Projecting the Buffalo Bills' final roster, V4.0

TE Jonathan Stupar: He really shouldn’t be on this list based on his pre-season production; his ten receptions in roughly five quarters of play is consistent, solid production. This guy can play. He’s clearly not a go-to target or an above-average athlete in any way, shape or form, but for a second-year player with very little experience, he’s remarkably consistent. He’s the type of player that the coaches will make room for.

Based on his play, I think you are even slightly under-rating him. He sure looks like a go-to guy, even though it is only preseason. This guy just finds ways to get open. One problem though, I really can’t see the Bills carrying 4 TE’s. I think Schouman is out right now. He really hasn’t played all that well, and definetely not as well as Stupar.

Stupar = 2010 version of Steve Johnson?

Your going to be doing one of these after each game, aren’t you Brian?

I think we might lose a DB and keep 7 LB’s, which means Youboty gets traded and Buggs or Bowen makes the roster, depending on preseason performance / practice squad eligability.
Also considering the age of Schobel, Kelsay and Denny, Bryan could be considered instead of Denny, although given Denny’s scoring record he might become an 8 WR! :-)

Bryan has been making plays and while Omon has been workmanlike, I think we could see the coaches gamble with only 2 RBs to start the year with the plan for Lynch to be in and they keep Bryan on board to see which of the two, Ellis and Bryan has what it takes in the first 3 regular season games….

I don’t really have a problem with keeping Stupar on the roster, other than the fact that he’ll never be active on gameday.

I would have liked to keep seven LB’s, especially because Jon Corto is no capable LB at all. He can play ST, but that’s it. It’s going to be difficult for the coaches to decide, as there are many bubble-players on our roster, who could contribute.

It would be akin to wasting a roster space. TEs (especially Bills TEs) aren’t valuable enough to keep in that number. They probably need to keep 3 because the no-huddle utilizes them and they need to unfortunately get rid of the fullback whose position is now obsolete.

Thing about the how the Tight Ends have played in Buffalo is they are capable of going out for a pass once in awhile but are their mainly to block. I think Buffalo wants to luck out on that hybrid blocking/receiving Tight End that become some of the more dangerous players in the game but they haven’t found one. And as a result right now they have 3 young mediocre Tight Ends that don’t truly excel at either craft although I think Derek Fine may have more potential than the other two (Scouman and Stupar) If a TE has to go because of Stupar I say it’s Scouman

All of them are growing still but Fine has good bulk and is a good blocker and helps on Special Teams. He is slow but has good hands and capable of getting open. I think that is what the Bills want. If Nelson develops into what we hope to be, Fine is exactly the kind of TE that we need. Especially if he gets even better as a blocker. If we go double tightends we can run Lynch through Fine’s side or have Lynch pass block and send Nelson out. The offense opens up through the TEs where before it was hampered by them.

Nelson obviously has potential on a whole new level as far a being a receiving TE goes. But even if he doesn’t become an every down threat think about this: James Hardy(6-5 220), Terrell Owens(6-3 224), Shawn Nelson(6-5 240): Goal line. People are complaining that Trent can’t score in the goal-line just wait until you see what the Bills are about to do. This is the part I CANNOT wait for. If these three guys are healthy at the same time and shake off the rust your going to have the defense in a panic because you’ll have 3 guys with that amount of speed, that amount of weight and strength, that amount of height all running different routes plus whatever other nasty things the Bills throw at them. Two years ago we didn’t even have Hardy at all and our red zone efficiency was basically: SMASH MARSHAWN SMASH. Last year we had Hardy only for a little while but no one else who had any height. This year we have THREE players like that.

Is there something (or someone) that says Hamden will make it past the final cut? Can’t the FO find a free agent QB just as good if the unthinkable happens? Just asking the question.

Until Nelson establishes the ability to Block on a consistent basis we are only talking about Three real tight ends. We will find in the next two weeks that these tight ends will need to block and block well. I am expecting the Packers and the Steelers to apply pressure in our no huddle attack that will prove their true tight end legitimacy. We may find one tightend on the LOS and one in a back field with Jackson. Remember that our O-Line will need alot of time to get through some of the things they haven’t seen yet.

