Bills Part Ways With ‘Freaky’ Athletic DB After First Week of Training Camp

The Buffalo Bills are still a few weeks away from the deadline for final roster cuts, but they’re already trimming up the roster a bit.

The team made a pair of roster changes late this week, replacing an injured wide receiver and swapping defensive backs. The Bills announced that they parted ways with a second-year safety who earned praise last year for his “freaky” athleticism.

Bills Release Wande Owens

The Bills announced on Friday that they released safety Wande Owens, who joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2025 but failed to make the final roster. He returned to the team this offseason, but failed to make it through the first week of training camp.

Owens had earned praise after a standout college career, with CBS Sports reporter Chris Trapasso praising his athleticism.

“Wande Owens has the complete makeup to sneak onto this Bills team,” Trapasso wrote. “He was a do-everything safety at two different schools — Yale and New Hampshire — and he’s a freaky athlete. At a chiseled 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, Owens ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash and had a ridiculous 43-inch vertical jump and 11-3 broad jump.”

Trapasso added that Owens was a steady defensive back who rarely made mistakes, suggesting he had a good chance to make the active roster last year.

“He rarely missed at tackle in college as an insert into the box, and was credited with two interceptions along with 15 pass breakups in his four-year career,” Trapasso wrote. “The Bills have former All-Pro Taron Johnson as their nickel corner, but don’t be shocked when Owens puts up a valiant and ultimately successful fight to be a key defensive backfield reserve as early as his rookie season.”

The Bills replaced Owens by signing another safety, former UFL standout D.J. Miller.

“The Buffalo Bills signed Columbus Aviators DB D.J. Miller Jr. today,” reporter James Larsen wrote in a post on X. “Miller is coming off a strong UFL campaign, with 29 tackles, 5 PBU’s, and 3 interceptions. Generated legitimate NFL interest before signing to Buffalo.”

Bills Swap Wide Receivers

The Bills were also forced to make some changes to their wide receiving corps after former practice squad member Jalen Virgil failed a physical and was released with an injury designation.

The team filled the open roster spot by signing veteran wide receiver Dante Pettis, who has a versatile skill set.

“Pettis, 30, has eight years of NFL experience with four different teams, most recently playing for the New Orleans Saints from 2024-25,” the team noted in its announcement of his signing. “In his career, Pettis has recorded 92 receptions for 1,231 yards and 13 touchdowns across 66 games.

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