Buffalo Bills: Monday Player Notes, Rookie Report, Injury Report

Veteran free agent linebacker Reggie Torbor, 29, who played a backup role in Miami the past two seasons, was on track to winning a starting job with the Bills until suffering an undisclosed injury in last week's preseason win over Indianapolis. Torbor, who was No. 1 on the depth chart at weak outside linebacker ahead of Aaron Maybin, Buffalo's 2009 first-round pick, will miss at least three weeks, coach Chan Gailey said. That makes his status for the regular season opener Sept. 12 against Miami questionable. While the door is open for Maybin, Torbor's experience in the 3-4 scheme and his muscle -- he's a legitimate 250 pounds while Maybin is not -- will be welcomed upon his return. Torbor's bulk makes him much more effective at the point of attack. "We kind of knew coming in what he would bring to the table. He's helped us," said Bills defensive coordinator George Edwards, Torbor's position coach with the Dolphins. Maybin has been replacing Torbor in Buffalo's nickel package. Torbor's injury will give more run-down reps to Chris Ellis, who has been backing up Chris Kelsay on the strong side.
PLAYER NOTES
--TE Shawn Nelson will miss the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He'll be eligible to return to the active roster on Oct. 4.
--RB Marshawn Lynch, who injured his ankle Aug. 13 in a preseason game against Washington, is running better on his own and could return to practice this week. If all goes well, he could play in Saturday's third practice game against Cincinnati.
--WR James Hardy, who has missed two preseason games with a leg injury, could play Saturday against Cincinnati.
--WR David Nelson, who suffered a minor Achilles' injury last week, is running on his own. He could return to practice this week.
--TE Derek Schouman, whose season was cut short last season by a major knee injury, will miss 3-6 weeks after he suffered yet another knee injury in last Thursday's win over Indianapolis.
--LB Reggie Torbor, who was on track to win the starting weakside linebacker job, will miss at least three weeks with an undisclosed injury, coach Chan Gailey announced. Torbor was hurt in a preseason win over the Colts.
BATTLE OF THE WEEK
Joique Bell vs. Chad Simpson for the No. 4 running back job -- Bell, a free agent rookie, had a very nice game against the Colts' backups, rushing 11 times for 80 yards and a 2-yard TD. Simpson had eight carries for eight yards. Buffalo's first cuts come after Saturday's preseason game against the Bengals.
OTHER BATTLE FRONTS
Trent Edwards vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm for the starting QB job -- Edwards has earned both preseason starts so far and is expected to start Saturday's game at home against Cincinnati. If so, then this really wasn't an open competition because neither Fitzpatrick nor Brohm had time with the first unit.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
WR Chad Jackson -- The 2006 second-round pick of the New England Patriots is not just making a serious bid to revive his career, he could wind up starting for the Bills alongside Lee Evans. In Buffalo's preseason win over Indianapolis, Jackson caught a team-leading five passes for 52 yards, including a pretty grab along the right sideline from Brian Brohm that set up a field goal. The 6-1, 223-pounder has consistently made big plays all camp while Steve Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter when camp opened, has been less impressive.
ROOKIE REPORT
C.J. Spiller lived up to his billing as the team's No. 1 pick, rushing for 54 yards on 10 carries and scoring on a strong 31-yard run in the team's preseason win over Indianapolis. ... NT Torell Troup continues to have a strong camp. He's been very good at the point of attack and in pursuit of the ball. ... WR Marcus Easley (knee), OT Ed Wang (thumb) and LB Danny Batten (shoulder) are candidates for season-ending IR.
INJURY REPORT
Safety Jairus Byrd's electrifying rookie season was cut short by lingering problems with his groin. Now that injury has resurfaced, threatening to sideline the team's interception leader past the regular season opener on Sept. 12 vs. Miami. Byrd underwent surgery last week on his bothersome groin, the third procedure he's undergone in 13 months. "It looks like he's going to be out for a while," Coach Chan Gailey said. "We're hoping first game, but it may be not." George Wilson has moved into Byrd's starting free safety spot.

