The Bills went into the week shorthanded at cornerback, and with starter E.J. Gaines and veteran Shareece Wright listed as questionable, Buffalo added some insurance to the roster Saturday.
Rookie Greg Mabin was promoted from the practice squad Saturday. Mabin (6-2, 200) had a strong preseason with the Bills in which he made a pair of interceptions and made the initial 53-man roster heading into Week 1. But circumstances at other positions on the roster necessitated a shuffle and he's been on the practice squad for the past month.
Now back on the 53-man roster, Mabin feels he's as ready as ever to contribute if called upon.
"I'm here to do one job and that's to play cornerback for the Buffalo Bills, so I'm preparing the same way I've prepared in Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4 even though I wasn't up," Mabin told Buffalobills.com. "It's my job to know our defense. It's my job to know their offense."
Mabin was disappointed when he was released two days after the season opener and subsequently signed to the Bills practice squad. But he was committed to sharpening his game to make him a worthy candidate for a call-up if one had to be made.
"I just left it all up to God. It was something that was out of my control," Mabin said of getting released and signed to the practice squad. "The coaches made that decision and I roll with it. I'm just happy to be part of this team and when the opportunity comes I'm just going to make the most of it."
Gaines, who suffered a groin injury last Sunday, did not practice on Friday. Wright was limited with a back injury that cropped up during the week. That afforded Mabin the opportunity to get some reps at cornerback with the first team defense in practice Friday opposite Tre'Davious White.
"Overall I'm just making sure I'm in the right place at the right time and reading my keys. Not getting too antsy out there and just playing confidence," Mabin said. "The coaches have confidence in me. I wouldn't be on the 53 if they didn't believe in me. So I'm just going to go out there and have confidence in myself and do what I do."
To make room on the roster for Mabin the Bills released WR Philly Brown, who was just signed this week in the wake of the Jordan Matthews thumb injury that required surgery.
