SB Nation - Matt Baker

Defining the Buffalo Bills' roster bubble players

Brian Galliford — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:00:24 -0000

For one last time, at least for another year or so, we're about to talk about the roster bubble. It's pretty difficult to define a roster bubble, particularly if you're nerdy enough - like yours truly - to project an NFL's 53-man roster obsessively until your thoughts are no longer relevant.

Heading into their pre-season finale, the Buffalo Bills (and more particularly, its coaching staff) very likely has their final 53 already selected. For fans, however, speculation rules the day this time of the year. This post is meant to do three things: define Buffalo's list of "bubble" players, force you to pay attention to those bubble players, and serve as one last spot for y'all to formulate your thoughts before tomorrow's "Buffalo Rumblings Roster Projection Contest" begins.

Staying with the team, but they don't count yet (2)
RB Marshawn Lynch (Reserve/Suspended) - Lynch probably won't play tonight, and he begins his three-game suspension on Saturday.
WR James Hardy (Physically Unable to Perform) - Right now, Hardy is on Active PUP, meaning that he counts against the active roster, and that he can be activated at any time. Active PUP ends when the pre-season ends. It's very likely the coaches will give Hardy an extra six weeks to get into football shape and all healed up by placing him on Reserve PUP.

With those two moves in mind, the Bills will have 72 active players. That list, obviously, needs to be whittled down to 53 - so 19 more must go.

Certain cuts (11)
Let's face it - if any of these eleven players make the roster, every single one of us will be floored.

QB Matt Baker, RB Bruce Hall, WR Felton Huggins, WR C.J. Hawthorne, TE Tyson DeVree, OT Nick Hennessey, C Christian Gaddis, DE Ataefiok Etukeren, DT Derrick Jones, DT Corey Mace, LB Ryan Manalac

That list puts us down to 61 players. We've now officially reached the bubble portion of our roster.

THE BUBBLE (15)
I've got 15 players listed as "on the bubble." All of these players have at least something going for them that could keep them on the roster through the weekend. By current math, eight of these players will make the final roster, while seven will try to latch on with other NFL teams.

RB Xavier Omon, FB Corey McIntyre, WR Justin Jenkins, TE Jonathan Stupar, OT Jonathan Scott, OG Brandon Rodd, DE Chris Ellis, DE Copeland Bryan, LB Marcus Buggs, LB Jon Corto, LB Alvin Bowen, LB Ashlee Palmer, CB Cary Harris, FS Ko Simpson, SS John Wendling

Picking eight of these names as keepers may seem easy, but it's made a bit more difficult by potential surprises. We've got four such scenarios below. For every scenario that comes to fruition below (and we're not saying any of them will), pick another name from the above list and toss it onto your final roster.

Surprise cuts/roster decisions (4)
TE Derek Fine - He's dealing with a hamstring issue, and to say the competition at tight end is heavy is an understatement. It wouldn't completely shock us to see him released, even after being a 2008 fourth-round draft pick.

OT Langston Walker - WGR 550 reporter Paul Hamilton is already on the record as saying Walker could be a surprise release. I'm not sure I buy that, particularly given Demetrius Bell's bad back, but Walker's apparent fall from grace seems legitimate. I can't fathom a scenario in which the Bills would be comfortable entering a season with three highly unproven tackles - but in the spirit of "it wouldn't shock me," we'll list Walker anyways.

DE Ryan Denney - The Bills, for the first time in what seems like forever, actually have some depth at the defensive end position. They've got three young ends - two listed on the bubble above - that have proven worthy of roster consideration. It's difficult to imagine the team cutting Denney, but it's not impossible. They could also dangle him in trade talks if they try, as some suspect they might, to swing a deal for veteran linebacker depth.

CB Ashton Youboty - Speaking of veterans that are candidates to be dangled in trade talks, meet Mr. Youboty. 25-year-old corners with some promise aren't exactly easy to come by, but the Bills have solid depth at corner without considering Youboty. (There's also a reason I listed Cary Harris as "on the bubble" above.) Buffalo obviously doesn't feel the need to actively try to trade Youboty, and he certainly won't be released. But if the right offer comes along - particularly if it involves that aforementioned veteran linebacker - the Bills might just pull the trigger.

***

That's it. That's about as ironclad as you can get on a pretty ambiguous topic. I'm off to Ralph Wilson Stadium to take in tonight's game; the open thread will air at 6:00 PM ET, and I'll have a recap up for y'all when I get back from the stadium. Enjoy yourselves this evening.

2009 Bills Training Camp is officially in the books

MattRichWarren — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:45:09 -0000

This morning was the final day of 2009 Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford. I was in attendance today - as I was for a dozen practices this year - as the moving vans arrived and the team headed back to Orchard Park for the remainder of the pre-season. Due to the copious amounts of rain yesterday, my phone was not operational for Twitter updates this morning, so I am going to change up and give you a timeline of the typical practice after the jump with my notes from today.

I arrived early thanks to a friend who attends SJF. She gave me her parking pass and I rolled into the parking lot instead of taking the blasted shuttles. That was pretty sweet.

