It wasn't the prettiest game to re-watch, but the Buffalo Bills' victory over the Oakland Raiders wasn't as ugly as it appeared watching it live at Ralph Wilson Stadium, either.  Here's what we noticed on a second run-through of the game tape offensively.

I seem to do these breakdowns a bit differently each week, and today is no different.  Rather than hit on general topics with the offense as I've done in the past, I'll discuss some observations about several players.  On to what caught my eye...

Trent Edwards: Many of you have made this comment, but it's important to re-iterate - Edwards has struggled with accuracy and rhythm early in Buffalo's two home games this year, and Oakland was no different.  He missed a wide open Roscoe Parrish on an early third down with a wide throw, and generally looked out of sync with his well-covered receivers.  He did, however, show excellent pocket awareness in the face of a fierce Raiders pass rush, as evidence by his scrambles and his two "scramble throws" to Darian Barnes and Marshawn Lynch.  He played well, and his fourth quarter play speaks for itself.

Marshawn Lynch: Combined, Lynch and Fred Jackson carried the ball 28 times on Sunday.  The two runners were met by Oakland defenders at or behind the line of scrimmage 15 times.  More on that here.  The fact that Buffalo averaged 3.8 yards per carry is a testament to the abilities of our two backs.  As many of you correctly alluded to yesterday, Lynch had a monster game.  27 touches, 114 yards and two scores were big enough, but Lynch kept Buffalo's 96-yard drive alive with third down conversions three times.  The Bills don't win without his production, and his four tough runs to set up the Rian Lindell game-winner were large as well.

Jason Peters: Buffalo's starting left tackle took some heat after this performance.  It seemed justified, as Peters was directly responsible for two sacks, a lost fumble and a handful of big hits on Edwards.  I watched the film, and particularly in the early parts of the third quarter, Peters' footwork seemed tentative.  Then I received word that Peters played the second half on a "bad ankle sprain" - he flat-out refused to leave the game, instead choosing to tape up his ankle at the half (this is why Kirk Chambers made a brief appearance at the end of the first half; Peters was never benched).  Peters was dominant in the fourth quarter, and Dick Jauron alluded to that fact in a press conference today.  Please think twice before calling out our left tackle - considering the facts, he performed admirably.

Josh Reed: Perhaps the most important adjustment the Bills made as they prepared for their fourth-quarter surge was to line Reed up in the slot.  Buffalo's receivers were having trouble separating from Oakland's two excellent cornerbacks, so in the second half, the Bills began splitting tight ends, running backs and James Hardy out wide to free up Reed and Roscoe Parrish on the inside (and thus on Raiders linebackers and safeties).  The results were excellent - Reed caught 5 of his 6 passes (for 66 of 72 yards) in the fourth quarter, and all of those receptions went for first downs.  Once this happened, coupled with a more aggressive offensive approach, the offense started to roll.

Langston Walker: Playing right tackle full-time for the first time this season, Walker struggled with Raiders speed rusher Derrick Burgess.  Oakland's best defensive lineman repeatedly came fast, got under Walker's pad level and drove the 366-pound tackle backwards towards Edwards.  Walker held his own on those plays, but the Bills play some talented defensive ends (and 3-4 speed rushers) in their remaining plate of games, so it's something to keep an eye on.

Darian Barnes: You had to laugh at Barnes' big plays in the first half - he was quite literally the entirety of Buffalo's passing attack for a period.  When Barnes left with his foot injury, Derek Schouman filled in as the lead blocker, and let's just say the drop-off was minimal.

Defense and special teams to come later on today.  Stay tuned, Rumblers.

Bills LB Mitchell must key on Garrard (buffalobills.com)

All week, we - along with every other fan of the Buffalo Bills across the country - have talked about what it would mean if the Bills emerged victoriously from this weekend''s game in Jacksonville, where they'll take on a very good Jaguars team in just over a day's time.  For a young Bills team that's on the upswing yet hasn't made the playoffs since the 1999-2000 season, a win in Jacksonville would be the biggest win for the franchise in recent memory.

