SB Nation - Bruce Hall

Running back, linebacker remain concerns for Bills

Brian Galliford — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 04:15:10 -0000

by David Richard - AP

Heading into Saturday's NFL roster cut-downs, there were two situations that were known commodities to the Buffalo Bills: they knew that running back Marshawn Lynch would be serving a three-game suspension, and they knew that due to their inexperience at reserve linebacker, the position was a liability.

Buffalo worked the phones all day at One Bills Drive - just as every other NFL team did - trying to find reinforcements at linebacker, and very likely at running back as well, particularly after releasing veteran Dominic Rhodes. We're also fairly certain that the Bills found themselves short-handed at both positions for good reason.

The fact of the matter, however, is that the Bills are now woefully inexperienced at both running back and linebacker. Considering the way the Bills want to play football in 2009, that's not necessarily terrible news - and therefore, obvious areas such as quarterback, the offensive line and the pass rush remain the biggest question marks heading into the season. From a pure personnel standpoint, however, running back and linebacker are the two spots most likely to get reinforcements prior to the season.

Making it three weeks without Marshawn
Lynch will miss three games - and while he's sidelined, the Bills will be counting on a trio of backs. Well, that's not exactly true - they'll be counting on Fred Jackson, and solely Fred Jackson, sore wrist and all. BuffaloBills.com described Jackson's wrist injury as something that could "nag" Jackson all season - but apparently, it's healthy enough where they're comfortable using him as their feature back for three weeks.

Xavier Omon has six career NFL carries. Corey McIntyre, who is a fullback by trade, has zero career NFL carries. To expect the Bills to rely on either of these players as anything more than a let-Fred-breath-for-a-play relief player is absurd. It also throws into light just how little an impression Rhodes must have made in the pre-season, because the team is thinner than thin at this position. Stay healthy, Freddie.

Just as inexperienced at linebacker
The linebacker situation is not as desperate as the running back situation, simply because the Bills already have one starter - Keith Ellison - who is essentially a part-time player, as the team spends plenty of time in nickel and dime packages.

Nic Harris and Ashlee Palmer are both rookies. Marcus Buggs, who will back up Paul Posluszny at inside linebacker, dressed four four games in 2008 as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Vanderbilt, but eventually ended the season on Injured Reserve. Jon Corto, who is on the team strictly as a special teams ace, dressed for all 16 games last season, but did not see reps at linebacker.

Just like at running back, the Bills are one injury away from asking a wide-eyed, green player to step in and play like a pro. It's a scary proposition. Posluszny, Ellison and Kawika Mitchell - we'd appreciate it if you stayed healthy right alongside Freddie.

Further fortifications coming?
Just because of numbers issues and the inexperience factor, released players such as RB Bruce Hall and LB Alvin Bowen are strong candidates to make the team's practice squad. Both fit the same bill as the players listed above, however, and neither comes close to helping the situations much, particularly since, you know, they're not on the active roster even if they're brought back.

We have to think that the Bills will be scouring the waiver wire with several sets of eyes for fortifications at these two positions - and if there are veterans available, all the better.

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.

Owens highlights growing Bills injury list

Brian Galliford — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:00:14 -0000

More photos » by David Richard - AP

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The big news out of Buffalo this morning is, of course, the toe injury of Buffalo Bills WR Terrell Owens. After spraining his toe at an undisclosed point in the Bills' 21-18 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the Hall of Fame Game, Owens missed the Bills' Tuesday walk-through as well as their evening practice. Head Coach Dick Jauron described Owens as "day to day," and would not speculate on whether or not the star receiver will play in this Saturday's pre-season contest against the Chicago Bears.

Unfortunately for Buffalo, Owens isn't the only player injured. Fellow WR Steve Johnson, who returned to practice late last week after a rib injury sidelined him, re-injured the rib when he got tangled up with rookie CB Cary Harris in a drill on Tuesday. Harris landed on Johnson to re-aggravate the injury; from what Johnson told BuffaloBills.com last night, he will likely miss practices for the rest of this week as well as his second straight pre-season game.

