Buffalo Bills sign two receivers with injuries mounting

Two pass-catchers have found themselves back with the Buffalo Bills this week.

Thanks in part to a bit of a whirlwind of circumstances.

Re-joining the team on a one-year deal is wide receiver Deon Cain, who was with Buffalo for training camp last summer, putting up three catches for 28 yards during preseason action.

Cain was a 2018 sixth-round NFL Draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts out of Clemson. He has also played for the Eagles, Ravens, and Steelers, as well as for the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL, earning MVP honors during the 2023 USFL Championship game with a three-touchdown performance.

Joining him in the Bills receiver group is an undrafted rookie receiver who proved to be a 96-hour release-then-resign player, Kelly Akharaiyi.

Akharaiyi was gearing up for his first NFL training camp practice when he was waived along with punter Jake Camarda in order to make room for former Patriots tight end Matt Sokol and second-year wide receiver David White Jr. out of Jacksonville.

White was excused from Friday's practice for personal reasons, then placed on the reserve/retired list. Buffalo then pivoted to re-sign Akharaiyi Saturday to the 90-man roster.

While the opportunity this time of year is valuable for players to compete to earn a roster or practice squad spot, and for coaching staffs and front offices to evaluate their play and potential fit in the team's depth charts and cap space, the circumstances that led to their signing is "not ideal" as head coach Sean McDermott put it this week.

At least four wide receivers were unavailable for the first padded practice of training camp Monday, with nearly half of their passing game targets -- Tyrell Shavers, Curtis Samuel, Elijah Moore, Kaden Prather -- and tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, out due to injuries.

While McDermott and company will hope those players will make a speedy and full recovery, others like Cain, Akharaiyi, and Sokol will have their chance to earn consideration to compete for a depth spot on the roster.

This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Buffalo Bills sign receivers with training camp injuries