Following their selection of Keon Coleman with their initial draft pick, the Buffalo Bills are bolstering their wide receiving corps with another addition.
The Buffalo Bills made an announcement on April 29 that they have signed Quintez Cephus, a free agent wide receiver, to a one-year contract. Cephus, formerly with the Detroit Lions, recently completed a one-year suspension due to a violation of the NFL’s gambling rules. This move has generated some criticism from fans.
Cephus has had a relatively limited role in his NFL career so far, initially drafted by the Lions in the fifth round in 2020. He showed promise in his rookie season with 20 receptions for 349 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games.
However, his performance dipped in subsequent seasons, with 15 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns in 2021, and just two catches for 15 yards in 2022 due to injuries.
The suspension in 2023 kept Cephus off the field for the entire season, making him one of three Lions players suspended for gambling violations.
“Cephus was one of three players suspended indefinitely last April for betting on NFL games in 2022,” the report noted.” Two of his teammates at the time, fellow receivers Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams, received six-game suspensions for betting on non-NFL games at the team facility.”
As Bills reporter Chris Brown noted on X, general manager Brandon Beane said shortly after the completion of the NFL Draft that the team had worked out a receiver and planned to sign him. The move sparked some controversy among fans, with some questioning whether he would be a fit for the culture that Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have been building.
“Not really sure what the motivation was to bring in Quintez Cephus, a fringe roster player coming off suspension who adds nothing to this roster….,” one fan wrote on X.
The Buffalo Bills have been actively addressing their wide receiving corps following the departure of key players like Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs. With strategic moves in free agency and the NFL Draft, General Manager Beane orchestrated trades and selected Keon Coleman as the first pick of the second round.
Coleman himself expressed a strong affinity for Buffalo during his pre-draft visit, indicating a mutual interest between him and the team. He mentioned feeling an immediate connection and even urged the Bills to select him, showcasing his enthusiasm to contribute to the team’s success.
After finalizing their NFL Draft selections, the Bills continued to enhance their roster by signing undrafted free-agent receiver Xavier Johnson Jr. According to Dane Brugler of The Athletic, Johnson stood out for his contributions on special teams during his time at Ohio State.
Brugler also highlighted Johnson’s impressive multi-sport background in high school, where he garnered attention as a three-star recruit with numerous football and basketball offers.
Despite the options available, Johnson opted to walk on at Ohio State, eventually earning a role on special teams throughout his five-year college career, accumulating 899 snaps and 14 tackles.