The Buffalo Bills made another roster move on Wednesday, cutting wide receiver Mac Dalena and opening a spot for center Sincere Haynesworth as they gear up for their preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Dalena had only been with Buffalo since June 1, and his stop there followed brief stints with the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks. The Bills’ decision comes with the league heading toward cutdown week, when every team must get down to the final 53 by Sunday, August 30.
The release closes the book on a player who arrived in the NFL after a big final year at Fresno State. In 2024, Dalena put up 64 catches for 1,065 yards and eight touchdowns over 13 games, a line that gave him real traction as a prospect even if he couldn’t turn that into a lasting NFL job.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein highlighted the traits that helped Dalena get noticed. “Dalena has good straight-line speed and was a strong tester across the board at his pro day,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s tough in traffic and can catch when contested.”
Zierlein also pointed to the limitations that likely made the climb tougher. He said Dalena had trouble separating underneath and didn’t have the size to regularly win contested catches downfield.
Buffalo’s decision at receiver also sits inside a bigger roster puzzle. Mecole Hardman and Trent Sherfield remain unsettled veterans, and The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia recently said Hardman’s clearest path to the team is tied to special teams. “Hardman’s best path to the 53-man roster is as the primary punt returner,” Buscaglia wrote.
ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg projects the Bills to carry six receivers: DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Skyler Bell and Hardman. She also noted, “The Bills showed they are wondering about it themselves by trying out Ray Davis, who is the primary kickoff returner, at punt returner to start both preseason games.”
For Dalena, though, the outcome is simple: his brief run in Buffalo is over.
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