The Buffalo Bills announced the release of six players on Tuesday morning, including veteran safety Bacarri Rambo. This year, the NFL doesn’t require any cuts until teams drop to 53 players on Saturday, September 2nd, but the Bills had made up their mind on this group and chose to cut them ahead of the final preseason game on Thursday.

Along with Rambo, the Bills released lineman Karim Barton, defensive end Jake Metz, running back Cedric O’Neal, cornerback Jumal Rolle, and kick returner Rashad Ross. None of those names are particularly surprising, but the listing of Rambo probably catches Bills fans off guard. Rambo stood out two years ago when he contributed 44 tackles and six pass breakups as a rotational safety in Buffalo’s defense. With weak perceived depth at the position, some believed he could immediately jump into the mix this summer.

Ultimately, Rambo didn’t distinguish himself very much in the preseason, while younger players like Trae Elston and B.T. Sanders stood out during the games. Rambo may also be a victim of a number crunch on the roster - with useful cornerbacks like Leonard Johnson and Shareece Wright, along with young projects like Greg Mabin and Bradley Sylve, the Bills may be planning to hold onto a smaller number of safeties in favor of additional corner depth.

The Bills have 83 players remaining on their roster heading into Thursday’s game against the Detroit Lions.