Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin may be on the bubble heading into the deadline for final roster cuts, but his path to the 53-man roster just got a bit shorter.
The Bills announced a series of cuts on Saturday, including a safety who had been competing with Hamlin for a spot on the roster. The veteran Hamlin turned in a strong performance during the preseason, which could be enough to get him back to the roster.
Bills Cut Wande Owens
The Bills announced 13 player cuts on Saturday, including safety Wande Owens. The Bills originally signed Owens as an undrafted free agent last year and he bounced on and off of the roster this offseason.
NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo noted in August that the Bills brought Owens back again.
“The Bills are re-signing S Wande Owens,” Garofolo wrote in a post on X. “Owens had four workouts with other teams since Buffalo released him on July 31 and now returns to the club that originally signed him as an undrafted free agent last year.”
Some analysts believed the former Ivy Leaguer had a good chance to make the 53-man roster.
“Wande Owens has the complete makeup to sneak onto this Bills team,” CBS Sports NFL reporter Chris Trapasso wrote. “He was a do-everything safety at two different schools — Yale and New Hampshire — and he’s a freaky athlete. At a chiseled 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, Owens ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash and had a ridiculous 43-inch vertical jump and 11-3 broad jump.”
Damar Hamlin Solidified Roster Chances
Hamlin has turned in a strong preseason, registering interceptions in each of the last two games, while also showing strong play on special teams. He appeared to move past fellow veteran Geno Stone on the depth chart, putting him in strong position to return to the active roster.
Hamlin said he feels confident and comfortable in new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s 3-4 base scheme.
“I’m fully confident in our rush; I’m fully confident in our scheme,” Hamlin said. “Fully confident in our coverage across the board and in our tools. I’m fully confident in our game plan, our coaches, every which way. I really believe we can get the job done.”
Hamlin added that there have been some challenges in adjusting, but he’s excited at the high expectations the team has placed on him.
“It’s been an adjustment, but it’s fun having new challenges. I love having expectations on me as a player; to be able to expect at a high-level in a new defense in such a short time is something I have enjoyed,” Hamlin added.
Bills Safety Damar Hamlin Gets Good News Before Final Roster Deadline