Injuries seem to be a constant issue in Buffalo, and it's for that reason that the Bills have had to sign six street free agents over the past few weeks. C Christian Gaddis is the latest, joining WR Shaine Smith, DE Ataefiok Etukeren, DT Derrick Jones, DT Corey Mace and S Antwain Spann as players that have joined the Bills since training camp opened on July 25. However, one injured player did return to the field last night - and as he's a key figure on a revamped offensive line, Brad Butler's return is an important one.

Keeping track of the O-Line
Butler participated fully for the first time since injuring his back early last week, and looked good as he re-assumed his spot as the starting right tackle. It's still unclear if he'll play this Saturday - the coaches and trainers will likely wait to see how his back responds to a full practice load - but for now, the return is good news. Meanwhile, Butler's understudy, Demetrius Bell - who has impressed this pre-season - took reps with the second unit at left tackle.

With Butler back in the fold, Buffalo's entire offensive line is once again healthy. The more they play together this pre-season, the better.

Linebacker dinged, too
Arguably the most impressive Bills linebacker in the Hall of Fame Game was undrafted rookie free agent Ashlee Palmer. It would figure, therefore, that Palmer suffered a severe ankle sprain in the game and could be looking at missing a significant chunk of practice time. Alvin Bowen took his reps with the second unit on the weak side (as well as a few reps on the strong side with the third unit).

Meanwhile, BuffaloBills.com reports that Pat Thomas and Marcus Buggs continue to flip-flop with the second and third units at middle linebacker. Buggs started with the second unit against the Titans; it's therefore logical that Thomas is gearing up to get those reps against the Bears. This is one of the more unique battles going on at the moment; no matter the winner, both of these guys have excellent opportunities to make the final roster.

More lineup changes to note
Aaron Schobel continues to get a lighter work load, but rather than Ryan Denney taking his first-team reps last night - as usually happens - Chris Ellis took those reps, and took advantage of the opportunity by registering two would-be sacks on Trent Edwards, cleanly beating Langston Walker on both plays. That's what we like to hear. Now we just need to see it in a game.

RB Xavier Omon, who impressed against the Titans, was injured in practice and missed some reps. The injury is not considered serious, but Bruce Hall gladly took his reps.

With Owens and Johnson missing time, Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish and Justin Jenkins shot up the depth chart. Jenkins has had a strong camp and pre-season, and other than an ugly pass interference call against Tennessee, has impressed. Ponder for a moment, however, the prospect of the Bills playing any meaningful games without Owens. Who wouldn't mind if T.O. sat out the rest of the pre-season? We're not advocating it. It's just a thought.

CB Ashton Youboty continues to sit with a lingering groin injury. Three cornerbacks with whom Youboty is jockeying for time - Drayton Florence, Reggie Corner and Ellis Lankster - continue to reap the benefits of his sitting out.

Wednesday
Buffalo has a practice scheduled for the early afternoon on Wednesday. It is doubtful that players such as Owens, Johnson and Palmer will practice. Butler should continue to work; it will also be interesting to see if Youboty returns to action.

Bills practice recap, 8/4: defensive backs shine

Brian Galliford — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:02:27 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

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The Buffalo Bills hit the practice field on Tuesday night for their third night practice of 2009 training camp, and they did so with good fervor. Perhaps it was because Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly was on hand to take in practice at St. John Fisher College, but the Bills practiced fast and delivered plenty of good hits on the evening.

Our de facto camp reporter, MattRichWarren, was live on the scene once again. Here's a recap of what was noteworthy from tonight's practice session.

Keeping track of the O-Line
Much of the future work we planned to put into this little daily segment of ours was rendered moot when Bills head coach Dick Jauron confirmed to BuffaloBills.com earlier today that the team's starting offensive line is set. Langston Walker, Andy Levitre, Geoff Hangartner, Eric Wood and Brad Butler will officially make up the starting five. Still, it doesn't hurt to track their progress, right?

Butler missed practice tonight as he continues to deal with a back injury he sustained in Monday's practice. Filling in for Butler on the right side was second-year pro Demetrius Bell, who had a strong outing. He performed quite well in one-on-one drills and had a nice blitz pickup; he was, however, pulled from the lineup late in practice in favor of Kirk Chambers. It appeared that line coach Sean Kugler didn't like something that he saw from the still-developing Bell.

