Bills make mandatory minicamp roster move, waive CB Dorian Strong with NFI designation

The Buffalo Bills closed out mandatory minicamp on June 11 with a significant transaction affecting their cornerback group. According to team-reported announcements carried by Yahoo Sports, the Bills waived second-year cornerback Dorian Strong with a non-football injury (NFI) designation.

An NFI designation generally indicates the injury issue did not occur during team football activities. When a player is waived with that label, it changes the processing of the roster spot and the way other teams can respond, because the player is still subject to the league’s waiver process even though the injury did not come from football-related team work.

From the Bills’ perspective, waiving Strong during mandatory minicamp suggests the team is finalizing its offseason roster evaluation priorities as it moves toward the start of training camp. Mandatory minicamp is a key checkpoint for players fighting for depth roles, and roster churn around the end of minicamp is often tied to clearing space and aligning the group with current availability and medical status.

For Strong, the waiver means his next path depends on how the waiver period plays out. If no claim is made, he could be available to remain in the Bills’ broader ecosystem in some capacity, subject to league rules and whatever the Bills and the player agree on after the waiver process. If another team claims him, he would join that team’s roster in the timeframe required by the collective bargaining and waiver regulations.

Cornerback is a position where small changes in the depth chart can matter quickly. Even if a player’s role was still developing, teams weigh coverage fit, special-teams value, and day-to-day practice availability when carrying the final camp roster. The Bills’ decision to waive a second-year corner during minicamp underscores how teams can turn evaluation into roster action before preseason begins.

The Bills also have broader offseason momentum to consider. After this kind of move, Buffalo’s remaining defensive backs may see additional opportunities in drills and coverage work, particularly in practices leading into camp. The team’s later decisions, such as whether they add depth through the waiver market, free agency, or via camp competition, will indicate whether they were aiming for immediate replacement or simply narrowing the group.

What to watch next is how Buffalo’s cornerback rotation takes shape after the NFI waiver, and whether Strong lands with another organization through the waiver process. In the coming weeks, the Bills’ roster moves around training camp reporting and preseason preparation will provide the clearest picture of how this decision reshapes their defensive depth and competition.