With 10 days until the Buffalo Bills must cut their roster to 53 players on Sept. 5, one position remains particularly difficult to predict: wide receiver.
The top three targets -- Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Percy Harvin -- are set in stone. However, each has been dealing with an injury over the past two weeks, opening up opportunities for other players to step up.
"We have had a couple guys that have really taken off," coach Rex Ryan said Tuesday. "I think of [Andre] Davis, I think of [Deonte] Thompson. I think those guys have really stepped up and taken advantage of their situation."
Ryan said the Bills have been receiving "a lot of calls" about Thompson, a fourth-year receiver who could be a quick fix for another team in need of depth at receiver.
But what if the Bills want to keep him?
Beyond Watkins, Woods and Harvin, the Bills are almost certain to keep Marcus Easley on their 53-man roster for his special-teams ability. That leaves one or two spots for other receivers.
With six receivers vying for those one or two spots, there are 36 different scenarios that could play out at the bottom of the depth chart at that position.
Here is each of those six players' case to make the final cut:
Chris Hogan: He was the Bills' third receiver last season, setting career-highs with 41 receptions for 426 yards and four touchdowns. Harvin's signing knocked Hogan down to fourth on the depth chart and he has struggled at times in training camp with dropped passes, but Hogan is still a stronger bet to make the 53-man roster. Rex Ryan is "cautiously optimistic" that Hogan will be ready for Week 1 after injuring his ankle in last Thursday's preseason win in Cleveland. If healthy, he can make an impact on special teams.
Marquise Goodwin: Goodwin started Thursday's game alongside Hogan, so he's in a favorable spot entering the final two weeks of the preseason. Despite a few injury scares during training camp, Goodwin has stayed healthy. For a player with durability concerns over the first two years of his career, that's a prerequisite for making the roster. His catching and route-running ability, although still inconsistent, was better this summer than last summer. The ship might have sailed on Goodwin as a kick returner, but he has a case to stick a sixth receiver.
Thompson: Ryan mentioning the trade market for Thompson made him a hot name around training camp this past week. He had a rough practice Sunday night, dropping multiple passes, but Thompson has generally impressed with his increased practice time the past few weeks. Like most other receivers, he's rotated with the first team and has caught passes from the top three quarterbacks in practice. If he can show something on special teams in the final two preseason games, he'll be a tougher cut for the Bills.
Marcus Thigpen: The most veteran of the six players vying for the last few roster spots, Thigpen is a jack-of-all-trades player who can sneak onto the bottom of a 53-man roster. He hasn't gotten the same practice time at wide receiver as the others, but he was the Bills' primary punt returner in their first two preseason games. He's averaged 13.3 yards per punt return this preseason, which ranks 10th among NFL players with at least two punt returns. With Leodis McKelvin -- the Bills' primary punt returner until his injury last November -- likely out for multiple weeks to start the season, Thigpen fills a void at that spot, just as he did late last season.
Davis: An undrafted receiver from USF, Davis caught my eye back in rookie minicamp for his size (6-foot-1, 211 pounds) and his catching ability. He faces more of an uphill battle than Hogan, Goodwin or Thompson to make the roster, but offers more untapped potential than those three players. He's a strong, sturdy player with good instincts for his position.
Dez Lewis: The Bills' seventh-round pick from Central Arkansas, Lewis has looked like a small-school prospect trying to make it in the NFL. He appeared to be a step behind other young receivers in getting acclimated to the playbook, and when he saw opportunities in practice early in training camp, Lewis left something to be desired with his aggressiveness and catching ability when faced with close coverage. At 6-foot-4, he's the tallest receiver on the Bills' roster but, despite a strong practice Sunday evening, he's very much a work in progress. The practice squad might be the best spot for Lewis this season.
