The Buffalo Bills needed game day insurance at three different positions to face the Los Angeles Rams on October 12, but each team is permitted to make only two practice squad elevations per week.
As a result of the limitation, the Bills had to exercise some roster gymnastics that included temporarily releasing veteran edge rusher Mike Danna.
Needing to make room for practice squad defensive back Anthony Kendall, Buffalo cut its sixth outside linebacker.
Danna, a two-time Super Bowl champion who joined the Bills in the offseason, was in line to be a healthy scratch on Monday night. Therefore, it made sense to move him off the roster in order to sign Kendall, who proceeded to play 31 defensive snaps in the 37-34 overtime road win.
On Tuesday, the Bills officially brought Danna back onto the 53-man roster, releasing Kendall in a corresponding move.
With Danna's veteran status exempting him from waivers, Buffalo apparently planned to subsequently re-sign him all along. The Bills are reportedly bringing Kendall back to the practice squad provided he clears waivers.
Why did Bills need three extra bodies?
The Bills were forced to scratch two wide receivers, two interior defensive linemen and their starting slot cornerback in Week 5 due to injuries.
With DJ Moore fighting through an AC joint sprain that was reaggravated in Week 4, and Josh Palmer injuring his shoulder during Friday's practice, Buffalo elevated wide receiver Trent Sherfield, who also brings value to special teams. Sherfield played seven offensive snaps and took 17 reps on specials against the Rams.
After both tweaking a knee against the Patriots, defensive linemen Ed Oliver and Landon Jackson were unavailable for Monday Night Football. The Bills called up Phidarian Mathis as a substitute. He was in the field for 18 percent of the defense's snaps.
It was an ankle injury to starting slot cornerback Dee Alford that necessitated the Kendall move. With back nickel cornerback Jordan Hancock already on Injured Reserve, Buffalo was undermanned in the defensive backfield.
Who is Mike Danna?
The 28-year-old Danna spent his first six NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. The 2020 fifth-round draft pick made 87 regular season appearances, including 49 starts, before the Chiefs cut him loose this past February.
The Bills signed Danna in June, and he showed enough to earn a roster spot in a crowded edge rusher room headlined by Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb. With Buffalo needing only five edge rushers on game days, Danna was a healthy scratch three of the first four weeks.
Danna, who has 21.5 career sacks, made his Bills' debut in Week 2 when Oliver injured himself during pregame warmups. He saw eight defensive snaps in the September 17 victory over the Detroit Lions.
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