The Buffalo Bills faced some difficult decisions at running back at Sunday’s deadline for final roster cuts, and their crowded backfield may have led them to miss out on a breakout star.
The Bills got strong performances from practice squad regular Frank Gore Jr. and undrafted rookie Ian Wheeler, but didn’t have room on the final 53-man roster for either of them. Though the Bills offered Wheeler a ticket back on the practice squad, he reportedly turned it down.
Ian Wheeler Turned Down Buffalo’s Practice Squad Offer
Syracuse.com reporter Ryan Talbot reported that Wheeler would not be returning to the practice squad after he was waived and cleared waivers on Monday.
“Per source, Ian Wheeler will NOT be on the Bills’ initial practice squad. He had one heck of a summer so hopefully he lands somewhere,” Talbot shared in a post on X.
NFL scout Greg Gabriel added that Wheeler explicitly turned down the team.
“Ian Wheeler had a strong preseason in Buffalo,” Gabriel shared on X. “Looked like his rookie year. Regained his speed. I’m told he turned down Bills PS. Wonder where he goes.”
Wheeler would have faced a difficult climb up the depth chart if he remained with the Bills. The team is set with their top three running backs — James Cook, Ray Davis, and Ty Johnson — with Gore serving as the fourth back on the practice squad. Wheeler would have needed to leapfrog at least two of those players in order to reach the active roster.
Bills Were Urged to Keep Ian Wheeler
Some Bills reporters foresaw the roster crunch, suggesting the team would need to keep Wheeler on the 53-man roster if they wanted him to stay in Buffalo. SI.com writer Randy Gurzi noted that Wheeler flashed strong potential during the preseason and could be a better long-term investment than the 29-year-old Johnson.
“Not only is Wheeler proving to be an effective player, but he also makes significantly less than Johnson,” Gurzi wrote. “Wheeler, an undrafted free agent out of Howard, has a cap hit of $885,000 compared to $3.275 million for Johnson. Buffalo would save $2.455 million by moving on from Johnson, who has been dealing with a knee injury this offseason.”
Gurzi added that new offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael planned to use top back Cook in the passing game more frequently, which would diminish the value of Johnson, who primarily served as a third-down back.
“If that truly is the plan, keeping Ian Wheeler over Johnson could make sense,” Gurzi wrote. “Wheeler is a more traditional RB2 and has shown during the preseason that he has no issues making the most of every touch. We recently wrote about his jaw-dropping hit during Thursday’s joint practice.”
Rookie Bills RB Turns Down Team’s Contract Offer After Breakout Preseason