Shane Ray was in Buffalo for a minicamp tryout with the Bills this week after spending 2 seasons in the CFL. Ray, a former first-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos out of Missouri, hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since the 2018 season but has been working to get back into the league.

That work has paid off.

He revealed on his Instagram page Saturday that he has signed with the Bills.

“So many tears, sleepless nights, depression, everything that comes with losing the game,” Ray wrote in a post on his social media. “So many days of having nothing but hope while fighting an uphill battle. There were times that I thought maybe I should give up, but I wouldn’t be me if I folded. Even in my darkest moments, I believed in myself. I believed in my preparation. I believed that I would have another opportunity even if the world didn’t believe.”

 

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Ray was selected 23rd overall by the Broncos in the 2015 NFL Draft. He was a star for the Tigers in college, amassing 31.5 tackles for loss and 19 sacks over his last 2 seasons with the program.

During his rookie season, Ray appeared in 14 games for the Super Bowl champion Broncos, supplying 5 TFLs and 4 sacks. He started 15 times over the next 2 seasons, adding 9 more sacks and 9 TFLs. His production dipped in 2018 and Denver declined his fifth-year option in the ensuing offseason.

Ray signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019 but was released in August of the same year. He took 2 years off before re-emerging with the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League. Ray started 13 games for Toronto last season and did what he does best — got to the quarterback for 6 sacks.

“We probably at some point may look to add a D-end between now and start of camp,” Buffalo GM Brandon Beane said recently. “And so instead of doing a workout, here’s a guy out there, let’s bring him in here for a couple of days, test his knowledge, test the skill set, see where he’s at.”

And, it seems, Buffalo liked what it saw out of Ray.