Seattle Seahawks

Buffalo Bills Make Six Roster Moves Ahead of MNF vs. Seattle

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Oct 30, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan walks on the field before a game against the New England Patriots at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills couldn’t get it done vs. the Patriots for Week 8 and ended up making a few roster moves early this week to help their current situation.

So far, this has been quite the rollercoaster season for the Buffalo Bills.

During training camp and preseason, a lot of people were writing the Bills’ season over before it began — due to the injuries that started piling up.

bills

BuffaLowDown 6dBuffalo Bills vs. Patriots RB Fantasy Football Outlook

More headlines around FanSided:

6d - Buffalo Bills vs. Patriots WR Fantasy Football Outlook 6d - Buffalo Bills vs. Patriots: Start Tom Brady, Sit Tyrod Taylor 6d - Buffalo Bills vs. Patriots DEF Fantasy Football Outlook 1 w - Buffalo Bills vs. Dolphins: Top Fantasy Football Performers 1 w - NFL Week 8: Survivor Pool Stone Cold LocksMore News at BuffaLowDown

After two weeks of the regular season had passed, those doubts coming from every which way were validated with an 0-2 start by Buffalo. That was when the Bills finally woke up and realized the season had started.

They followed that up with four straight wins vs. the Cardinals, Patriots, Rams and 49ers. Stellar defense, an unstoppable running game and a passing game that didn’t turn the ball over are what helped the Bills start to climb up the power rankings.

That’s when we hit another downfall, losing the next two games to the Dolphins and Patriots — two divisional games that we needed to win.

Now halfway through the season, the team is still dealing with new injuries every week and struggling to find a gameplan that consistently works well. Sitting at 4-4, the season isn’t over and the playoffs are still a possibility. However, it’s clear that we will need some extra help and some new faces to step up and make this team great.

It’s something the Bills’ organization has noticed and started to take action towards. Knowing that we are just a few players away from being that consistent team we all have been wishing for, the additions the Bills made early this week — and demotions — should help this team bounce back in the second half of the season.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Buffalo made a total of six roster moves to better suit the team for the second half. Some players were released, some sent to the practice squad and some were added.

Through this slide, we will go through all of the moves that were made, starting with safety Aaron Williams.

Oct 2, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; Buffalo Bills strong safety Aaron Williams (23) blocks the pass intended for New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola (80) in the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Bills defeated the Patriots 16-0. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Williams was placed on the IR on Tuesday, giving the Bills a spot on their 53-man roster to fill.

If you were watching the Buffalo Bills’ Week 7 game vs. the Miami Dolphins, you know the hit that I am referring to when people talk about Jarvis Landry’s “dirty” hit on Aaron Williams.

It was a play that happened halfway through the second quarter. The Dolphins had the ball on the Bills’ 11 yard line in a 1st and 10 situation. Jay Ajayi runs the ball and while Williams had his eye on the running back, Jarvis Landry came out of nowhere and decked Williams fairly high.

Upcoming Schedule

Landry has stated that he had no intentions on hurting Williams, but by looking at the play it’s hard to believe that. There are so many things Landry could’ve done to block Williams without it being a “dirty hit.”

I mean, players are taught not to make blocks like that. After the game, Eric Wood explained this:

“Our guys, I know on offense, are taught when you have those crack shots, don’t even take it, because it’s going to be a penalty,” he said. “Get in his way, don’t take a shot low, don’t take a shot high, because that’s a penalty. … That’s a dangerous play.”

On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills announced that they had placed Aaron Williams on the reserve/injured list keeping him sidelined for at least 8 weeks. With 9 weeks left in the season, it’s very unlikely we see Williams play another snap this season.

It was something you never want to see happen — whether it’s a player on your favorite team or a player on the team you hate. This is football and injuries happen, but ones like this can easily be avoided — and this one especially should’ve been avoided.

For now, we send Williams our best wishes and hope for a speedy recovery. Safe to say, he will have yet another major career decision to make during the offseason.

Placing him on the IR freed up a roster spot for the Bills, which leads us to our next roster move.

Oct 4, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Percy Harvin (18) during the game against the New York Giants at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills somehow convinced Percy Harvin to come out of retirement and rejoin the Bills.

Yes, you heard that correctly.

Putting Aaron Williams — as unfortunate as it was — gave the Buffalo Bills a missing spot on their 53-man roster. So, how did they use it? By somehow convincing Percy Harvin to come out of retirement to continue his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills.

For those who don’t remember, Percy Harvin spent the 2015 season with the Bills after having stints with the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets. He only played in 5 games for the Bills last year before ending his season with an injury.

In those 5 games, he tallied 19 receptions, 218 yards and one touchdown on 30 targets. He was also featured in the running game and returning kick-offs.

As the 2016 season crept up on us, Harvin was faced with a decision similar to the one Aaron Williams had — and is also dealing with right now. In April, Harvin made the decision to retire due to his health concerns.

8 weeks into the regular season, the Buffalo Bills found their top-three wide receivers — plus some — injured on a week-to-week basis. Then that important text came.

Percy Harvin has opened up about his decision to retire, adding that he is ready to return to the Bills.

“Just waking up in the morning it was tough getting out of bed,” he said. “It was tough chasing my little son around. It was just time for me to take a step back and let my body heal the way it wanted to.”

Harvin continued:

“I think any athlete who wants to perform how he wants to perform and he’s not allowed to do that, it’s very frustrating,” said Harvin. “I knew the level I wanted to play at and my body just wouldn’t let me play at that level with my knee. It was time for me to just step back and let my body heal without trainers putting a timeline on it or being rushed.”

Then the assurance:

“I just wanted to take time off for myself,” he said. “I was able to relax with my family and just kind of get myself together. I’m refreshed and I’m ready to go.”

