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.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Bills announce 53 man roster & Complete list of roster cuts
14 Fitzpatrick, Ryan QB
16 Smith, Brad QB
4 Thigpen, Tyler QB
22 Jackson, Fred RB
28 Spiller, C.J. RB
20 White, Johnny RB
38 McIntyre, Corey FB
84 Chandler, Scott TE
80 Martin, David TE
87 Pianalto, Zack TE
81 Easley, Marcus WR
13 Johnson, Steve WR
19 Jones, Donald WR
83 Martin, Ruvell WR
86 Nelson, David WR
11 Parrish, Roscoe WR
77 Bell, Demetrius OL
74 Brown, Colin OL
67 Levitre, Andy OL
79 Pears, Erik OL
76 Rinehart, Chad OL
60 Urbik, Kraig OL
70 Wood, Eric OL
75 Hairston, Chris OL
29 Florence, Drayton CB
24 McGee, Terrence CB
21 McKelvin , Leodis CB
26 Rogers, Justin DB
25 Searcy, Da'Norris DB
23 Williams, Aaron DB
31 Byrd, Jairus S
43 Scott, Bryan S
37 Wilson, George S
92 Carrington, Alex DE
98 Edwards, Dwan DE
91 Johnson, Spencer DE
99 Dareus, Marcell DT
72 Heard, Kellen DT
96 Troup, Torell NT
95 Williams, Kyle NT
50 Barnett, Nick LB
57 Batten, Danny LB
54 Davis, Andra LB
59 Eddins, Robert LB
90 Kelsay, Chris LB
56 Merriman, Shawne LB
52 Moats, Arthur LB
58 Morrison, Kirk LB
55 Sheppard, Kelvin LB
51 White, Chris LB
8 Moorman, Brian P
9 Lindell, Rian K
65 Sanborn, Garrison LS
Bills number changes – Chris White #51, Johnny White #20, Justin Rogers #26, Robert Eddins #59
Bills by position kept 3 QBs, 3 RBs, 1 FB, 6 WRs, 3 TEs, 8 OL, 6 DL, 6 ILBs, 5 OLBs, 4 SS, 5 CBs, 3 STs = 53-man roster
Here is the full list of cuts:
LS Danny Aiken
WR Kamar Aiken
QB Levi Brown
FB Jehuu Caulcrick
TE Mike Caussin
LB Antonio Coleman
CB Reggie Corner
WR Craig Davis
DE Lionel Dotson
DB Sidney Glover
C Geoff Hangartner
LB Brandon Hicks
G Cordaro Howard
NT Michael Jasper
DE T.J. Langley
CB Doyle Miller
TE Shawn Nelson
DB Joshua Nesbitt
WR Naaman Roosevelt
C Michael Switzer
T Jason Watkins
OL Mansfield Wrotto
Buffalo also announced that SS Jon Corto, WR Felton Huggins, LB Jammie Kirlew
and T Ed Wang have been Waived/Injured.
