Following their rookie minicamp, and on the heels of signing veteran tight end Lee Smith, the Buffalo Bills announced four undrafted free-agent signings and two player cuts to set up their 91-man roster ahead of Organized Team Activities. Here’s the need-to-know about the four newest members of the Bills:
Quindarius Thagard, DT, UAB
The 6’2” 287-lb Thagard had a 5.19 40-yard dash, 22 bench press reps, and a 30” vertical jump at his pro day. In two seasons at UAB, he had 61 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, and four sacks. Thagard, who majored in criminal justice, was working as a correctional officer before his rookie minicamp performance earned him a contract.
Garrett McGhin, OL, East Carolina
McGhin developed from a special-teams blocker to a starting offensive lineman at ECU. The team captain started at left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle during his career with the Pirates. At 6’6” and 302 lbs, McGhin definitely fits the positional versatility mold Brandon Beane seeks.
Moral Stephens, TE, Florida
The Stephens signing was announced a little earlier than the others. A reserve tight end and special-teams contributor, Stephens finished his Florida career with 15 catches for 261 yards and three touchdowns.
Abraham Wallace, S, West Alabama
At 5’10” and 205 lbs, Wallace could potentially slot in as a safety or slot defender for the Bills. He ran a 4.53 40-yard dash at his pro day. Wallace originally played at LSU, who brought him onto their team despite an ACL tear in high school. That ACL injury didn’t heal well the first time, and a second surgery would result in Wallace losing his first two seasons on the field. Wallace played special teams as a redshirt sophomore, graduated and transferred to Texas Tech, but an ankle injury robbed him of a chance to start. He finally played a full season after transferring to D-2 West Alabama.
On the other end of the equation, the Bills made two roster cuts to open space for these rookies. The first cut was Jake Fisher. Originally an offensive tackle, Fisher planned to convert to tight end and signed a one-year, $805,000 deal with the Bills to attempt that. Smith’s signing cancelled that experiment. Keith Ford is the other player to get the axe. An undrafted free agent from Texas A&M in 2018, Ford appeared in two games with the Bills, notching 21 carries for 79 yards (3.8 yards per attempt). Between LeSean McCoy, Frank Gore, rookie Devin Singletary, and other options like Marcus Murphy and Christian Wade, the Bills decided Ford didn’t fit onto the roster anymore.