9:30 - 9:40 Special Teams - Punt Team
Bobby April led the punt team through some work on blocking, then on getting off their blocks; meanwhile, the gunners worked at the other end of the field. As has been a continuous trend, Ryan Neill got all first team work with Garrison Sanborn squarely behind him. Working at gunner (in no particular order) were Justin Jenkins, Reggie Corner, Ashton Youboty, Felton Huggins, Jairus Byrd, Shaine Smith, Lydell Sargeant, John Wendling, and Ko Simpson. Easily the most vocal player during this work was Marcus Stroud, standing on the sideline.

9:40 - 9:49 Walk Through vs. Scout Teams
The first team offense was without Terrell Owens again today; Owens has been officially ruled out of Saturday's pre-season contest in Green Bay. Josh Reed took his reps on the outside. Bryan Scott continued to practice following his injury and alternated moving up in the box with Donte Whitner during the exercise.

9:49 - 9:55 Warm up and Stretch
Easily the most boring thing to watch in practice, it's also the best to see who is participating. QB Matt Baker was stretching, but didn't throw a pass all day, instead standing and watching in a ball cap. WR James Hardy joined Owens in the training room, and defensive tackles Corey Mace and Marcus Smith watched from the sidelines. TE Shawn Nelson was late arriving on the field, but eventually joined the team during team work. Everyone else was participating fully.

9:55 - 10:11 Position Work
At this point in the practice, the team broke up into their position groups: DL, LB, DB, OL, TE, WR, RB, QB and ST (kickers, punters and long snappers). Without pads on, the OL and DL were working on footwork and hand techniques on opposite ends of the field. The RB and QB groups started together working on hand-offs before the RB group went to work on footwork and cuts. LBs were working on gap assignments, and DBs were focusing on backpedaling and ball skills. TEs were focusing on blocking and when to move off onto the blitzing linebacker. The WRs were catching passes after breaking off routes, but the most interesting part was that a coach was smacking them with a pad when the ball was in the air. Essentially the guys had to keep their focus even though they were being hit as the ball arrived. Then the WRs and QBs got together and worked on pass routes before the TEs and RBs were mixed in as well.

10:11 - 10:19 7on 7, OL vs. DL
While the offensive and defensive linemen did some one on one work, the first team offense and defense worked in the passing shell. It was around this time that people were figuring out that T.O. was just not going to show up. Many were sad. It would have been nice for him to at least come out and wave or something. Skill players with the first team offense were Lee Evans, Derek Fine, Josh Reed (in for Owens) and Shawn Nelson in the slot. He moved in tight on a couple plays as well before Roscoe Parrish replaced him. Roscoe and Nelson's reps were split pretty evenly as the "third WR" option. Good to see the big guy getting some first team reps. As an aside, it's pretty clear that Derek Schouman and Derek Fine are 1A and 1B and will rotate with Nelson. We officially have a three-headed monster at TE.

Trent Edwards was hitting guys in stride today and not one throw hit the ground during position work or 7 on 7. He was working the ball down the field, hitting Evans and Reed for gains on 15-20 yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick also looked good, completing good passes before throwing a 30+ yard bomb to Justin Jenkins. It was a gorgeous arching pass right over the top of the defender. Even Gibran Hamdan got in on the act, threading the ball between two defenders for a 25-yard pickup to C.J. Hawthorne.

10:19 - 10:31 Special Teams - Kick Return
Bobby April had the front six on one side of the field and his back five on the other. The starters for the front line were George WIlson, Jon Corto, John Wendling, Marcus Buggs and Justin Jenkins (L to R facing the kicker), with Shawn Nelson about ten yards behind Wendling. They were working on picking up their guys based on what the kick team does. The wedge (April used the term) portion was Leodis McKelvin returning with Xavier Omon five yards in front of him, and Spencer Johnson five yards in front of Omon. The Dereks were about five yards further up splitting the field in thirds. When the ball was kicked deep, the Dereks stood about three yards apart and Johnson came between them about two yards back. They also worked on short kicks and getting communication down so they know who is going to catch it.

10:32 - 10:38 11 on 11
The first full-team work of the day again highlighted the offense as they continued to practice without pads. James Hardy made his way onto the field prior to the team work, walking out and talking with teammates. Bryan Scott had a simulated stop in the backfield on a Roscoe reverse, the second of those I witnessed today. Jairus Byrd had a nice pass breakup on a Gibran Hamdan throw working with the third team. Answering some questions, the second team center was Brandon Rodd and Seth McKinney, running second team guard, slid over to the pivot with the third team. Watching more position battles, Chris Ellis is clearly getting more reps than Copeland Bryan, who ran third team today. Ellis has been seeing second team reps while Aaron Maybin continues his holdout.

10:38 - 10:54 Walk Through vs. Coaches
A staple of the end of practice is a walk through against a team of coaches simulating a defense. It's not interesting to watch, but the fans were getting anxious and began chanting. At one point between plays, Eric Wood and Langston Walker raised their arms in the air exhorting the chants to continue and get louder. The first team offense was working against the coaches, but on the other side of the field, it was the second and third team defense getting the reps against the ghost team.

10:54 - 10:58 Stretching and Team Huddle

10:59 Position Meetings and Break
DB, OL, LB, and TE met with their position coaches briefly while the rest of the team made their way towards the locker room for the final time this year. After practice, Fitzpatrick signed autographs and Walker and Butler threw their gloves into the stands.