16 Smith, Brad QB
4 Thigpen, Tyler QB
22 Jackson, Fred RB
28 Spiller, C.J. RB
20 White, Johnny RB
38 McIntyre, Corey FB
84 Chandler, Scott TE
80 Martin, David TE
87 Pianalto, Zack TE
81 Easley, Marcus WR
13 Johnson, Steve WR
19 Jones, Donald WR
83 Martin, Ruvell WR
86 Nelson, David WR
11 Parrish, Roscoe WR
77 Bell, Demetrius OL
74 Brown, Colin OL
67 Levitre, Andy OL
79 Pears, Erik OL
76 Rinehart, Chad OL
60 Urbik, Kraig OL
70 Wood, Eric OL
75 Hairston, Chris OL
29 Florence, Drayton CB
24 McGee, Terrence CB
21 McKelvin , Leodis CB
26 Rogers, Justin DB
25 Searcy, Da'Norris DB
23 Williams, Aaron DB
31 Byrd, Jairus S
43 Scott, Bryan S
37 Wilson, George S
92 Carrington, Alex DE
98 Edwards, Dwan DE
91 Johnson, Spencer DE
99 Dareus, Marcell DT
72 Heard, Kellen DT
96 Troup, Torell NT
95 Williams, Kyle NT
50 Barnett, Nick LB
57 Batten, Danny LB
54 Davis, Andra LB
59 Eddins, Robert LB
90 Kelsay, Chris LB
56 Merriman, Shawne LB
52 Moats, Arthur LB
58 Morrison, Kirk LB
55 Sheppard, Kelvin LB
51 White, Chris LB
8 Moorman, Brian P
9 Lindell, Rian K
65 Sanborn, Garrison LS
Bills number changes – Chris White #51, Johnny White #20, Justin Rogers #26, Robert Eddins #59
Bills by position kept 3 QBs, 3 RBs, 1 FB, 6 WRs, 3 TEs, 8 OL, 6 DL, 6 ILBs, 5 OLBs, 4 SS, 5 CBs, 3 STs = 53-man roster
Here is the full list of cuts:
LS Danny Aiken
WR Kamar Aiken
QB Levi Brown
FB Jehuu Caulcrick
TE Mike Caussin
LB Antonio Coleman
CB Reggie Corner
WR Craig Davis
DE Lionel Dotson
DB Sidney Glover
C Geoff Hangartner
LB Brandon Hicks
G Cordaro Howard
NT Michael Jasper
DE T.J. Langley
CB Doyle Miller
TE Shawn Nelson
DB Joshua Nesbitt
WR Naaman Roosevelt
C Michael Switzer
T Jason Watkins
OL Mansfield Wrotto
Buffalo also announced that SS Jon Corto, WR Felton Huggins, LB Jammie Kirlew
and T Ed Wang have been Waived/Injured.
Friday, September 2, 2011
One last crack at the 53 man roster
Here's my first 53 man roster. After some thought, I thought I'd give an updated version of it.
Missing on this version of the 53 man roster: Terrence McGee, Arthur Moats, and Mansfield Wrotto.
Back on the roster: Geoff Hangartner.
New to the roster: Justin Rogers, Robert Eddins.
Don't freak out -- I doubt they are going to get rid of Moats. I'm just going off what others have speculated, because of his injury and lack of outstanding play at ILB, Moats may have fell out favor with this staff. But I still think that's a stretch. He's the only guy from last year's draft class who showed anything during the year. I'd be surprised and disappointed if they got rid of him. As for McGee, I'm also running with some speculation about a possible trade for a low round pick or flat out cutting him so the young guys can play (that would be stupid). You know the deal on Wrotto -- he's looked awful. Gailey has been giving Eddins glowing reviews which is why I threw him on the team. Hangartner's back in because every other back-up sucks. I thought about Colin Brown but ... nah. I wanted to throw Kamar Aiken in there as well but I can't see them getting rid of Roosevelt. Aiken has the size Nix looks for in WR but he's a bit raw. No Jasper or Heard again because I think they'll keep 9 LBs and 10 guys in the secondary.
3 Quarterbacks: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen, Brad Smith
3 Running Backs: Fred Jackson, CJ Spiller, Johnny White
1 Fullback: Corey McIntyre
6 Wide Receivers: Stevie Johnson, Donald Jones, Roscoe Parrish, Naaman Roosevelt, David Nelson, Marcus Easley
2 Tight Ends: Scott Chandler, David Martin
10 Offensive Linemen: Demetrius Bell T, Chris Hairston T, Geoff Hangartner, Erik Pears T, Eric Wood C/G, Andy Levitre G, Chad Rinehart G, Kraig Urbik G, Cordaro Howard T, I'm reserving this final spot for someone we pick up that gets cut on the final cut down day (September 3rd).
