Former All-ACC LB among players trying out for Bills' roster at mandatory minicamp

The Buffalo Bills have invited three players to their 2024 mandatory minicamp on a try-out basis.

Nov 28, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Shaquille Quarterman (50) gestures during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

Three unsigned players fighting to kickstart their professional careers will be in attendance as the Buffalo Bills commence their veteran mandatory minicamp on June 11. The team announced that running back Hassan Hall, linebacker Stephen Hillis, and linebacker Shaquille Quarterman will participate in minicamp on a try-out basis on Tuesday morning.

The following players will participate in the Bills mandatory minicamp on a try-out basis:

- RB Hassan Hall (#35)
- LB Stephen Hillis (#28)
- LB Shaquille Quarterman (#27)

— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) June 11, 2024

Hall—a 5-foot-10 running back weighing just under 200 pounds—ran an impressive 4.45-second 40-yard dash at Georgia Tech’s Pro Day in 2023, but he still went unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft after constructing a largely underwhelming five-year collegiate career (four years at Louisville, one year at Georgia Tech) in which he usurped 500 rushing yards only twice. He was relatively productive as a pass-catcher in his sole season in Atlanta, catching 28 passes for 165 yards in 12 appearances for the Yellow Jackets. 

He bounced around the practice squads of the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, and New York Giants throughout his rookie year before signing a futures contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in January; he was released in early June. Hall will attempt to flash while competing with the likes of fifth-year back Darrynton Evans and undrafted free agent Frank Gore Jr. at minicamp.

Hillis went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft after playing five seasons for the Division 1 FCS South Dakota Coyotes; according to PFF, he notched 151 tackles, 74 run stops, and 19 total quarterback pressures throughout his career. The vast majority of the 6-foot-1, 235-pound defender’s collegiate snaps came as an inside linebacker, per the outlet.

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Quarterman is perhaps the most notable player trying out for Buffalo’s roster at minicamp. A fourth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020 NFL Draft, the linebacker tallied 356 total tackles and 12.5 sacks throughout his four-year career at Miami, earning first-team All-ACC honors in 2018 and 2019. He appeared in 63 games for the Jaguars throughout his four years with the team, logging 962 special teams snaps and 17 special teams tackles, per PFF. Quarterman’s path to the Bills’ roster—and a prolonged NFL career—is as a special teamer.

Buffalo’s roster is currently at 91 players (with rookie Travis Clayton included in an exempt spot given his inclusion in the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program), meaning that one of these players will have to usurp a contracted player in order to earn a summer roster spot.