It’s pretty common for seventh-round picks to fade away into the background pretty early, to the point where they’re released and nobody even remembers they were there (anybody remember John Potter? Michael Jasper? Kyle Calloway?). Sticking on the roster, even as a practice squad member, for more than a season is a fairly notable accomplishment for that group.
That said, the ride doesn’t last forever. Eventually, you have to “poop or get off the pot”.
Name: Dezmin Lewis
# 13
Position: WR
Height/Weight: 6’4”, 214 lbs
Experience: 2
College: Central Arkansas
Draft: Round 7, Pick 234 by the Buffalo Bills (2015)
Financial Situation (per Spotrac): Lewis has two years remaining on his contract, one that will pay him $540,000 this year and $630,000 next year. None of that is guaranteed.
2016 Recap: Lewis was part of the Bills’ final round of cuts prior to the start of the season, but was brought back to the team at the start of the season. He was activated to the main roster prior to the Bills’ Week 13 loss to the Oakland Raiders, but only played 14 snaps without a catch and was inactive for the rest of the season.
Positional Outlook: Even if the Bills don’t make a move to bolster the receiver group, Lewis is in a precarious position. Despite his 6’4” frame, the Bills still brought in a tall receiver to fill what could have been his role under both the last regime (Justin Hunter) and the current one (Andre Holmes). That doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in what Lewis has to offer.
2017 Offseason: Sean McDermott has said that Lewis had a “nice spring”. He hasn’t really registered on the radar one way or the other yet.
2017 Season Outlook: Lewis had a strong training camp last season, but found himself relegated to the practice squad anyway. He has one year of eligibility remaining, but would have to be a priority call-up if the Bills made a cut during the season. I don’t expect him to stick with the team past this preseason.