The Buffalo Bills are already juggling a few training camp injuries, and that’s pushed the front office to keep its options open. None of the issues appear to be major, but Joe Brady wants to stay cautious and make sure the roster has enough bodies while camp rolls on.
That’s why Buffalo brought in a batch of free agent auditions on Wednesday, with one of those players later landing a deal. The group gave the Bills a look at some familiar NFL names, along with a few defenders who fit what Jim Leonhard wants to do on that side of the ball.
Anthony Kendall was one of the first names on the list. The former Baldwin-Wallace defensive back signed a UDFA rookie deal with the Tennessee Titans in 2023 and eventually made their 53-man roster, mostly as a special teams contributor.
At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, Kendall brings versatility and the kind of special teams reliability coaches love. Later, it was reported that he ultimately signed with Buffalo.
BJ Mayes is another defensive back with a path that’s taken a few turns. After going unsigned in 2025 with the Indianapolis Colts, he moved on to the UFL and played for the Houston Gamblers. The 6-foot, 187-pound corner has a reputation as a turnover hunter, and his style lines up with the aggressive, takeaway-minded scheme Leonhard is expected to run.
Troy Pride brings the most obvious NFL résumé of the group. A fourth-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2020, he played in 14 games and started eight as a rookie.
He also has a connection to Joe Brady, who was Carolina’s offensive coordinator at the time. Pride checks in at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, and his 4.40 speed plus solid man coverage ability could give Buffalo a quick answer at corner while the injuries sort themselves out.
On the defensive line, Cam Rice offers a different kind of look. The Maryland product stands 6-foot-2 and 303 pounds and has the size-speed combination that can work in Leonhard’s aggressive 3-4 front.
He can line up at the 1-tech, 5-tech, or 4i-tech defensive end, and he also has the frame to serve as a smaller, quicker nose tackle against the run. He has not made an NFL roster yet, but the Bills are clearly looking for more size and flexibility up front.
Evan Anderson might be the clearest fit for the biggest need. Buffalo could use more true nose tackle depth, especially with Deone Walker, DeWayne Carter, and Phidarin Mathis all spending time with the starters in camp.
Anderson is 24 years old and built like a classic nose at 6-foot-3 and 326 pounds. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2024 out of Florida Atlantic, spent a full year on the practice squad, and appeared in 12 regular-season games.
In the Bay Area, he played 267 defensive snaps, recorded 24 tackles and added two quarterback pressures.
Even with the need at nose tackle, Troy Pride could end up being the first of this group to stick because of his past ties to both Joe Brady and the Carolina Panthers.
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Brandon Beane Could Make One Tough Bills Roster Call Soon
Brandon Beane has never been shy about reshuffling the Bills roster in August, and that history is part of why this stretch can feel a little different in Buffalo. With the regular season still ahead, the front office is again weighing the kind of decisions that can shape the depth chart before the games count, and a handful of players have come up as possible names to watch based on role, fit and how the roster is built right now.
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