The Bills will keep their fewest number of draft picks in years, but not because their 53-man roster is getting tougher to make. WR Marcus Easley (fourth round) and LB Danny Batten (sixth round) have gone on injured reserve with season-ending injuries while offensive lineman Kyle Calloway (seventh round) was released at the cut to 75 players and quarterback Levi Brown (seventh) in the cut to 53.
Tackle Ed Wang (fifth) remains out after thumb surgery but will make the final roster in hopes of being able to fill a backup role this season. Easley's loss will be felt. The coaching staff was confident the raw University of Connecticut product could contribute as a rookie to a thin receiving corps. Calloway, who played at Iowa, faced long odds making the team as a backup tackle.
Meanwhile, second-year NT Lonnie Harvey was also cut. He joined the team's practice squad last November after spending time with Carolina and was third on the depth chart behind Torell Troup, the club's second-round pick who has enjoyed a stellar camp and will man the middle of Buffalo's new 3-4 defense in a rotation with Kyle Williams.
PLAYER NOTES
--QB Trent Edwards, who started all four preseason games for the Bills, was officially named the team's starter by coach Chan Gailey. The Bills host Miami on Sunday, a team that roughed Edwards up in a 38-10 victory last Oct. 4. Edwards was intercepted three times and sacked six times and he can only hope his suspect offensive line is up to the challenge.
--QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was officially named Trent Edwards' backup. If history repeats, Fitzpatrick will see plenty of action as Edwards has missed games due to injuries each of his three NFL seasons. Fitzpatrick was 5-5 in the games he started last year.
--RB C.J. Spiller, the No. 9 pick in the NFL draft, will see a lot of playing time in Sunday's home opener against Miami with veteran Fred Jackson questionable with a broken hand. Spiller will share the ball-carrying load with Marshawn Lynch as well as being used as a receiver and possibly kick returner.
--RB Fred Jackson will test himself in practice Wednesday but remains questionable for the Miami game with a broken hand. The hand is well protected but it's a question of ball protection for the coaching staff and the Bills have two healthy backs in Marshawn Lynch and rookie C.J. Spiller.
--TE Jonathan Stupar, a former Bills practice squad player, emerged as the starter with a strong camp aided by a four-game suspension slapped on Shawn Nelson. Stupar has six career catches so he's not expected to play a major role in the passing game against Miami.
--WR Lee Evans starts his seventh NFL season looking to earn his first Pro Bowl berth. It won't be easy. He is coming off his worst season with just 44 catches for 612 yards and he has yet to hit double-digits in touchdown receptions. With very little experience around him, it will be difficult for Evans to shake double-team coverage, at least in the early going.
--WR Steve Johnson, a third-year pro with 12 career receptions, will start Sunday against Miami. He had a quiet preseason but at 6-3, 198 brings a lot of physical traits to the table. He needs to show the Bills were correct in not retaining veteran Terrell Owens.
--CB Terrence McGee will test a tender foot he injured in practice last Saturday when the team resumes practice Wednesday. McGee said out practice Monday but his injury isn't believed to be serious.
--CB Leodis McKelvin, who missed practice Monday with an undisclosed injury, is expected back Wednesday. He'll start or play nickel in Sunday's opener against Miami.
--OLB Reggie Torbor, who has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury, hopes to start Sunday against Miami. He returned to practice last weekend and worked again on Monday. He's likely a game-day decision.
--FB Corey McIntyre has been given a two-year, $1.85-million contract extension running through 2012. The six-year veteran is a key cog in Buffalo's power packages and he's an underrated receiver.
--TE Derek Schouman was added to the injured reserve list. He had been designated waived/injured at the cut to 53 but cleared waivers, meaning the team retains his rights. He's recovering from a series of knee injuries but he's out for the 2010 season.
DRAFT PICKS TO STICK
Rd. 1/9, RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson -- Once considered a luxury pick on a team that had two good running backs, he's now emerged as the top drawing card. Taking advantage of injuries to Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch, Spiller scored three TDs in preseason wins over the Colts and Bengals and awed onlookers with his stop-on-a-dime moves and speed. He even made a case for being the team's starter.
