Training camp doesn't open for another week, but the Bills already made a roster move worth clocking. Buffalo claimed wide receiver Quentin Skinner off waivers after the Jets cut him loose, adding a body to a receiver group that's been picked over all offseason.
The move itself is small, but the wrinkle is fun. Skinner, an undrafted free agent out of Kansas, spent his rookie year on the Jets' practice squad and roster before New York waived him off injured reserve this offseason. His lone NFL appearance came in Week 18 last season -- against the Bills. He caught a pass for 10 yards and converted a two-point try in that game, so Buffalo's scouting department didn't need much film study to know what they were getting.
To make room, the Bills reportedly released receiver Deven Thompkins, a fairly straightforward swap of camp bodies rather than a statement of intent. That's the nature of these July waiver claims -- teams are stress-testing their depth charts before the pads come on, and a receiver who flashed in the preseason a year ago is worth a flier for basically nothing.
It's easy to overlook a move like this, but it fits a bigger picture in Buffalo. The Bills have been quietly reshuffling the receiver room around Josh Allen all offseason, and claims like this are how bottom-of-the-roster battles get set before a single practice happens. Skinner isn't walking into a starting job, but he's walking into real competition for a roster spot -- and depth at receiver has been a fair question mark for this team in recent years.
Bills rookies are set to report to training camp on July 21, with veterans following about a week later, so Skinner has almost no runway to make an impression before things get serious. Preseason reps will decide whether he sticks, but for a guy who was on the street two days before this call, just getting an invite to compete in Buffalo is a win.