Bills Central

Bills add former USFL Championship MVP as part of three depth signings

The Buffalo Bills announced three depth signings on Tuesday morning.

Kyle Silagyi

Birmingham Stallions receiver Deon Cain, runs for a a gain in the second half against the Pittsburgh Maulers during the USFL Championship Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Canton.
Birmingham Stallions receiver Deon Cain, runs for a a gain in the second half against the Pittsburgh Maulers during the USFL Championship Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Canton. / Kevin Whitlock / Massillon Independent / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Buffalo Bills announced the signings of quarterback Ben DiNucci, wide receiver Damiere Byrd, and wide receiver Deon Cain on Tuesday morning. The team placed quarterback Shane Buechele and wide receiver Chase Claypool on injured reserve in corresponding roster moves; second-year pass-catcher Bryan Thompson was also designated as waived/injured.

Buffalo hosted all three of these players for workouts at One Bills Drive on Monday afternoon. The DiNucci and Byrd signings were reported shortly after the conclusions of their workouts.

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DiNucci’s signing comes after Buechele picked up a neck injury in the Bills’ preseason opener against the Chicago Bears; the ailment, per head coach Sean McDermott, is expected to keep the signal caller sidelined for “an extended period of time.” The former Dallas Cowboys passer does not project as a realistic roster candidate in Buffalo; he’ll instead soak up reps over the final two weeks of the preseason to prevent starter Josh Allen and backup Mitchell Trubisky from taking unnecessary hits. He could carve out a spot on the practice squad if he impresses, however.

Byrd, though he has found some success as a receiver throughout his career, is more likely a special teams signing, as McDermott didn’t seem overly pleased with the team’s return efforts in their preseason opener. The speedy veteran has returned 14 punts for 113 yards and 14 kicks for 353 yards and one touchdown throughout his professional career; he has some familiarity with Buffalo’s brass, as general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott were with the Carolina Panthers organization as the assistant general manager and defensive coordinator, respectively, when Byrd signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2015.

Deon Cain
Michael Longo/For USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cain, 28, was a sixth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2018 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie season on the injured reserve list and appeared in seven games for the Colts in his sophomore campaign, catching four passes for 52 yards. He was waived by Indianapolis midway through the 2019 campaign and was promptly signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he caught five passes for 72 yards over parts of two seasons.

The pass-catcher has since bounced around several teams in several leagues, winning back-to-back USFL and UFL Championships with the Birmingham Stallions in 2023 and 2024. He wasn’t an overly productive offensive contributor throughout the 2023 USFL season, catching 16 passes for 182 yards. He was an impactful special teams contributor, however, recording 668 yards on kick returns; he caught three touchdown passes in the 2023 USFL Championship game in an unexpected breakout performance, earning USFL Championship game MVP honors.

He caught 33 passes for 436 yards and three touchdowns in Birmingham this past season, recording another 280 yards on kick returns. Cain adds speed and boundary field-stretching ability to the Bills' receiving corps; he’ll also likely join K.J. Hamler, Daequan Hardy, and the recently signed Byrd in Buffalo’s now-crowded return battle.

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Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

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