***

Best Development of the Day
Only one Trent Edwards pass hit the ground all day. It was a yard overthrown to Lee Evans on the sideline about 18 yards off the line of scrimmage.

Worst Development of the Day
The moving vans were moving stuff from the sidelines and locker room during the entire practice. I still have at least one camp story to tell and you should see that later this week, but for now, the only time we'll see the Bills is when they play the Packers this weekend.

Rumblings Film Session: Bills/Titans, Offensive Review

Brian Galliford — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:00:11 -0000

The Buffalo Bills lost their first pre-season game of the 2009 season to the Tennessee Titans. The 21-18 defeat in the Hall of Fame Game didn't leave a lot for Bills fans to chew on as the on-field play relates directly to the team's chances this season, but that doesn't mean there isn't value to looking back at the tape. That's exactly what we'll do here.

We offer some brief views on the offensive line (and much more) after the jump, but we encourage you to check out Ron From NM's O-Line breakdown for a more thorough analysis of the Bills' biggest offensive talking point right now.

Pacing
The no-huddle offense is the topic du jour, and it's easy to understand why - Buffalo's offense has not been this interesting since Drew Bledsoe was our quarterback. The scheme is perfect for many reasons, the most prominent of which is that it fits the team's offensive personnel like a glove. The benefits are numerous, but the clearest and most prominent advantage present is the easily varied pacing of the offense. The Titans have a very good defense, folks, even without Albert Haynesworth. Buffalo moved the ball with ease against them, mostly because the pace had the defensive line on its heels. It moves quickly. Tempo will be the offensive buzzword in Buffalo this season, and right now, that's the key feature to the no-huddle - the offense can control the tempo of the game, and change the tempo at ease. We saw a very small example of that advantage on Sunday night.

Evans and Owens; Owens and Evans
Faithful Rumbler "MARVelous" wrote a delightful FanPost on this very subject the other day that really hit the nail on the head. I'd recommend you check it out. Yes, it was just the pre-season, and yes, it's hardly an indicator of things to come, but Tennessee's corners weren't lining up anywhere near Buffalo's dynamic receiving duo of Terrell Owens and Lee Evans. That's likely to remain predominant, as teams will be wary of allowing either receiver to get behind them for the big play. If that's the case, Buffalo will methodically pick up yardage underneath. If they press, the Bills have two vertical threats that can make plays. Lost in all of the "is Trent Edwards good enough?" and "can the O-Line gel quickly?" hubbub is the fact that the Bills are a nightmare matchup for opponents at the receiver position. That makes every other problem look a little less important. That, too, was apparent on Buffalo's one drive, and Evans was only targeted once.

O-Line techniques
As mentioned at the top, we recommend Ron's post for a more complete analysis of the first two drives of the game on the offensive line. What I wanted to touch on briefly was the fact that some of Buffalo's young linemen - Demetrius Bell, Andy Levitre and Eric Wood in particular - are still struggling with letting defenders get into their body. The two guards (as well as C Geoff Hangartner) were each bull-rushed with ease on at least one play, and it's because the defenders got into them and therefore gained all the leverage. Sean Kugler has some work to do with these guys to polish up their technique. There's no question that this group is a little rough around the edges. But there is also undeniable talent here. We, as Bills fans, need to remain patient. For a completely re-worked line in their first game as a collective unit, the fact that there were positive signs - and the fact that it could have been exponentially worse - is something to hang our hats on for the time being. With a little patience, I think there's a chance this line will surprise some folks.

Trent Edwards
I mentioned this last night, but it's worth repeating - Edwards looked completely comfortable getting his team into the right play while operating the no-huddle. His throws were accurate, with the minor exception of his interception. On first review yesterday, I pinned that pick on Levitre getting bull-rushed into the pocket. I'm changing my mind a bit; Edwards still stepped into the throw. It was just a bad ball, and the play was run at the end of the play clock. It's the pre-season, Trent. Call the timeout, don't rush, and don't try to be perfect. These are experiences that Edwards will learn from. This was a good start to the season for Mr. Edwards. The pick was ugly, but the offense clicked on the drive. We'll get to see if Edwards can build on what he started this coming Saturday.

Backup quarterbacks
While y'all talk about your nerves as you watch Ryan Fitzpatrick, Gibran Hamdan and even Matt Baker run this offense, I think it's worth noting that all three had their moments, even though all three were running the same no-huddle offense as Edwards for the first time. The Bills had very few mistakes offensively; that's a testament to how comfortable all four of Buffalo's quarterbacks are in the offense. Even Baker was in command of his troops, even though his throws left much to be desired. These guys may not be talented, but in the extremely unwanted event that Fitzpatrick or Hamdan is forced into action this season (start doing your Edwards Health Dances, people), at least we know these guys are smart enough to get their teams into the right situations. But yeah, please stay healthy, Trent.

Standout performers
Here are just a few non-prominent guys that I thought had good nights and are worth watching a bit more closely next week.

RB Xavier Omon: Not astonishing, but far better than anticipated production. With three proven, veteran backs on the roster, Omon should get a lot of carries this pre-season. If he does good things with those carries, don't be shocked if he sticks longer than expected.