6 Defensive Linemen: Alex Carrington DE, Marcell Dareus DE, Dwan Edwards DE, Spencer Johnson DE, Kyle Williams NT, Torell Troup NT
9 Linebackers: Nick Barnett ILB, Andra Davis ILB, Kelvin Sheppard ILB, Kirk Morrison ILB, Shawne Merriman OLB, Danny Batten OLB, Robert Eddins, Antonio Coleman OLB, Chris Kelsay OLB
10 Defensive Backs: Jairus Byrd FS, Jon Corto FS, Bryan Scott SS, Da'Norris Searcy SS, George Wilson SS, Drayton Florence CB, Justin Rogers CB, Aaron Williams CB, Leodis McKelvin CB, Reggie Corner CB
3 Special Teams: Garrison Sanborn LS, Rian Lindell K, Brian Moorman P
8 Practice Squad
Zack Pianalto TE
Mike Caussin TE
Kamar Aiken WR
Felton Huggins WR
Michael Jasper NT
Kellen Heard DT
Chris White ILB
Jehuu Caulcrick FB
Missing on this version of the 53 man roster: Terrence McGee, Arthur Moats, and Mansfield Wrotto.
Back on the roster: Geoff Hangartner.
New to the roster: Justin Rogers, Robert Eddins.
Don't freak out -- I doubt they are going to get rid of Moats. I'm just going off what others have speculated, because of his injury and lack of outstanding play at ILB, Moats may have fell out favor with this staff. But I still think that's a stretch. He's the only guy from last year's draft class who showed anything during the year. I'd be surprised and disappointed if they got rid of him. As for McGee, I'm also running with some speculation about a possible trade for a low round pick or flat out cutting him so the young guys can play (that would be stupid). You know the deal on Wrotto -- he's looked awful. Gailey has been giving Eddins glowing reviews which is why I threw him on the team. Hangartner's back in because every other back-up sucks. I thought about Colin Brown but ... nah. I wanted to throw Kamar Aiken in there as well but I can't see them getting rid of Roosevelt. Aiken has the size Nix looks for in WR but he's a bit raw. No Jasper or Heard again because I think they'll keep 9 LBs and 10 guys in the secondary.
3 Quarterbacks: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen, Brad Smith
3 Running Backs: Fred Jackson, CJ Spiller, Johnny White
1 Fullback: Corey McIntyre
6 Wide Receivers: Stevie Johnson, Donald Jones, Roscoe Parrish, Naaman Roosevelt, David Nelson, Marcus Easley
2 Tight Ends: Scott Chandler, David Martin
10 Offensive Linemen: Demetrius Bell T, Chris Hairston T, Geoff Hangartner, Erik Pears T, Eric Wood C/G, Andy Levitre G, Chad Rinehart G, Kraig Urbik G, Cordaro Howard T, I'm reserving this final spot for someone we pick up that gets cut on the final cut down day (September 3rd).
6 Defensive Linemen: Alex Carrington DE, Marcell Dareus DE, Dwan Edwards DE, Spencer Johnson DE, Kyle Williams NT, Torell Troup NT
9 Linebackers: Nick Barnett ILB, Andra Davis ILB, Kelvin Sheppard ILB, Kirk Morrison ILB, Shawne Merriman OLB, Danny Batten OLB, Robert Eddins, Antonio Coleman OLB, Chris Kelsay OLB
10 Defensive Backs: Jairus Byrd FS, Jon Corto FS, Bryan Scott SS, Da'Norris Searcy SS, George Wilson SS, Drayton Florence CB, Justin Rogers CB, Aaron Williams CB, Leodis McKelvin CB, Reggie Corner CB
3 Special Teams: Garrison Sanborn LS, Rian Lindell K, Brian Moorman P
8 Practice Squad
Zack Pianalto TE
Mike Caussin TE
Kamar Aiken WR
Felton Huggins WR
Michael Jasper NT
Kellen Heard DT
Chris White ILB
Jehuu Caulcrick FB
Buddy Nix Interview Transcript
Steve Tasker interviewed Buddy Nix at halftime of the Bills v. Lions game. Here's a transcript:
On the strange offseason (no OTA's or minicamps), how it has affected the team:
BN: "You know, I kind of hate to let them know we can do 4 months of work in a week but that's about what we did. We were able to sign some undrafted free agents and we had one night to get it done and I think we got some pretty good players out of that group. It really, probably set back the young guys and the guys that you just brought in - it probably got them further behind. Our older guys - Fitz, they worked together, he knows the offense, he taught them the playbook - I think they are alright but you can tell with by looking at some of these guys when we throw them out there they aren't quite ready."