Buffalo Bills Sign TE J.P. Foschi

The Buffalo Bills have begun adding to their banged-up tight end corps by signing free agent J.P. Foschi (FAH-shee).Listed at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, Foschi has four years NFL experience. He spent last season with Cincinnati, where he set career highs with 27 catches for 260 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games, including 10 starts. Foschi has also played for Kansas City and Oakland.
Bills coach Chan Gailey coached Foschi at Georgia Tech.
The move was made Monday, a day after Michael Matthews hurt his left foot in practice. That injury left Jonathan Stupar as the Bills' only healthy tight end heading into their preseason game against Cincinnati on Saturday.
The Bills also waived defensive back John Destin.

Buffalo Bills Running Back Problems

The Bills backfield had a rough preseason opener. Fred Jackson left the game early with hand and ankle injuries. It sounds like the ankle issue is likely just a sprain, but the hand injury looks to be pretty serious. Early word is that Jackson will miss the rest of the preseason and is highly questionable for the season opener.
To make matters worse, Marshawn Lynch also hurt his ankle in his limited action. At this point, there’s no news on the severity of the injury.
These injuries may not seem that significant, but they’re going to change some things in both re-draft and dynasty leagues.
CJ Spiller is going to get increased practice team with the first unit and could make a push to pass Jackson on the depth chart. The talented Clemson rookie was already making up ground pretty quickly.
The Fred Jackson injury should also quiet any Marshawn Lynch trade rumors that were floating around. It would be highly unlikely the Bills decide to move him now that their No. 1 running back is on the shelf.
Spiller should be moved up the re-draft boards a little, and dynasty league owners who took him in rookie drafts could see him produce a little sooner than expected as well.

Buffalo Bills: Marshawn Lynch On The Trading Block

Since the Buffalo Bills drafted CJ Spiller 9th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, the future of Marshawn Lynch has been in question. Having run-ins with the law, it seemed that Lynch would be making his way out of  Buffalo soon.
And after reading an article on NESN.com, it seems more likely that a deal could happen.
As multiple sources, including NFL Network, noted, CJ Spiller has been getting reps in camp with the first team.
Now that Spiller has been locked up to a deal, it seems more likely that Lynch could be dealt in camp.
NESN did report of maybe a possible deal to the Patriots. "While no rumors about the Patriots have surfaced, one would have to say that Lynch would be a significant upgrade over the current backs on the roster."
It would also make sense, as the Patriots are known for bringing in players with questionable character.
The Seattle Seahawks, and maybe the Denver Broncos could be potential suitors for Lynch.
What we know right now is his future in Buffalo is looking bleak, especially for a team that looks to be in major rebuilding mode.

Buffalo Bills News: Monday Aug 9, 2009 Notes

OT Ed Wang had surgery on his hand, and is out indefinitely. The rookie struggled early in training camp handling edge rushers."Any guy that misses time as a rookie...The only guys that can kind of weather that storm is a vet, a guy that's been around five or six years and has got his position firmly entrenched. It's hard," said coach Chan Gailey.
--And the winner is ... Trent Edwards.
It was no surprise that Edwards was named the No. 1 quarterback to open training camp, and he himself figured he was going to get the nod.
"I was pretty confident that I would be the guy and I'm hoping to be the guy at the end of this camp," said the fourth-year veteran who has underwhelmed Bills fans for most of that time. "Honestly it just means I'm working with the ones right now. I still have a lot to learn, a long way to go, but I must be doing something right in the OTAs and mini-camps. It's nice that you're appreciated for what you've done, but that's in the past now."
New coach Chan Gailey used the OTAs as a measuring stick to determine who would be the top guy on the depth chart.
"After evaluating all the OTA and mini-camp things, we just felt that Trent deserved to start training camp with the first group," Gailey said. "He made a lot more plays that we thought were positive plays during the course of the OTAs and mini-camps. He did a good job of handling the team, he did a good job when he had the threes as well as when he had the ones, and that was impressive to me that he was able to do that with whoever he was throwing with."
--Like most coaches, Chan Gailey has a disdain for pre-snap penalties, and he let that be known to his team.
"Don't accept it," Gailey said when asked his reaction to those penalties. "We work on it every day. We talk about it every day. I make it a point every day. I don't have any magic wand, I don't have any pixie dust. We're going to work on it every day. We make it a point of emphasis. Guys generally will respond to things you make a point of emphasis of."
Always talkative safety George Wilson is fine with wearing pads in practice.
"We're definitely going to get a lot of work in pads because coach Gailey is trying to change the culture around here, change the mindset and attitudes and the way we prepare for games. He's trying to set the tone from day one. I think the guys in the locker room kind of expect to be in pads just about every day we come out here. It's a different change-up from what we've had but hey, the past 10-12 years for this organization haven't been working so hey, let's give this a try."
--The Bills waived second-year LB Nic Harris and signed LB Donovan Woods. What's interesting about Woods, who earned a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers in 2008, is that he began his career as a quarterback at Oklahoma State and set a school record for touchdown passes by a freshman with 13 in 2005. Midway through his sophomore year he was switched to safety, where he finished his career. He was then moved to linebacker by the Steelers and now he will try to play that role in Buffalo's 3-4 defense.
--Gailey has made the offensive linemen wear knee braces in practice, and there's no getting out of it.
"I've done it for many, many years," Gailey said. "I've seen too many times where that saved an injury on the practice field. It's just made all the difference in the world. It's hugely important."
Gailey said the linemen complained a bit, but not much.
"They don't like it, but they're smart enough to understand why. And with all the injuries we've had around here, they weren't quite as reluctant."