TE Shawn Nelson: His blocking was generally poor, and he was largely invisible on the stat sheet, but I spent most of the second half watching him run routes. He's deceptively fast. He doesn't look fast when he runs, but he can move. I'd like to see more of him in the red zone, and a little less of Josh Reed. He's a matchup nightmare in that area for linebackers.

TE Jonathan Stupar: We knew he was a solid blocker, but he showed a bit of athleticism and receiving skill as well. He's cut from the same cloth as Derek Schouman and Derek Fine. He's going to be hard to get rid of once roster cut-downs begin.

OT Demetrius Bell: For a player so inexperienced, he really acquitted himself well. Let's not forget that he was blocking Jevon Kearse for a series, folks. Kearse is no slouch. Bell can play; he just needs reps.

OT Jonathan Scott: The Titans have a deep, talented (and young) defensive line. Bell played most of the game at right tackle, leaving Scott to man the second-team left tackle spot. He looked solid, yet largely unspectacular. Still, he was steady; he made some mistakes, but played tough. This guy has a lot of talent, but has dealt with the Texas stigma his entire career. The Bills might give him longer looks to see if he's worth keeping as a ninth lineman.

Linemen dropping like flies at Bills camp

Brian Galliford — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:59:43 -0000

Heading into the Hall of Fame pre-season game this Sunday in Canton, Ohio, the Buffalo Bills have been dealing with several issues along their defensive line. Aaron Maybin is a holdout. Copeland Bryan is injured. Undrafted rookie free agents Ventrell Jenkins and David Lindquist are gone (Lindquist for personal reasons). On Friday, two more players left practice early, as both Spencer Johnson and John McCargo left the field within a five-minute period.

There's a reason that the Bills have acquired linemen Derrick Jones and Ataefiok Etukeren over the past two days - they barely have enough bodies to get through a pre-season game as it is. If Johnson and McCargo can't go on Sunday, Buffalo's second-team defensive tackles will be Jones and Corey Mace. Yikes.

Other than the walking wounded (RB Dominic Rhodes left early as well, by the way), the Bills seem eager to play another team and lay the lumber against a living, breathing opponent. That will happen in a little over two days' time. For now, we'll recap the day's events at St. John Fisher just as we did yesterday - with a few player observations. Those appear after the jump.

QB Trent Edwards. He looked much better today than he did last night. His throws were crisp, and he looked far more decisive. He did throw an interception to rookie Ellis Lankster, but had a few nice connections with Terrell Owens and a terrific 20-yard seam route to Derek Schouman. Edwards and the starters will get a series or two on Sunday; let's hope the offense can make use of those live reps. Look for Trent to call his own plays as well.

RB Marshawn Lynch. He looked as good as he usually does in practice, but that's not why I'm mentioning him here. The dude walked right past me; he was literally inches away. The added weight everyone is talking about is legitimate. He's a specimen. You couldn't pay me enough to try to tackle that guy. We're going to miss him in Weeks 1-3.

WR Steve Johnson. Johnson has been essentially a full participant at practice for the past two days after missing a bunch of practices with a rib injury. He looked very solid out on the field today; Ryan Fitzpatrick, Gibran Hamdan and Matt Baker look for Johnson a lot. Even with Roscoe Parrish on the team, I'll go out on a limb and guess that Johnson will be the primary backup to each of Lee Evans, Terrell Owens and Josh Reed.

WR Shaine Smith. This guy is freakishly skinny. But he can play. He's very long and has some good speed; you'll see him run some deep routes on Sunday. He has a chance to stick in some capacity (likely the practice squad).

TE Derek Schouman. I've been impressed with Schouman. He's the best tight end on the field by a considerable margin.

The offensive line. These guys sucked today. Chris Kelsay blew up Demetrius Bell (who once again took first-team reps at right tackle) on a continuous basis. Derrick Jones, of all people, made Geoff Hangartner look like a tackling dummy. Jermaine McGhee looked like the second coming of Jevon Kearse. It really was brutal; the run game wasn't any better. My guess is that it'll be like this for a while - they'll be dominant at times, and awful the rest of the time. They've got the right players; all of them have their moments. Gel time is so crucial.

Chris Ellis. I paid pretty close attention to him today; there could literally be a million reasons why, but the guy looked like he was going half-speed through every drill. Bob Sanders got on his case more than once. Somebody needs to remind Ellis that the Bills are four-deep at end - Aaron Schobel, Kelsay, Ryan Denney and Aaron Maybin aren't going anywhere - and there's no guarantee the team will keep five ends. No sense of urgency on his part; he looks like he either is resigned to his fate, or believes that there's no chance he'll get cut.

John McCargo. Before he limped off the field, nobody was busting tail harder than McCargo (though Kyle Williams, who was the best player on the field today, certainly gave him a run for his money). 97 looks like he's in great shape, and he's moving very well. Here's hoping he recovers quickly, because he looked like he's primed for a big season today.

Kawika Mitchell. I like watching Kawika practice. He moves well out there. You can tell that the rest of the linebackers - Paul Posluszny in particular - mimic his every move. He's an underrated player, but more importantly, he's an outstanding influence on some talented young players.

