The Bills reduced their roster to the required 75 players with a handful of injury designations in addition to the normal cuts Tuesday afternoon.
Buffalo Bills Insider Chris Brown provides the details on the cut to 75 players. Here is his report:
The Bills reduced their roster to the required 75 players with a handful of injury designations in addition to the normal cuts Tuesday afternoon. Not long before the league’s 4 pm deadline Buffalo cut nine players and designated seven others for Reserve lists or injured reserve.
Chief among them Buffalo’s top two draft choices, Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland. Lawson was placed on Reserve/PUP while Ragland went to injured reserve.
Lawson, who was expected to miss a portion of the regular season following shoulder surgery in the spring, is now assured of missing the team’s first six games. Reserve/PUP means Lawson does not have the opportunity to begin practicing with his teammates until the start of Week 7 (Oct. 17th) at the earliest.
Between Weeks 7 and 10 NFL clubs have the option to begin a 21-day practice window for players on Reserve/PUP who have been cleared to participate. Anytime in that 21-day period the team can choose to either activate the player to their 53-man roster or if the player does not perform as hoped put him on season-ending injured reserve.
Though there is no definitive timetable for Lawson’s return, head coach Rex Ryan has stated more than once that Lawson has been progressing well through his rehabilitation.
“We’re definitely optimistic,” Ryan said. “He’s doing a great job. He’s working extremely hard, so we’re confident at some point we feel great that he’ll be back and contributing at some point during the year.”
Lawson’s draft classmate Kolby Listenbee was placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list. Coming off of double sports hernia surgery Listenbee’s recovery was slowed by pelvic inflammation. It compromised his plans to be ready for training camp and the preseason. He too will use the next six weeks to hopefully round into form to also be a consideration for returning to practice between Weeks 7 and 10 of the regular season.
Meanwhile Ragland’s season was over before it had a chance to begin when he suffered a torn ACL in the second week of training camp, which required surgery. Being placed on injured reserve was merely a formality.
Other players with injury designations included CB Jonathan Dowling (waived-injured), WR Marcus Easley (Reserve/PUP), TE Chris Gragg (waived-injured) and OT Justin Renfrow (waived-injured).
Little heads player releases
Veteran WR Greg Little was probably the most eye-opening of the player cuts Tuesday. In the throes of a heated competition at receiver Little was tied for second on the team in receptions in the preseason and second overall in receiving yards to just Walt Powell.
QB Austin Trainor, who was just signed Monday also was released, meaning Cardale Jones is presumably healthy enough in his return from a shoulder injury to play Thursday night at Detroit.
Popular undrafted rookie LB Eric Striker was released as his playing time fell off sharply last week at Washington. Here is the full list of players cut Tuesday.
LS Reid Ferguson
LB David Hawthorne
OL Robert Kugler
WR Greg Little
TE Jimmay Mundine
LB Eric Striker
DL Alameda Ta’Amu
QB Austin Trainor
DT Justin Zimmer
The deadline for final cuts to reduce the roster to 53 players is Saturday, Sep. 3 by 4 pm.