Buffalo Bills Report: Chan Gailey's Strategy And Personnel

Chan Gailey's response was simple, and direct. "We're in training camp, aren't we?"
Gailey has had the Bills in pads every day, and that's quite a departure around Bills' camps of recent years. But Gailey said it's imperative that the team begin developing a toughness.
"The theory behind that is that it's a tough game for tough people, and in order to be a physical football team, you have to feel what it's like to be in pads," said Gailey. "We go out and do walk-throughs and you can go out in shorts and get an idea of responsibility and what your job is, but to understand the game and how it's played with leverage and low-man wins, you've got to have pads on."
But beyond the obvious upgrade in tempo and contact that Gailey demands, there's another reason why wearing pads is vital according to the new coach.
"The other thing that I think is big and often overlooked is that we end up protecting our players when we go out in pads," he said. "Guys feel confident about diving for balls. Guys feel confident about running through gaps. You can bang on each other, and you don't get injuries, which I like."
PLAYER NOTES
-- LT Demetrius Bell had been held out of 11-on-11 team drills until Sunday's practice.
-- LB Chris Kelsay suffered a shoulder injury on the second day of practice and has been sidelined since. There is no timetable on his return.
-- LB Paul Posluszny arrived at camp and announced that he had undergone a minor procedure on his groin, and that it was going to keep him out of practice as long as two weeks, maybe more.
-- RB Fred Jackson has been on the receiving end of a couple of big hits as the Bills have been much more physical in camp under Chan Gailey than they ever were under Dick Jauron.
BATTLE OF THE WEEK
James Hardy vs. Steve Johnson for starting wide receiver. At No. 2 wide receiver, a pair of 2008 draft picks are 1-2 on the depth chart, but just not in the order you would expect. Seventh-rounder choice Johnson began camp as the starter opposite Lee Evans, with second-round pick James Hardy working with the second group. Hardy has been plagued by injuries during his first two years, but he thinks he can push his way past Johnson with a big camp and solid performances in the preseason games.
OTHER BATTLE FRONTS
ILB Kawika Mitchell is taking advantage of Paul Posluszny's absence and getting reps. Andra Davis, also in the mix at ILB, is the other starter right now. ... At tight end, Shawn Nelson and Derek Schouman are involved in a tight battle. ... Leodis McKelvin, a 2008 first-round pick, is backing up veteran Drayton Florence at left corner. Last year, Florence began the year as the nickel corner and McKelvin the starter before McKelvin broke his leg in Week 3.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NT Kyle Williams - At 305 pounds, he's undersized for this position, but he seems to be making the adaptation pretty well. "If I listened to what some people say, I wouldn't be here today," Williams said of those who have doubted him. "It doesn't bother me. It really doesn't matter what position you play, it's still football. If you can play football, you can play football. It's going out there and working hard every day. That's what I've always done and what I'm doing out here now." Williams is really the lone option at this point because Torell Troup is a rookie, and Lonnie Harvey was on the practice squad last year so neither have any NFL experience.
ROOKIE REPORT
NT Torell Troup signed his contract and reported on time, and he's off to a good start. Playing for George O'Leary at Central Florida, who has an NFL background, has helped him adapt. ... DE Alex Carrington has looked quick off the ball in one-on-one drills. ... OT Ed Wang has a hand injury.
INJURY REPORT
The Bills have had a rash of problems at linebacker so far. Paul Posluszny (groin), Keith Ellison (leg) and Chris Kelsay (shoulder) have all been sidelined, and Kawika Mitchell (Achilles) needed a day off Saturday. DE Marcus Stroud had to leave practice early one day because of the heat. LB Danny Batten left practice early Sunday with a shoulder problem

