Justin Shorter Catches Two Passes Against Carolina
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Justin Shorter caught two of his three targets for 15 yards in Saturday afternoon's preseason loss to the visiting Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium. Shorter's long gain of the day came on a 10-yard reception in Saturday's defeat to the Panthers. The 24-year-old wideout was a fifth-round pick out of Florida by the Bills in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he didn't see the field in any capacity during his rookie season in Orchard Park a year ago. Shorter still has a chance to make Buffalo's final 53-man roster as depth for the receiving corps, but he'll probably end up being a healthy inactive on gamedays more often than not while the team is healthy.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Justin Shorter is expected to compete for a depth role in training camp this summer behind wideouts Khalil Shakir, rookie Keon Coleman and veteran Curtis Samuel. Shorter, who was taken in the fifth round last year out of Florida, didn't play at all in his first season in the NFL due to a hamstring injury that landed him on Injured Reserve. The 24-year-old stands at 6-foot-4, 223 pounds and will be competing with the likes of Chase Claypool, Mack Hollins, KJ Hamler, Andy Isabella and Quintez Cephus for the No. 4 role in Buffalo. Shorter will most likely have to contribute on special teams to make that happen, but there's no denying that there is plenty of opportunity in Buffalo's receiver room in 2024 now that both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis are out of town.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Justin Shorter caught five of six targets for 47 receiving yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 27-15 preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 23-year-old's fourth-quarter score came essentially during garbage time, but it doesn't take away from a noteworthy effort. Shorter led the way in targets, receptions, and yards for the Bills in this one, becoming the latest wideout to make his case for the No. 3 WR role in Buffalo this year. While Khalil Shakir, who failed to reel in his lone target on Saturday, might be the favorite for that job, it truly is up for grabs. Shorter, a 2023 fifth-round pick, will have one more chance before the regular season to ascend the depth chart next Saturday against the Chicago Bears.
The Buffalo Bills announced on Thursday that they signed wide receiver Justin Shorter to his four-year rookie deal. In addition to Shorter, the team also signed offensive guard O'Cyrus Torrence, linebacker Dorian Williams, offensive lineman Nick Broeker and cornerback Alex Austin to their rookie deals. Shorter was taken by Buffalo with the 150th pick of the draft in the fifth round. He stands at 6-foot-4 and 229 pounds and played three years at the University of Florida and two years at Penn State. In his three years with the Gators, he caught 95 passes for 1,395 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 14.7 yards per catch. The 23-year-old is likely to be buried on the Bills' receiver depth chart in his first NFL campaign.
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