On this year's draft class:
BN: "Yeah you know, Steve, I'll tell ya, I think Marcell is going to be everything we thought he was. I think Aaron Williams is better than everybody thought he was. Our 2nd pick, he's in our top 3 or 4 corners and he's going to play. You saw Kelvin Sheppard. Sheppard got behind. He was a little late signing and then he's been hurt so he's missed out on some things. Our 2 fourth round guys - Searcy #25 has played really good, probably ahead of what we thought for the 225 pound safety. And then number 75, Chris Hairston, he'll push at Left Tackle. He may at worst be our swing tackle. And he's a big zone, tall guy, with good length and ya know, I think those guys are gonna work out good. Justin Rogers, our 7th round pick. We haven't see him yet - Mike Jasper - He'll play. I think, Chris White, I think we got him in the 6th and Johnny White in the 5th and both of those guys are playing good. We said it when we started - we are going to build through the draft and stay the course and stick to our guns."
On the last cut from 80 to 53:
BN: "Ya know, we gotta have them cut by 6 o clock. We probably won't get everybody's official cuts until 9 or 10 Saturday night. But if there's a guy that can compete for a position and give us competition or improve our team - no matter who it is, no matter who we have to let go, if they're not producing we're going to try to find somebody who will."
On the difficulty of bringing in guys because of injuries and the chances of them making the team:
BN: "Yeah, you know, I'm not so sure that sometimes that's not good. It makes coaches pull back a little bit on what they do. If they're not careful, everybody knows more than they teach so it might help a little. Kirk Morrison, I think, is getting caught up in a hurry. We are not where we were last year - last year we were, it was likely that we might bring somebody in every week. But hopefully we are better than that and we can stay away from injuries and play with what we got."
On the strange offseason (no OTA's or minicamps), how it has affected the team:
BN: "You know, I kind of hate to let them know we can do 4 months of work in a week but that's about what we did. We were able to sign some undrafted free agents and we had one night to get it done and I think we got some pretty good players out of that group. It really, probably set back the young guys and the guys that you just brought in - it probably got them further behind. Our older guys - Fitz, they worked together, he knows the offense, he taught them the playbook - I think they are alright but you can tell with by looking at some of these guys when we throw them out there they aren't quite ready."
On this year's draft class:
BN: "Yeah you know, Steve, I'll tell ya, I think Marcell is going to be everything we thought he was. I think Aaron Williams is better than everybody thought he was. Our 2nd pick, he's in our top 3 or 4 corners and he's going to play. You saw Kelvin Sheppard. Sheppard got behind. He was a little late signing and then he's been hurt so he's missed out on some things. Our 2 fourth round guys - Searcy #25 has played really good, probably ahead of what we thought for the 225 pound safety. And then number 75, Chris Hairston, he'll push at Left Tackle. He may at worst be our swing tackle. And he's a big zone, tall guy, with good length and ya know, I think those guys are gonna work out good. Justin Rogers, our 7th round pick. We haven't see him yet - Mike Jasper - He'll play. I think, Chris White, I think we got him in the 6th and Johnny White in the 5th and both of those guys are playing good. We said it when we started - we are going to build through the draft and stay the course and stick to our guns."
On the last cut from 80 to 53:
BN: "Ya know, we gotta have them cut by 6 o clock. We probably won't get everybody's official cuts until 9 or 10 Saturday night. But if there's a guy that can compete for a position and give us competition or improve our team - no matter who it is, no matter who we have to let go, if they're not producing we're going to try to find somebody who will."
