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Four Bills UDFAs Who Actually Matter at OTAs

The Bills signed 12 undrafted free agents this offseason and there are a few who will stand out most at OTAs.
Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (0) runs after catch against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium.
Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (0) runs after catch against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Having signed 12 undrafted free agents before the beginning of OTAs, the Buffalo Bills will parse through that group in hopes of finding a diamond in the rough or two that they can carry with them into the regular season.

Of that group, there are a few players who matter more than most when following the OTA action from One Bills Drive, which begins on May 18, including offensive lineman Bruno Fina, son of legendary Buffalo OL John Fina, among a few others.

Bruno Fina, OL 

Bruno Fina
UCLA Bruins offensive lineman Bruno Fina (75) during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

The Bills are loaded with pieces along the offensive line as they enter the season, needing to replace their starting left guard from a year ago, David Edwards, as well as their former swing tackle, Ryan Van Demark. So it may be tough for Fina to make the roster.

However, he has plenty of experience competing at the collegiate level, where he played left tackle for UCLA and Duke, and could turn out to be a valuable commodity once he proves himself against other NFL-worthy competition at OTAs. One interesting note about Fina is that he was listed as a guard when the Bills announced his signing, which is a position he didn’t play at all in college. It will be interesting to see how he makes the transition inside.

Desmond Reid, RB

Desmond Reid
Pittsburgh running back Desmond Reid (RB17) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Reid is a potential gadget player who can play both out of the backfield and as a slot receiver. He is also a capable punt returner, having recorded just five returns in 2025, but 13 the season before. Reid has returned a punt for a touchdown each of the past two seasons while averaging 14.7 yards per return.

The Bills have used wide receiver Khalil Shakir as the team’s primary punt returner the past couple of seasons and would likely want to get away from that in a best-case scenario. Due to his return ability, Reid is the only player on this list with a somewhat realistic opportunity to lock down a contributing role to begin the season.

Max Tomczak, WR

Max Tomczak
Sep 21, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Youngstown State Penguins wide receiver Max Tomczak (4) runs after a catch against Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Kyle Louis (9). | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The 6-foot, 195-pound wide receiver recorded a career year in 2025, finishing with 70 receptions for 1,021 yards and eight touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 14.59 yards per reception and is an under-the-radar target who could help open up the Bills’ passing game at some point in the future.

Buffalo has already added plenty of weaponry at the position via a trade for DJ Moore and a fourth-round selection of Skyler Bell. So it’s unlikely Tomczak would elevate into a contributing role anytime soon. But his potential as a punt returner could add more value as he pursues a professional career. Tomczak recorded 10 punt returns in 2025, averaging 5.1 yards per return for Youngstown State.

Theron Gaines, ILB

Theron Gaines
Oakland's Theron Gaines looks for a signal from the sideline during the Patriots' 56-6 win over Shelbyville in the second round of the 6A state playoffs Friday. | Tom Beckwith / For The DNJ / USA TODAY NETWORK

It’s not often I get excited about players who performed in the FCS. But much like Tomczak, the former Tennessee Tech linebacker is another player from college football’s subdivision coming off a breakout final collegiate season, during which he totaled 92 tackles, 6.5 sacks a forced fumble and an interception he returned 60 yards for a touchdown.

Gaines was impressive in each area defensively a season ago, as according to Pro Football Focus, he earned a run-defense grade of 79.7, a tackling grade of 76.7, pass-rush grade of 72.1 and coverage grade of 86.7. It’s no mystery the Bills need additional help at inside linebacker, and the 6-foot-1, 237-pounder could be another dark horse candidate to make the roster out of OTAs.

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Alex Brasky
ALEX BRASKY

Alex Brasky is editor of Bills Digest and host of the Buffalo Pregame podcast. He has been on the Bills beat the past six seasons and now joins ON SI to expand his coverage of Buffalo’s favorite football team.

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