The Buffalo Bills announced Tuesday evening that they have signed 13 players to future/reserve contracts. These are contracts are given out by teams to players who didn’t finish the regular season on the active roster; maybe they were free agents, or perhaps members of the practice squad, and could have signed with another team this offseason. But Buffalo will now keep them under contract through at least next preseason.
The signees are as follows:
- T Trey Adams
- TE Nate Becker
- DT Brandin Bryant
- DE Bryan Cox Jr.
- WR Tanner Gentry
- CB Dane Jackson
- WR Jake Kumerow
- DE Mike Love
- S Josh Thomas
- RB Christian Wade
- QB Davis Webb
- RB Antonio Williams
- WR Duke Williams
Left off the tendered list were RB Devonta Freeman, C/G Jonotthan Harrison, LB Darron Lee, CB Duke Thomas, and WR Kenny Stills. They are now free to sign elsewhere and will likely be looking for more than the NFL minimum salary these reserve deals are worth.
Both Freeman and Stills signed with the Bills late in the season to serve on an as-needed basis; the season-ending injury to Zack Moss seemed to spur the Freeman signing, and the lingering bumps and bruises within the wide receiver core led to excitement about Stills potentially playing a role in the playoffs. Neither played a snap for Buffalo.
Of the 13 signees, eight appeared on an active game-day roster for the Bills this season. Those include Bryant, Cox, Jackson, Kumerow, Love, Thomas, and both Antonio and Duke Williams, with Jackson and Kumerow seeing the most time of anyone in the group. Jackson tallied 15 total tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery in five total games, while Kumerow saw 17 offensive snaps and caught a 22-yard touchdown for his lone pass in six total games.
These deals go into effect on the first day of the new league year, which is March 17 for 2021.