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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 26: Head coach Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills runs onto the field prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on October 26, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
The Buffalo Bills are beefing up their secondary before they face their biggest divisional test of the season.
The Bills travel to Foxboro to take on the New England Patriots on Sunday, a must-win game if the Bills want to keep their slim odds of a sixth straight division title alive. The Patriots beat the Bills in Orchard Park earlier this year thanks in part to some stellar play from quarterback Drake Maye, but the Bills are adding secondary depth to prepare for him a second time.
Bills Finally Land Athletic Cornerback
The Bills announced on Tuesday that they signed second-year cornerback MJ Devonshire to their practice squad. As The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia reported, the Bills showed interest in the Pitt defensive back prior to the 2024 draft, but ultimately didn’t land him at that time.
“Another Pitt DB for the Bills locker room,” Buscaglia shared in a post on X. “The Bills showed some pre-draft interest in Devonshire in 2024. His arm length is nearly 33 inches, so perhaps that signals they’re looking at him at boundary CB. Definitely an interesting one.”
Devonshire earned some buzz coming out of college last season, with NFL.com insider Lance Zierlein noting that he was an athletic cornerback with the chance to grow into a solid NFL starter.
“Devonshire is a cornerback with long arms and impressive ball production,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s confident in press, allowing his athleticism to trace routes while instincts and agility key his work from zone. Devonshire locates the quarterback and ball flight fairly quickly with his back to the ball.”
Zierlein added that while Devonshire lacks some long speed and “picks up his share of flags with excessive grabbing against big targets downfield,” the speedy cornerback could become a versatile defensive back in the NFL.
“A move to nickel is possible, and he has the athletic traits to make it work provided his run-support efforts don’t short-circuit his opportunity,” Zierlein wrote.
Bills Fell Flat in Bid to Boost Secondary
Devonshire’s signing comes just a week after the Bills took a big loss in their secondary. After claiming veteran Darius Slay on waivers, the Bills cut ties with cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram. Slay decided not to report to Buffalo, leading the Bills to place him on the reserve list, while Ingram was picked up off waivers by the Houston Texans.
The Bills had been on the lookout for secondary help this week. Before signing Devonshire on Tuesday, they held a workout with both Devonshire and second-year cornerback DJ James.
James came into the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2024, though was cut before the end of his rookie season and ended the year on the Patriots’ practice squad.
With Ingram’s departure, Devonshire could have the opportunity to see the field on Sunday against the Patriots. The Bills are two wins behind New England for the lead in the AFC East, but can make a big move with a win on Sunday. Though the Bills would still need help down the final stretch to catch the Patriots, a win would put them in a commanding position for a wild-card berth.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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