The Buffalo Bills knew this offseason they had to upgrade the receiving room. During the 2024 regular season, Buffalo made a trade for Cleveland Browns receiver Amari Cooper. The 31-year-old was supposed to change the passing game. But the opposite happened. Cooper only recorded 297 yards and two scores in eight games.
Buffalo Brought in a Few WRs This Offseason
Cooper became a free agent this offseason, and Buffalo showed no signs of wanting him back. Instead, the team signed three veteran receivers, Josh Palmer, Elijah Moore, and Laviska Shenault Jr.
Palmer signed a three-year deal while Moore and Shenault signed one-year contracts. There was no way Palmer was going to get cut after training camp, considering his contract. But Moore and Shenault were battling it out all summer.
The Bills knew they couldn’t keep both Moore and Shenault since they already have Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, Palmer, and Tyrell Shavers, who had a great preseason.
Bills Part Ways With Shenault
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “The Bills are releasing WR and returner Laviska Shenault Jr., a source said, a former 2nd round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Shenault has been in the NFL for five years, playing for the Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, and Los Angeles Chargers. When Shenault was coming out of college, he was viewed as a player who could be like how the San Francisco 49ers used receiver Deebo Samuel.
Samuel used to line up as a running back and receiver for the 49ers. When former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer took over as the Jaguars‘ head coach in 2021, there were plans to use Shenault like Samuel. However, those plans didn’t work out since the offense was a mess, and Meyer was fired in December.
Now, Shenault will be looking for a new place to play this season, or maybe he will stay on Buffalo’s practice squad. Even though he isn’t on the active roster, he could be signed to the practice squad if he clears waivers. Having Shenault on the team would be a great thing. He has enough NFL experience that he could be thrown onto the active roster in the middle of the season and produce.
Bills Part Ways With 5-Year Veteran WR on Tuesday