Buffalo Bills Sign C.J. Spiller to 5-Year Deal

The Buffalo Bills reached a five-year, $25 million contract with first-round pick C.J. Spiller that could escalate to $37.5 million, according to a source.
Spiller has been out of camp while the team tried to negotiate a contract.
The running back's deal includes $20.8 million in guarantees, according to a source. Spiller was the ninth choice in the 2010 draft out of Clemson.
Spiller was flying to Buffalo and planned to report to St. John Fisher College early Friday afternoon.
His deal leaves left tackle Russell Okung as the only first rounder to be without a contract.

Buffalo Bills Training Camp Day 5: No Progress On Talks With C.J. Spiller

Buffalo Bills general manager Buddy Nix isn't getting too impatient with the inability to negotiate a contract with rookie running back C.J. Spiller.That might change if talks aren't resolved soon.
"All I can tell you at this point is that we're all still working on it," Nix told a group of reporters after practice Tuesday. "And probably in a couple of days, if he don't (sign), I will have something to say."
Asked if it was too early to make a public announcement about negotiations, Nix said: "Well, it's not too early. It might be late even."
Drafted ninth overall out of Clemson, Spiller is one of three first-round picks who have yet to sign with their respective NFL teams. He's missed eight practices since the Bills opened training camp Thursday, which marks a considerable setback to the new offense first-year head coach Chan Gailey is installing.
Spiller's agent, Gary Wichard, has not returned messages left by The Associated Press.
Gailey and Nix have both spoken highly of Spiller's dynamic play-making ability as a running back and receiver. And Spiller, the ACC's player of the year last season, was already being counted upon to make a significant impact this season after finishing his four-year college career with 51 touchdowns, including 32 rushing.
Spiller would be part of a three-back rotation rounded out by Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch, who split the starting duties last season. Gailey has previously indicated that he's open to going with a two-back formation at times to get Spiller involved as much as possible.
Even Bills owner Ralph Wilson, a day after Spiller was drafted, praised the former Clemson standout. Wilson said Spiller was "one of the best players in the country," and someone who could provide a spark to what he called a "dull team." Buffalo's offense has ranked 25th or worst in yards gained in each of the past seven seasons.
Because of his versatility, Spiller has drawn comparisons to New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush. Spiller and Bush are the only two players to finish their college careers with 3,000 yards rushing, 1,500 yards in kickoff returns, 1,000 yards receiving and 500 yards in punt returns.
One potential drawback to talks is the wide gap in money going to the two players drafted immediately before and after Spiller was chosen.
Linebacker Rolando McClain, selected eighth by Oakland, reportedly signed a five-year, $40 million contract that will guarantee him about $23 million. Defensive tackle Tyson Alualu, drafted 10th by Jacksonville, signed a $28 million contact with $17.5 million guaranteed.
That leaves Spiller in the middle, as rookie NFL contracts are traditionally slotted in descending order of where the player was drafted.
"I don't want to get into that," Nix said, when asked about the gap. "He just hasn't signed."
Nix is in his first year as general manager, taking over in December after Russ Brandon was promoted to chief operating officer.
The Bills have had an inconsistent history in getting their first-round picks signed early in recent years ast year, linebacker Aaron Maybin, selected 11th overall out of Penn State, missed 24 practices and three of the Bills five preseason games by signing nearly a month after training camp opened. Then there was safety Donte Whitner, selected eighth overall in 2006, who missed eight days of camp.On the other hand, cornerback Leodis McKelvin (11th overall, 2008) missed only two days, while Lynch (12th overall, 2007), missed only one day.