Yet a victory is anything but a given.  The Jaguars are coming off of an opening day loss to the Tennessee Titans, and despite the fact that they're banged up along the offensive line, this is the team's home opener, and the physical brand of football they prefer makes them a tough win for any opponent they face.  This is a playoff team that the Bills are about to take on, with a solid head coach, tremendous athleticism, and an excellent quarterback in David Garrard as their leader.  To expect victory would be foolish.  But this is a winnable football game.  If the Bills can exploit the following three matchups - along with taking care of business in five key areas - the Bills will dramatically increase their chances of pulling off a huge win tomorrow.

BUF LB Kawika Mitchell vs. JAX QB David Garrard
If I'm defensive coordinator Perry Fewell (and for the record, I'm glad I'm not - I'd be screwing up his good thing), my focus is on containing Garrard.  Allowing the quarterback to make plays on the move would erase even a stellar performance otherwise by my defense.  In order to contain Garrard, I'm not laying off on my blitz packages, I'm using a spy - and the guy I'm using is Kawika Mitchell.  No Bills defender is better coming downhill than the free agent addition, and he has the athleticism to take care of Garrard in space.  Donte Whitner is an option in spying Garrard as well.

BUF WR Lee Evans vs. JAX CB Drayton Florence
Last week, Buffalo's offense - while wildly inconsistent - was able to be effective enough for a dominant victory by exploiting favorable matchups.  The biggest one that Buffalo hit on was when Seahawks CB Kelly Jennings lined up across the line of scrimmage from the team's top wideout, Lee Evans - Evans hauled in four passes for a whopping 102 yards, picking up yardage in large enough chunks to make up for a faulty ground game.  The Jaguars will try to match up their top corner - Rashean Mathis - on Evans as often as possible, but when the Bills' top receiver draws Florence, he needs to make him pay.

BUF OGs Derrick Dockery/Brad Butler vs. JAX LB Mike Peterson
No, Buffalo's offensive line (more on them momentarily) won't be able to fully contain Jags DT John Henderson, because it's rarely done.  Henderson is a key factor for the Jaguars, but the Bills should instead work on getting their mobile guards to the second level on run plays in the hopes of erasing MLB Mike Peterson.  The 32-year-old linebacker was a bit of a liability in the team's loss to the Titans (though he played well overall), and if the Bills can get their hat on the veteran a few times in this game, it could lean to some long gainers by Marshawn Lynch.  Picking up yardage in large chunks is crucial to success early on for Buffalo's young offense.

Game Notes
A few notes to pass your way this fine Saturday morning on what we're hearing about tomorrow's game.  Important to note: we cannot actually confirm any of these developments.  We trust that these things will come to fruition, but for the purposes of this post, let's refer to these notes as "informed speculation":

- Peters to play, start: We're hearing that Dick Jauron will announce later this afternoon that OT Jason Peters will play and start in this matchup - not a huge surprise.  We're also hearing, however, that the team plans on shaking things up on the line for a series or two to keep Peters fresh (he's still not at 100% football shape), so expect to see Langston Walker on the left side and Kirk Chambers on the right occasionally as well.  We have not heard, however, who the Bills will be releasing to make room for Peters on the active roster - I'm personally guessing it will be Demetrius Bell.

- Bills worried about heat: Buffalo will be taking precautions on what is expected to be a humid 94-degree day in Jacksonville.  For starters, DT John McCargo is expected to be active as the Bills look to supplement their defensive line rotation (we believe that Xavier Omon will be inactive for this one, as the team won't sacrifice a specialist - risky, however, for Lynch and Fred Jackson).

Also, in an effort to preserve Terrence McGee's energies for his cornerback duties, don't be shocked to see Leodis McKelvin handle some kickoffs in select situations.  Receiver James Hardy is also expected to play more as well as the Bills look to become more efficient attacking the middle of the field via the pass.

More as we hear it.  Get ready for tomorrow's Open Game Thread, folks - it opens a half-hour before kickoff, 1ET.  We're looking forward to chatting with you during tomorrow's big game.

Each Tuesday this season, we here at Buffalo Rumblings will review the week's Buffalo Bills game on film (i.e. good old fashioned DVR) to get a little more in-depth perspective on how the Bills are performing.  Special teams analysis immediately below this post; this is the offense, and the defense is coming.

We've already discussed the Buffalo Bills' offensive performance a bit this week, so rather than a blow-by-blow or general observations, I'd like to talk about a few individual players and units instead.  Let's start with the quarterback, shall we?

