The Buffalo Bills are making some last-minute roster changes before the start of the playoffs, parting ways with a veteran defensive lineman who spent parts of three seasons in Buffalo.
The team announced on January 11 that defensive tackle Eli Ankou had been released from the practice squad. The move that paved the way for the return of linebacker A.J. Klein, who was signed back to the practice squad at the same time. Ankou started the season on Buffalo’s practice squad but was poached by the Atlanta Falcons, then returned to the Bills after he was released.
Ankou’s release comes as the Bills face some uncertainty on defense, with a number of key players missing practice due to injury and their status unclear headed to the January 14 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Eli Ankou Provided Depth for Bills
Ankou was mostly a practice squad player through his three seasons in Buffalo, but did appear in six games — including five during the 2021 season — and made a total of 10 tackles.
After a short stint with the Falcons, Ankou returned to the practice squad in Buffalo. As Nick Wojton of USA Today’s Bills Wire noted, he rejoined the Bills at a time when the team had been hit by a series of injuries to key defensive linemen.
“The 29-year-old is a signing that makes sense for the team because of their recent lack of depth at the position,” Wojton wrote. “The Bills have lost DaQuan Jones (pectoral) for an extended period and Ed Oliver (toe) did not play last week. Throughout the current week, even Jordan Phillips (back) has been on the injury report as well.”
The #Bills signed LB AJ Klein to the practice squad and have released DT Eli Ankou, the team announced.
Ankou ultimately did not appear in any games for the Bills this season, and his spot on the practice squad may have been endangered when Jones returned from injured reserve in December.
Bills Banged Up as Playoffs Near
The Bills suffered a number of injuries in their Week 18 win over the Miami Dolphins, a victory that clinched their fourth straight AFC East title. The status of several players remained unclear late in the week, with several players sitting out of practice on Thursday including linebacker Tyrel Dodson, cornerback Rasul Douglas, and safety Taylor Rapp.
The Bills could also be without a key member of the offense after wide receiver Gabe Davis went down with a knee injury in Sunday’s win over the Dolphins.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott praised the team for rallying after the injuries on Sunday, with several key reserves stepping up to play big roles. That included receiver Trent Sherfield, who caught a touchdown while playing a season-high number of snaps.
“You saw that this past weekend, we’ve got to move forward – and we are. We’re gonna need it again,” McDermott said, via SI.com. “It takes everyone. You never know when your number is going to be called, as it was for Baylon [Spector], Vandy [Ryan Van Demark], Trent [Sherfield] … So you’ve got to be ready when your number is called. And that goes back to what happens today and the week as we go into Sunday.”
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Bills Part Ways With Veteran DT Days Before Playoff Game