Bills waive oft-injured 2022 draft pick, sign former Army linebacker to roster spot

It could be the end of the road for linebacker Baylon Spector with the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills waived, with an injury designation, their 2022 seventh-round draft pick on Wednesday morning.

In a corresponding move, Buffalo signed former Army linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo, who suffered a season-ending injury as a rookie last summer with the New York Jets.

As for Spector, the 26-year-old linebacker left Monday's practice early reportedly due to a calf injury. It was a troubled spot for the backup linebacker during much of the 2024 season.

Spector was limited during the 2024 preseason with a lower right leg issue, presumably the calf. In Week 9, he officially landed on Injured Reserve due to a calf issue. He missed four games sandwiched around Buffalo's bye week and returned in Week 15 against the Detroit Lions.

Spector, however, popped back up on the injury report prior to the Week 16 battle against the New England Patriots. With Matt Milano unavailable, Spector earned the start but re-aggravated the calf and landed back on IR.

Jan 7, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Jeff Wilson Jr. (23) runs with the football as Buffalo Bills linebacker Baylon Spector (54) attempts a tackle during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Fighting through injury, Spector made a career-high 11 appearances in 2024. He finished with 40 tackles, including 1.5 sacks.

This spring, the former Clemson starter found himself in a position battle with second-year linebacker Joe Andreessen. Spector was limited during June minicamp, and watched the local product surpass him on the depth chart.

Lack of availability plagued Spector's tenure with the team that drafted him at No. 231 overall. Multiple injuries, including hamstring and back issues, limited the linebacker to 15 appearances over his first two seasons.

Meanwhile, Ciarlo, who was a team captain for Army, signed with the Jets as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2024. The Bergen County, NJ product logged four special teams snaps before suffering a knee injury during his preseason debut. Ciarlo went down on a third-quarter punt against the Washington Commanders on August 10.

Nov 12, 2022; Troy, Alabama, USA; Army Black Knights outside linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo (7) recovers a fumble against the Troy Trojans during the first half at Veterans Memorial Stadium. | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

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