Trent Edwards: I harp on consistency all the time, and it might be a bit cliche, but it's seriously the only thing holding Edwards back from becoming a proficient NFL quarterback.  Reading defenses?  He does that well already.  Decision making? Already top notch.  It's the intricacies of the game that are holding Edwards back at this point, and once he nails them down, he's going to be solid.

An area of particular concern for Trent is his streaky accuracy.  There are points when he's in the zone and making outstanding throws, and there are also equal amounts of time where he's enough off to completely throw off the timing of a route.  That will become less of an issue as he gains experience.  Edwards was particularly awful at throwing screen passes Sunday; his throws come off high and on a hard line, and his backs routinely have balls skip off of their hands.  If he can't resolve that, we might start seeing some tipped passes for interceptions.

All in all, though, you can tell the kid is bright.  He's got what it takes to succeed, and more importantly, his teammates are behind him.  Let's hope the kid stays healthy.  And on that note...

Offensive Line: Ron from NM has done most of the heavy lifting here with his usual excellent O-Line analysis.  I've just a couple of things to add: Buffalo's pass protection was excellent.  I was impressed by the job that Kirk Chambers did in a lot of one-on-one pass protection against Patrick Kerney; the Pro Bowl end was a non-factor in this game (and on the one sack he did pick up, he beat Marshawn Lynch).  Would like to see better run blocking, but I'm not particularly hopeful in that department.  Can't wait to see how Jason Peters looks once he returns to the lineup.

Marshawn Lynch: Tony Boselli, who did color commentary for FOX's coverage of this game, loves Lynch's feet - and I completely agree.  Much of the yardage that Lynch picked up in this game came via his impeccable ability to set up defenders once he hits the second level.  This kid is something special, and what makes that even more exciting is that he's absolutely a team player.  He has no issues with Fred Jackson stealing touches, and he's an incredibly willing blocker.  The kid is just a lot of fun to watch, and he's only going to get better.

Lee Evans: It's pretty easy to tell that Evans isn't quite in sync with Edwards yet.  Something about the way Edwards throw the balls - my best guess is release point - still bothers Evans; Lee dropped a few passes on Sunday and bobbled a couple more.  He was also quite clearly out of bounds on his first long reception of the day (the one that led to Lynch's touchdown run), but we'll let that one slide - thanks, refs.

Still, Evans runs excellent routes, and it was plain that when Evans was lined up across from Seattle's Kelly Jennings, the Bills were going to attack it.  The guy makes plays, and it was nice to see him doing it early in the game and early in the season.  See what good play-calling does for an offense?  It gets the ball into the hands of your best players.  Evans needs to become a bit more reliable, but he also needs to get paid.  Make it happen, Brandon.

Turk Schonert: I'll end the offensive analysis with Turk Schonert.  I love this guy's instincts.  We tend to forget that this was the first official game in which he'd called plays, and he called a pretty good game against a stingy Seahawks defense.  He seems to have a much better feel than his predecessor - we shall call him Steve Fairchild-Mularkey - of knowing which player should get the ball in which situation.  Once his offense can execute at a higher level, the guy might end up looking like a genius.

I particularly like Schonert's killer instinct.  It was excellent to see the Bills' offense taking chances in big situations, which in 2007 would have been incredibly out of character for them.  The field goal right before halftime to make the lead 20-7 at the break was huge, and of course, the 30-yard touchdown pass from Edwards to Robert Royal one play after a recovered fumble put the final nail in the coffin.  Killer instinct will take this team a long way.  Schonert's influence might be the most encouraging offensive sign to date.

Walker to face plenty of speed rush Sunday (Photo Source)

Last year, the Buffalo Bills' offensive line - bolstered with free agent additions and the emergence of LT Jason Peters - allowed 26 sacks en route to one of the most successful pass-blocking seasons for a Bills offensive line in over two decades.  Just one year later, however, Peters is voluntarily away from the team, the line is re-shuffled, and many of the question marks that last year's line play resolved have resurfaced, unanswered once more.

Think the Seattle Seahawks aren't smiling about it?  Think again.