Leodis McKelvin. I've seen him live dozens of times, and I'm still floored by his athleticism. He is an astonishing, unique athlete. He looked much better in coverage today than he has over the past couple of weeks.

Ellis Lankster. More praise for the rookie seventh-round pick. While Ashton Youboty watched in sweats, Lankster calmly stepped in front of an Edwards dart and took it the other way. We might even be talking about Lankster as a fifth corner behind Terrence McGee, McKelvin, Drayton Florence and Reggie Corner before long. Seriously.

That's all for this week's camp practice recaps. I can take questions if you have them; saw a lot more today than I did last night, as I was able to move around much more. Tomorrow is all about the Hall of Fame. Hang in there for 48 hours, folks - we're thisclose to seeing the 2009 Buffalo Bills suit up.

The cure at quarterback: Buffalo Bills

Mocking Dan — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:06:57 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

Browse more photos »

No other position in the NFL Draft carries more prestige than quarterback. Looking ahead to the 2010 draft, several teams could be looking at for a new signal caller. During the offseason, we're going to breakdown what teams could be going after a new quarterback following this season.

Who: Buffalo Bills
Currently have: Trent Edwards, Ryan FItzpatrick, Gibran Hamdan, Matt Baker

Breakdown: Now that J.P. Losman is finally out of the picture in Buffalo, Edwards is the unquestioned starter. The problem is that Edwards often looks like the definition of a "game managing" quarterback. In 14 games last season, Edwards finished with 2,699 yards passing while completing 65.5 percent of his passes. That's well enough, but he had almost as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (11).

Some his poor touchdown-to-interception ratio can certainly be blamed on Buffalo having poor receivers last season, other than Lee Evans. Still, in especially poor performances against Cleveland and San Francisco, Edwards didn't top 150 yards passing. In those games, both losses, Edwards combined for 260 yards passing while completing only 55 percent of his passes. Those losses not only defined Buffalos' free-fall in 2008, but why the team could be looking for a quarterback in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Edwards has also battled injury problems. He has missed time due to issues with his wrist, groin and a concussion.

Fitzpatrick is a career backup who saw a lot of playing time with Cincinnati last season while Carson Palmer was injured. He has good athleticism but is too reliant on his feet. At best he's a solid backup, but in an ideal situation he's a third quarterback.

Hamdan and Baker are journeymen. They bounce around from teams to practice squads on a yearly basis. One will make the team's roster. Neither should.

Why they won't draft a quarterback: Now in his third season, this will be the first year Edwards goes through training camp exclusively with the No. 1 starters. He also has a good receiving corps with the addition of Terrell Owens and the drafting of Shawn Nelson. (By the way, make sure to follow training camp reports from the guys over at Buffalo Rumblings. They always produce quality content)

Why that's not good enough: Because no matter what, Buffalo could need a quarterback in next season's draft. The backups are average at best. How would it affect Edwards' psyche by taking a quarterback to challenge him for the starting position? Regardless, for now, his future is detriment on how he performs in 2009.

Previous: Washington, San Francisco

Bills open training camp as expected: rusty

Brian Galliford — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 00:06:31 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

Browse more photos »

The Buffalo Bills opened 2009 training camp with two practices, some roster moves, and a few instant talking points. Head on in past the jump to get into the discussions - and if it's pictures of camp you're looking for, click that picture of QB Trent Edwards above for a full set of AP photos from today's practices.

Before the Bills even hit the practice field on Monday, they were short three players after waiving LB John DiGiorgio (failed physical) and placing receivers James Hardy and C.J. Hawthorne on the active PUP list. Hardy and Hawthorne are eligible to return to the active roster at any point (and both are expected to be cleared to practice soon), but if DiGiorgio's Bills career is to continue, he'll have to clear waivers. Either way, he won't be playing again until 2010 after undergoing a second procedure on his surgically repaired knee.

Once the Bills hit the field, the team performed just as you'd expect a team to perform after not playing football for six weeks - they were rusty and streaky. This was particularly true at the quarterback position.

Our very own MattRichWarren was at both practices today, noting that starting QB Trent Edwards was "off" throughout the day, making some good throws but missing several receivers as well. Backups Ryan Fitzpatrick, Gibran Hamdan and Matt Baker didn't fare much better, as all four tossed interceptions on the day.

There was some good news, however - Edwards and WR Terrell Owens appeared to have a bit of chemistry, as most of Edwards' throws to Owens were for productive gains. (S Donte Whitner did intercept an Edwards pass intended for Owens, however.) The trend with training camp is that the offense usually starts out slow, particularly with a young quarterback and some new personnel. Rust was expected; it's nowhere near time to panic yet.

Keeping track of the offensive line
We'll have this little section in each practice recap that we put together; today's "installment" will be rather boring, however, as two projected starters on Buffalo's line have yet to report to camp in rookie guards Eric Wood and Andy Levitre. Kirk Chambers filled in at left guard between Langston Walker and Geoff Hangartner; the line was completed by veteran Seth McKinney at right guard and Brad Butler at right tackle. No surprises.

