Aug 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots tight end Matt Sokol (87) warms up before a game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Bills sign former Patriots' tight end amidst flurry of roster moves at training camp

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Ralph Ventre | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 7:02 AM ET

The Buffalo Bills swapped out two players from their 90-man roster in favor of two others as veterans reported to training camp on Tuesday.

The Bills signed tight end Matt Sokol and wide receiver David White after creating room by releasing punter Jake Camarda and undrafted rookie wide receiver Kelly Akharaiyi.

Sokol has made eight regular season appearances since entering the NFL in 2019. The Michigan State product has bounced around more often than most. The Bills are the seventh different franchise to sign Sokol, who served two different stints with three of the teams.

Initially joining the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted rookie in 2019, he eventually landed on the practice squad. After subsequent stops with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions, he returned to the Chargers midway through the 2020 season. He made his NFL debut in Week 16.

Sokol spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the New England Patriots, making the active gameday roster six times in two years. Most recently on the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad during the 2024 campaign, the 6-foot-5 tight end has only 53 career offensive snaps under his belt.

White, a small-school product, joined the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent last year. An offseason injury ended his rookie campaign before it even started. He started his collegiate career at Division II Valdosta State before transferring to FCS member Western Carolina.

Although they'll be the longest of long shots, Sokol and White will presumably compete at positions that have openings.

The Bills need a new third tight end behind starters Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid. As for the former, he's starting the summer on the non-football injury list. Buffalo will also have a new face occupying its fifth wide receiver spot, but Elijah Moore, Tyrell Shavers and Jalen Virgil appear to be the main candidates at this point.

In addition to the signings, the Bills also placed offensive linemen Spencer Brown and Sedrick Van Pran-Granger on the active Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list while removing third-round rookie Landon Jackson's PUP designation.