Last year, the Seahawks boasted one of the NFL's fiercest pass rushes, registering 45 sacks during their 10-6 season, in which they won the NFC West and reached the divisional round of the NFC playoffs.  Their ferocity in this department is made possible by the fact that they have three pass rushers that literally could play for any team - defensive ends Patrick Kerney and Darryl Tapp, as well as outside linebacker Julian Peterson.  Combined, the three players had 31 of those 45 sacks in 2007.

Three-headed monster
Kerney is the veteran of the group; the warrior.  He led the team with 14.5 sacks last year from his left end position, and he'll spend this coming Sunday lining up across from Bills right tackle Kirk Chambers.  The journeyman tackle, who suffered many indignities at the hands of Osi Umenyiora in a loss to the Giants in '07, has had an effective pre-season, but hasn't faced anyone of the caliber of Kerney to this point.

Langston Walker - filling in for Peters at left tackle - might have an even more difficult assignment in Tapp.  Though his 7 sacks in 2007 could be categorized as "good, but not great", Tapp seems poised to establish himself as one of the NFL's best pure speed rushers in 2008.  Don't make the mistake of thinking he's just a speed rusher, however - he's got power, and he's certainly not a liability against the run.  The 6'8", 366-pound Walker has played well at left tackle in Peters' absence, but his size - and the agility it saps from him - makes him a liability against quicker players.

Peterson's ability severely complicates the issue.  He registered 9.5 sacks in 2007, and his ability to blitz from anywhere on the field will be the Seahawks' most dangerous defensive asset in 2008.  Picture this, Bills fans: Kerney and Peterson both rushing the quarterback from the left side, with Chambers and either TE Robert Royal or one of the team's two running backs, Marshawn Lynch or Fred Jackson, to pick up Peterson (one of the game's best overall athletes).  Yeah, I'm not exactly comforted by that thought either.

Scoring won't be easy
Buffalo's offense has appeared to make significant strides during the pre-season, for certain, particularly in the play-calling department - so there is certainly reason for optimism.  However, the starting quarterback hasn't played live football in over two weeks, and Walker is a bit banged up.  Scoring points this Sunday isn't going to be easy for Buffalo's offense.  Impossible, no; easy, definitely not.

The key lies in how Buffalo's "revamped" offensive line handles Seattle's trio of superb pass rushers.  Look for the Seahawks to run a lot of stunts with its athletic defensive tackles and push the line's communication skills to the brink.  Buffalo's offense has enjoyed solid pass protection throughout the pre-season even without Peters, and it has remained a team strength.  But the unit is far from perfect - they weren't perfect with Peters, either.  Seattle's defense is the first big test; Buffalo may not have a good shot at starting their season with a win if that test isn't passed.

Peters' future directly impacts RT Chambers (Photo Source)

It's cut-down day in the NFL, and as such, the Buffalo Bills will be releasing 22 players (or more, if there's anyone worthwhile on waivers) in an effort to get down to the NFL-mandated 53-man limit by 6:00 PM EST today.  The cut-downs mark the final pre-season event; once the cuts are made, all attention turns to the Seattle Seahawks.

With the Bills' releases not expected to be announced until later on this afternoon (we likely won't know about them until after 6PM), let's speculate as to who the most nervous Buffalo Bills players are today.  These guys, in nearly every case, are toeing the line between being able to make an impact and being unemployed.

RB Xavier Omon: It's fairly safe to assume that the rookie sixth-round pick out of Division II NW Missouri State has passed Dwayne Wright on the depth chart, thanks in large part to Wright's infuriating tendency to fumble the ball once per game.  It's rare, however, that a player is simply handed a roster spot by default, and there are sure to be some interesting names to be kicking around the waiver wire today at running back.  If anyone piques the interest of the Bills, Omon might see the roster spot Wright tried to hand to him given to someone else.  If that happens, Omon is a virtual lock for the practice squad, but you can bet Omon's not sitting easy today.

WR Steve Johnson: The rookie out of Kentucky made an excellent last-gasp stab at making the roster on Thursday night - catching 8 passes for 74 yards in the pre-season finale - and it may have worked.  However, injury issues at other positions (specifically tight end) may make it difficult for the Bills to find a spot for Johnson on the final roster.  You can bet the Bills are nervous about this kid, too; if it turns out they're going to gamble to try to stash him on the practice squad, there are surely going to be some interested teams out there eyeing Johnson.

