90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: WR Tyrell Shavers

The Buffalo Bills have a large group of pass-catchers vying for position on the 53-man roster. The team definitely wants to add size to its wide receiver group, as they currently have four wideouts who stand at least 6’4” tall, and three more who are at least 6’2”. After the last few years, where the team prioritized smaller, shiftier players, this is a switch.

Does that give some of the newer additions to the roster, those bigger receivers, an advantage in making the final cut? That much is up for debate. However, in today’s edition of “90 players in 90 days,” we’re talking about one of those taller wideouts added to the roster this offseason.

Name: Tyrell Shavers

Number: 80

Position: WR

Height/Weight: 6’4”, 211 pounds

Age: 23 (24 on 8/18/2023)

Experience/Draft: R; signed with Buffalo following the 2023 NFL Draft

College: San Diego State

Acquired: UDFA signing

Financial situation (per Spotrac): Shavers signed his three-year UDFA deal this spring, a pact worth $2,703,500 overall. For the 2023 season, Shavers carries a cap hit of $752,833 if he makes the roster. Buffalo is on the hook for a dead-cap charge of $8,500 if they release him. That dead-cap total is the signing bonus on the contract.

2022 Recap: Shavers saw significant playing time for the first time in his college career in 2022, and he responded by making Second-Team All Mountain West Conference. He caught 38 passes for 643 yards and three touchdowns. On special teams, he had two tackles and a blocked punt. That punt block brought his career total to three punts blocked for the Aztecs. Perhaps most interestingly, he returned each of his three blocked punts in his career for a touchdown.

Positional outlook: Shavers is one of 13 wideouts on the current roster, a list that includes Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Deonte Harty, Khalil Shakir, Trent Sherfield, Justin Shorter, Dezmon Patmon, Marcell Ateman, Jalen Wayne, Bryan Thompson, KeeSean Johnson, and Isaiah Coulter.

2023 Offseason: Shavers is healthy and participating in offseason activities.

2023 Season outlook: Barring a great preseason, Shavers is a long shot to make the roster. What could save him, however, is if he shows up on special teams. If he’s going to make an impact, that sixth receiver spot could go to someone who can be disruptive as a gunner or as a rusher to block kicks, and Shavers has shown a knack for the latter in college. He’s not terribly fast — his 4.59-second 40 time at his pro day would have placed him near the bottom of wide receivers invited to the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine — nor is he a particularly explosive athlete overall. What he does have, though, is size, and if he can show up in the preseason with some big catches and a play or two on special teams, then he has an outside shot at that last wideout spot. A practice squad invite is the more likely route, however, if he’s going to stay with the Bills in 2023.