Under-the-radar players with real chance make the roster

Because the Bills roster is one of the most talented and deepest in the league, it will be hard for newcomers and under-the-radar guys to make a splash on the team. But, every year there are a couple guys that make the 53-man roster that not many expected. Below, I’ll highlight a handful of fringe roster players that have a chance to sneak onto the roster.

TE Jalen Wydermyer

I was ecstatic when the Bills announced that they signed Jalen Wydermyer after he went undrafted at the end of April. The Bills somehow landed a tight end who, at the beginning of the college football season, was viewed as a day one or day two pick. However, there are a couple reasons he wasn’t drafted. The two main reasons were that his season was not as effective as people had anticipated and his measurables during his pre-draft workouts were horrible. In addition, his testing ability officially plummeted his stock to being undrafted.

I believe he has a legit shot at making the roster at the TE3 spot because the two other players in, Tommy Sweeney and Quinton Morris, have not shown us anything to make us believe they can be a legit option on the Bills offense. Morris didn’t have much opportunity in his rookie year last season as he spent most of the time on the practice squad, but he would have gotten some snaps if he were productive in camp/practice. But when it comes to Sweeney, he has had his chances. He had the medical issue in 2020, but in 2021 he was the second option at the position and was still a non-factor in the offense – even when Knox was forced to miss time. Sweeney was active for 13 games and only produced 44 yards on nine receptions. It’s also not like Sweeney is an elite blocker, he isn’t horrible, but he doesn’t jump off the board when it comes to blocking. Knox and Howard lock up the first two tight end spots, but the TE3 spot is wide open.

At this point, Wydermyer is not the favorite, but he will be allowed to win this job, and he should be. Nothing against Sweeney at all, but if you are the Bills, you already know who your top two tight-end options are. Why not go with someone who presents a lot of upside and intrigue?

LB Baylon Spector

When it comes to a 7th-round pick, you honestly have no idea if they will ever make the roster or have any impact on the team. When it comes to Spector, however, he might have caught a slight break this past week with the suspension of Andre Smith. The NFL suspended Smith for the first six games of the season because of PEDs. Most people are speculating, and I agree, that this ends any chance he had of making the roster. However, if the Bills decide to move on from Smith, it leaves a big hole in the special teams. That is where Spector can make some noise and make the roster.

If it weren’t for Smith’s suspension, the path to the Bills roster would be tough. If you look at his competition for the position, it is not easy. The four guys in front of him that he would have had to beat out to get playing time on defensive snaps would be Edmunds, Milano, Bernard, and Dodson. So the suspension of Smith doesn’t change the fact that, barring an injury to one of those four guys, Spector would not have seen any defensive reps. But it does change the fact that he can see legit special teams snaps. That is his path to making the roster. If he shows in camp that he can be a legit contributor on special teams, then he has a good chance to make the roster. Having special teams experience at Clemson should work in Spector’s favor.

Nobody is asking for him to be an all-world special teams player. The Bills already have that in Siran Neal and Tyler Matakevich. Still, if he can slowly develop into Andre Smith’s role, Spector will find himself on the roster, and the sky is the limit from there.

CB Cam Lewis

Cam Lewis is a player that has often gone back and forth between the practice squad and the 53-man roster. Since his time in Buffalo began in 2020, he has shown flashes of being a productive corner but hasn’t gotten enough playing time in Buffalo. However, this past year, he appeared in 7 games and started in 1 of them. His best attribute is his ability to play both inside and outside, but he mainly excels at slot corner. Taron Johnson currently occupies that spot.

When it comes to Cam Lewis making the initial 53-man roster, he has a legitimate chance for two reasons. The first is the injury to Tre’ White, and the second is his versatility and experience playing in the system. If we throw the White injury aside, what is Lewis’ chance of making the roster when everybody is healthy? The answer is still pretty good. The reason is that there isn’t a ton of players that are currently ahead of him on the depth chart. White, Dane Jackson, Kaiir Elam, and Johnson are the only players currently ahead of him. Besides those four corners, he is in battle with a couple of late-round picks and practice squad players. This is honestly Lewis’ battle to lose. The Bills taking Christian Benford in the 6th round might not be an excellent sign for Lewis, but at the end of the day Benford was a 6th-round pick so the expectations aren’t crazy high. Lewis should be able to beat him out.

It all depends on how many corners the Bills want to keep. But if they decide to hold six, Lewis should have no problem making the roster. If the Bills do stay with only five corners, it becomes tricky depending on how they view Siran Neal and Christian Benford. Lewis’ ability to play both corner positions should give him a leg up in this cornerback battle.

OT Luke Tenuta

A player that people are not talking enough about that has a chance to make the roster is rookie offensive lineman Luke Tenuta from Virginia Tech. The Bills already possess two massive linemen, Tommy Doyle and Spencer Brown, and you can add Tenuta to that list. Listed at 6′ 8″ and 319lbs, Tenuta is a gigantic human being. Last year, we saw Brown have success at his size and become the starting RT, and Doyle made the roster as a late-round pick. The Bills hope they have found something similar in Tenuta.

The main reason why I believe Tenuta can make this roster is his versatility. His ability to play the guard and tackle positions will give him a huge leg up in the battle for a roster spot. I honestly think he will excel inside because his lack of athleticism will hurt him on the outside. Imagine that size on the inside. With a little bit of development, he could turn into a very trustworthy guard or a perfect depth piece. The Bills love the versatility of Bates being able to play guard and center. Why would they not love the versatility of Tenuta being able to play guard and tackle?

Because of his size, I believe it will take him a little time to grow into the position and body type, but it’s not like the Bills need him to play and perform on day one. This is primarily a developmental piece for the Bills, but seeing Tenuta as one of the last players on this roster makes total sense, and he could be a future piece of the Bills offense down the road.