TE Courtney Anderson: The Bills employ five tight ends, and two of them - Derek Schouman and rookie Derek Fine - likely won't be ready for the regular season opener.  That means good things for the veteran Anderson, right?  Maybe not.  Tim Massaquoi is a favorite of special teams coach Bobby April, Robert Royal is a lock, and the Bills are likely to keep one of the Dereks, if not both.  Anderson's upside is the lowest of any of the Bills' tight ends, and his special teams skills aren't thrilling.  Even with the injuries, Anderson could be a goner.

OT Kirk Chambers: No, Chambers isn't getting cut.  Not even close.  But if the rumors that Jason Peters could report to Orchard Park on Monday are true - and I think an "I'll believe it when I see it" approach is prudent for such speculation - then Chambers' starting job won't be his for much longer.  That said, Chambers has grown on me.  He's not a horrible player, has the ability to play both sides (though not well on the left), and he won't make a stink if Peters returns.  Dare I say that Chambers has put the Bills in a good situation at tackle?  Still, there's nothing like job security in the NFL, and Chambers doesn't have much of it.

LB Donnie Spragan: Signed after the season-ending injury to rookie LB Alvin Bowen, Spragan has watched players like rookie Marcus Buggs and converted safety Jon Corto get more playing time at his spot, and another linebacker (Blake Costanzo) currently has an edge over him on special teams.  Add in the fact that the Bills have superb depth in the defensive backfield, and Spragan's stint as a Buffalo Bill might just end today.

CB Will James: I believe it likely that the Bills keep six cornerbacks, and if that happens, James stays.  But if the Bills have to trim their CB depth to five (and again, that's probably not likely), it's James that is the corner most likely to go.  The starters aren't going.  The two rookies (Leodis McKelvin and Reggie Corner) aren't going.  Ashton Youboty has been arguably the team's best defender this pre-season, while James has been solid yet highly unspectacular.  If a corner's going, it's James, and while my gut says he stays, you can bet his gut isn't sitting easy right now.

Stay tuned to Buffalo Rumblings throughout the day, as we'll have the list of cuts and some immediate analysis up as soon as we get wind of it.  Let's get this over with, Buffalo - it's time to play real football.

Loss of Murphy cripples depth at LT (Photo Source)

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The Buffalo Bills returned to the practice field Monday night following their pre-season opening 17-14 loss in Washington, and before the night was out had been dealt a crippling blow to their depth at offensive tackle.  With Jason Peters still MIA amidst a contract holdout, two more tackles - Matt Murphy and Patrick Estes - suffered injuries and left practice early.  The Bills finished practice with just three healthy tackles: Langston Walker, Kirk Chambers and rookie Demetrius Bell.  The seriousness of the two injuries are not yet known, but neither is likely to play in Thursday's pre-season matchup with the Steelers in Toronto.

The loss of Murphy - who performed admirably Saturday night - is especially concerning, as he was working with the second team as the left tackle.  Estes was working with the third team at the same position.  With just three healthy tackles on the roster, the team might have to experiment with players such as Jason Whittle, Robert Felton or Nevin McCaskill at tackle; they could also make a roster move soon.  Jason Peters' holdout has never looked more desperate than it does today.

In other injury news, SS Donte Whitner returned to practice, was subsequently dinged, left, and did not return - again.  It wouldn't be shocking to see him sit out Thursday's game.  LB Blake Costanzo also left early with a minor head injury.  Not participating were wideouts Josh Reed, Scott Mayle and Roscoe Parrish, tight end Tim Massaquoi and linebacker Marcus Buggs.  LB Angelo Crowell participated fully, and DE Copeland Bryan also returned.

Surprise! Offense Goes Deep
The Bills took some serious heat in the press for their incredibly vanilla offensive performance Sunday.  But hark!  Monday night was a smorgasboard of deep passes for Buffalo's offense.  Should we be surprised?

The first beneficiary of the deep passing game was rookie wideout James Hardy. On the third snap in team work Trent Edwards aired out a 50-yard bomb to Hardy on a deep post as he got between Terrence McGee and Ko Simpson, made the catch and completed the 70-yard scoring play.

Show me some of that during actual pre-season action - as well as increased playing time for Trent Edwards - and I'll get excited about this.  For now, it's merely something that sounds good from the practice setting that hasn't translated the field, a.k.a. a disappointment.