Four rookies still unsigned
Due to some logistical (i.e. travel) issues, rookie TE Shawn Nelson was not able to make the morning session, as he had not yet signed the contract that was finalized on Friday night. He signed today and practiced this afternoon. Buffalo's top four rookies - the aforementioned Wood and Levitre, as well as DE Aaron Maybin and S Jairus Byrd - remain unsigned. Our very own krytime spoke briefly with Byrd today, who was "bummed" about not being on the field, and hopeful something would get done soon. (Feel free to ask kry about his general impressions of Byrd in the comments section.)

Tracking positional battles
TE: Derek Schouman was the first to rotate through with the first team, but he and Derek Fine split reps pretty equally throughout the day. Schouman has a slight edge at the moment, but there's a lot of camp left, and Fine is universally considered slightly more talented.

SLB: Keith Ellison ran with the ones, and that's not likely to change any time soon. Nic Harris ran with the twos at SAM, with undrafted rookie free agent Ashlee Palmer running on the weak side. Jon Corto was the third-team SAM linebacker, with Alvin Bowen weak on the same unit. It's quickly turning into a two-horse battle between Ellison and Harris (as expected), but we don't think Ellison is going anywhere. (Keep your eyes on Palmer, too - he had a good day, as did Buffalo's linebacker unit as a whole.)

Nickel CB: Reggie Corner ran through first. Ashton Youboty ran through second. Drayton Florence got most of his reps on the outside, but that's likely to change as he gets a firmer grasp on the defense. Corner has a much better shot at holding onto this job than most give him credit for, but my money is still in Florence in the long run.

Injuries
We've mentioned Hardy and Hawthorne; DE Ryan Denney got poked in the eye, but returned quickly, and DT Marcus Stroud tweaked a hamstring, eventually getting pulled from practice. There's a good chance he'll be held out for a day or two just to make sure he's completely healthy.

Y'all can read highlights elsewhere, but honestly, don't put much stock in them. It's nice to see some defenders making plays, particularly Paul Posluszny, Donte Whitner and Leodis McKelvin. We're going to need those guys to deliver. Right now, however, if you're looking for a little optimism, the team practiced with good energy and good pacing. Steady improvement is the name of the game now.

Buffalo has two more practices tomorrow, which will bring their two-a-day sessions to an end.

State of the Bills Roster: Quarterback

Brian Galliford — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:00:11 -0000

Edwards enters second full season as starter (photo source)

Now that the 2009 NFL Draft is in the books and off-season player acquisition will crawl at a snail's pace, Buffalo Rumblings has begun re-examining the Buffalo Bills' revamped roster. We start off our 'State of the Roster' series this morning with a look at the top: quarterback.

Here's the good news... well, it's 'good' depending on your perspective. If you grew tired of J.P. Losman's erroneous quarterback play and, more importantly, his ambivalent attitude in 2008, you're in luck - the former first-round pick is no longer with the team. However, if you're averse to watching yet another Bills first-round pick prove himself to be a bust, well, then, Losman's departure is just salt in the wound for you.

Outside of bringing in a new backup quarterback, not much has changed at this position for the Bills. Trent Edwards is still the starter, and the team is still screwed if he gets hurt - something he's done in each of his first two seasons in the league - or if he can't make significant progress in his second full season as Buffalo's franchise quarterback. The Bills currently have four quarterbacks on the roster; let's get the 'State of the Roster' series started without further ado, shall we?

STARTER: Trent Edwards
Here's everything you need to know about Trent Edwards in three paragraphs.

Edwards has started 11 games thus far in his career against teams that, the following spring, selected in the Top 10 of the NFL Draft (i.e. pretty crappy to absolutely awful teams). In those games, Edwards has put together a QB rating of 88.35, thrown for 2,145 yards and 12 touchdowns (with 8 interceptions), and the Bills are 9-2 in those contests.

Edwards has started 12 games thus far in his career against teams that, the following spring, did not select in the Top 10 of the NFL Draft (i.e. mediocre to fantastic teams). In those games, Edwards has put together a QB rating of 71.49, thrown for 2,184 yards and 6 touchdowns (with 10 interceptions), and the Bills are 3-9 in those contests.

Edwards is a smart player. He's a likable guy, a positive influence in the locker room, and he's motivated to improve as quickly as he possibly can. He genuinely wants to be the quarterback this city has pined for since the days of Jim Kelly - and he's busting his butt to get there. We love him for that. But the stats are what they are - he has dominated lesser competition, and he's struggled mightily against better football teams. He needs to perform better in critical situations against the league's better teams - particularly in games against division rivals - or this team isn't going anywhere. We're pulling for you, kid.

Ryan Fitzpatrick
Buffalo signed its new backup quarterback, formerly of Cincinnati, on the first day of free agency this year. Prone to turnovers and lacking elite physical tools, it's probably best for the Bills if Fitzpatrick doesn't see the light of day at any point during his Bills career (though he does possess a good mind, a good arm and pretty solid wheels). The improvement he brings over Losman comes not in talent (clearly), but in the locker room - he's going to be a good influence on Edwards behind the scenes. He's got the smarts to push Trent in the film room, and he's got the ability to bail the Bills out should Edwards get hurt - again - for a short stretch of time this season. He's a serviceable backup, and that's more than we can say for last year's backup.

Gibran Hamdan
Another smart guy with a good work ethic. Can't complain about having this guy on the roster, mostly because he barely exists in the minds of most Bills fans. He's as solid a third quarterback as you'll find in the league... but let's not think about the way our stomachs will feel if he's ever pressed into action.

