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Bills WR Ja'Mori Maclin turns three targets into a roster case
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- Bills WR Ja'Mori Maclin turns three targets into a roster case
Buffalo left Cleveland with a preseason win, an un-drafted Bills receiver who had suddenly become the most interesting name on the depth chart, and a locker room carrying something far heavier than an August scoreboard.
Ja'Mori Maclin finished the night with 108 receiving yards and a touchdown on two catches. Three targets. That was the entire body of work, and it led the team.
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Quarterback Shane Buechele dropped a 71-yard touchdown into his hands, and the throw only worked because the receiver ran away from the coverage.
Buechele has been watching this build since Pittsford.
"He's been balling," Buechele said . "He's been doing a good job, he works hard, he's got some juice to him, so it's fun. It's fun playing with him."
Week 1 against Carolina allowed Maclin a single target and nine yards. Week 2 gave him more opportunity, and the 24-year-old answered it with the some of vertical explosiveness Buffalo has spent two drafts hunting for behind Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman . In an offense where Josh Allen and DJ Moore will lead the passing game, the last receiver spot belongs to whoever can win a footrace and contribute on special teams.
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Maclin realizes the value of the window he's been given to showcase his abilities.
"This is definitely a blessing, man," Maclin said . "I haven't really fully soaked it in yet because I'm trying to shower, trying to get on the plane, go see my family. But man, I'm definitely grateful, man. God has blessed me with this opportunity."
Maclin arrived in Buffalo un-drafted and immediately lost practice time to injuries during OTAs — the single worst combination for a player without guaranteed money, because the reps he missed were the only currency he had.
Still, Bills head coach Joe Brady has seen some of what he can do for the four months prior to the game.
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"If you're undrafted and you're battling injuries in OTAs, you better hope that you show something early to be able to continue to stick around; and he showed us a lot," Brady said . "… It was a lot of fun seeing him celebrate."
The first-year head coach kept returning to what Maclin did while he was unavailable — staying in the building through the offseason instead of rehabbing somewhere else and hoping the calendar was kind.
"He took advantage of the time when he was off and stuck around in the off season, making sure that when his time was going to come, he was going to be ready," he continued.
The young receiver has one more preseason game ahead of him to make his case heard. There's often a receiver with some buzz around him this time of year before roster cuts take place.
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He'll hope the big play earns him some more looks and some more good buzz to make his case for a spot on the roster or practice squad.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills WR Ja'Mori Maclin turns three targets into a roster case