Buffalo Bills Rookie LT Ed Wang Injured, Could Require Surgery

Buffalo Bills rookie left tackle Ed Wang has an undisclosed injury that could require surgery and force him to miss the rest of training camp.Coach Chan Gailey provided no details of the injury after practice Monday, except to say doctors will determine within a day whether surgery is required. Hurt on Sunday earlier, Wang watched practice with a wrap around his lower right leg.
Gailey said the latest injury is not related to the injury to Wang's left leg in June that forced him to miss several minicamp sessions.
Selected in the fifth round out of Virginia Tech, Wang was the first player with direct Chinese ancestry drafted. A raw project, he is competing for a backup spot.
Gailey said sixth-round pick Danny Batten, a linebacker, is out indefinitely after sustaining "a fairly significant injury" to his right shoulder. Batten, out of South Dakota State, watched practice with his right arm in a sling.
He was hurt Sunday when he was bowled over by guard Kyle Calloway on a running play during a full-team drill.
Also missing practice Monday was offensive tackle Cordaro Howard because of a head injury. Howard is an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech.

Buffalo Bills Training Camp Day 2: Bills C Hangartner, LB Maybin Fist At Practice

(AP) -Coach Chan Gailey's has added more hitting to Buffalo Bills' training camp and it has raised tensions on the practice field.Center Geoff Hangartner and linebacker Aaron Maybin exchanged shoves and wrestled each other to the ground midway through practice Friday morning. Things got heated after Maybin shoved running back Fred Jackson from behind and sent him sliding along the grass field.
As Jackson yelled out, "C'mon, man," Hangartner ran over and straight-armed Maybin across the helmet. The two then exchanged several shoves and Maybin got in a punch on Hangartner as they tangled on the ground before being separated by teammates.
Just two days into training camp and there is already more physical contact under Gailey, who took over as coach in January after Dick Jauron was fired midway through last season. Unlike Jauron, who preferred holding walkthroughs and having his players practice without pads, Gailey is demanding far more hitting in practice.
"If you got passion about the game it is going to come out," said Gailey of the skirmish. "Sometimes it comes out the wrong way. If it becomes an issue then you have to talk about it because it could be an issue during a ballgame."
Gailey did not address the team about the scuffle and does not plan to barring any more confrontations.
"I think it's part of the game," Gailey said. "I've been in them and everybody that has played the game has been in them. It comes with the territory."
Hangartner was unhappy with Maybin's hit on Jackson.
"You hit our 1,000-yard rusher in the back when he's not looking, then it's going to kind of cause some hard feelings with the O-line, so that's kind of the way things go," Hangartner said afterward. "I've got to protect our guy."
"Stuff like that happens. No hard feelings," Hangarner said. "And it'll happen again with somebody else before this camp's over with I promise you. It may not be me and him, it'll be somebody else, but it'll happen again."
Maybin laughed when asked about the scuffle.
"I think it's a little bit less of a big deal than everybody makes it out to be, but it is what it is, it's a physical game," Maybin said. "Emotions are always going to be a little bit higher because you have pads on. So it is a little bit of a heightened emotional level."
Maybin joked that he and Hangarner will likely continue "talking trash in the locker room." Maybin's hit did lead to some trash-talking on the field.
Within earshot of several reporters standing alongside a fence near the practice field, offensive guard Eric Wood yelled that Maybin should "give back some of that money you ain't earned."
Touted as a solid pass-rusher and drafted 11th overall last year, Maybin saw limited action, registering 16 tackles and no sacks in 16 games as a backup as a rookie.
Defensive lineman Marcus Stroud voiced support for Maybin by yelling out: "Do that again, Maybin. This is football. You're supposed to get tackled."
Wood declined to comment afterward about what he was overheard saying. Wood acknowledged that practices have been more physical.
"Yeah, tensions do rise," Wood said. "It's the game of football. I mean, Stroud yelled it, it's football."
Maybin said he didn't hear Wood's comment. When informed what Wood said, Maybin smiled and said, "There's nothing to make out of that."

