Tuesday’s cutdown completed the reduction from 90 players over a two-day span.

Waived players from other teams will be signed, some of the Bills cuts seemingly bound for the practice squad will be scooped up by franchises in need and then there are the machinations with injured reserve.

But, as it now stands, coach Sean McDermott is taking some risks depending what happens over the next 12 days.

Start with quarterback.

Backup Mitch Trubisky made the roster, but is nursing a knee injury and might not be ready for the Cardinals. Do the Bills bring in a veteran QB until Trubisky is healthy?

Then there’s wide receiver where the only player to have caught a pass as a Bill, is Kahlil Shakir, then there’s rookie Keon Coleman who hardly had a great camp, former Falcon Mack Hollins and two injured wideouts, Curtis Samuel (turf toe) of the Commanders and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (neck) late of Kansas City. Buffalo cut four receivers on Tuesday — Tyrell Shavers, Justin Shorter, KJ Hamler and Andy Isabella — and all figure to make the practice squad, if they’re not claimed. But don’t be surprised if one of two of them find their way onto the active roster in short order.

Happily, after two inspired preseason performances (20 combined tackles) UB alum and local tryout survivor, Joe Andreessen, made the team as a linebacker.

Cornerback has taken a bit of a different look as Penn Stater Daequan Hardy, whose best shot at survival was as a returner, ended when the sixth rounder was cut after Buffalo acquired Brandon Codrington in a trade with the Jets (New York gets a sixth rounder and Buffalo also a seventh).

Meanwhile, also in the secondary are five safeties but three, second-round draft pick Cole Bishop (shoulder), Mike Edwards and Damar Hamlin (both with hamstring issues) are hurt but supposedly on the mend.

Also cut was running back Frank Gore Jr., who rushed for the second-most yards in this year’s NFL preseason games and will likely be claimed before Buffalo can sign him to the practice squad.

This team still has holes and depth issues and what’s certain is the current roster (Tuesday’s 53-man and the cuts are listed below) will have a different look come Sept. 8.

TUESDAY’S Bills roster cuts:

  • QB: Ben DiNucci, Anthony Brown;
  • RB: Darrynton Evans, Frank Gore Jr.;
  • WR: Tyrell Shavers, Justin Shorter, KJ Hamler, Andy Isabella, Xavier Johnson, Deon Cain, Damiere Byrd;
  • TE: Zach Davidson, Tre McKitty;
  • IOL: Mike Edwards, Kevin Jarvis, Gunner Britton, Keaton Bills, Will Clapp, Lael Collins;
  • OT: Richard Gouraige;
  • DE: Kameron Cline, Kingsley Jonathan, Rondell Bothroyd;
  • DT: DeShawn Williams; Eli Ankou, Gable Steveson, Branson Deen;
  • LB: Deion Jones, Shayne Simon;
  • CB: Daequan Hardy, Kyron Brown, Te’Cory Couch, Keni-H Lovely;
  • S: Kareem Jackson, Kendall Williamson;
  • ST: None
  • Injured reserve: LB Matt Milano, RB Darrynton Evans, OL Travis Clayton, S Terrell Burgess, S Dee Delaney.

BUFFALO’S 53-MAN ROSTER as of Tuesday’s cuts:

       QB (2): Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky;

         RB (4): James Cook, Ty Johnson, Ray Davis, Reggie Gilliam (FB);

         WR (5): Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins, Marquez Valdes-Scantling;

         TE(3): Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Quintin Morris;

         IOL (5): Connor McGovern, O’Cyrus Torrence, David Edwards, Alec Anderson, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger;

         OT (4): Dion Dawkins, Spencer Brown, Ryan Van Demark, Tylan Grable;

         DE (6: Greg Rousseau, AJ Epenesa, Von Miller, Dawuane Smoot, Casey Toohill, Javon Solomon;

         DT (4): Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, Austin Johnson, DeWayne Carter;

         LB (6): Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Nicholas Morrow, Baylon Spector, Edefuan Ulofoshio, Joe Andreessen;

         CB (6): Rasul Douglas, Christian Benford, Taron Johnson, Kaiir Elam, JaMarcus Ingram, Brandon Codrington;

         S (5): Taylor Rapp, Mike Edwards, Cole Bishop, Damar Hamlin, Cam Lewis;

         ST (3): Tyler Bass (K), Sam Martin (P), Reid Ferguson (LS).

(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)

Read more from Chuck:

• Preseason has not panned out the way McDermott planned

• Suddenly, major injury issues for the Bills

• It was a win over the Steelers but a loss in other departments

• McDermott on the Bears game: That’s not how we play

• Bills to debut new ‘dynamic kickoff’

• Beane says this is a new NFL team

• Beane responds to Josh Allen critic

• Chuck Pollock with a historical look at Bills training camp for fans and the media

• Tony Hunter’s passing evokes memories of Jim Kelly in the draft

• Mark Schmidt on the NIL deals and the Bona NIT mess

• Pollock on listening to the radio and the days of Willie Mays

• Houghton’s Phil Stockin gets Cazzie Russell to the Castle in Olean and then a title for the Knicks?

• The right hire for St. Bonaventure to lead the athletic department

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