Question of the day: Is there seriously a good reason for the Bills to take Edwards and most of the first unit offense off of the field before halftime on Thursday?

The Bills practice at 1PM today, have a closed practice Wednesday, and hit the turf at the Rogers Centre for the first time Thursday.

Walker will play LT as long as Peters stays away (Photo Source)

A day after the team's first night practice of 2008 training camp, the Buffalo Bills took the field for another padded practice today - and upon doing so, made a very important switch on their offensive line.

Langston Walker, entering his second season as a Bill, will make the switch from right to left tackle.  He'll be charged with the duty of protecting Trent Edwards' blind side until the team finds out what is going on with holdout left tackle Jason Peters.

This move is not considered permanent at the moment, but is meant to give the club options along the line in case Peters' holdout extends into the regular season.  Currently, Walker is by far the team's best offensive tackle, so putting him at the most important position makes sense.  But he is clearly better suited to playing the right side; depending on what happens with Peters, expect the team to start exploring the market of available tackle options.  They might not find anything worth pursuing, but you can bet they'll be looking.

There has still been no movement on the Peters front, although COO Russ Brandon did inform the media today that the team would be making no further public statements about the situation until Peters reported to work.

Quarterback Trent Edwards on the switch:

Quarterback Trent Edwards supported the switch, believing it necessary for the team to consider all of its options.

"I've got all the confidence in the world in our coaches and our players that we're going to make the adjustments needed based on whether or not Jason comes back," Edwards said.

Defense Continues to Shine
I saw very good things out of Buffalo's defense at Tuesday night's practice, and Chris Brown reports that the unit played well again Wednesday.

Defensive tackle Marcus Stroud was again at the forefront, using his slippery, powerful penetrating ability to collapse pockets and make plays in the backfield.  The unit also reportedly used its speed to swarm to the ball on several occasions.  This is great news to hear, even if their dominance came against a recently re-shuffled offensive line.

Play of Note: "On all but one running play the Bills defensive front did not let the running back get more than a yard beyond the line of scrimmage. Marcus Stroud set the tone when he penetrated and grabbed Marshawn Lynch in the offensive backfield."

Players Still Dinged
Backup quarterback J.P. Losman returned to practice in a limited capacity, as did FS Ko Simpson.  Angelo Crowell sat out practice again, as did DE Aaron Schobel, who was excused due to a death in his family.  Rookie WR Steve Johnson sat out with a minor knee injury, and Ryan Denney tweaked a foot (he would later return to the field).

It's a little bit disconcerting to see all of these dings this early in camp - especially after the team put 17 players on Injured Reserve last season - but at least they're not serious at this point.  All of these players are expected to be back on the field within the next couple of days.

Red Zone Work - that means Hardy
The Bills concentrated on red zone work today, and not surprisingly, getting rookie WR James Hardy involved was a heavy focus.  It's nice to hear things like this:

Felton Huggins made an acrobatic grab at the five-yard line on a ball that was a little high from Losman. On the next play Losman delivered a nice looking fade pass to James Hardy in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown.

One thing that I noticed Tuesday night that I forgot to mention - Buffalo's quarterbacks are not especially adept at throwing fade routes.  Perhaps it's because they haven't had many opportunities to do so; regardless, it would be good to see more of this work, as the Edwards to Hardy connection down close is a crucial element to have for the 2008 season.  Without it, this offense remains mediocre, and Rian Lindell's stats inflate.

The Bills hit the practice field tomorrow at 7PM for their second night practice this week.

QB Trent Edwards, DE Chris Kelsay at Bills camp (Courtesy twoeightnine)

The Buffalo Bills held their first night practice of 2008 training camp last night at St. John Fisher College, and I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend the festivities.  With pen and pad in hand, I spent the majority of my night frantically taking as many notes as possible.  It was a beautiful night, but unfortunately, I was not overly impressed by what I saw from our team.  Here are some observations, from units to players to coaches, that I hope you'll find useful (this could get long):

Edwards Struggles
For all the good that we've heard from Trent Edwards this early in camp, I saw a guy who struggled a lot last night.  He did mention post-practice that what the team was running last night was a whole bunch of new plays, which may have been the reason he looked so poor.  But he was missing receivers high, he was bouncing throws off the turf, and he was very obviously distraught at last night's misgivings.  He didn't show emotion like J.P. Losman used to, but you could definitely tell he was frustrated.  He did, however, make some very nice throws, including a couple nice deep balls.