On the whole, the line's pass protection was solid most of the night, though they did spring some leaks late. Kyle Williams knifed past Andy Levitre for a would-be sack. The line (and the backs) failed to pick up a blitzing Bryan Scott, who reached Trent Edwards unscathed for another faux sack. John McCargo got good pressure working around Chambers early in the session (Chambers was at left tackle at the time). In case you needed us to state the obvious, this is still a work in progress - but each lineman has had his moments, and there seems to be improvement in some area on a nightly basis.

Good night for the DBs
Beyond the fact that Terrence McGee and Leodis McKelvin will be Buffalo's starting cornerbacks, there's a lot that is in flux right now at the position. Once again, Buffalo's coaches threw a bit of a surprise our way in the fact that it was Ashton Youboty taking first-team reps in place of McKelvin, who was limited on the evening as he continues to deal with a quad strain.

Youboty had a great evening, intercepting two Ryan Fitzpatrick passes in the red zone. Drayton Florence got some first-team reps in place of Youboty later on in the session, but that doesn't erase the big plays. Reggie Corner saw the bulk of first-team corner reps. This trio seems to do something a little bit different every day.

McGee had great coverage on a deep throw to Evans. We've mentioned Scott's sack; he was really the only safety to get in on the act. Even undrafted free agent Lydell Sargeant contributed, returning a Bruce Hall fumble for a score.

Tight ends continue to impress
It is (apparently; I'll confirm myself Thursday and Friday) fun watching rookie TE Shawn Nelson practice. Nelson continued his heavy workload in the red zone tonight, as he is routinely lining up in the slot in the red area. Early in the practice, he was working on fade routes with Trent Edwards. He later caught a touchdown pass out of a bunch formation. This kid's future is blindingly bright.

Nelson isn't the only tight end impressing, however. Derek Schouman (especially) and Derek Fine continue to make plays in the passing game as well, and both have flashed dominance as blockers. We don't want to jump the gun, folks, but the tight end position may finally be ready to contribute to a Bills offense. There are certainly very capable players here.

Injury Update
James Hardy and Jairus Byrd remain on the PUP list. Leodis McKelvin dressed, but was limited and did not participate in team work. Butler was not on the field at all; we heard a rumor that he was being iced down in the training room, but cannot confirm that. Steve Johnson, Copeland Bryan, Marcus Smith and David Lindquist did not practice.

The Bills have an early afternoon practice on Wednesday. Matt will be there again. The dude is a machine. Thursday and Friday will really be sweet, however, as yours truly will be at camp both days. Matt and I will be double-teaming this thing on those two days. (I know - TWSS.)

2009 Schedule Preview: Week 3 @ the Buffalo Bills

Saintsational — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:00:21 -0000

The Saints follow up their game in Philadelphia with another trip to the Northeast to take on Buffalo in a week three late game. The Bills finished 2008 with a less-than-mediocre 7-9 record and hope to get over that .500 hump this season. It's been a while, four years to be precise, since these two teams last met in the regular season. The Saints have the misfortune of playing in frigid Buffalo but the fortune to have it scheduled during the mild-weather month of September when it shouldn't be an issue. Let's take a look at what fans can expect against the Saints first AFC East opponent of the year.

Bills Offense

Buffalo has had a pretty action-packed off-season this year and much of that excitement has been on the offensive side of the ball. Obviously, the signing of wide receiver Terrell Owens has contributed most to that excitement. Owens is a game changer and inevitable Hall of Famer who always seems to play well in his first year with a new team. T.O. will play opposite wideout Lee Evans, teaming up to create a formidable aerial threat. With former Tulane quarterback J.P. Losman now out of the picture, it will be the responsibility of Trent Edwards to get Evans and Owens the ball, making sure to keep the latter happy on the field. Ryan Fitzpatrick was brought in this year to provide a little competition in camp but the job is Edwards' to lose.

The other big story of the Bills off-season was the trade of offensive tackle Jason Peters to the Eagles. It is that loss of Peters as well as guard Derrick Dockery combined with a lot of other offensive line tinkering that has Bills fans worried about the state of their quarterback protection. Last years team ranked poorly in sacks per pass attempt and this year, things could get worse before they get better.

