The Buffalo Bills have added nine players to their practice squad.
All nine players entered the league as undrafted free agents. All were among the final cuts to the 53 man roster, but have shown potential to develop as contributors in the future.
The practice squad players are Jeff Tuel, Jimmy Gaines, Deon Broomfield, Caleb Holley, Ike Igbinosun, Bryan Johnson, Kenny Ladler, Lonnie Pryor, and G D.J. Morrell.
Tuel is the biggest name on the list, as he was competing for the backup quarterback job this offseason, but did not perform well enough in OTAs and Training Camp to grab that spot nor guarantee a spot on the initial 53 man roster. The signing of veteran quarterback Kyle Orton to back up starter E.J. Manuel sealed his fate.
Gaines, a rookie, is a native of Buffalo who starred at the university of Miami. He compiled 199 career tackles, eight of them for loss, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. For more on his backstory, read my piece on him.
Another rookie, Broomfield played at Iowa State, starting every game of his senior year in 2013. He put up 57 tackles, broke up six passes and recovered two fumbles, finishing with three career interceptions. I also covered him and Ladler during camp.
Holley, also a rookie had some nice catches in training camp, but didn’t finish the preseason with a catch. He used his great size (6’4”, 200 pounds) to put up a school-record 970 receiving yards at Division II East Central (Oklahoma), and has some developmental potential as a bigger wide receiver.
Igbinosun returns to Buffalo’s practice squad after playing their last year. The 6’3”, 286 pound alum of Division II Southern Connecticut State recorded two tackles in the preseason finale against Detroit last Thursday, and spent time on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad in 2012.
Johnson signed with the Bills this offseason as an undrafted free agent after registering 89 tackles and eight sacks at West Texas A&M. He had three tackles in the preseason, and despite being 26 years old, has good size (6’4”, 250 pounds) to develop as a pass-rusher.
Ladler may have had the most decorated college career of any member of the practice squad, as he started 39 games at the Univesity of Vanderbilt. He finished with nine career interceptions, and was the first defensive back in Southeastern Conference History to lead his team in tackles for two consecutive seasons (2012 with 90 and 2013 with 91).
Morrell, a 6’6”, 325 pound guard from Old Dominion, is a rookie who spent the 2014 preseason with St. Louis after originally being signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent this year.
Pryor is a second-year player who spent time on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad and the active roster of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013. The 6’0”, 229 pound back from Florida State has the versatility to play both running back and fullback.