Welcome back, Percy Harvin. Hopefully we see you on Monday Night!

Jul 31, 2016; Irvine, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams cornerback Marcus Roberson (47) stretches at training camp at UC Irvine. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

After being released from the 53-man roster, Marcus Roberson has been added to the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad.

On Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills announced they were releasing Marcus Roberson from the team’s 53-man roster. It was a move that came when they announced the signing of a promising cornerback — which we will get to next.

bills

BuffaLowDown 6dBuffalo Bills vs. Patriots RB Fantasy Football Outlook

More headlines around FanSided:

Marcus Roberson was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2014, but became a Buffalo Bills’ member when the Rams moved to LA. In 25 games for the Rams, he totaled 39 tackles, one forced fumble (last year), one interception (two years ago) and 7 passes defended.

However, the Buffalo Bills proved that their intentions were to add him to the practice squad. Once Roberson cleared waivers, the Buffalo Bills announced that he had been added to the team’s practice squad. It was a good move for the Bills, who obviously see something they like in Roberson.

When that move was announced — on Friday — it came with the release Mose Frazier, who was already on the team’s practice squad.

With Roberson now on the PS, who took his place on the 53-man roster?

Nov 29, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars free safety Sergio Brown (38) motions against the San Diego Chargers in the third quarter at EverBank Field. The Chargers won 31-25. Mandatory Credit: Jim Steve-USA TODAY Sports

After Marcus Roberson moved from the active roster to the PS, the Buffalo Bills signed safety Sergio Brown to help fill the hole left by the Aaron Williams’ injury.

Sergio Brown was once a promising safety out of Notre Dame selected in the 2010 NFL Draft by none other than the New England Patriots. Now in his seventh season, he finds himself with another opportunity to shine, this time with the Buffalo Bills.

After Marcus Roberson was released from the 53-man roster — to later be added to the practice squad — the Bills announced the signing of Sergio Brown.

Although he hasn’t played at the level people were hoping from him when he entered the league, he also hasn’t ever played for a defense run by a Ryan — let alone two of them.

In his rookie season with the Pats, he played in 11 games and had a fumble recovery. Since then, he has played in more than 14 games for the past 5 seasons — one more with NE, three with the Colts and last season with the Jags.

In his career, Brown has totaled 139 tackles, 2.5 sacks (all in past two seasons), three fumble recoveries, one interception and 10 passes defended.

With Aaron Williams being placed on the IR and likely having his season come to an end, the Buffalo Bills are going to look at Sergio Brown to help fill the hole that was left. He’s more of a run-stopper safety, but hopefully he can help this secondary keep the ball from moving down field through the air.

It look as if Brown will be eligible to play for the Bills’ Monday Night Football matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, but likely won’t see much — if any — action. With the bye week coming up next week, the Bills will likely wait until Week 11 vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.

Welcome to Buffalo, Sergio Brown!

Oct 31, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Georgia Bulldogs place kicker Marshall Morgan (13) makes a field goal against the Florida Gators during the second half at EverBank Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 27-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Former Georgia kicker Marshall Morgan has been released from the team’s practice squad, meaning Carpenter is likely here to stay.

The Buffalo Bills’ kicker position has gotten a lot of attention this season, dating way back to the start of training camp.

In fact, it started after Dan Carpenter‘s iffy performance last season. He finished the year making 85.2% of his field goals and missing six extra points. As training camp for the 2016 season started to creep up on us, the Bills announced the signing of 13 undrafted rookies.

One of those rookies was Marshall Morgan.

Throughout the first few days of training camp, it actually looked like Marshall Morgan could’ve been our kicker this season. The Georgia product — who finished his college career as the third-leading scorer in SEC and school history — made his first five field goals to start training camp. Carpenter had started 4-6.

That’s when Dan Carpenter completely took over and it came right after the Bills had released Morgan after signing Reggie Bush. On Day 5 of training camp, Carpenter went 10/10 and showed that his foot is not a concern when it comes to field goals.

The Bills also gave Jordan Gay a shot to compete with Carpenter, but was clearly beat out by the veteran. It wasn’t long until Carpenter was cemented as our kicker, leaving Gay to handling kickoffs and Morgan without a job.

Since then, both Gay and Morgan have spent time on and off the practice squad/53-man roster. As of today, neither of the two are part of the team after the Bills announced the release of Marshall Morgan once again.

The move opened up a spot on the practice squad, which brings us to our final slide.

Aug 13, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills long snapper Reid Ferguson (69) on the sideline during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

After announcing the release of Marshall Morgan, the team announced the re-addition of long snapper Reid Ferguson to the team’s practice squad.

This addition is sort of odd for a few reasons, but the Buffalo Bills designated their final spot on the practice squad — after releasing kicker Marshall Morgan — to long snapper Reid Ferguson.

bills

BuffaLowDown 6dBuffalo Bills vs. Patriots RB Fantasy Football Outlook

More headlines around FanSided:

If you don’t remember Ferguson, he was a member of the 13 undrafted free agents that the Bills signed after the NFL Draft — a list Morgan was also a part of. Ferguson spent his college days at LSU and being a rookie, has time to make himself into something in this league.

When the Bills were making cuts during training camp, he was one of the players that was released. Bringing him back opens a few questions, especially since we have Garrison Sanborn on our active roster — one of the best long snappers in the league.

With Sanborn being 31 years old, maybe the Bills are preparing for the future, or worse — maybe Sanbron is injured?

Then again, Ferguson could just be a big body the Bills want in practice. More competition in practice leads to more competition on gameday — and coaches like that.

Ferguson is the team’s fifth rookie on their practice squad. Who knows, maybe he takes Sanborn’s job soon and becomes our long snapper permanently.

Welcome back, Reid Ferguson!