Bills claim WR Quentin Skinner off waivers, waive WR Deven Thompkins

The Buffalo Bills have made a minor, but telling, adjustment at the bottom of their wide receiver depth chart, claiming Quentin Skinner off waivers from the New York Jets. The move, first reported by ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg and echoed by Pro Football Rumors, reflects a familiar offseason pattern in the NFL, when teams look for late roster space and for receivers who can create value on special teams and in camp competition.

As part of the claim, the Bills waived Deven Thompkins in a corresponding roster move. While the transaction does not reshape the Bills’ top of the receiving group on its own, it does report that Buffalo is still actively sorting through the third tier and fringe spots, where opportunities for development and situational roles often decide who makes the final 53-man roster.

Skinner’s addition carries the intrigue of recent collegiate productivity. Pro Football Rumors’ report notes that Skinner finished his Kansas career with 80 catches, setting the background for why a waiver claim can happen even when the league depth chart is crowded. Kansas’ wide receivers tend to be tested in route variety and timing, and players with that kind of college production can become targets for teams looking for a growth arc.

Thompkins’ departure, by contrast, reads as a roster management decision more than a statement about on-field quality. In the NFL, fringe receivers are frequently moved when a club needs a different skill set, a different practice profile, or simply needs to change the group’s composition heading into training camp. Buffalo’s corresponding waiver of Thompkins underscores that the Bills treated the Skinner claim as a direct replacement in their internal pecking order.

The Jets’ involvement is also notable. A player being claimed off waivers means New York was unable to keep Skinner on its own offseason roster once the waiver process started. For Buffalo, that reduces risk relative to signing a completely unscouted option, because the Bills are acquiring a player already in the league pipeline, with a recent transaction trail and a defined evaluation history.

What comes next will likely be determined by camp performance and the Bills’ ability to translate college production into NFL practice reps. The most realistic early measuring stick for a claimed receiver is how quickly he can earn reps in the team’s receiver rotation and whether he can contribute on special teams, where third and fourth receivers often find the fastest path to reliability.