Veteran Bills WR Faces Harsh Assessment After Final Preseason Game
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Veteran Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mecole Hardman went into the team’s final preseason game needing a strong performance to work his way to the right side of the roster bubble, but instead fell flat.
Hardman is expected to compete for the final roster spot among the wide receiver group, facing a strong challenge from another veteran with special teams expertise. Hardman struggled in the team’s final game, however, leaving his future with the team uncertain.
Mecole Hardman Could Miss Roster
SI.com writer Randy Gurzi broke down the winners and losers from Buffalo’s comeback win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Thursday’s preseason finale. He deemed Hardman a “loser,” suggesting he stumbled in the final chance to secure a roster spot.
“Mecole Hardman is fighting for the final spot at wide receiver and hasn’t had a great preseason,” Gurzi wrote. “He’s flashed his speed and playmaking skills, but also has a couple of drops. He added another on Thursday, dropping the ball on second-and-11 from the 15. Hardman needed to be perfect this offseason to make the roster and that wasn’t the case, which could be to his detriment.”
The Bills could still have an opportunity to bring Hardman back if he doesn’t make the final 53-man roster. The three-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs remained a free agent through much of last season, joining the Bills late after their wide receiving corps struggled.
There may not be a strong market for Hardman if the Bills aim to re-sign him to the practice squad, and he could provide some trusted depth in the start of his first full season in Buffalo.
Bills Rookie Makes His Case
Though there was little question whether fourth-round rookie wide receiver Skyler Bell would make the final roster, he erased any doubts with a strong performance in the preseason finale. Bell led the team in both receiving and rushing yards in his return from injury.
Gurzi deemed Bell one of the big winners from Thursday’s game.
“Skyler Bell made his much-anticipated debut on Thursday and had one reception for 16 yards on the opening drive, but it could have been much more,” Gurzi wrote. “Early in the drive, Bell ran a perfect route and was wide-open, but Shane Buechele overthrew the wideout. Had the pass been on the mark, Bell would have been able to turn upfield for a massive gain.
“Bell continued to shine as a receiver, hauling in seven receptions for 47 yards, His big play, however, came on the ground as Bell took a handoff and turned it into a 28-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.”
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