ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) Through the woe-is-me low points, wrist surgeries, mood swings, counseling sessions and tryout obstacles created by the COVID-19 pandemic Shane Ray experienced over the past five years, the one-time promising NFL edge rusher never lost sight of his desire to play football.

If it meant attending league-sponsored free-agent hub camps, Ray was there. If the only teams expressing interest were from Canada, the 2015 first-round NFL draft pick packed his bags and spent a week in self-quarantine upon crossing the border to play for the CFL's Toronto Argonauts.

And if it came down to the Buffalo Bills offering him, at 30, an invitation to attend their rookie minicamp in May, Ray leaped at the opportunity in what became a successful bid to win one of the team's final roster spots.