Who Should I Start? Mecole Hardman or James Proche II

Friday, January 16, 4:45 PM

The Buffalo Bills announced on Friday that they elevated wide receiver Mecole Hardman from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster for Saturday's Divisional Round game against the hosting Denver Broncos. The team also elevated running back Frank Gore Jr. from the practice squad. Hardman will give Buffalo extra receiver depth after Gabe Davis (knee) and Tyrell Shavers (knee) both tore their ACLs in last Sunday's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs. Joshua Palmer (ankle) is also on Injured Reserve for the Bills, so their depth at the WR position behind Khalil Shakir will be tested in Denver. The 27-year-old Hardman is unlikely to have a big role on offense this weekend against a tough defense. In just two regular-season games in 2025, he had one target and no receptions.

Friday, August 1, 2:54 PM

Tennessee Titans wide receiver James Proche II has been "the most productive receiver in 11-on-11 drills" in the team's training camp practices, according to Easton Freeze of AtoZ Sports. The 28-year-old is in his first year in Tennessee after spending the last two years with the Cleveland Browns. Proche II has recorded 28 catches in 62 career NFL games, so a breakout this year with the Titans would be quite the surprise. Tennessee has established veterans Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett atop their wide receiver depth chart, but there could be opportunity behind them, particularly after former first-round pick Treylon Burks was released by the team earlier this week. Proche II's main competition for playing time figures to be rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, both of whom were selected in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. He's still a long way from fantasy relevance, but Proche II could be someone to keep an eye on in Titans preseason action.