Brandin Cooks joins Buffalo Bills roster while two notable injuries loom on the offensive line

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — The doors into the Buffalo Bills' locker room may as well be revolving at this point. With new players seemingly joining the roster every week and an injury list that seems endless, the Bills must try to piece things together as they bounce back from their loss against the Houston Texans.

The most notable injuries for the Bills this week are on the offensive line. Starting tackles Spencer Brown and Dion Dawkins both missed practice on Wednesday. For an offense that has struggled to consistently protect Josh Allen, playing without the two most proven players on the offensive line could be a massive hurdle for the Bills. Dawkins is in concussion protocol, while Brown has a shoulder injury. Neither player has been ruled out, but it’s not a great sign to start the week.

“You can't replace your two starting tackles. It's hard to do that, but again, we trust the guys that we have,” Allen said. “We gotta trust them and roll with them.”

Allen was also on the injury report with “general soreness” but was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. During the portion of practice reporters are allowed to watch, Allen was seen with a wrap/bandage over his right elbow. He said after practice, he’s good to go despite the soreness.

Tight end Dalton Kincaid, who is the second leading Bills pass catcher despite missing three games, also missed practice on Wednesday. When asked if Kincaid could return this week, McDermott said, “There’s a chance.” Defensive captain Terrel Bernard was also absent on Wednesday after leaving the Texans game with an elbow injury.

As for the additions, Wednesday was our first chance to see newly signed wide receiver Brandin Cooks. He was added to the active roster on Tuesday and has a chance to play this weekend against the Steelers.

“First and foremost, jump in here and be the best teammate I could possibly be,” Cooks said, is his immediate goal. “You feel that around here, that's what I'm about,right? Be a leader. But at the end of the day, come out here and remind people around this league that I'm still a playmaker and that's my expectation to go out there, make plays, be the best teammate I could possibly be, and let everything else take care of itself.”

“Going against him a number of times, I’ve always respected his game,” McDermott said. “(He) has good speed, knows how to play the position. Some guys have good speed, but they're not true wide receivers and football players. He's a combination of both, and as I said, I have a lot of respect for his game.”

“Bringing a guy like him in and being a veteran presence for our room, you know, he's come in here, he's already basically learned our playbook. He's an extremely high football IQ guy,” Allen said. “He's been around the league for a long time. The way that he carries himself, the way that he is in meetings. It’s already very apparent that he's a true professional.”