Buffalo Bills practice squad 2014: Jeff Tuel among seven signings

The Buffalo Bills announced on Sunday afternoon that they have signed seven players to their practice squad, with second-year quarterback Jeff Tuel the headliner.

Tuel, who spent his entire rookie season in 2013 on the active roster (appearing in two games), was released on Saturday after the Bills signed veteran quarterback Kyle Orton to back up EJ Manuel. Tuel gives the Bills a second quarterback familiar with the offense in the building.

Rookie wide receiver Caleb Holley is the only other player on offense added to the practice squad at this point.

Five defenders, however, have signed on: defensive ends Ike Igbinosun and Bryan Johnson (he of training camp brawl infamy), linebacker Jimmy Gaines (a Western New York native), and safeties Deon Broomfield and Kenny Ladler.

Among that group of seven players, five (Holley, Johnson, Gaines, Broomfield, and Ladler) were 2014 undrafted free agent signings. Tuel was an undrafted free agent in 2013, and Igbinosun went undrafted in 2012.

NFL rules allow teams to keep up to 10 players on the practice squad: eight with nine or fewer games played at the NFL level (everyone signed today fits this description), and an additional two that have less than three accrued years of experience. That means the Bills can make an additional three signings, if they see fit.