Here we go again, Buffalo Bills fans; with training camp less than a month away, it’s a time when some of our breakout players will be fighting for a roster spot. Every team has players that are surprisingly cut that fans didn’t think would be at the beginning of camp.
Sometimes, these cuts are blessings as they end up getting resigned to either the 53-man roster or to the practice squad. For others, they are “gone” and end up shining on other football squads.
Buffalo Bills Surprise Camp Cuts
Buffalo Bills QB Matt Barkley (5) – Ron Schwane/AP Photo
1. Matt Barkley – (QB)
The 6’2″, 234 lb. signal-caller has had his moments ever since he arrived in Western New York, back in 2018. On Nov. 11, 2018, Barkley torched the Jets through the air in his first start with the Bills.
He was 15-25 for 232 yards with two passing touchdowns but hasn’t really done much since then. Sure, he’s a veteran and a fan favorite, but now they signed this younger backup from of course, the Carolina Panthers named Kyle Allen.
Allen has more familiarity with running Ken Dorsey’s offense than Barkley does and is younger and a much better runner than Barkley is now. By releasing Barkley, it would also save the Bills over 1,250,000 in cap space money.
Sorry fans, even though the former USC star is a fan favorite, he may be a surprise cut and Kyle Allen should be the backup behind Josh Allen on opening day.
Buffalo Bills Surprise Camp Cuts
Buffalo Bills LS Reid Ferguson (69) – Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
2. Reid Ferguson – (LS)
Now you’re probably wondering, who gives a darn if the long snapper is cut? Well, it matters this year, as the 6’2″, 235 lb., LSU native is 29 years old. Most long snappers play for about ten years and make pretty solid money at their positions, which does affect a team’s salary cap.
Plus, there is a long snapper from Syracuse University named Aaron Bolinsky, who in May, received a rookie minicamp invite to try out for the Bills.
Now, the 6’2″, 250 lb. athlete will have a chance to compete with the veteran and beat him out for the starting long-snapper job.
One of the advantages Bolinsky has is that he is a rookie coming out of college with high-level athleticism and agility to run across the field and force the returner to make fair catches.
Ferguson is nowhere near as agile at 29 years old and he is on the verge of his career being over. With that being said, he would be a likely cut to give Bolinsky the starting job. That would save the Bills $1,080,000 in cap space.
Buffalo Bills Surprise Camp Cuts
Buffalo Bills RB Latavius Murray (28) – Zach Dimmit/si.com
3. Latavius Murray – (RB)
When I heard the Bills signed veteran Latavius Murry as their 4th running back on the depth chart, I pretty much believed this was strictly going to be a camp body for the other three running backs on the team.
They already have 5’11”, 213 lb. Damien Harris, who was signed as a Devin Singletary replacement. He is a great bell cow running back with his combination of bowling ball power and break-away speed.
The proof is already in the pudding as Harris had a 64-yard TD run vs. the Bills on MNF back in Dec. 2021. Look for Harris to split number one back carries with James Cook.
The 5’11”, 190 lb., Cook is also a bell cow back but is mostly a speed back who can line up and catch the ball out of the shot gun and turn on his second gear.
The well-rounded back can also line up under center in a four-minute offense and take the ball and either run out the clock or, like Harris, break a long TD run to ice the game.
At 5’9″, 196 lbs., Hines may only be the third running back on the depth chart, but he is a jack of all trades. Like Cook, he has world-class speed and can catch passes out of the shotgun and make defenders miss.
What separates Hines from the pack is his ability to return kickoffs and play on special teams. Last year in the season finale against the New England Patriots, Hines returned not one, but two kickoffs for a TD, which had not been done in over three years.
Look for Hines to continue in that extra receiving back role and expect him to return even more kicks to the house this year.
While 6′ 3″, 230 lb., Murray enjoyed many Pro Bowls and was named to many Pro Bowl selections, the talented back will certainly be a tremendous tutor to help improve the current backs on the team, but the aging running back will probably be the next to get cut.
