Bills add to receiver depth by adding Trent Sherfield

The Bills added some depth at wide receiver and special teams Monday.

Trent Sherfield was signed to a one-year deal, the team reported. Sherfield adds a big body to Buffalo’s receiving corps, and while he’s never been a consistent threat in the passing game during his five-year career, he has been a stellar blocker.

Sherfield has 67 receptions for 844 yards and four touchdowns during his career and his 30 grabs for 417 yards and two touchdowns with Miami last year marked the best season of his time in the NFL.

At 6-foot-1, 219 pounds, Sherfield’s 78.1 run-blocking grade ranked second among receivers with at least 100 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He also played half of the special teams snaps for the Dolphins last year.

Sherfield attributed his boost in production to opportunity. He nearly matched his four-year totals in receptions and yards last season. He had 51 targets last year after his previous high was 28 and he had a total of 40 in the previous four seasons.

“It’s something I’ve been searching for my whole career,” Sherfield said. “... Now it’s going into those finite details of what can I do to increase my game and take it to another level, whether that be working on my speed or continuing to master route discipline, hands and blocking. I’m really detail-oriented and some of the things I’ve listed are coming off the ball and being quarterback friendly.”

The Bills will be Sherfield’s fourth NFL team, but he expected to be back for a second season with the Dolphins, but he described free agency as “crazy.” After it became clear that Miami was no longer going to be an option and said when the Bills came into the picture, he couldn’t look past them.

Sherfield, 27, also said that he met with head coach Sean McDermott, as well as offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, receivers coach Adam Henry and special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley before meeting with the media on Monday.

“If you want to be an elite receiver, come play with an elite quarterback,” said Sherfield, who was an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt in 2018. “... It was pretty nerve-racking for a couple of days. It took longer than I would have liked, but I’m happy. I’m at peace with being here and the decision that I made.”

Sherfield is the second receiver signed by Buffalo in free agency, joining Deonte Harty last week. In addition to Harty and Sherfield, the Bills now have five receivers with NFL experience, along with Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis and Khalil Shakir.

Buffalo also has Dezmon Patmon, KeeSean Johnson and Isaiah Coulter on the roster after being signed to futures deals following the season. Cole Beasley, Jamison Crowder and Jake Kumerow still remain unsigned.

Running back Devin Singletary signed with Houston on Monday, per NFL Network, while safety Jaquan Johnson signed a one-year deal with Raiders, according to ESPN. Five Bills free agents have signed elsewhere, following Tremaine Edmunds and Case Keenum.

Thirteen of the team’s unrestricted free agents are still on the market, including defensive end Shaq Lawson and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips.