The Buffalo Bills are making some changes to their 90-man roster as training camp nears, parting ways with a second-generation defensive back in another move for the secondary.
The Bills announced on Monday that they released defensive back Daryl Porter Jr., who had a family connection to the team from the past decades. The Bills have already made several other additions to their secondary, leaving Porter with what would have been a difficult path to earning a spot on the final roster.
Bills Move Daryl Porter Jr. to Make Room for WR
The Bills announced Porter’s release on Monday, a corresponding move to the signing of speedy wide receiver Mac Dalena. The team had signed Porter in January, adding him for depth in the playoffs after an injury to starting cornerback Maxwell Hairston.
Porter was not active for the team’s playoff loss to the Denver Broncos. He started the season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, appearing in one game.
Porter’s father, Daryl Porter Sr., followed a similar path in the NFL. He came into the league as an undrafted free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997 before joining the Bills the next year. He went on to play in 34 games during four seasons in Buffalo, making one interception and recovering two fumbles, returning one of those for a touchdown.
Bills Have Overhauled Secondary
The Bills have already made several significant changes to their secondary, parting ways with starting safety Taylor Rapp and allowing a pair of other longtime veterans — Tre’Davious White and Jordan Poyer — to hit free agency. The Bills also traded nickel cornerback Taron Johnson to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Bills also invested a second-round pick on Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun, though the team has hinted that Hairston could be the one headed for a bigger role. He is coming off a rookie season that was marked by injuries, though new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said the team expects Hairston to return strong and take on a big role.
“We love Max. I was a huge fan of Max coming out of college,” Leonhard said. “We’re not down on any of the corners we have. We needed depth, and I firmly believe you have to be able to rush the passer and you have to be able to cover [receivers], and we needed more depth in the room.”
Leonhard added that he loves the way Hairston plays, saying he believes the second-year cornerback is ready to take a leap now that he’s returned to full health.
“He’s high energy – all the time,” Leonhard said. “He loves ball, he loves practice. Any little coaching point you give him on a one-on-one basis, he’s really into that. So to me, the energy and the passion about football, and then obviously he’s got high-level athletic traits.
“We want to keep him healthy for a whole season. That’s the one thing that’s going to be a big challenge for him, is just continuing to grow into that NFL body and be available every week.”
Bills Cut Ties With Son of Former Buffalo DB Months After Signing Him