Rd. 2/41, NT Torell Troup, Central Florida -- The 6-2, 314-pounder had a stellar training camp, making all kinds of plays in practice while plugging the middle of Buffalo's new 3-4. He'll earn major playing time in a rotation with veteran Kyle Williams.
Rd. 3/72, DE Alex Carrington, Arkansas State -- With four tackles and no sacks through three preseason games, the Sun Belt Conference sack leader in 2009 hasn't made a big impact yet. But he'll make the roster and be used when needed in a rotation of players up front.
Rd. 6/178, MLB Arthur Moats, James Madison -- One of the pleasant surprises of camp, the Buck Buchanan Award winner had a team-best 18 tackles heading into the team's final preseason game. He has a nose for the ball and will push for backup time behind Paul Posluszny while playing special teams.
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACKS
Starter -- Trent Edwards. Backups -- Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Brohm.
Coach Chan Gailey, who has a good track record with quarterbacks and would like nothing better than to make Edwards another feather in his cap, was expected to name Edwards his starter following the team's final preseason game. Edwards started the first three games and took full advantage, completing 65 percent of his throws for a healthy 8.2 yards-per-attempt average. He made good decisions and seemed very much in command, all good signs after a season in which he went 2-6 as a starter and lost his job to Fitzpatrick. So who is No. 2? Fitzpatrick, who did some quality work a year ago (1,422 yards passing, 9 TDs, 10 INT), was the safe bet although Brohm's long-term potential is much greater. Buffalo's 157.2 yards per game passing tied for the NFL's lowest average in the past 30 years. The club's passing game has nowhere to go but up.
RUNNING BACKS
Starters -- Fred Jackson, FB Corey McIntyre. Backups -- Marshawn Lynch, C.J. Spiller.
While Jackson emerged as a standout all-purpose back (1,433 yards), the Bills' 25.8 third-down conversion rate tied for fifth worst by any NFL team over the past 20 seasons. Jackson must prove his one big year wasn't a fluke, but he's likely to miss the opener against Miami until a broken hand suffered in training camp is fully healed. Former first-round pick Lynch, who has been plagued by off-field issues, missed two preseason games with an injured foot. That opened the door for Spiller, the ninth overall pick in the draft, to show off his capabilities beyond just being a change-of-pace back. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns playing with the first unit. He's now Buffalo's top box office draw and the coaching staff will have fun devising ways to get him the ball. McIntyre is a solid blocking back when needed.
TIGHT ENDS
Starter -- Jonathan Stupar. Backups -- David Martin, Shawn Nelson.
Dreams of the tight end becoming a meaningful position in the passing game are on hold. Nelson, who flashed great potential as a rookie, was slapped with a four-game suspension to start the year for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. Even before that, Jonathan Stupar a pedestrian blocking type, had been penciled in as the starter. Meanwhile, depth took a hit when Michael Matthews joined Joe Klopfenstein on the season-ending injured reserve list in training camp. Eight-year veteran Martin will back up Stupar during Nelson's suspension.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Starters -- Lee Evans, Steve Johnson. Backups -- Roscoe Parrish, David Nelson, Donald Jones.
With Terrell Owens and Josh Reed out of the picture, jobs were on the table for a host of young prospects. Emerging from a talented pack was Nelson, a free agent rookie out of Florida who seemed to catch every ball thrown his way in practice and preseason games. Johnson, a former seventh-round pick who has been grooming two seasons, did not have a breakout camp but was still the best bet to start alongside the underrated Evans (44 catches, 612 yards in '09) due to his experience and size. Two different coaching staffs have failed to capitalize on Parrish's unique skills but he's poised to resurrect his career as the slot receiver.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Starters -- LT Demetrius Bell, LG Andy Levitre, C Geoff Hangartner, RG Eric Wood, RT Cornell Green. Backups -- OT Jamon Meredith, OG Kraig Urbik, OG Cordaro Howard, OT Ed Wang.