Matt Baker
Has a shot to stick on the practice squad if he impresses in training camp. Was placed on IR last season, and that's probably the only reason he's still around.

Contract situations: Signed to a three-year deal, Fitzpatrick has the most job security at present time - and that's a bit terrifying. Edwards has two years remaining on his rookie deal, so add 'new contract' to the gigantic list of things Edwards is playing for this year. That factor probably pales in comparison to items such as 'job security', 'saving a franchise', 'ending a playoff drought', and 'ensuring a coach doesn't get canned'.

Both Hamdan and Baker could be entering their final seasons as Bills.

Bottom Line
Buffalo did a nice job of putting some significant talent around Edwards this off-season. They're doing the best they can to give Trent every opportunity to succeed - and that's about all they can do. It's fairly cliche to boil down team success to quarterback play, but it's cliche for a reason - it's true. This team will go as far as Trent Edwards can carry them. Forget T.O.; forget the revamped O-Line and the trio of tailbacks; forget the improved pass rush and more playmakers in the defensive secondary. It's all on Edwards.

It's a sad reality, but unfortunately, Edwards has some significant odds to defy. Being the blind loyalist I am, I'm fully confident that Trent has what it takes to make strides and lead this team back to the playoffs - I just think he's got it physically as well as upstairs. But I'm not the type to beat around the bush, either - the season boils down to Edwards improving. There really isn't an easier way to say it.

As for the rest of these guys - they stabilize the position, but let's hope they don't see the field, shall we? It's Trent or bust in 2009, folks. At the very least, it should be an interesting ride.

State of the Bills Roster: Quarterbacks

Brian Galliford — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:00:08 -0000

Edwards remains the future at QB (Associated Press)

Welcome to the off-season at Buffalo Rumblings, Buffalo Bills fans! If you're new around these parts within the past nine months or so, this is the first series in an off-season progression of posts here in which we'll break down Buffalo's roster in-depth. From these discussions, we'll put together a "Community Needs List" in priority order, then begin researching potential free agent and draft acquisitions that will satisfy all of the Bills' needs as we perceive them.

Hey - at least this way, we're doing the job right. Right? Unlike a certain front office we're forced to support.

So this is our first foray into heavy-duty off-season work at Buffalo Rumblings. It's our "State of the Roster" series, off-season mode, and we'll start the discussions off with a look at the most important position on the football field: quarterback.

Opening Statement
I remain a believer that starter Trent Edwards is a quarterback that can win a lot of games in this league. He's just not a guy who can shoulder the whole load at this point, and the Bills gave him too much responsibility this season. That's easily rectified in 2009, and Trent's future remains bright. Edwards is the only Bills quarterback currently under contract for next season.

#5 Trent Edwards (starter)
   6'4", 231 pounds
   Age: 26 in October 2009
   Contract status: 2 years remaining (UFA after 2010); owed $1.01M in base salaries
- Edwards didn't prove that he's the long-term answer at quarterback for the Bills this season, but he did prove that he's as tough as they come, that he can lead, and that he's got talent. He's got a lot more to prove, and unless the Bills stumble across a can't-miss veteran this off-season - and those are incredibly rare - Edwards deserves (and should get) a chance to do more proving in 2009.

#7 J.P. Losman
   6'2", 212 pounds
   Age: 28 in March 2009
   Contract status: Unrestricted free agent in March 2009
- The chances that Losman is re-signed in Buffalo are incredibly remote, and they are completely non-existent if Dick Jauron is retained as head coach. After demanding a trade a year ago, Losman has wallowed as Edwards' backup and was awful filling in when Trent was injured. This, folks, is the last time I'm even going to mention Losman's name until he's officially signed elsewhere. That day might not come.

#10 Gibran Hamdan
   6'4", 220 pounds
   Age: 28 in February 2009
   Contract status: Restricted free agent in March 2009
- Hamdan's future with this team largely rests with the fate of Dick Jauron. I have zero complaints with Hamdan, and think that his positive energies have largely been a good influence on Edwards. But no coach besides Jauron is going to show much interest in Hamdan, particularly as a backup.

#16 Matt Baker
   6'2", 212 pounds
   Age: 26 in May 2009
   Contract status: Exclusive Rights free agent in March 2009
- He's currently on IR. With less than two years' accrued NFL experience, the Bills retain the rights to exclusively negotiate with Baker in the off-season. That's unlikely to happen. Baker is a non-factor in Buffalo.

The Breakdown
Keepers: Edwards. He's very likely the Bills' 2009 starter, new coach or not - and that's a good thing.

Extendables: None. (This category will house players worth handing contract extensions in future installments of this series.)

Expendables: Hamdan, Baker. Unless Jauron is retained, Hamdan is far from a lock to return as well, though he may be retained merely to be Edwards' buddy again. (Cue text message jokes.) To rely on Hamdan as anything more than a #3 QB next off-season could be career suicide for whoever is coaching the team. Again, Baker is a non-factor.

Questionables: None. (This category will house players whose future in Buffalo is, essentially, 50/50.)

Goners: Losman. Praise the football gods.

