Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
List of remaining unsigned #Bills free agents from last year’s team:
The Buffalo Bills and rest of the NFL are well into the offseason. However, the market remains open and several players that were on Buffalo’s roster in 2022 are still available to sign.
Here’s a full list of Bills players that currently remain free agents:
3 #Bills free agents we are surprised haven’t re-signed yet (but keep their names in mind, post-draft):
A large amount of the players that were on the 2022 Buffalo Bills roster that became free agents after last season have already figured out their future.
Some notable players, such as linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, have departed. Others, like safety Jordan Poyer, re-signed in Buffalo.
But there are still some that remain available and a few we’re surprised to see still there. Here are three such Bills free agents:
#Bills place Jake Kumerow on injured reserve:
The Buffalo Bills have a very thin wide receiver room following their latest update regarding Jake Kumerow.
The team announced that Kumerow has been placed on injured reserve. He will now spend at least four games on the designation. Kumerow had re-injured his ankle in Buffalo’s Week 10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
He originally was injured in September against the Miami Dolphins.
Without Kumerow, the Bills now only have four receivers on their roster: Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Isaiah McKenzie and rookie Khalil Shakir.
Buffalo might also opt to use running back Nyheim Hines outside as a receiver, but regardless, that’s a low number.
Additionally, Tanner Gentry, Isaiah Coulter, and KeeSean Johnson are all receivers on the Bills’ practice squad.
It’s likely that the team calls one of them up from the practice squad later this weekend ahead of their meeting with the Cleveland Browns simply for depth.
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Talking about the Bills provided the Packers QB a chance to crack a joke about one of his favorite former teammates.
Playing the Buffalo Bills this week provided a perfect opportunity for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to crack a joke about one of his favorite former teammates.
“I know we’re playing a tough opponent,” Rodgers told “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday. “They are coming off a bye week. They have an extra week to get ready for us. They have a great quarterback. Great defense. Very well coached. A lot of weapons. Jake Kumerow. So, they have a lot going for them.”
Jake Kumerow!
The former Packers receiver was with Rodgers in Green Bay from 2017 to 2020. His surprise release during final cuts before the 2020 season – after Rodgers publicly praised him just days before – played at least some part in Rodgers’ rift with the Packers front office over the next summer.
Since leaving Green Bay, Kumerow has spent the better part of the last three years in Buffalo. He has seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown in 24 career games with the Bills, including four catches on five targets for 64 yards this season.
Here’s the segment from Tuesday:
What's the mindset right now Aaron?
"We're gonna get ready for a tough opponent on Sunday Night Football & we've had some success in primetime games" ~@AaronRodgers12#PMSLive #ART pic.twitter.com/H0HGkmdz7m
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 25, 2022
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Not a good day for the #Bills on the injury front:
The Buffalo Bills, quite literally, were beaten up against the Miami Dolphins.
In Week 3, the injury bug bit the Bills during their 21-19 loss. Entering the game, Buffalo was already shorthanded as they missed several starters such as safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.
Now the list grows as head coach Sean McDermott updated the health status of several players on Monday, one day following the loss.
Find the full list of updates below:
#Bills cut Jake Kumerow, will re-sign wide receiver:
The Buffalo Bills released wide reciever Jake Kumerow.
Temporarily.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the transaction was made for salary cap purposes. However, the Bills reportedly plan to re-sign Kumerow again.
Kumerow, 30, signed a one-year deal with Buffalo in March. He originally joined the team in 2020 via their practice squad and breifly departed when the Bills cut him with the intent of putting him on their practice squad again. Instead, he was claimed by the New Orleans Saints.
After that stint, he came back to the Bills once again prior to 2021.
Last season, Kumerow appeared in 15 games, making two catches for 28 yards. He scored a touchdown for Buffalo in 2021.
Kumerow’s biggest contribution to the Bills is on special teams. Last year saw him play in 69 percent of the team’s snaps on special teams.
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#Bills re-sign Jake Kumerow to one-year deal:
The Buffalo Bills have changed special teams coaches but are still bringing back plenty of the same band in 2021.
Add Jake Kumerow to that list.
The team announced on Thursday that the wide receiver and special teams coverage ace has re-signed with the team.
It’s a one-year deal. Full terms of the deal have yet to be announced.
Kumerow was slated to be a free agent in the coming days, but will return to Buffalo.
