Thoughts on the 53 man roster

Surprise Additions:

Pianalto, Zack TE
I mentioned it was a race for the 3rd spot at the tight end position and it was between Zack Pianalto and Mike Caussin. As time went on, it became more apparent that Shawn Nelson's injury was keeping him off this roster. Pianalto beat out Caussin to take that 3rd spot. Pianalto had a really good 4th preseason game and Caussin actually dropped some balls during that game. Not sure if that was the difference but it was a close race all camp to begin with. Caussin stood out more early but as the preseason went on, Zack did enough to convince the coaching staff he belongs on the team.

Martin, Ruvell WR
This one shocked me. I bet most fans were a bit peeved that Naaman Roosevelt was once again bypassed. Ruvell has the size they look for in WR. Gailey said ”He caught the ball when we threw it to him and he played well on special teams. It was a good combination to have coming in on short notice.” I still can't believe he signed with the team so incredibly late and still made the squad. In fact, if it weren't for the injuries with our Wide Receiver group, he would have never signed here. And if he is good, why in the world didn't they bring him in sooner? He's been available for a long time. Either way, this could be more of a special teams move than anything. Still surprising to me..

Brown, Colin OL
I threw him out there in my last crack at the 53 man roster as a possibility but ultimately dismissed him because truth is - he didn't really stand out at all in a negative or positive way throughout camp or preseason. You know why they kept Brown? He's 6'7, 328 lbs.

Rogers, Justin DB
This also surprised me. Reggie Corner seemed like the safer bet but maybe the office sees him as the type of guy that's been around for a while now and still struggles to make the team, so what are they really losing by cutting a guy who's already hit his ceiling? They LOVE their own guys and that is probably why Rogers is still on the team. Rogers had an untimely injury that kept him out of the middle of camp and preseason. He finally got back into action the last 2 preseason games but mostly in kick return duties. The Bills only kept 5 cornerbacks so it's likely Rogers will be thrown in there quickly.

Heard, Kellen DT
Heard impressed Gailey when the preseason games started. He's also an incredibly big guy at 6'6, 346 lbs. This just reaffirms their envision of getting bigger all across the board and in particular on defense. Heard had to beat out Jasper and Dotson to get this spot.

Eddins, Robert LB
The undrafted rookie from Ball State was probably the biggest surprise addition to the Bills roster. Eddins had tremendous momentum going into the last 2 weeks of preseason. Comments from the coaching staff were coming out about how much Eddins has impressed. He is one of the 2 undrafted rookies (Pianalto being the other) to make the Bills roster this year. Eddins is right behind Kelsay on the depth chart.

White, Chris LB
Another 7th round surprise but if I've learned anything about this regime, it's there loyalty to their draft picks. White was unanimously thought of as a guy who is a project but the staff liked him enough to keep him on the main roster. Because of an injury that kept him out for a few weeks, I thought he was heading to the practice squad for sure. To his defense, he was playing pretty well prior to the injury. White will be utilized as a special teams guy for now. He contributed to a forced fumble on special teams against the Lions.

Surprise Cuts:

WR Kamar Aiken
Aiken was a long shot to begin with and despite a good camp and preseason, he's still a bit raw. I'm still not convinced Ruvell Martin is a better addition to this team but it's possible Martin is worlds ahead of Aiken when it comes to special teams play which is the only reason to keep him over Aiken. I fully expect him to be on the practice squad.

LB Antonio Coleman
Can't believe this one. Coleman was a beast this preseason. Again, I fully expect him to be on the practice squad.

C Geoff Hangartner
Hangman is just not their type of offensive lineman. He lacks size and makes too much money to be a back up. Just remember, most of us were screaming for a replacement center last year because of how much Hangman was getting pushed around. The bottom line is this - Hangartner's play has diminished and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is going to say "RALPH IS CHEAP" because they cut a guy mostly because of his salary. Hangartner hit his ceiling a long time ago and his play has steadily decreased since.

NT Michael Jasper
Everyone's favorite - Mount Jasper! I wrote a big piece about him a few days ago. Jasper needs an offseason to get his weight down and work on his technique. He's still an interesting project. I also expect him to make the practice squad. He's too raw to be on the 53 man roster right now but if he spends some time working on technique and dropping some weight, he could make this team next year.

TE Shawn Nelson
Too many injuries. This guy can't get on the field on a consistent basis. You can throw the potential word out there all you want but if the guy can't get on the field, he can't play. Simple as that.

WR Naaman Roosevelt
Once again Roosevelt gets the shaft. He catches just about everything but the Bills aren't crazy about his size, speed or blocking. He'll probably make the practice squad but I wouldn't be surprised if someone else takes a chance on him. Roosevelt hurt himself halfway through the preseason and his lack of presence on the field from that point may have cost him. For whatever reason, he just doesn't get the benefit of doubt with this coaching staff and it feels like he would've had to stay healthy and continue to make plays to keep their attention. I still think it's possible we'll see him at some point during the season because of injuries.