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One day after a release that had some analysts puzzled, rookie Ja’Marcus Ingram is already back with the Buffalo Bills.
The undrafted rookie joined the Bills in May, a hometown product who played his senior season at the University of Buffalo. He played his way up from the practice squad and appeared in two games as the Bills were hit with a number of injuries, but was released on Monday after he played more than a quarter of the team’s defensive snaps against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Though some insiders believe the move could have been a prelude to the return of another rookie cornerback, the Bills have yet to make that move and re-signed Ingram on Tuesday.
Ingram Returns to Bills
When Ingram was released on Monday, some thought it was an indication that rookie cornerback Christian Benford was close to returning from a broken hand that had kept him out of the last two games. The sixth-round pick made a strong impression through three games, earning a spot in the starting lineup alongside fellow rookie Kaiir Elam, but had to undergo surgery after breaking his hand.
Syracuse.com’s Matt Parrino speculated on Monday that Ingram’s release could say something about Benford’s readiness to return.
“#Bills releasing Ja’Marcus Ingram is very interesting,” he tweeted. “Could indicate Christian Benford is close to returning. Not sure it’s a Tre White move because I still believe he’ll need some practice time. But, only Bills know where he’s at and the plan to bring him back.”
He made a good impression!
Congratulations to Ja’Marcus Ingram for earning a free agent deal with the @BuffaloBills.
The Bills have yet to give any indication of whether Benford could be ready to come back, but Ingram did rejoin the team. The team announced that Ingram was signed to the practice squad along with wide receiver KeeSean Johnson, while undrafted rookie free agent Jaquarii Roberson was released. Roberson joined the practice squad last week, just one day after he had been released by the Steelers.
DB Ja’Marcus Ingram and WR KeeSean Johnson were signed to the practice squad.
WR Jaquarii Roberson was released.
Ingram is seen as a long-term prospect, but could have the right tools to become a regular contributor. As Mark Gaughan on the Buffalo News noted, he has good size at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds and ran a 4.60-second time in the 40-yard dash at UB’s pro day.
Ingram said at the time that his physicality makes him a good fit for the Bills, who prize physical corners.
“I feel like that will be one of my strengths, being physical, being a bigger guy, it’s easier for me to use my God-given abilities and physique to make those physical plays. My mentality is to come in and compete every day,” Ingram said. “Not just with the other guys in the room, but with myself. Competing with myself is what has gotten me to this point. So I’ll continue to compete with myself and ramp it up every day.”
Bills Getting Healthier
After losing a number of starters on both sides of the ball early this season, the Bills have gotten a number of key players back. Wide receiver Gabe Davis battled through an ankle injury but was back at full health against the Steelers, making three catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
On the defensive side, tackles Ed Oliver and Jordan Phillips returned after missing games. All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White is also eligible to return after spending four weeks on the physically-unable-to-perform list, but head coach Sean McDermott has not indicated when he might return to practice.
McDermott did say that the team is trending in the right direction after being hit hard by injuries.
“We are at a pretty good spot with some of these guys getting healthy,” McDermott said, via Buffalo Rumblings. “Last week, we held some guys out that were getting close.”
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Bills Bring Back Rookie CB One Day After Unexpected Release