The Buffalo Bills waived Tyrell Shavers at the end of the preseason in 2023 and 2024. But this week, when the NFL team made its roster cuts to reach the regular-season limit of 53 active players, the former Alabama wide receiver survived.
Shavers aims to keep his roster spot the same way that he earned it.
“I’m happy, of course,” Shavers said. “This is something I’ve been working for my whole life, but now the work really begins.”
Work has been a key word for Shavers since he joined Buffalo as an undrafted rookie from San Diego State in 2023, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said on Wednesday.
“Shaves has worked so hard,” Beane said. “You know, I commend him. Not only do I think he’s continued to improve his game and his feel for our offense, his connection with our quarterbacks, but special teams, we really have stressed to him since he’s been here if you’re not trotting out with the starting group and playing starter reps that if you can help on fourth down, at least a couple of phases -- the more, the better -- but if you can at least do that and have some type of impact, that helps us get you on to this 53 because when we get to game day, we only get to dress 48. And so we’ve got to make sure every part of the kicking game is covered as well.
“And I think Shaves has shown that he’s earned that opportunity. He’ll tell you before I tell you he’s still got to continue to work and grow and improve, but we have a lot of confidence. (Offensive coordinator) Joe Brady has confidence in him. (Special-teams coordinator) Chris Tabor has confidence in him and (coach) Sean McDermott does, and ultimately that’s why we made the decision to keep him on our 53.”
After waiving Shavers the previous two years, Buffalo brought him back as a member of its practice squad both times. In three games last season as a practice-squad elevation, Shavers turned a short pass into a 69-yard touchdown and played 32 offensive snaps and 10 special-teams plays.
On Saturday, when Shavers made an acrobatic one-handed catch for a touchdown in a 23-19 preseason loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the wide receiver also recorded two special-teams tackles.
Buffalo kept seven wide receivers among its 53 players. Shavers is the only one who hasn’t played at least four seasons in the NFL.
“I think you have to consider everything,” Beane said. “You have to consider what’s the position flexibility not only physically but mentally. Shave’s a very smart guy. He can line up -- just because I have the skill set to line up inside or out doesn’t mean I can mentally do that, even on a drive. How the play is called in the huddle, whether it’s flipped or not, so that’s very important.
“And then again, we emphasize run game, too. You’re talking about a bigger body. We want all our guys, however you want to say it, there’s slogans out there: No block, no rock, or whatever your jargon is, all those things. Shaves is a team player, whether it’s the run game, running a guy off to clear out for someone else or whether he needs to run the slant route. You guys saw him catch the fade ball the other day. Like when he’s out there, if the defense says throw it to Shavers, Josh is going to let it rip or Mitch (Trubisky) or whoever’s in the game, and there’s a lot of trust with him. Again, not just with the backup quarterbacks, but with No. 17 (starting quarterback Josh Allen).
“Obviously, he got a little bit of play time last year, had the big play at the end of the -- I don’t remember, it was a Jets game maybe. But I think it’s the versatility, mentally smart, physically and mentally tough. And again, we talked about his improvement on special teams.”
In two seasons at Alabama, Shavers caught one pass – a 20-yard reception in a 66-3 victory over Western Carolina on Nov. 23, 2019, one week after he ran 14 yards in a 38-7 victory over Mississippi State. Shavers also scored on a 2-yard return of a blocked punt in a 47-28 victory over Texas A&M on Oct. 12, 2019.
Shavers had nine receptions for Mississippi State in 2020, then 18 in 2021 for San Diego State after another transfer. In 2022, Shavers had 38 receptions for 643 yards and three touchdowns for SDSU.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.
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