Continuing a month-long series analyzing players who are on the Buffalo Bills' roster bubble and where they potentially fit in 2015:

Name: Matthew Mulligan

Position: Tight end

Age: 30

2014 stats: Four games (for Tennessee and Chicago), no statistics

Chance of making 53-man roster: 55 percent

Why he should make it: The Bills stayed healthy at tight end this spring but still signed Mulligan the day after minicamp ended last month. To me, that suggests a concern among Bills coaches that they didn't have enough blocking ability among their six tight ends already on the depth chart. Mulligan -- who becomes the seventh tight end on the roster -- shouldn't be overlooked. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman's scheme could require a blocking specialist like Mulligan more often than some would think, and I wouldn't be surprised if Charles Clay and Mulligan become the combination at tight end when the Bills need to grind out tough yardage. Mulligan is more than a training camp body; I get the sense that the Bills have brought in a reliable specialist to serve a specific purpose this season, and that gives Mulligan a better shot than not to make the 53-man roster.

Why he shouldn't make it: If the Bills intend on using Mulligan as a blocking specialist, the question will be if they can get away with signing him on more of an as-needed basis. In other words, could the Bills release Mulligan this August and re-sign him in September for one or two games when they have a run-heavy game plan? More than likely, yes. It might make sense for the Bills to keep Clay, sixth-round pick Nick O'Leary and either MarQueis Gray or Chris Gragg on their 53-man roster and then add Mulligan when they need him.

Closest competition: Gragg, Gray, O'Leary