Bills to sign lightning-fast WR who knows front office well

The Buffalo Bills are ready to add some speed and experience to their receiving corps, as they have agreed to a deal with wide receiver Damiere Byrd, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The 31-year-old practiced for the team on Monday afternoon.

Byrd has some experience with Buffalo’s current leadership, having signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent following the conclusion of the 2015 NFL Draft. Current Bills general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott were with the Panthers at the time as assistant general manager and defensive coordinator, respectively. Byrd played for Carolina from 2015-18, catching 12 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns.

Byrd also contributed on special teams throughout his time in Carolina, returning 12 punts for 113 yards and 10 kicks for 294 yards and a score.

Related: Sean McDermott attributes Bills’ preseason struggles in part to management turnover

The speedy receiver, who ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, has played for the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans and Washington Commanders since leaving Charlotte. His most productive season came in 2020, a campaign in which he started 14 games for the Patriots and caught 47 passes for 604 yards.

The 5-foot-9 receiver adds some speed to a Buffalo receiving corps that prioritized size, receiving radius and contested receiving ability this offseason. That said, he’s more likely to be acquired on special teams; McDermott wasn’t very complimentary of the Bills’ overall return effort in their preseason opener, telling reporters that K.J. Hamler and Daequan Hardy “were struggling a little bit to track the ball.”

Byrd is the second player Buffalo reportedly agreed to sign Monday, the first being veteran quarterback Ben DiNucci following an injury to third-stringer Shane Buechele.

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