The day after NFL roster cut downs is when teams can start signing players to their practice squads. Several rules are in place to expand practice squads in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, so it’s going to be the Wild West out there. Players with tons of experience are going to be available for these spots for the first time.
The following have also been added to the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad per the team's Twitter account:
T Trey Adams
TE Nate Becker
OL Evan Boehm
TE Jason Croom
CB Dane Jackson
T Victor Salako
LB Andre Smith
RB Christian Wade
Signed to the Bills practice squad: pic.twitter.com/zUBSeqUFFM
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) September 6, 2020
UDFA safety Josh Thomas is back on the Bills
The Bills are signing S Josh Thomas to the practice squad, according to a source.
— Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) September 6, 2020
DT Justin Zimmer is added to practice squad
#Bills are adding DT Justin Zimmer to their practice squad per source.
— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) September 6, 2020
DE Mike Love re-joins Bills practice squad
As reported last night, the #Bills have added Mike Love to their practice squad. https://t.co/MRb3NtI9ik
— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) September 6, 2020
OL Brandon Walton latest addition to Bills practice squad
OT Brandon Walton signed back with the Bills practice squad, according to a source.
— Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) September 6, 2020
Former New York Giants DL Chris Slayton added to Bills taxi squad
DL Chris Slayton, who was waived by the Giants yesterday, is signing with the Bills practice squad, per source. Seventh-round pick by the Giants in 2019 spent most of last season on the practice squad.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) September 6, 2020
QB Davis Webb is back on the practice squad
The #Bills are signing QB Davis Webb to their practice squad per source. #BillsMafia
— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) September 6, 2020
RB Antonio Williams will be joining practice squad
RB Antonio Williams will be signing with the #Bills practice squad, according to a source.
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) September 6, 2020
CB Cam Lewis re-joins the Buffalo practice squad
Cam Lewis has been signed to the #Bills practice squad, per source.
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) September 6, 2020
Duke Williams is sticking on the Bills practice squad
Per league source, the Bills will add WR Duke Williams to their practice squad
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) September 6, 2020
Bills keeping DE Bryan Cox Jr. on their practice squad
DE Bryan Cox Jr. is joining the #Bills’ practice squad per source.
— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) September 6, 2020
Bills adding Green Bay Packers WR Jake Kumerow to practice squad
The #Bills are expected to sign former #Packers WR Jake Kumerow to their practice squad, source said.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 6, 2020
Practice Squad
The practice squad was originally set to increase to 12 players this year, but new COVID-19 rules bumped that up to 16 for this year only. Up to six of those spots can be used on veterans with any amount of experience, while the other ten are the typical players with less than two full seasons accrued.
Any player to be placed on the practice squad will still need to go through the usual waiver process (unless they’re a five-year veteran cut during the initial roster cut down on Saturday). Once a player clears waivers and is signed to a practice squad, however, NFL teams have a few new changes to keep track of.
First, a team can designate up to four players as “protected” from signing. Those players can’t be poached by other NFL teams while they’re on the practice squad. Normally, an NFL team can sign another team’s practice squad player to their roster, and the only way to stop that move is signing the player to your own roster.
The second change involves elevating players to the active roster. NFL teams will be allowed to promote two of their practice squad players per week on game day, as special 54th and 55th men on the active roster, and can then return them to the practice squad the next day without exposing them to the usual waiver process. This can happen up to twice with each practice squad player.
How might this sort of thing work? Imagine a defensive lineman day-to-day with a back injury. The NFL team can watch the injury, and promote a DL from the practice squad in a pinch if their usual player can’t play in the game. Their DL will return to the practice squad after the game without the team possibly losing him to another team.
List of Bills roster cuts
Teams usually start with players that they recently released that they want to keep around, so here is the full list of players let go by the Bills on Saturday. Players with less than four years of experience are subject to waivers and another team can claim them today.
We’ve released 24 players from the roster.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 5, 2020
More info on our moves: https://t.co/oJCZIEpvSv pic.twitter.com/tJrS6OdUDR
- QB Davis Webb
- RB Antonio Williams
- RB Christian Wade (IPP exemption)
- WR Andre Roberts (Re-signed to active roster)
- WR Duke Williams
-
WRRobert Foster (signing on Green Bay’s practice squad) - TE Nate Becker
- TE Jason Croom
-
DBBrian Allen - DB Dane Jackson
- DB Cam Lewis
- DB Dean Marlowe (Re-signed to active roster)
- DB Josh Thomas
- DE Bryan Cox Jr.
- DE Mike Love
- DT Justin Zimmer
-
DTTanzel Smart(not being retained) -
DTVincent Taylor(Claimed on waivers by Cleveland) - LB Andre Smith
- OL Evan Boehm
- OL Trey Adams
OL Marquell Harrell- OL Victor Salako
- OL Brandon Walton
DT Tanzel Smart won’t be back
Per source, DT Tanzel Smart will NOT be joining the #Bills' practice squad at this time. Some team will be getting a solid DT. Played really well in the team scrimmage.
— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) September 6, 2020
WR Robert Foster is leaving
Source: The Packers are signing former Alabama wide receiver Robert Foster to their practice squad
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) September 6, 2020
The Bills won't be signing CB Brian Allen to their practice squad
The #Bills will NOT be signing CB Brian Allen to their practice squad per source. Not a surprise as the team already added Cam Lewis to their PS and could add draft pick Dane Jackson.
— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) September 6, 2020
OL Marquel Harrell will not be back
UDFA OL Marquel Harrell will NOT be added to the #Bills' practice squad per source.
— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) September 6, 2020