Bills sign Shell to add veteran OL depth

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills added veteran depth to their offensive line by signing Brandon Shell to a one-year contract on Thursday.

Shell is listed at 6-foot-5 and 324 pounds and has seven years of NFL experience, starting 11 games for Miami last season after being promoted off the Dolphins’ practice squad. He spent his first four seasons with the New York Jets and spent two years with the Seattle Seahawks.

With 72 starts in 83 career games, Shell has spent much of his career playing right tackle. He was a four-year starter at South Carolina and selected by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2016 draft.

Shell's great-uncle is Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Art Shell, who spent his 15-year career with the Raiders.

The Bills opened a roster spot for Shell by releasing defensive tackle Brandin Bryant, who appeared in seven games combined over the past three seasons.

In a separate move, Buffalo shuffled its receiver depth by signing Marcell Ateman and releasing undrafted rookie free agent Braydon Johnson. Ateman spent this year playing for the XFL St. Louis Battlehawks and previously spent three seasons with the NFL's Raiders.

Ateman was selected by Oakland in the seventh round of the 2018 draft and had 20 catches for 270 yards and a touchdown in 19 games spanning 2018-21.

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