On the ground the Bills remain strong. Marshawn Lynch continues his duties as the number one back with Fred Jackson and newly acquired Dominic Rhodes taking on backup roles.

This could be a good, early test. If Gregg Williams does suceed in building that blitzing, attack-style defense we've all been promised then they should have no problem exploiting Buffalo's weak offensive line and rattling unproven quarterback Edwards. Allowing him time to throw to Owens and Evans could be damaging to our secondary. Advantage: Saints.

Bills Defense

First round draft pick Aaron Maybin has been tapped to hopefully play alongside veteran Aaron Schobel and be the defensive end of the future, adding talent and depth to a pass rush that has been lacking. Getting the most out of this unit will be a deciding factor in the overall success of the Bills defense for 2009. In the linebacking department, Keith Ellison, Pat Thomas and John DiGiorgio were all signed in the off-season with the hopes of shoring up the middle of the field and offsetting the loss of several players.

One of the bigger hits to the Bills defense this off-season was the loss of cornerback Jabari Greer to our very own New Orleans Saints. Decent against the pass last year, the Bills should still have a solid secondary with Terrence McGee, Leodis McKelvin and Drayton Florence as well as newly drafted and versatile Jairus Byrd. The secondary is rounded out by aptly named Reggie Corner.

Though the Bills may match up well against Saints receivers, their lack of a pass rush should give Brees time to find the right guy. This will also be a good game to establish a ground attack.

Bills 2008 Season

7-9 Record

Last Meeting

October 2, 2005

Week 4	1	2	3	4	OT	Final
Bills	7	0	0	0	--	7
Saints	0	13	0	6	--	19

Why the Saints Can Win

Brees should have all day to do his damage.

Why the Saints Can Lose

T.O. or Evans could have a great game.

Prediction

Saints 27 - Bills 17

Newly Acquired

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

RB Dominic Rhodes

WR Terrell Owens

G Seth McKinney

C Geoff Hangartner

ILB Pat Thomas

CB Drayton Florence

CB Ellis Lankster

CB Cary Harris

RB Bruce Hall

LB Keith Ellison

OL Kirk Chambers

FB Corey McIntyre

CB Dustin Fox

DE Marcus Smith

LB John DiGiorgio

WR Justin Jenkins

WR Felton Higgins

OL Chris Denman

WR C.J. Hawthorne

2009 Draft Picks

DE Aaron Maybin

C Eric Wood

CB/S Jairus Byrd

G Andy Levitre

TE Shawn Nelson

SS/OLB Nic Harris

CB Cary Harris

CB Ellis Lankster

Key Losses

QB J.P. Losman

TE Robert Royal

G Derrick Dockery

G Jason Whittle

C Duke Preston

C Melvin Fowler

OLB Angelo Crowell

OLB Blake Costanzo

ILB Teddy Lehman

CB Jabari Greer

OT Jason Peters

Linkage

Buffalo Rumblings

SB Nation Bills Coverage

Saints @ Bills Coverage

Buffalo Bills Roster

Buffalo Bills Depth Chart

Buffalo Bills Transactions

Poll

Do you consider the Saints game against the Bills to be an easy victory?

Sure thing.

34 votes

There's no such thing as an easy victory.

167 votes

I do but I would never admit it.

20 votes

The Bills definitely present a challenge.

97 votes

318 votes | Poll has closed

State of the Bills Roster: Running Backs

Brian Galliford — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:30:11 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

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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 continue off our 'State of the Roster' series this morning with a look at the safety position. Previous installments: QB, TE, OT, DE, S.

It's not often that a position considered a team strength the previous season gets stronger the next year despite having to deal with another embarrassing arrest and a three-game suspension. But that's exactly what has happened at running back for the Buffalo Bills, despite a second consecutive off-season of legal troubles for starter Marshawn Lynch.

With former Colts back Dominic Rhodes brought in via free agency, the Bills now boast perhaps the deepest and most productive trio of running backs throughout the entire league. Getting touches for all three (when all three are available, that is) shouldn't be a huge issue, either, as the duo of Lynch and backup Fred Jackson led the league with 84 combined receptions last year - a figure that Rhodes will contribute to as well.

