Buffalo Bills players react to making the 53

Jun 28, 2023

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills trimmed their roster down to 53 players on Tuesday — a tense time for many players at the bottom end of the depth chart.

Cutdown day went mostly went as expected. Among those who might have been considered surprises by some: defensive end Kingsley Jonathan, the Syracuse University product who found his way onto the roster after a strong showing this summer and former second-round pick Boogie Basham was traded to the Giants.

"No news is good news," Jonathan said Wednesday. "I was looking at my phone all day yesterday [on cutdown day], the day before and just looking at it, looking at it. Praying. In that moment, I just stopped looking at it. And I didn’t hear anything so I’ve just got to go in the next day."

It’s been quite a journey for Jonathan, who grew up in Nigeria and moved to the United States as a teenager to pursue playing basketball. After his first host family was alleged to be part of a human trafficking scheme, he picked up football, eventually winding up at Syracuse and now a member of the Bills’ 53-man roster.

"Thank God for what I have now, and thank God for just putting in me a position to keep doing what I can do, taking advantage of this opportunity," he said. "But once in a while I reflect on where I came from and where I need to go."

On the offensive side of the ball, reserve lineman Ryan Van Demark and Alec Anderson both made the grade, beating out veterans like Ike Boettger and David Quessenberry.

"Four o’clock, first call was my mom and dad. I called them, merged them together. Told them that I made it and another dream come true and just another goal," Anderson said. "Then we went out and tried to go to Left Coast Taco but they were closed, so no celebratory tacos yesterday."

Van Demark figures to be the Bills’ top reserve for both right and left tackle positions.

"Waking up in the morning then not getting a phone call before 10 a.m. was pretty cool," Van Demark said. "And then just going out through the day, meetings and all that stuff, then reaching 4 o’clock and calling my parents and my agent calling me and saying, ‘congratulations.’ It was a good day."

One day to soak it all in, and back to the grind as they gear up for the regular season.

NOTES: WR Khalil Shakir (ribs), LB Terrel Bernard (hamstring) and OL Connor McGovern (knee) returned to practice during individual drills on Wednesday. LB Baylon Spector and WR Justin Shorter were not seen practicing during the portion the media is allowed to view.