Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals re-sign crucial talent; Houston Texans make an acquisition from free agency

BUFFALO, N.Y./GLENDALE, Ariz./HOUSTON (UPI) — The Buffalo Bills signed two former players, defensive tackle DeAndre Coleman and safety Robert Blanton, to add depth to their roster on Wednesday.

There were two spots open on the 53-man roster after the Bills released safety Trae Elston and linebacker Jelani Jenkins on Tuesday. The 6-foot-5, 341-pound Coleman earned a spot coming out of training camp but was moved off the roster a couple of weeks ago as the team adjusted its positional needs. Coleman, 26, adds depth after injuries to Marcell Dareus (ankle) and Jerel Worthy (concussion). The 6-1, 202-pound Blanton, 28, returns to Buffalo after spending last season with the Bills. He played in 10 games (two starts) in 2016, recording 35 tackles, before spending the preseason with the Dallas Cowboys. He was released by the Cowboys before the start of the season. The Arizona Cardinals re-signed linebacker Philip Wheeler on Wednesday after he was released again Friday. The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Wheeler spent the preseason with the Cardinals before being released on September 8 and then re-signed on September 11. The Cardinals originally signed Wheeler to a one-year contract on July 27.

Wheeler, 32, is a nine-year NFL veteran who played in 133 games (66 starts) with the Indianapolis Colts (2008-11), Oakland Raiders (2012), Miami Dolphins (2013-14) and Atlanta Falcons (2015-16) with 513 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 25 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 15 passes defensed. Wheeler was a third-round pick of the Colts in 2008. Free agent cornerback Johnthan Banks has signed with the Houston Texans. Houston announced the transaction Wednesday. The Texans waived tight end Evan Baylis in a corresponding move. Banks, 27, entered the NFL as a second-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2013 NFL Draft. The Mississippi State product had 54 total tackles, six passes defended and three interceptions in 16 starts during his rookie campaign. He was traded in November to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Banks also played for the Chicago Bears for two games last season after being released by the Lions, making four total tackles and defending one pass. Houston worked out Banks, B.W. Webb, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Corey White and Josh Thornton on Tuesday before deciding to ink the four-year veteran.

Banks was the 2012 Jim Thorpe Award winner, making 63 tackles and pulling down four interceptions at Mississippi State his senior year. The Texans are dealing with numerous injuries in its secondary, with Johnathan Joseph reeling from a shoulder injury and Kevin Johnson dealing with a sprained MCL. Houston also lost their best corner, A.J. Bouye, to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency this offseason. Houston currently has Marcus Burley, Treston Decoud, Kareem Jackson and Banks at the position, in addition to the banged-up Joseph and Johnson. Written by UPI writer Alex Butler on behalf of The Sports Xchange