Bills Add WR Depth in Minicamp Auditions as Injury Casualties Mount

The Bills executed five roster transactions Thursday, bringing in wide receivers Deven Thompkins and Max Tomczak while releasing cornerback Dorian Strong (non-football injury), running back Desmond Reid (waived/injured), and wideout Gabriel Benyard. The moves come mid-minicamp and reflect Buffalo's calculus: depth at receiver is more urgent than holding onto injured depth at corner and running back.

Thompkins, a fifth-year wideout, made an immediate impression during Wednesday's practice with a highlight-catch on a deep touchdown from backup Shane Buechele. His resume spans three NFL teams in four seasons—Buccaneers (2022-23), Panthers (2024), Falcons (2025)—with 42 catches for 162 yards and one touchdown total. He's a journeyman slot-to-outside weapon, the type of camp darling who occasionally sticks. Tomczak, a Youngstown State product signed in May as an undrafted free agent, carries more upside on paper: 225 receptions and 3,024 receiving yards in college suggest production chops, though the D-II pedigree caps ceiling in an NFL receiving corps.

The timing matters. Early June minicamp cuts signal organizational thinking about the depth chart's true architecture. Losing Reid—a running back—to injury suggests Buffalo isn't planning to lean on a fourth-string option later; they'll trust the guys already healthy. Strong's non-football injury release frees cap room and practice-squad flexibility. The receiver adds, by contrast, telegraph that the current depth chart at wideout has gaps Buffalo wants to fill before training camp opens in late July. This could mean one of the established receivers is dealing with something not yet public, or the organization simply lacks confidence in the third-tier options already rostered.

For pass-heavy game building, receiver health and depth are binding constraints on offensive gameplan. Buffalo's 2026 passing attack will look different if Thompkins or Tomczak earn snaps; it will look even different if one of the frontline receivers misses time. The prop angle here isn't about Thompkins or Tomczak's individual lines—they're camp bodies unlikely to carry meaningful volume. The angle is what these cuts signal about the primary receivers' injury status. If Buffalo felt comfortable rolling with the existing depth, they don't sign two off the street in June. If one or more of Josh Allen's preferred targets is dealing with a soft-tissue concern or recovery timeline the team hasn't disclosed, receiving-yard props and team passing totals could compress relative to preseason expectations. Watch for injury updates over the next ten days; any mention of a starting or high-usage receiver being held out of full practices should trigger an immediate repricing of Bills team passing totals downward.