What we need: We're going to need a #2 quarterback that can win us games, because Edwards is bound to miss a handful of games next season simply because he takes too many hits. We're also in desperate need of some experience at the position. Seems to me that a veteran backup would fill both of those needs rather easily. Depending on Hamdan's fate, a third quarterback might be a necessity as well. Either way, there's going to be some substantial change at this position within the next four months or so.

That's it. I'm done with the easy stuff. Now it's on you, folks. Are you sold on Edwards? Got any names to throw out there as potential backups to Edwards? Got any pipe dreams to share (yes, I'm speaking specifically about a trade for Donovan McNabb - that ain't happening, folks). Have fun with this, and let's get brainstorming. And no - future installments of this series won't be so painfully obvious.

Bills announce first cuts

Brian Galliford — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:53:28 -0000

The Buffalo Bills have announced the first five cuts of the season, as the team waived five players to get down to the NFL-mandated 75-man roster maximum. The cuts needed to be made by this afternoon. The following players were released:

P D.J. Fitzpatrick, WR C.J. Hawthorne, DE Shaun Nua, CB Kennard Cox. Additionally, QB Matt Baker was waived/injured.

Buffalo's roster now stands at 75; the Bills host the Detroit Lions in their pre-season finale on Thursday, and the team must cut 22 more players by Saturday's cut-down date of August 30 to reach the NFL roster maximum of 53 players.

Can't say that any of these cuts are surprising. Nua was on his way out ever since the team signed street free agent Derrick Jones, who stole his reps right out of the gate. Cox - a seventh round draft choice in April - was likely released early in an attempt to lower interest, as he is a prime candidate for the team's practice squad. Baker has a shot at that role as well.

Thoughts on these releases?

Bills/Colts: What to Watch For

Brian Galliford — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:20:00 -0000

DT Williams fighting off S. Johnson for starting role (Photo Source)

The Buffalo Bills have made the trip to Indianapolis, where they are set to take on the Colts in tonight's pre-season game at the newly constructed - and absolutely gorgeous - Lucas Oil Stadium. The Bills will be without three key players - QB Trent Edwards, WR James Hardy and WR Roscoe Parrish - for this matchup, and the Colts are missing some starters as well, most prominently QB Peyton Manning.

Despite the starters missing the one pre-season game that's important to a team's growth - especially a team as young as the Bills - there will still be some positional battles and players in unique positions that we'll be keeping an eye on. We sincerely hope that you'll join us for tonight's open thread; here's what we'll be watching for:

Hamdan vs. Baker: It has become excruciatingly obvious that the Bills will be relying on J.P. Losman as a starting option at some point during the 2008 season. With that in mind, it's probably high time to start paying a bit more attention to the battle for the team's third quarterback spot raging between Gibran Hamdan and Matt Baker. One of these guys might actually be our primary backup for stretches during this season. It is prudent, therefore, to know a bit more about these two players.

Dwayne Wright: He's 2/2 this pre-season; unlike in baseball, that's not a good thing - Wright has fumbled in each of this pre-season's two games. Rookie sixth-round pick Xavier Omon is far more than just a challenger to Wright's job as the third back now. Wright has looked good running the ball, but he needs to protect the rock, or he won't be a part of this final roster.

Jenkins, Huggins and Johnson: We can only guess, but we're predicting that Josh Reed - due to the problems he's had with his lower back - won't play as much as the rest of the starters tonight. Lee Evans might not see a huge work load either, though he's expected to play much of the first half. With Hardy and Parrish out, we're going to see a lot of playing time for the three receivers fighting for one to two spots - Justin Jenkins, Felton Huggins and rookie Steve Johnson. The time is now for them to prove that they belong on this team.

Langston Walker: Dwight Freeney is making his first start of the pre-season tonight for Indianapolis, and with that, Walker faces by far his stiffest challenge since his move from right to left tackle. Walker handled Jason Taylor relatively well in Washington, but Freeney steps the challenge up a notch. We're expecting Ron From NM to keep an eye on #68, but we'll be watching closely as well.

Demetrius Bell: See Walker, but substitute Freeney's name for any of a number of the Colts' reserve ends who have ridiculous speed, most prominently rookie Marcus Howard. I'm very intrigued with this kid, as most of you know, and he'll get tested tonight.

Williams vs. Johnson (vs. McCargo?): Apparently, there's a battle raging for the starting tackle spot next to Marcus Stroud, and the two main combatants are Kyle Williams and Spencer Johnson. The winner of the battle's title may in reality be only a figurehead position, but we've spent enough time with our eyes glued to Marcus Stroud this pre-season to know he's legit; it's time to get more familiar with his running mates.

Angelo Crowell: Buffalo's starting strong-side linebacker makes his 2008 pre-season debut tonight. Will he look rusty? How does he look in pass coverage? How will he operate next to, in essence, two new teammates in Paul Posluszny and Kawika Mitchell? Well, that's why we're watching him tonight.

Cornerback rotation: The third pre-season game is followed swiftly by initial roster cut-downs and the fourth pre-season game - this coming Thursday against the Lions - so Buffalo's cornerback battle is about to get furiously heated. Ashton Youboty will again get most of our focus, but we're expecting Leodis McKelvin to take a step forward in the competition tonight as well.