Getty Caleb Benenoch goes through a drill during the pre-draft NFL combine.
The Buffalo Bills have completed their first round of training camp cuts early, targeting the offensive line and cutting loose a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots guard.
The Bills became the league’s first team to reach cut down their roster to 85, doing so ahead of the Tuesday deadline, the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported. The team announced on Sunday that they had released five players, including three offensive linemen who saw no action in the team’s first preseason game against the Detroit Lions.
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Bills Trim Down Line
The team announced on Sunday that they had cut guard Caleb Benenoch, who had a stretch of 22 starts for the Buccaneers after being drafted in 2016. Benenoch had signed earlier this month after injuries and illness had cut down on depth in Bills training camp.
After a promising start to his career, Benenoch struggled to find a permanent place in the league. He appeared in just one game in 2019 and not at all last season with the Patriots. He spent time with the Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys and Lions, but only as a practice squad or training camp player.
There was some hope that Benenoch could provide depth for the Bills, with Nick Wojton of USA Today’s Bills Wire writing that he could become something of a utility lineman.
“Between his college and pro career, Benenoch has a Bills trigger word attached to his name: Versatile. He has experience playing both at guard and tackle,” Wojton wrote, pointing out that Benenoch earned a 44.8 grade from Pro Football Focus in his last season as a starter in 2018.
90 #Bills players in 90 days: offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch t.co/AV76u3vdFb
But Benenoch struggled to stand out at training camp, with Syracuse.com’s Matt Parrino noting that he was often overmatched in one-on-one reps and couldn’t get onto the field during team drills.
In addition to Benenoch, the Bills also cut linemen Marquell Harrell and Syrus Tuitele. None of the three played any snaps in the team’s 16-15 win over the Lions on Monday. The team also parted ways with defensive tackle Eli Ankou and linebacker Mike Bell.
Bills Line Gets Healthier
The cuts targeting the offensive line come as the team’s starting lineup is coming back together for the first time in weeks. Dion Dawkins returned to practice this week after spending two weeks on the COVID-19 reserve list. Fellow lineman Ike Boettger had returned from the COVID-19 reserve list earlier in the week, playing 11 snaps in Friday’s game.
We’ve activated OL Dion Dawkins from the Reserve/COVID list. #BillsMafia
It could take longer for Dawkins to return, though he is expected to be a cornerstone of the team’s offensive line. Dawkins earned good marks for his performance last season, with PFF putting him at No. 21 in its ranking of offensive tackles. Marc Sessler of NFL.com predicted that Dawkins would make his first Pro Bowl this season, saying his play is key to the further development of Josh Allen.
“Josh Allen’s fireball rise is grounded in his almost-supernatural athletic gifts, but Buffalo brass deserve credit, too, for creating a stable environment. Dawkins — who landed a four-year, $60 million extension last August — is linked to Allen’s future for years to come as a bookend on the rise,” he wrote.
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