Bills make five roster moves, adding Deven Thompkins and Max Tomczak while waiving four

The Buffalo Bills made five roster moves on Thursday, reshaping parts of their wide receiver and defensive depth while also clearing roster spots ahead of the next phase of the offseason. The team signed wide receivers Deven Thompkins and Max Tomczak, then processed a series of waivers and an injury-related designation involving cornerback Dorian Strong and running back Desmond Reid, along with a separate move for wide receiver Gabriel Benyard.

According to the transaction summary reported by Yahoo Sports, Thompkins and Tomczak were added to the roster as wide receivers. In practice, moves like these are often about creating competition during organized team activities and training camp, when teams evaluate route running, hands, and special-teams value in a long list of battles for depth roles.

On the defensive side, the Bills waived cornerback Dorian Strong with a non-football injury designation. That distinction matters in roster terms because a non-football injury waiver typically reflects the player’s status and availability, rather than an injury suffered during team football activities. For the Bills, it provides a pathway to adjust the roster while maintaining the flexibility to evaluate options for the cornerback room.

The Bills also waived/injured running back Desmond Reid. Waived/injured transactions are commonly used when a team wants to place a player on a waiver process tied to an injury designation, with outcomes that can include the player being claimed by another team or reverted to the original club’s injured reserve-related rights, depending on the specific rules and subsequent moves. The reported handling of Reid suggests the Bills are addressing availability questions rather than simply making room for a replacement player.

Finally, Buffalo waived wide receiver Gabriel Benyard. Waiving a receiver is a routine offseason mechanism for teams balancing roster limits, developmental priorities, and the number of players under evaluation. By releasing Benyard while adding two other wideouts, the Bills are indicating that they want the receiver group they work with over the summer to match the style and skill sets they prioritize this year.

What the moves do not confirm is any change to regular-season expectations, because offseason signings and waivers can be followed by additional re-signings, claims, and camp performance-based decisions. Even so, the Bills’ pattern here is consistent with an offseason approach centered on increasing competition at receiver and smoothing out roster construction around injury designations.

For Bills fans, the immediate watch items are simple and practical. First is how Thompkins and Tomczak perform relative to the existing group during early work and preseason evaluations, especially in terms of separation, catching consistency, and reliability on routes. Second is how the cornerback depth picture develops after Strong’s non-football injury designation, since the Bills will still need enough options for offseason practices and preseason reps. Third is whether Reid’s waived/injured status results in an outcome that keeps him in Buffalo’s ecosystem or moves him to another club’s plans. Until further roster updates arrive, the transaction list remains the most concrete evidence of what Buffalo is prioritizing right now.

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