The Buffalo Bills‘ 53-man roster is starting to take shape.
Entering training camp, veteran defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis was on the roster bubble. Mathis ended the year with the Bills and showed flashes of strong play, but his spot on the roster wasn’t guaranteed.
Yet, the former second-round pick, who’s entering his fifth NFL season, has impressed and could be set to make the roster, according to The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia.
“The Bills have shown they trust Mathis more and more as the summer has gone on. He replaced third-year player DeWayne Carter as the second-team nose tackle after just two days of camp. It’s reached the point they’ve been using Carter at 4i more often than not, further cementing Mathis’ current hold on the backup spot behind Deone Walker. Mathis may have been on the bubble before training camp, but he might be an indispensable piece of their depth if this keeps up,” Buscaglia wrote.
Mathis was a second-round pick in 2022 by Washington and signed with the Bills’ practice squad in September. He ended up being signed to the roster last year. He returned to the team on a one-year deal this offseason.
Mathis has impressed so far in camp and appears to be ahead of DeWayne Carter, who is now firmly on the roster bubble.
The 6-foot-4 nose tackle recorded 13 tackles in 6 games last season with the Bills.
Mathis Was in Camp Battle With Carter
One of the most intriguing roster battles was between Mathis and 2024 third-round pick DeWayne Carter.
Carter has struggled to live up to expectations, and Bills analyst Fernando Schmude of SBNation predicts Buffalo will cut Carter before the regular season.
“And then there’s Mathis over Carter at the backup nose tackle spot,” Schmude wrote. “I want to be clear: DeWayne Carter gets the entire offseason to make this projection look foolish, and I genuinely hope he does, because that would justify the third-round pick invested in him two years ago.
“However, Mathis has been the player who has contributed more so far, earning a new deal. He has more experience playing nose tackle, eating blocks without getting embarrassed. Mathis does it, and Carter is bulking up to play this role, one that he hasn’t played in his career yet. Advantage Mathis.”
If Carter does get released, it would be a disappointing result for the former Day 2 pick. However, he’s struggled to live up to the hype, and Mathis has seemingly outplayed him.
Bills Players React to New Stadium
Buffalo is playing in its new stadium, and fans got a glimpse at it during the Blue & Red Game.
Bills tight end Dawson Knox, who’s a fan-favorite, was pumped to play in the stadium and how it looked.
“I don’t know how many other fan bases can pull something like that off,” Knox said. “We have the best fans in the world. And I can’t wait to get out here when it starts becoming real. Give these fans a show. And bring home some wins. … It still doesn’t feel real yet, just being out here looking around; it’s just incredible. It’s the coolest place I’ve ever played football in. There’s going to be some incredible memories to be made here in the near future.”
The Bills’ home opener in the regular season will come in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions.
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