Otis Reese IV is back in Buffalo - and this time, the Bills didn’t waste much time making the move.
The team signed Reese on Monday, only three days after cutting the linebacker, while also parting ways with undrafted rookie fullback Jackson Acker. Reese had been added by Buffalo on Aug. 6 after linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles landed on injured reserve, then got released Friday to clear space for safety Wande Owens.
Now he’s back for a third stint with the Bills in less than a year.
Reese, 28, did not dress for Saturday’s 29-14 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers, but Buffalo clearly kept him close. He spent two weeks on the Bills’ practice squad last season after signing Sept. 23, then was released Oct.
- After that, he moved on to the New England Patriots’ practice squad and later signed a reserve/futures deal in February.
New England waived him on July 31, and Buffalo brought him back six days later.
His NFL résumé includes 20 games and five starts, all with the Tennessee Titans from 2023-24. In that stretch, he logged 38 tackles and one interception.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane pointed earlier in training camp to the value of staying connected with familiar players when roster openings pop up.
"That's our job is to keep a running list of players at each position," Beane said. "You're naturally going to lean to someone who you know has done it recently for you and had success."
Buffalo has certainly leaned on Reese lately.
Acker’s departure trims the Bills’ competition at fullback as they look for a Reggie Gilliam replacement. Buffalo signed Acker as an undrafted free agent after he handled both running back and fullback duties at Wisconsin. In 50 college games, he ran for 415 yards and three touchdowns and added 276 receiving yards and three more scores.
Against Carolina, Acker was on the field for three offensive snaps and four on special teams. Ben VanSumeren saw more of the action at fullback, playing eight offensive snaps and 11 on special teams while catching his lone target for 4 yards.
VanSumeren, 26, joined Buffalo on a one-year deal in April after three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. He entered the league as an undrafted linebacker before beginning his move to fullback in 2024.
The Bills signed both Acker and VanSumeren after Gilliam, who had been Buffalo’s fullback for the previous six seasons, left in free agency for a three-year contract with the New England Patriots.
VanSumeren remains on the roster with two preseason games left.
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