STARTER: Marshawn Lynch
Arrested twice in nine months, Lynch - as it stands right now - will miss the first three games of the season on a league suspension for violation of the personal conduct policy. When available, Lynch is one of the more reliable workhorse runners in the league - and the Bills have been able to keep him fresh, as well, as Lynch has averaged just a hair over 21 touches per game over his first two seasons. He'll continue to be the workhorse - again, when he's actually available - and with 16 career touchdowns, Lynch is clearly the team's best scoring threat at the position. Lynch's on-field attitude is the embodiment of what the offense should be - never-say-die.

Fred Jackson
He is currently seeking a new long-term deal, and though that hasn't been secured yet, conventional wisdom holds that Jackson will get a significant pay raise by the time training camp closes. 'Action Jackson' has come into his own over the past two seasons; he's a smooth compliment to the hard-nosed Lynch, and is as underrated as they come when it comes to NFL running backs. With Lynch set to miss the first three weeks, Jackson will carry the full rushing load - something he has proven himself capable of coming out of Division III Coe College. Make no mistake - Jackson is one of Buffalo's most valuable offensive contributors, even when Lynch is on the field.

Dominic Rhodes
We know that Rhodes will see a significant amount of playing time early in the season. The real question is how much his work load will be reduced when Lynch returns from suspension. Rhodes has been an underrated player throughout his career as well; the former undrafted free agent has spent eight years in the NFL, and just last year scored 9 touchdowns in helping the Colts finish 12-4. He's a solid, dependable runner between the tackles and has reliable hands out of the backfield (he had 45 receptions last year). His skill set is quite similar to Jackson's - he's no home run threat, but he'll produce when he's on the field.

Xavier Omon
Last year's sixth-round pick was a highly productive Division II running back, but failed to make any sort of impact in limited playing time last season. With Rhodes on board, Omon has an uphill climb to make the roster, even if Buffalo's coaching staff likes his upside. He might get a look at fullback.

Bruce Hall
He earned a practice squad spot last pre-season as an undrafted free agent after making some nice plays during training camp. He's small and not very explosive, however. Omon still has practice squad eligibility - as does Hall - so expect these two to duke it out for a spot there as insurance to Lynch, Jackson and Rhodes.

Contract situations: Lynch enters year three of a five-year deal (in reality a six-year deal with a final year opt-out clause). Jackson is on a one-year RFA tender. Rhodes signed a two-year, $2.5 million deal in March. Running back is one of the easier spots to fill with quality depth on an NFL roster, so nothing here is terribly urgent - though clearly, it would be nice to see Jackson get the extension he covets. He deserves it.

Bottom Line
Perhaps the most under-discussed topic of conversation regarding Buffalo's three running backs is not how productive the players have been, but how reliable they are with the ball in their hands. Combined, Lynch, Jackson and Rhodes have logged 1,765 career touches - and, combined, they have fumbled the ball just 18 times (14 recovered by opponents). That's roughly one fumble every 98 touches. These guys are safe options because they're productive and secure with the ball in their hands. If you take Rhodes out of the equation, Lynch and Jackson fumble once every 210.5 touches - a far more impressive statistic.

With Rhodes on board, some of the sting of the Lynch suspension is dulled. Still, opening the season on Monday Night in New England, it hurts not having your most dependable offensive threat on the field. Jackson and Rhodes have their work cut out for them that night. When Lynch gets back, however, Buffalo has three well-rounded backs that can help in every phase of the offensive game plan. That's invaluable when you're running a no-huddle offense, and it's even more crucial when your quarterback is as green as Trent Edwards. Most will consider running back to be the clear-cut strength of this Bills team - and I, for one, would have a hard time disagreeing.

State of the Bills Roster: Running Backs

Brian Galliford — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:00:08 -0000

Lynch spearheads talented group (buffalobills.com)

The "State of the Bills Roster" series trucks on! If you're new around these parts within the past nine months or so, this series is an off-season progression of posts 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.

