Buffalo Bills sign Philly Brown, Trae Elston, Shamarko Thomas; release two players

The Buffalo Bills brought back a pair of familiar faces to fill out their roster following injuries to wide receiver Jordan Matthews, linebacker Ramon Humber, and safety Colt Anderson. With the roster openings, the Bills signed receiver Philly Brown and safety Trae Elston, who possess great familiarity with Sean McDermott’s system after having spent most of the off-season on the club’s roster.

Additionally, free agent safety Shamarko Thomas, a fan favorite from his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers who earned the nickname “Sharknado” was signed to provide depth to Buffalo’s secondary.

To make room for these roster additions, Anderson was placed on injured reserve list, while safety Robert Blanton and defensive end Eric Lee were released. Lee was on the team for four days while Blanton was signed September 20th.

Here’s more information on the newest members of Buffalo’s 53-man roster:

Brown, 25, signed as a free agent this spring and was expected to see significant time in the wide receiver corps after amassing 79 career catches for 1,019 yards with seven touchdowns in three seasons (43 games) with the Carolina Panthers. He was on the roster bubble for much of the preseason before being cut in early September. Besides contributing as a wideout, Brown is expected to bolster Buffalo’s special teams, as well.

Elston, a former undrafted free agent out of Mississippi, is in his second year in the league. Elston, a hard-hitting safety, initially made Buffalo’s 53-man roster and appeared in Buffalo’s first two games as a special teams contributor before being released on Sept. 19.

Thomas, selected in the fourth-round of the 2013 draft by Pittsburgh, was primarily a backup safety for the Steelers. He made 48 career appearances in four seasons for the Steelers before signing as a free agent with the New York Jets. He was released before appearing in any regular season games with the Jets.