Bills LB Chris Kelsey Hurts Shoulder 1st Day Of Camp

AP - Buffalo Bills veteran linebacker Chris Kelsay will be out indefinitely after injuring his right shoulder on the first day of training camp.
Without providing any details of the injury, coach Chan Gailey says Kelsay "will be out a little while," but didn't know for how long.
Kelsay was hurt midway through practice Thursday afternoon, when he left the field and had his shoulder immediately wrapped in ice.
Kelsay wouldn't divulge the nature of the injury as he walked off the field following the session in suburban Rochester.
An eight-year NFL veteran, Kelsay is projected to start at outside linebacker in making the move from defensive end as the Bills make the switch to a 3-4 defensive scheme this season.

Bills Open Camp With Trent Edwards As The Starting Quarterback

(AP) -Quarterback Trent Edwards has a renewed perspective on what it takes to be an NFL starter after being given the opportunity to reclaim his job with the Buffalo Bills. For Edwards, it's one thing to open training camp as the leading candidate, as he did on Thursday. It's another to keep it after he was benched midway through last year. "I've grown from that. I'm a year older. I'm a year stronger. I'm hopefully a year better," he said. "And I'm going to use that to my advantage, just like I'm using this competition out here to my advantage." Edwards has the inside track for the job, as coach Chan Gailey delivered on his promise to establish a pecking order after providing his three quarterbacks equal time during the team's offseason minicamps. Edwards enjoyed the majority of practice time throughout the two-plus hour session, and primarily worked with the first-string offense. Ryan Fitzpatrick, who finished last season as the starter, worked with the second-stringers, followed by third-stringer Brian Brohm. Gailey said Edwards deserved the opportunity to lead the pack based on how he saw the quarterback perform in practice through spring. "He just made a lot more plays that we thought were positive," said Gailey, who provided all three quarterbacks a clean slate since taking over as coach in January. "He did a good job of handling the team." Gailey said Fitzpatrick and Brohm will split time working with the second-stringers over the next few weeks. And he stressed that the competition is far from over, noting he'll continue gauging the players' performance through the preseason. Aware that the job is not his yet, Edwards isn't taking anything for granted. "I must have been doing something right in minicamps, so it's nice that you're appreciated for what you've done in the past," Edwards said. "But that's in the past now. We need to grow off that and get ready for the Dolphins Week 1." Edwards was referring to the Bills regular-season opener against Miami on Sept. 12. At the very least, opening training camp as the starter marked a first step for Edwards in what's already been an up-and-down tenure in Buffalo. Selected in the third-round of the 2007 draft out of Stanford, Edwards supplanted J.P. Losman as the starter during his rookie season. The following season, Edwards helped the Bills get off to a 5-1 start, before he and the offense struggled in contributing to the team losing eight of its final 10 games. Last season was all too forgettable with Edwards taking the brunt of the blame for running a popgun offense that had numerous problems beyond his control. Coordinator Turk Schonert was fired two weeks before the start of the season, followed by the Bills releasing starting left tackle Langston Walker. Edwards then lost his job in early November after Dick Jauron was fired and replaced by interim coach Perry Fewell. Looking back, Edwards acknowledged he didn't handle the adversity very well. "I think I probably got overwhelmed or stressed over too many little things, and paying too much attention to too many things I shouldn't have been paying attention to," he said. "I feel like that was almost good for me." Edwards was already considered the front-runner for the job as he entered this year with the most statistical categories, including career starts (30), pass attempts (826), yards (5,498) and touchdowns (24) during his three NFL seasons. Fitzpatrick, entering his sixth season, was next with 23 starts, 4,104 yards and 21 touchdowns. Fitzpatrick accepted Gailey's decision, but added that he intends to continue competing for the job. "You can't be disappointed," Fitzpatrick said. "I just have to continue to get better and that's the only way I can approach it, and do whatever it takes - whether it's me in there or not - to help the team win." Brohm is regarded as a raw talent. Selected by Green Bay in the second round of the 2008 draft out of Louisville, Brohm eventually landed in Buffalo last November when the team signed him off the Packers practice squad. He struggled in his first career start last season, going 17 of 29 for 146 yards and two interceptions in Buffalo's 31-3 loss at Atlanta in December.