The Bills' 30th ranking in yards, 30th ranking in passing yards, 32nd ranking in third-down conversions and 28th ranking in points could be traced to this eternally troubled unit. Other than Green, the starting five returns intact with Wood and Bell coming off major injuries. The good news is that both came out of camp healthy and ready to play, giving the line some unexpected continuity. Green (Oakland) struggled with penalties with the Raiders but does bring 46 career starts to Buffalo. Howard, who played for Gailey at Georgia Tech, was a nice find and the team likes Wang's potential.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Starters -- LE Marcus Stroud, RE Dwan Edwards, NT Kyle Williams. Backups -- DE Spencer Johnson, NT Torell Troup, DE Alex Carrington, DE John McCargo.
The Bills' switch to a 3-4 scheme was made in hopes of improving the team's horrendous run defense of recent seasons. The team allowed more than 156 yards on the ground a year ago. New coordinator George Edwards will use a heavy rotation of players up front, with Stroud, Johnson and McCargo making the switch from 4-3 tackles to 3-4 ends. Stroud, a former Pro Bowl player with Jacksonville, seems to have made the transition seamlessly and he brings a great work ethic with him each day. How Williams holds up as a 310-pound nose tackle remains to be seen but he'll be used more as an attack player than space-eater. Troup, a second-round pick out of Central Florida, had a nice camp and will help in a rotation with Williams. Edwards was a nice addition off of Baltimore's top defense and has a lot of experience in the 3-4.
LINEBACKERS
Starters -- ILB Andra Davis, ILB Paul Posluszny, SLB Chris Kelsay, WLB Reggie Torbor. Backups -- LB Antonio Coleman, ILB Kawika Mitchell, ILB Arthur Moats, ILB Keith Ellison, OLB Aaron Maybin, OLB Chris Ellis.
The strength of a 3-4 is a team's linebacker corps but Buffalo's is a work in progress. Former defense ends Kelsay, Maybin and Ellis are learning new positions. Out of the picture is Aaron Schobel, the team's No. 2 career sack leader, who retired. Posluszny, a physical, athletic player figures to excel in Buffalo's new look as he'll have to cover less space. Davis, a very productive nine-year vet who started in Denver's 3-4, was a key free agent pickup and has thus far held off Mitchell, who will nonetheless see a lot of playing time given his talents and experience. Kelsay, who had five sacks a year ago, had a strong offseason and has the size and feet to get the job done at strong-side linebacker. Maybin, the team's No. 1 pick in '09 who struggled as an undersized end, is a wildcard weapon the coaching staff can use in creative ways. Ellis is likely to get the start on the weak side until Torbor, another key free agent signing, returns from an undisclosed injury.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Starters -- LCB Terrence McGee, RCB Leodis McKelvin, FS Jairus Byrd, SS Donte Whitner. Backups -- CB Drayton Florence, CB Reggie Corner, CB Ashton Youboty, FS Cary Harris, SS Bryan Scott.
Easily the best and deepest unit on the team. Buffalo notched 28 interceptions last year, most since 1970 merger, with the rookie Byrd leading the way with nine. With a full season at free safety and good health, he'll be looking to top that total but he remains questionable for the opener after yet another groin surgery. At strong safety, Whitner has wrestled the starting job back and figures to excel in a system where he can run to the ball and make plays. He had a very strong training camp. The corner position is deep. McGee will team with either McKelvin, coming off a broken leg that sidelined him for most of last year, or Florence to form a solid 1-2 punch. Florence and McKelvin waged a tight battle all summer. Either way, both will see a lot of action with the amount of nickel used by teams today.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Rian Lindell, P Brian Moorman, LS Garrison Sanborn, KR Leodis McKelvin, PR Roscoe Parrish.
Bruce DeHaven, a member of Buffalo's Super Bowl coaching staffs, returns to take over for Bobby April, who fielded some of the best units in NFL history. The Bills figure not to miss a beat, though they did struggle some in the preseason. The kicking game is solid led by Lindell and Moorman. Lindell finished with 108 points and Moorman finished with a 40.2-yard net average for the first time, a very impressive feat for a cold-weather punter. Long-snapper Sanborn was solid in his first season. There is also no shortage of return talent. Rookie running back C.J. Spiller is in the mix to return punts and kicks with McKelvin and Parrish record setters from past years.
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