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The Buffalo Bills are starting to get healthier on defense, leading a veteran offensive lineman to fall victim to the new roster crunch.
The Bills moved second-year cornerback Kaiir Elam to the active roster this week and could be close to adding defensive tackle DaQuan Jones. In order to make space on the roster, the Bills parted ways with veteran offensive lineman Germain Ifedi.
The Bills had signed Ifedi just prior to the start of the season, keeping him on the 53-man roster as a reserve. His release is seen as a sign that the Bills are close to bringing Jones back after he suffered a torn pectoral in a Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Bills Never Played Veteran Lineman
The Bills picked up Ifedi in late August after he failed to make the final 53-man roster in Detroit. As WGR 550 reporter Zach Jones pointed out, the 29-year-old came to the Bills with plenty of NFL experience as he spent parts of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons, appearing in 102 games and making 82 starts.
The Bills had signed Ifedi after losing backup tackle Tommy Doyle to a season-ending injury suffered in a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bills were impressed with Ifedi’s experience and his physical traits, with general manager Brandon Beane sharing some praise when they signed him.
“He’s started a lot of games … he’s played a lot,” Beane said. “He’s just a big man, he’s long. And the thing that I saw is that if he got beat, it wasn’t an immediate loss. It was a fight to the third or fourth second of the play.”
Though he remained on the 53-man roster the entire season, Ifedi was inactive every week as the Bills avoided major injuries on their offensive line. The Bills could still sign Ifedi back to their practice squad.
DaQuan Jones Returns to Practice
The Bills had an open roster spot that they used to activate Elam, but needed to clear space if they choose to move Jones back to the roster. Reporter Sal Capaccio suggested that the move could come before the team’s game against the New England Patriots on December 31.
“The Bills have released OL Germain Ifedi. This opens up a roster spot for DT DaQuan Jones if they choose to activate him by Saturday at 4 PM,” noted Capaccio.
The Bills had activated the 21-day practice window for Jones last week, and he was a full participant at practice on Wednesday.
Jones said last week that he felt ready to take the field again after a long rehab.
“Feeling pretty dang good,” Jones said, via USA Today’s Bills Wire. “Over the past couple weeks and months I’ve been busting my tail in the training room.”
The Bills could get a big boost when Jones returns. He had been one of their top defensive linemen, registering 2.5 sacks and three tackles for a loss while often disrupting opposing running backs. He was given a 90.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which was the fifth-best among all defensive linemen at the time he was placed on injured reserve.
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