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In need of warm bodies at cornerback, the Buffalo Bills have promoted rookie Johnny Adams to the active roster on Tuesday, releasing defensive tackle Jay Ross in the process.
Adams, an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State, was signed to the team's practice squad on September 2. The 5'10", 185-pound speedster spent his first NFL training camp with the Indianapolis Colts, and was added to the Bills' practice squad after he cleared wavers.
Buffalo now has seven cornerbacks on its active roster, but two of them - Stephon Gilmore (wrist) and Ron Brooks (foot) - will be out for the foreseeable future due to injury. Adams is the fifth healthy corner on the roster; Leodis McKelvin, Justin Rogers and Nickell Robey will see the lion's share of snaps in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers, with current fourth cornerback Brandon Burton (acquired on September 1) perhaps mixing in.
Ross, who made the team as a sixth defensive lineman this summer, was inactive alongside fellow lineman Corbin Bryant during Sunday's 23-21 loss to the New England Patriots. His release means that the Bills now have just five dedicated defensive linemen on the 53-man roster - though in a pinch, Mario Williams could drop down and play that role, as well.