2010 Buffalo Bills: Training Camp Roster

Dan Van Wie - The Buffalo Bills will begin their grueling summer training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, NY beginning Thursday, July 29, at 3:00 p.m. If you look at the current active player roster on Buffalo Bills.com right now, the Bills list a total of 81 players. The two top Bills draft picks, C.J. Spiller and Torell Troup, do not count towards the active roster until they sign their contracts, which brings the total to 79.
We have updated our list on 7/22 to reflect that the Bills placed tight end Joe Klopfenstein on I.R., so he will not be part of the Bills team in 2010.
Each training camp and preseason leads to the suspenseful final cuts as the team trims its roster down to the 53 man limit along with naming its practice squad as well. Whittling down the roster from 82 to 53 means that some of the current Bills who were thought to make the team will be surprise cuts, just as some sleeper types will come out of nowhere to make the team.
Since we have no way of knowing how many players will be kept at each position, let's toss out some preliminary numbers. Then we will list the players on the current roster by their position, so you can start to think about who will make the team and who will be asked to clean out their lockers.
We will also include the Bills players' jersey numbers, so this will provide you with a handy little printout if you are making the trek over to watch training camp in person. If you print it out, you can keep score at home after each round of cuts is made as we get closer to the season opener.
In the parentheses after each position group I projected a potential number of players that will be kept for that unit. The current team total projected is 52, so that leaves one wild card spot to be added according to injuries or some other free agent signing that has yet to be announced.
Feel free to add your comments if your projections differ from mine. Just be prepared to tell us which unit you would subtract from if you want to add more players to a different unit. Special teams players are not separated from their regular positions, except for the kicker, punter, and long snapper.

Current Bills 79 Man Active Roster as of 7/22/10
Quarterbacks (three) Brian Brohm (4) Levi Brown (10) Trent Edwards (5) Ryan Fitzpatrick (14)
Running Backs (four) Joique Bell (35) Rodney Ferguson (44) Fred Jackson (22) Marshawn Lynch (23) Corey McIntyre (38) Chad Simpson (30) C.J.Spiller (21)
Tight Ends (three) Michael Matthews (82) Shawn Nelson (89) Derek Schouman (80) Jonathan Stupar (88)..Joe Klopfenstein is now on IR - 7/22/10
Wide Receivers (six) Marcus Easley (81) Lee Evans (83) James Hardy (84) Felton Huggins (15) Chad Jackson (17) Steve Johnson (13) Donald Jones (19) David Nelson (86) Roscoe Parrish (11) Namaan Roosevelt (18)
Offensive Linemen (nine) Sean Allen (75) Demetrius Bell (77) Kyle Calloway (60) Kirk Chambers (73) Christian Gaddis (61) Cornell Green (74) Geoff Hangartner (63) Nick Hennessey (79) Cordaro Howard (68) Andy Levitre (67) Jamon Meredith (69) Andre Ramsey (76) Ed Wang (71) Jason Watkins (66) Eric Wood (70)
Defensive Linemen (six) Alex Carrington (92) Rashaad Duncan (72) Dwan Edwards (98) Lonnie Harvey (75) Spencer Johnson (91) John McCargo (97) Marcus Stroud (99) Torell Troup (96) Kyle Williams (95)
Linebackers (nine) Danny Batten (57) Antonio Coleman (59) Andra Davis (54) Chris Ellis (93) Keith Ellison (56) Nic Harris (50) Chris Kelsay (90) Ryan Manalac (52) Aaron Maybin (58) Kawika Mitchell (55) Arthur Moats (45) Paul Posluszny (51) Aaron Schobel (94) Reggie Torbor (53)
Defensive Secondary (nine) Jairus Byrd (31) Reggie Corner (27)  Jon Corto (33) John Destin (41) Drayton Florence (29) Cary Harris (47) Dominique Harris (36) Ellis Lankster (25) Terrence McGee (24) Leodis McKelvin (28) Lydell Sargeant (40) Bryan Scott (43) Donte Whitner (20) George Wilson (37) Ashton Youboty (26)
Special Teams Specialists (three) Rian Lindell (9) Brian Moorman (8) Garrison Sanborn (65)

