The Buffalo Bills made a wild roster move today, releasing veteran defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis after he returned from his three-game suspension. This wasn’t some convoluted trade or a surprise cut to make space for a hot rookie, it was straight-up roster gymnastics, and according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic, the Bills are “expected” to sign Mathis right back to their practice squad.
Mathis’s Roster Rollercoaster and Buffalo’s Smart Play
Mathis is a vested veteran, so he wasn’t subject to waivers when he got the axe. That means he’s technically free to sign anywhere, but the buzz is he’s staying put. This maneuver meant Buffalo didn’t have to put Ar’maj Reed-Adams on IR or cut Mike Danna. Honestly, I probably should have seen this path coming, releasing Mathis now before bringing him back was a pretty slick move since he wouldn’t hit the waiver wire. The Bills’ roster still sits at 53 players, no changes there.
DeWayne Carter’s Dominance Forced Buffalo’s Hand
So, why all the fancy footwork? It’s all about DeWayne Carter. This dude is playing some darn good football through three weeks. He’s stacked up four pressures on just 42 pass-rush snaps and three run stops on 40 run-defense reps. Add six total tackles, one tackle for loss, and zero missed tackles, and you’ve got a player who’s making a serious impact. Carter’s already appeared on 38.5% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps heading into Week 4, stepping up precisely how the team would’ve wanted Mathis to in a rotational role for Jim Leonhard’s defense. If the Bills had tried to release Carter, he would have been subjected to waivers immediately, and you know some team would’ve snagged him.
This move just shows how much confidence Buffalo has in Carter, and it’s a testament to his early season performance. He’s seized his chance, and now it looks like Mathis is coming back to the practice squad for depth. It will be interesting to see how this rotational dynamic plays out as the season goes deeper.
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Originally reported by Buffalo Rumblings.
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