And now, we continue our foray into heavy-duty off-season work at Buffalo Rumblings. It's our "State of the Roster" series, off-season mode, and we'll continue the discussions by breaking down the situation at Buffalo's running back position.
Previous installments: QB

Opening statement
News flash: the Buffalo Bills have one of the better one-two running back punches in the entire NFL. Few running back tandems give as much effort as Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson; both runners have made names for themselves as guys who will claw for every inch of real estate they can cover, play in and play out. That's the good news. The bad news is that these two aren't the focal point of Buffalo's offense. That needs to change in 2009.

#23 Marshawn Lynch (starter)
5'11", 215 pounds
Age: 23 in April 2009
Contract status: 4 years remaining, 4th year voidable (UFA after 2011); owed $2.655M in base salaries
- He runs hard. He works hard. He's the heartbeat of Buffalo's offense. He's here for the foreseeable future, and that's a good thing for Bills football. The only knock I have on Lynch is that due to his running style, he's a guy who needs a dependable backup, because he's going to be banged up a lot. Otherwise, Marshawn is great.

#22 Fred Jackson
6'1", 215 pounds
Age: 28 in February 2009
Contract status: Exclusive Rights Free Agent
- Because Jackson served as an emergency quarterback for the Bills early last season, he technically has less than two years' accrued NFL experience, meaning the Bills retain exclusive negotiation rights during Jackson's upcoming free agency. He plays like he's been in the league for a decade, though he still makes some curiously bad decisions on kick returns. Still, he's one of Buffalo's most valuable "backups" by a long shot, and even at age 28, he's got a lot of tread on his tires.

#25 Xavier Omon
5'11", 220 pounds
Age: 24 in February 2009
Contract status: 3 years remaining (UFA after 2011); fiscal terms undisclosed.
- Sure, he beat out Dwayne Wright in the pre-season for this third running back gig, but that had a lot more to do with Wright's fumble-itis than anything Omon did. He was inactive for much of this season, and when he got chances, he was highly unremarkable. It's too early to give up on the kid - he was making the leap from DII to the NFL, after all - but there are serious doubts about how much he could shoulder if both Lynch and Jackson were dinged up.

#42 Bruce Hall
5'11", 210 pounds
Age: 24 in March 2009
Contract status: Undisclosed.
- He was on the practice squad until Week 17, when he was called up thanks to Marshawn's shoulder injury. Yeah, he'll probably be around in training camp next year - these types of guys typically get two-year deals - but he's clearly not a big part of the team's future at this position.

#38 Corey McIntyre
6'0", 244 pounds
Age: 30 in January 2009
Contract status: Undisclosed.
- Chances are good that McIntyre, a mid-season acquisition at fullback, is on a one-year deal that's just expired, meaning he's an unrestricted free agent. I highly doubt he returns. He was good on special teams, but his lead blocking left a lot to be desired - and that's an understatement.

The Breakdown
Keepers: Lynch. Modest contract, hard-working player that could play for most teams in the league. Enough said.

Extendables: Jackson. He's exclusive, I know, but the Bills should make extending Jackson one of their top priorities this off-season. Lynch makes Jackson better, and Jackson makes Lynch better. This duo needs to stay together if they can be the featured tandem of Buffalo's offense in 2009.

Expendables: Omon, Hall, McIntyre. As far as I'm concerned, none of these guys offer any tangible value to the team in any facet of the game. All three can be upgraded.

Questionables: None.

Goners: None.

What we need: First and foremost, we need a blocking fullback. To be more specific, we need a blocking fullback that can block. Nothing would help out our terrific tandem more than a guy who'll make it so that the duo doesn't have to earn their yardage on effort alone. It would also be nice to see the Bills explore a far more viable third running back option than Omon - Lynch and Jackson have been banged up a times, and their depth has been severely limited in those moments. I'm not talking about a specific style of back, either; really, I'm talking about a Mewelde Moore-type pickup that can make plays if pressed into action. Lynch is fine, and if Jackson is extended, the Bills can find someone viable as a third back, and a solid blocker is added, this unit could be one of the best running back groups in the entire league.

That's it. I'm done with the easy stuff. Now it's on you, folks. Do you agree that Jackson deserves an extension? Should the Bills explore upgrades over Omon and McIntyre? Have any names of potential additions you'd like to throw into the ring? Have fun with this, and let's get brainstorming.