Secondly, Rotation on the D-Line. Defensive End or Defensive tackle we will need rotational players that can play at a high level. Bryant, Ellis, Jones and Mace could be the fresh legs we need. Nobody says that we have to go with traditional formation. Look what the patsies are experimenting with. I would like to see if Bryant could be a third DT. Either way I would like to see us keeping a combination of Ten. Let Carry Harris go hasn’t shown much to this point.

Finally, if Marshawn wasn’t suspended for three games, we wouldn’t be discussing one of these guys, IMO.

I could see the end of the line in Buffalo for Denny even though he is solid dependable rotation player. The Bills have to infuse some youth with the potential to get better at the DE position and Denny could be the odd man out. He won’t be out of a job long and would provide depth for many teams.

If Lankster gets cut (which he won’t), he won’t get the chance to make it to the Bills practice squad because some team will pick him up—-most likely the Bears who need DB depth and just watched him make 2 ints in the Bills version of theTampa 2, which of course the Bears play….

Is what honestly has Derek Scouman done to warrant the #1 spot at TE? Now you could definitely counter with, ‘what have any of them done?’ and be right but Scouman we have more information on and more game film on him. And I like Hamdan as much as the next guy and he’s improved, but I’m starting to wonder if these players aren’t still on the team because their Trent’s buddy o’ pals and we have an Offensive coach from Boise State.

Looking at the roster here, I can’t help but wonder who the weekly inactives would be. Hamdan would be the 3rd QB obviously so who are the other 7?

-the 6th WR certainly. Hardy when he’s off the PuP list, but if he starts there, then it might just be Stevie. Would the team keep Jenkins, but keep him off Teams? I would hope so with Stevie taking his ST reps, but who knows with the staff…

-9th OL

-Stupar probably

-Ellis

-Lankster

Who are the other two? Would we keep just 2 RB’s active each week with Rhodes (or Omon early) not dressing? How about only 4 active Wr’s? TO, Lee, Reed and Roscoe are weely actives, but can they afford to leave a 5th inactive? How about McCargo if he’s playing hard and well? I can’t leave any of the 3 backup LB’s inactive because they’ll all be big ST contributors. The team will want Byrd out there on D, and Wilson and Wendling are both huge ST guys. I guess Youboty or Corner would not dress each week as one of the final two inactives. That’ll be some tough choices each week.

Of course it won’t be thaaaaat difficult when injuries are in play, but when healthy there should be some tough choices. Practices during the week could be huge!

I still feel that Lankster ends up on the practice squad too.

Given this guy has been making big plays in practice and in games thus far, shouldn’t he be on the active roster? Particularly in light of the Florence injury?

Great breakdown by the way. As a displaced Buffalonian I so enjoy being able to get candid, well thought news on my Bills….. keep up the good work

I saw someone comment here about the run D being stellar the first 2 PS games but I could not find it to directly reply. As an Ohio Bills fan, I did not get to watch the 2nd game, so I cannot comment on that. But in the first game (especially in the first half when most of the starters & their bac ups were in) I was not impressed at all. I don’t have the stats, but it seemed to me that the Titans were ripping off 5-6 yards every carry and carrying half the Bill’s D with them. In fact all I could think was “here we go again.” That thought was only reiterated as the 1st & 2nd string offense took the field and drove fine between the 20’s only to settle for field goals (and in Trent’s case, a pick). I also saw very little pass rush out of anyone on the D. It sounds like the Bears game was a different story. Hopefully that is true and the Titans game was just a case of the jitters. I’m hoping for a better season and it all starts up front, primarily on the D. I hate to be a pessimist, but whatever scenario plays out roster-wise as noted above I am not convinced one bit the run D or the pass rush are fixed.

I thought MrFurious1 made a great point in a separate post about the Center position. And if it’s true that Brandon Rodd has been getting all the center reps that Hangartner doesn’t get, it seems to me you’ve got to leave a spot on the roster for Rodd.

Does anyone really believe that Seth McKinney could just step right into the Center role of this no-huddle attack when he’s not getting any reps there now? i can’t believe the coaches would be that short-sighted. I believe we have to take into account that Brandon Rodd will be on the 53-man roster as the backup center.