The Buffalo Bills made some veteran additions to their wide receiving corps this offseason, making up for the loss of a few key pieces by bringing on new size and versatility.
The team also used one of their draft picks on a new wide receiver, Kaden Prather. But despite some standout moments in early practices, Prather could find difficulty in landing a spot on the final 53-man roster at the end of the month, one insider predicts.
Rookie Receiver Falls Below the Cut Line
SI.com’s Randy Gurzi made a mid-training camp prediction of Buffalo’s final roster, noting that the top of the wide receiver room is as good as set. The Bills are bringing back Khalil Shakir as their top receiver, with Keon Coleman looking to expand his role in his second NFL season. The Bills also have veteran Curtis Samuel to go with new additions Joshua Palmer and Elijah Moore.
It’s only at the bottom of the depth chart that the Bills could have a difficult decision, with Gurzi predicting that Prather will lose out to another versatile receiver and return specialist.
“At receiver, most of the positions feel set with the final spot open,” Gurzi wrote. “Laviska Shenault wins it here, but only because of his return skills. Rookie Kaden Prather will make it close, but unless they have another returner they prefer over Shenault, Prather is a victim of the numbers game.”
Shenault has some competition in the return game. At the team’s practice in Orchard Park on Friday, they had several players returning kicks in drills — including running back Ray Davis. The team also brought back return specialist Brandon Codrington, who is a frontrunner for the job again this year.
But Prather has faced his own difficulties in training camp. He was among a spate of wide receivers to suffer injuries over the last week, which prompted the Bills to bring in veteran receiver Deon Cain for some added help. The lost opportunities could be especially impactful for Prather, who does not have an NFL resume to fall back on.
He is expected to return to the field sometime in the next week, but could be at risk of missing the team’s first preseason game.
Bills Could Face Difficult Choice on Kaden Prather
The Bills would likely aim to get their seventh-round pick through to the practice squad, but could face a challenge. Because the Bills have a deep roster, they have regularly lost players to the waiver wire at the end of the summer as other teams put in waiver claims. If Prather should impress during the remainder of training camp and the preseason, it could become tricky for the Bills to get him through waivers and onto the practice squad.
Prather earned some buzz during his college career, split between West Virginia and Maryland. He amassed 162 receptions for 1,966 yards with 12 touchdowns.
If he should earn a spot on the final roster, Prather would likely not start with a big role. The Bills have often moved rookie pass-catchers along slowly, even ones that were drafted higher than Prather.
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