On the difficulty of bringing in guys because of injuries and the chances of them making the team:
BN: "Yeah, you know, I'm not so sure that sometimes that's not good. It makes coaches pull back a little bit on what they do. If they're not careful, everybody knows more than they teach so it might help a little. Kirk Morrison, I think, is getting caught up in a hurry. We are not where we were last year - last year we were, it was likely that we might bring somebody in every week. But hopefully we are better than that and we can stay away from injuries and play with what we got."
2nd Half Impressions of Bills v. Lions
Chris Hairston is going to be a good tackle for the Bills. He had a good outing against the Lions. He had one big mental mistake where he took the wrong guy and allowed a big sack on Tyler Thigpen but as Tasker pointed out in commentary, it was a mental mistake not a physical one. That's to be expected for a rookie who had no OTA's or minicamps and missed some time with an injury. Don't be surprised if Hairston gets in there with the starters at some point this season. I'm thinking if either tackle struggles, Hairston will get a shot. But his comfort zone is at Left Tackle.
Michael Jasper actually made a play or two. I didn't want to be too critical of the big man but his first 3 preseason games weren't good and I'm being kind there. It wasn't because he was being manhandled but rather a lack of technique that was making him look foolish out there. To me, it's a no brainer that he should be a practice squad guy but there could be some paranoia about another team signing him if they do that. Jasper is well liked and seen as a good character guy with a lot of potential. The question is, do you use a roster spot on a project like Jasper? If they kept him on the main roster, it would be a hell of a crash course for him but it's going to come down to them placing him or possibly Kellen Heard on the active roster. Heard has had a decent preseason and is also a big dude. I noticed Jasper held up better against the double teams too. There was only one play where he looked a bit lost in space, when the Lions RB reversed course and Jasper had to switch directions which turned out to be a sloppy transition. Despite that, he eventually got to the ball carrier. One other thing I noticed is his conditioning later in the game. He seemed to be out of gas. Carrying 390lbs might be too much but that's something that can be corrected with an offseason with the Bills training staff.
Thigpen looked a bit more comfortable in the second half but the results weren't much better for him or the offense. Levi Brown came in and actually started to move the ball a bit. Too bad Levi didn't get more time. Of the 2, Levi looks more comfortable running the offense but the reality is, they targeted Thigpen in free agency and gave him a nice pay day and there is a very little chance he loses his spot as the backup QB.
I loved that connection to Kamar Aiken who was oh so close to getting the touchdown. Aiken dropped a ball or two earlier (Bentley pointed this out earlier in the game and I thought it was a bit unfair because Thigpen threw about 4 freakin' balls low in a row) which hurts him a bit but this catch and run made up for his earlier mistakes. Right after the play Fred Jackson and David Nelson gave the young man some encouragement.
After the Bruce Hall TD they showed a fan in the stands with cut off sleeves on his Bills jersey. Odd looking.
Danny Batten and Antonio Coleman made another good impression tonight. Coleman had a really good night, making plays left and right. I can't see either guy not making the roster.
You know who was awful? Mansfield Wrotto. He gave up 2 big sacks where he was absolutely blown up. I know he's a Georgia Tech guy and Gailey is comfortable with (or was) him but I'd be shocked if he makes the roster.
Kelvin Sheppard made a few nice tackles. I like Sheppard's football instinct. He was in the right spot most of the time. I also think he's got good size.
I thought Zach Pianalto had another good outing but I just don't think there's room for him on the team. You have Chandler as your #1, possibly David Martin as your #2 (starting to question him because of his recent injuries and whether they really value him) and a battle between Caussin, Nelson and Pianalto for the third spot, if they even keep a 3rd tight end (they did last year). I don't think Nelson makes the team. Caussin has stood out more from day 1 of camp so we'll see how it shakes out for Pianalto who could be a Practice Squad guy.
Thank goodness the preseason is over. It's time for the real stuff. I can't tell you how exciting September 11th will be. Tomorrow is also a BIG day for the team as they trim the roster down from 80 to 53. There should be some interesting roster moves tomorrow...
