Bills' WR Roster Battle Just Got Really Interesting With Two Breakouts vs. Browns

It's starting to feel like the Buffalo Bills are heavily interested in keeping a sixth wide receiver on the roster when cutdown day rolls around.

With DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer and fourth-round rookie Skyler Bell seemingly destined for roster spots, barring a last-minute trade or long-term injury, there's realistically room for only one more wide receiver, and that player will almost definitely be asked to contribute on special teams.

Identifying the right option to fill that role, however, only became more difficult in the aftermath of Buffalo's 31-7 win over the Cleveland Browns on August 22.

Essentially, the Bills have eight wide receivers competing for one spot, and that's not including Tyrell Shavers, who was on the 53-man roster last year until tearing his ACL in the playoffs.

Although former Kansas City Chiefs' second-round pick Mecole Hardman, who initially joined the Bills last November in a reserve role, appeared to have a legit path to the Bills' sixth WR spot, mainly due to his punt return ability, there are multiple challengers threatening to overtake the two-time Super Bowl champion.

While Hardman's two drops didn't help his case on Saturday, two other candidates — veteran Trent Sherfield and undrafted rookie Ja'mori Maclin — made strong statements against the Browns.

Trent Sherfield 'doing everything he can'

The 30-year-old Sherfield is back for a second stint with the Bills. He played all 17 games for Buffalo as the fifth wide receiver in 2023.

"I love Trent," said Brady. "The personality that he has, the way that he goes about it, he's a leader in that room. He wanted to be a part of Buffalo, and he's doing everything he can to try and continue to be a part of the Buffalo Bills."

Sherfield played 17 of a possible 59 offensive snaps against the Browns, making four catches on four targets for 54 yards.

"Trent's always been great. He was here when I was here in '23 and he was awesome," said quarterback Kyle Allen. "Everyone in this building has a lot of trust in Trent. He just gets opens, makes contested catches. I feel great throwing him the ball. I know he's going to protect it."

Sep 24, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Trent Sherfield (16) runs after a catch | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

He made back-to-back receptions for 18 and 17 yards, respectively, on the Bills' opening touchdown drive.

"He's just he's been making plays I think he has a comfort level understanding his role in the league," said Bills' rookie head coach Joe Brady after the August 22 victory.

Despite only 89 career regular season catches, including 11 as a Bill, Sherfield has proven valuable enough to stick around the NFL for eight-plus years. He played 35 percent of special teams snaps in 2023.

"You see a guy go out make plays like that in the receiver game and then draw a penalty and making tackles on special teams. He's such a selfless football player," said Brady.

Ja'mori Maclin has entered the chat

Undrafted out of Kentucky, Maclin lacks great size and speed, but that didn't stop him from making plays in Cleveland.

Showing explosiveness and sound technique off the line, Maclin made two long receptions for 108 yards and one touchdowns against the Browns. One week earlier, he made a nice one-handed grab.

"He's been balling. He's been doing a good job. He works hard and he's got some juice to him, so it's fun playing with him," said quarterback Shane Buechele.

Ja'mori Maclin — Aug 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Ja'mori MacLin (84) makes a catch in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at the New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Prior to Buechele entering the game, Maclin caught a 37-yard pass from Allen with the Bills running their two-minute offense late in the first half.

Then, with Buechele at the controls late in the third quarter, Maclin pulled in an intermediate-range pass and turn up the sideline for a 71-yard touchdown.

Shane Buechele ➡️ Ja'Mori Maclin for a 71-yd touchdown!

Tune into CBS pic.twitter.com/n1QbelEma2
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 22, 2026

"He's a guy that battled injuries in OTAs. You're undrafted and you're battling injuries in OTAs you better hope that you show something early to be able to continue to stick around. You guys know how this league works," said Brady. "He showed us a lot. He took advantage of the time when he was off and stuck around in the offseason, making sure that when his time was gonna come he was gonna be ready."

At this point, Maclin appears to have locked up a practice squad opportunity, and he's seriously challenging two veterans for a spot on the 53-man roster.

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