The Buffalo Bills announced the signings of wide receivers Kenny Stills and Tanner Gentry to their practice squad on Monday, finally making it official after the team brought in both receivers for workouts last week.
In corresponding moves, the Bills also released wide receivers J.J. Nelson and Garry Jennings from their practice squad. Jennings was just signed to the practice squad last week but it looks like the Bills feel like both Stills have Gentry have a higher ceiling in the offense.
The rumors surrounding Stills and Gentry started last week when the Bills brought in both for official workouts. With the number of targets that Bills quarterback Josh Allen has in the offense already and Cole Beasley’s status still being up in the air for the first week of the playoffs, Stills and Gentry could be depth signings as the Bills move into the postseason.
They are set to play the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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Kenny Stills Gives the Bills Another Veteran Receiver
The Bills wide receiver corps is already full of veterans and rookie Gabe Davis has made a name for himself too, but if Stills sees the field during the postseason, Allen will have another receiver that he can rely on.
During his first eight seasons in the NFL, Stills caught 310 passes for 4,843 yards and 37 touchdowns for three different teams. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 5th round of the 2013 NFL Draft and was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2015.
In four years with Miami, Stills caught 164 passes for 2,566 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was included in the Laremy Tunsil trade in 2019 that sent the offensive tackle to the Houston Texans in exchange for a 2020 first-round pick, a 2021 first-round pick, and a 2021 second-round pick, along with a few players.
He caught 40 passes for 561 yards and four touchdowns last season, but struggled to get going this year and was released by the Texans in November. While some thought that bringing in Stills was a move to bring in-depth due to Beasley’s injury, McDermott said that they were two “separate conversations.”
“He’s a player that Brandon (Beane) has had his eye on for some time now,” McDermott said during a video conference call last week.
Tanner Gentry and Josh Allen Played Together At Wyoming
While Gentry may not play a big role in Buffalo’s offense, the Bills know he has a history with Allen as the two played together in Laramie.
During Allen’s sophomore season for Wyoming, Gentry caught 72 passes for 1,326 yards and 14 touchdowns. Allen threw for 3,203 yards and 28 touchdowns while completing 209 of his 373 pass attempts. When Gentry heard the news on Monday he seemed to be pretty excited as he shared a “Glory to God” message on his Twitter account.
When the rumors first started swirling last week that Gentry was coming in for a visit, old highlights from their time together in Wyoming started to circulate and Gentry said one of the old videos gave him chills when he rewatched it.
Gentry played in three games for the Chicago Bears in 2017 and caught three passes for 35 yards. He has also spent time with their practice squad over the past three years.
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