Unit Summary:
Quarterback—three kept out of four on the roster
Running Back—four kept out of seven on the roster
Tight Ends—three kept out of four on the roster
Wide Receiver—six kept out of 10 on the roster
Offensive Linemen—nine kept out of 15 on the roster
Defensive Linemen—six kept out of nine on the roster
Linebackers—nine kept out of 14 on the roster
Defensive Secondary—nine kept out of 15 on the roster
Special Team Specialists—three kept out of three on the roster

It looks like the equipment manager will be busy cleaning out lockers all summer. There is obviously lots of competition all over the roster, which is exactly what Chan Gailey wants to see. Training camp should promise to be a spirited environment with so many positions up for grabs and so many players trying to earn careers in the NFL.
Gailey will have his hands full trying to make these difficult decisions of who to keep and who to cut. Cutting someone is never easy, whether it is in high school or in the pros. Trust me, I know what it is like to tell somebody they didn't make the team. It is not fun, but that is part of the responsibility of being a coach.

Buffalo Bills - Is C.J. Spiller Overrated?

Ryan Lester - I think C.J. Spiller is so full of talent that it oozes out of his pores. The kid is going to be the real deal.
I just think people should lower their expectations for him in his first year.
In keeper leagues, by all means he should be flying off the draft boards, but in standard leagues, he’s going a bit early for my tastes.
According to Mock Draft Central, Spiller has an ADP of 59, 27th among running backs. I have him a few slots down on the RB rankings (click to see my 2010 RB rankings), but there are players going after Spiller that I would absolutely prefer over the rookie.
For example, proven RBs like Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown, Marion Barber, and Clinton Portis are higher on my list. Spiller is also going before Jason Witten, Hines Ward, Tony Gonzalez, and Brent Celek, among others.
So why would I wait on drafting Spiller so early?
For starters he’s in a terrible offense. Buffalo ranked 28th in points last year with a mere 16.1 points per game. They were 30th in passing yards per game at 157.2. The Bills also ranked 16th with 116.7 rushing yards per game...
And therein lies the problem.
The Bills weren’t hurting at RB when they drafted Spiller.
Sure, they’ve had it up to their ears with Marshawn Lynch, but Fred Jackson quietly had a solid season. He had 1,433 total yards (1,062 rushing, 371 receiving) and four TDs (two rushing, two receiving). Plus, the Bills have been unable to find a partner in a Marshawn Lynch trade, meaning they have three capable running backs.
Like I said, I love Spiller in keeper leagues, but I would want him as an RB3 or a flex player.
I would much rather make sure I had quality starters at QB, RB, WR, and possible TE (depending on who’s available) before I take part of a RBBC at best, or a three-headed monster at worst, for one of the most anemic offenses in the league.
Prediction: 950 total yards (700 rushing, 240 receiving), 6 TDs (4 rush, 2 rec)

Buffalo Bills Marshawn Lynch Fresh Start" Pre-Training Camp Update July 22

This year will be a tough year for Marshawn Lynch because he starts the season with a suspension from the season opener against New England Patriots. Marshawn Lynch is as tough as they come, but a severe high ankle sprain in 2007 and and a badly bruised shoulder 2008 cost the Bills feature back to miss four and a half games over his first two years. Marshwan Said, The more hits, the more likely they are to suffer injuries. It is part of the game and the law of averages. In Lynch's case a lot of times the yards he had to fight for can make his 300 touches last year, I feel more like 400. He is not exactly the type of Running Back that shies away from contact. Marshawn is fully aware of his punishing and physically demanding Running style. The coaching staff wants to effectivley manage his carriers and plan to doing so by making use of Fred Jackson. To what degree remains to be seen until the season starts against the New England Patriots. The Bills plan on using the no-huddle offense and that means that there will be a rotation system between Lynch and Jackson. Over Lynch first two Seasons averaged 3.64 yards a carry in September and October(271-987 yds), 4.5 per carry in November and December (259-1,164 yds). With numbers like that and fresher legs in the second half of the season Lynch could do some serious damage. The Bills will have three capable Running Backs for the playoff push in December and that could put the Bills over the top for the final playoff spot. Finally, this Bills Offense should be ready to explode with the addition of Terrell Owens as Co-Number One Wide Receivers with Lee Evans.