Earlier this offseason, the Bills and special team coordinator Heath Farwell went their separate ways.
Farwell latched on with the Jacksonville Jaguars as their special teams coordinator and Buffalo promoted his former assistant, Matt Smiley to their coordinator role. Had Kumerow not returned, it would not have been shocking to see him sign with the Jaguars.
Kumerow first signed the Bills in 2020 and only has three catches (plus a touchdown) in terms of his production on offense since then.
On special teams, Kumrow has played in 53 and 69 percent of Buffalo’s special teams snaps over the past two seasons, respectively.
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#Bills place Spencer Brown on COVID-19 list as Jake Kumerow is removed:
The Reserve/COVID-19 list has been far too active for the Buffalo Bills’ liking in recent weeks.
On Thursday, the Bills (6-3) have movement regarding it in both directions.
The team announced that offensive lineman Spencer Brown was placed on the designation. On the positive side, wide receiver Jake Kumerow has been removed from the list.
Unfortunately for Buffalo, by comparison, Brown has been a far larger impact maker for the team in recent weeks.
Brown returned from a back injury last week against the New York Jets and the play from the entire offensive line improved. Now, he’s sidelined again for the Bills’ upcoming game against the Indianapolis Colts (5-5).
The next question is Brown’s vaccination status.
Per NFL rules, if the rookie right tackle is not vaccinated, he is now out 10 days, no questions asked.
If he is, Brown has to return two negative tests on back-to-back days before re-joining the team.
That’s a critical question because Buffalo is on a short week.
After hosting the Colts, the Bills play on Thanksgiving Day on Thursday against the New Orleans Saints.
Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei also remains on the designation as well.
Bills Wire will provide updates on Brown and others in the coming days as information is made available.
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#Bills add WR Jake Kumerow to Reserve/ COVID-19:
The Bills’ Reserve/ COVID-19 list continues to steadily grow in recent days.
On Tuesday, wide receiver Jake Kumerow landed on the designation, the team announced.
Kumerow may be a depth player and special teamer, but this is a situation to monitor.
Buffalo has had a growing list of players heading to the COVID list.
On Saturday prior to facing the Jacksonville Jaguars, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky landed there. He joined QB Jake Fromm, who was already on the designation.
The hope will be the Bills do not have cases of the virus spreading throughout their roster.
As of now, the team has expressed that they believe the situation will be contained.
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Good luck in Buffalo, Bronson Kaufusi.
Aaron Rodgers recently told @peter_king he loves TE6 Bronson Kaufusi.
When Rodgers praised Jake Kumerow last year, the Packers cut him and he’s now on the Bills.@RobDemovsky: “I can’t wait to see what Kaufusi does in Buffalo this year.”
Rodgers’ reaction: pic.twitter.com/rR00YUVBjz
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 18, 2021
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers couldn’t hold back a laugh when a reporter made a joke referencing Jake Kumerow during Wednesday’s press conference.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky delivered the line after Rodgers publicly praised backup tight end Bronson Kaufusi, who is fighting for a roster spot in training camp.
“I can’t wait to see what Kaufusi does in Buffalo this year, but anyway,” Demovsky quipped.
Rodgers couldn’t hold back a smile while taking a drink from a water bottle, clearly shocked by the delivery of the joke.
The back story here is needed: Last summer, Rodgers went out of his way to praise Kumerow on a radio show, only to have the Packers cut him a day later. Kumerow, a favorite of Rodgers, eventually landed on his feet with the Bills in Buffalo.
Has the NFL’s MVP doomed Kaufusi to the same fate?
The frustration over Kumerow’s exit resurfaced in a big way this summer while a conflict brewed between Rodgers and the Packers brass, and the move was often used as an example of a communication breakdown between the quarterback and team on personnel matters directly affecting Rodgers’ job.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the decision to release Kumerow “drove Rodgers nuts” and was a major point of contention for the quarterback as he tried to determine his future in Green Bay.
At the start of training camp, Rodgers explained that a lack of input and communication on some personnel decisions laid at the heart of his issues with the Packers.
Unlike Kumerow last summer, Kaufusi is a long shot to make the roster. It’s possible, however, that Rodgers’ opinion this time around might be enough to get Kaufusi – a converted defensive end trying to make it as a tight end – onto the practice squad.
Or on the next plane to Buffalo. One of the two.
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