Michael Jasper actually made a play or two. I didn't want to be too critical of the big man but his first 3 preseason games weren't good and I'm being kind there. It wasn't because he was being manhandled but rather a lack of technique that was making him look foolish out there. To me, it's a no brainer that he should be a practice squad guy but there could be some paranoia about another team signing him if they do that. Jasper is well liked and seen as a good character guy with a lot of potential. The question is, do you use a roster spot on a project like Jasper? If they kept him on the main roster, it would be a hell of a crash course for him but it's going to come down to them placing him or possibly Kellen Heard on the active roster. Heard has had a decent preseason and is also a big dude. I noticed Jasper held up better against the double teams too. There was only one play where he looked a bit lost in space, when the Lions RB reversed course and Jasper had to switch directions which turned out to be a sloppy transition. Despite that, he eventually got to the ball carrier. One other thing I noticed is his conditioning later in the game. He seemed to be out of gas. Carrying 390lbs might be too much but that's something that can be corrected with an offseason with the Bills training staff.
Thigpen looked a bit more comfortable in the second half but the results weren't much better for him or the offense. Levi Brown came in and actually started to move the ball a bit. Too bad Levi didn't get more time. Of the 2, Levi looks more comfortable running the offense but the reality is, they targeted Thigpen in free agency and gave him a nice pay day and there is a very little chance he loses his spot as the backup QB.
I loved that connection to Kamar Aiken who was oh so close to getting the touchdown. Aiken dropped a ball or two earlier (Bentley pointed this out earlier in the game and I thought it was a bit unfair because Thigpen threw about 4 freakin' balls low in a row) which hurts him a bit but this catch and run made up for his earlier mistakes. Right after the play Fred Jackson and David Nelson gave the young man some encouragement.
After the Bruce Hall TD they showed a fan in the stands with cut off sleeves on his Bills jersey. Odd looking.
Danny Batten and Antonio Coleman made another good impression tonight. Coleman had a really good night, making plays left and right. I can't see either guy not making the roster.
You know who was awful? Mansfield Wrotto. He gave up 2 big sacks where he was absolutely blown up. I know he's a Georgia Tech guy and Gailey is comfortable with (or was) him but I'd be shocked if he makes the roster.
Kelvin Sheppard made a few nice tackles. I like Sheppard's football instinct. He was in the right spot most of the time. I also think he's got good size.
I thought Zach Pianalto had another good outing but I just don't think there's room for him on the team. You have Chandler as your #1, possibly David Martin as your #2 (starting to question him because of his recent injuries and whether they really value him) and a battle between Caussin, Nelson and Pianalto for the third spot, if they even keep a 3rd tight end (they did last year). I don't think Nelson makes the team. Caussin has stood out more from day 1 of camp so we'll see how it shakes out for Pianalto who could be a Practice Squad guy.
Thank goodness the preseason is over. It's time for the real stuff. I can't tell you how exciting September 11th will be. Tomorrow is also a BIG day for the team as they trim the roster down from 80 to 53. There should be some interesting roster moves tomorrow...
Final preseason game: Lions 16 Bills 6
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Jerome Harrison ran for 72 yards and set up two scores in helping the Detroit Lions complete a perfect preseason with a 16-6 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
Harrison's 47-yard run led to Maurice Stovall's 16-yard touchdown catch from Shaun Hill. And Harrison's 17-yard run set up Jason Hanson's 44-yard field goal that put the Lions up 10-0 late in the first half.
The Lions went 4-0 in the preseason for the first time since 2008, though that's not a reason to get excited. Detroit then proceeded to become the first NFL team to lose all 16 regular-season games.
The Bills (1-3) received a solid outing from linebacker Shawne Merriman, who had three tackles in his first game since missing the past two with a groin injury. Bruce Hall scored on a 1-yard plunge late in the fourth quarter, but the Bills failed on a two-point conversion.
by The Associated Press
It was your basic 4th preseason game. In other words, it was brutal.
More on this game in a bit..
81st man cut
Forgot to post this the other day but LB Brad Jefferson was the final guy cut before Tuesday's deadline.
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