Bills History: Revisiting Recent UDFAs

As the 2022 NFL Draft concludes, young talent enters the league in bounds. Every year, thousands of prospects hit the open market, going undrafted and taking their career into their own hands. Some may become accountants, lawyers, coaches, and occasionally a practice squad player. Often referred to as ‘Roster Fodder’, it’s tough to crack into the league as a UDFA.

Occasionally, a diamond shines out of the rough; an average of 12-15 young players make a 53-man roster somewhere in the league every season. Some make more of a career out of it than most. You may remember being wholly invested in the plight of rookie TE/FB Reggie Gilliam in 2020, now on the roster for two straight seasons. Let’s revisit some notable names from our recent UDFA classes.

2021 – CB Olaijah Griffin

In a roster as talented as that of the Buffalo Bills in 2021/22, there was no room for error. Cornerback depth was a weakness, and Olijah Griffin worked hard for his practice squad spot. Though he’s yet to earn true playing time, he’ll be competing once again in an improved cornerback room for 2022/23.

2020 – FB/TE Reggie Gilliam, OL Trey Adams, RB Antonio Williams

We saw a wealth of talent go undrafted in 2020, as Reggie Gilliam actually made the roster and caught a TD early in the season. He’s was project, and we all know how much McDermott and Beane love projects.

OL Trey Adams was a highly valued draft prospect before his ACL tear and ultimately decided against playing football. He retired in April due to health concerns.

We’re all familiar with RB Antonio Williams, who tore Miami’s starting defense to shreds (with a playoff berth on the line for the Dolphins and surrounded by second-stringers) with Matt Barkley at QB last December. His lone practice-squad call-up was memorable, but he’s now signed with the New York Giants. The former UDFA will be fighting for a roster spot in 2022.

2019 – QB Tyree Jackson, CB Cam Lewis, LB Tyrel Dodson, K Chase McLaughlin

The Tyree Jackson era may have been brief, but he failed to make the roster and wound up in the XFL during its 2020 iteration (and subsequent collapse). He might not have been in Buffalo long, but there was serious support for him to back up a then second-year Josh Allen, or even take over for him. Now, he’s a tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles.

CB Cam Lewis sat on the Bills’ practice squad in 2019, but having earned numerous reps from call-ups due to Buffalo’s CB health issues to start the season. Lewis was then signed to the active roster. He played well until he was placed on IR in late October 2020, but is still under contract and could make the roster as a depth piece in 2021.

LB Tyrel Dodson was virtually unheard of by Bills fans until his signing in 2020, largely due to being brought in as a UDFA and buried by a six-game suspension. He was on the practice squad for the rest of 2019. Dodson made 2020 gameday appearances similarly to Cam Lewis amongst our LB core as Edmunds and Milano battled injuries. He is still under contract.

K Chase McLaughlin has been highly effective as a kicker, but only on teams where they have someone better. Having lost the position battle in Buffalo to Stephen Hauschka, Chase moved on. He was involved with four more teams in 2019, three in 2020, and now resides with the Browns.

2018 – WR Robert Foster, OL Ike Boettger, CB Levi Wallace

Who in Buffalo could ever forget WR Robert Foster becoming rookie QB Josh Allen‘s favourite deep threat? That throw against the Jaguars will forever live on in our minds (you know the one). But, despite the outrage of fans, Foster found himself behind two new Bills in 2019: John Brown and Cole Beasley. The story of his rookie year was a good one as fans saw him cut, re-signed to the practice squad, and promoted again on track to a great all-around season. He has since been on the Packers’ practice squad, the Washington Football Team’s main roster, and signed with Miami in March.

OL Ike Boettger was cut by the Bills before his rookie season, and picked up off waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs, before being cut and promptly picked up again by Buffalo. He saw limited action his rookie year but has since become a valuable and versatile depth piece for McDermott and the Bills OL unit. He signed his tender in April, returning to Buffalo for 2021.

The last notable 2018 pick-up, CB Levi Wallace hit our practice squad as a rookie; he eventually earned his way onto the roster with the departure of CB Philip Gaines. Wallace went on to have a decent season and was deemed PFF’s highest-graded rookie CB for the year. He won the starting job in back-to-back seasons (2019-2020) and lost playing time to veteran additions during both years. After coming back for one more season in 2021, Wallace has signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers for 2022/23.

2017 – TE Jason Croom

Jason Croom was another fan favorite in Buffalo, as we always seem to root for the underdogs. He didn’t play as a rookie, spent on the practice squad, injured, or unemployed, but made an impact in 2018. You may remember, dear reader, the 26-yard TD he caught in Minnesota during the first win of the JA17 Era. Having bounced around up and down from practice squad to roster, he is currently a free agent.

2016 – DT Justin Zimmer, LS Reid Ferguson, FB Glenn Gronkowski

Justin Zimmer may not be a name that you’d heard much of until 2020, where he forced a game-saving fumble against Cam Newton and the Patriots. However, Zimmer’s career actually started in Buffalo where he was brought on as a UDFA in 2016 but cut before the regular season. He joined the Saints later that year, but couldn’t make an NFL roster; He opted for the CFL instead. After a brief stint with the Montreal Alouettes, Zimmer toured the Falcons and Browns before fate brought him back to Buffalo. He’s currently a free agent.

LS Reid Ferguson is a man of the people and a damned good snapper. He spent his rookie season on the practice squad, but earned the starting job in 2017 and hasn’t missed a game (or a target) since.

FB Glenn Gronkowski is on this list for one reason and one reason only: his name. Brother to Rob Gronkowski, Glenn played in one ineffective game as a Bill before spending a year on the practice squad in New England. His career ended there.

2015 – None

Believe it or not, for most NFL teams this is the norm. These UDFA guys are fun to root for against all odds, but if a player isn’t drafted, they rarely even get a chance to make it in this league. A majority will never get an offer from a team, and if they do, the average career of a UDFA is about 2 months. This is the harsh reality of an NFL prospect. Furthermore, this is a prime example that the talent we see today is the true cream of the crop.