Losman did not practice; his right thumb was taped up heavily.  He's also grown a very lovely beard this off-season.  Maybe he thinks Edwards' rookie beard is what caused him to lose his job?

Lynch (and Jackson) Looking Impressive
I absolutely loved what I saw out of Marshawn Lynch last night.  He looks more powerful and more agile than he was as a rookie.  Put aside anything you hear about Lynch's breakaway speed - I'm going to chalk that up to Lynch being beaten down by the rigors of his first NFL season.  The guy looked like a superstar in the making.  He also dove into the end zone for a touchdown (probably unnecessarily), drawing a big cheer from the gigantic crowd.

Interestingly, Turk Schonert had Lynch split out wide in a couple of formations.  He looked good catching the ball, but his understudy, Fred Jackson, looked better.

Jackson won't ever be a guy who can carry a full rushing load, but he's got that Kenneth Davis feel about him - he's above average at everything he does, especially catching the football.  He looked smooth and confident last night, and his style is different from that of Lynch.  They're going to complement each other very well.

Receiver/Tight End Notes
I came away with the impression on James Hardy that I thought I was going to come away with: this kid is going to struggle in a big way between the twenties this year.  He's still not a great route-runner, and looks positively sloth-like getting out of some of his breaks, especially on out routes.  But the dude is just straight up huge.  He'll make plays simply because he's big.  But from the looks of things right now, Josh Reed (who looked good as usual) seems like he's got a lock on the starting spot.  My guess is that Reed will play between the twenties, with Hardy being a mainstay on the field in the red zone.

Out of all of Buffalo's receivers, I came away most impressed by undrafted rookie free agent Jason Jones.  He comes from a very small school (Arkansas Pine-Bluff), but he was making some of Buffalo's corners look silly in one-on-one drills.  He's a smooth route-runner and shows great hands; he even blew past Will James on a beautifully executed deep route at one point.  I'm very interested to see how he performs in pre-season games.

At tight end, Derek Schouman and Robert Royal are light-years ahead of the competition.  They're easily the two most fluid athletes at the position.  Yes, Robert Royal makes Derek Fine and Courtney Anderson look unathletic.  I liked the way that Schouman and Royal played when they were together on the field.  Together, they might be productive enough to make us not hate the fact that they didn't draft a more athletic tight end this past April.

O-Line... well, they just need Jason Peters
Kirk Chambers better not be Buffalo's starting left tackle come opening day; I don't think I saw him successfully block Aaron Schobel in one-on-one drills once.  He's a tough blocker in the running game, but his pass protection is, well, poor.  Here's hoping that Jason Peters is back in camp before long...

The line struggled a bit in pass protection.  In 7-on-7 and 11-on-11, Edwards had the pocket collapse on him a couple times; he was forced to throw the ball away once or twice, and made some bad throws while pressured as well.  There were some holes for the team's running backs, though.

Offensive line coach Sean Kugler was working hard with rookie Demetrius Bell on his stance and pass pro technique.  Langston Walker was chipping in with some advice as well.  Bell looks ultra-athletic, but he was the greenest guy on the field by a long shot.  He's certainly a practice squad player at this point, but he's got big upside if the coaches can harness some of that athleticism.

D-Line Looks Fantastic
Buffalo's revamped defensive line looked outstanding, including the much-maligned (here, at least) starting defensive ends.  The unit was fast, powerful and disruptive - and that included the second unit line as well.

Marcus Stroud can't be blocked by one guy.  He just can't.  He's not a big guy, but his center of gravity is low, and he got a significant push every single play.  He pancaked Brad Butler in a one-on-one drill, and in some double team drills, he was able to slip blocks and get a push in most instances.

I loved the fact that John McCargo was following Stroud around like some sort of gigantic puppy.  Stroud was working with McCargo for a few minutes on block-shedding moves; it's good to see a vet helping out a talented youngster.  Those two looked great working together inside when they got to play together.  (For the record, Edwards and Evans were seen throwing off to the side as well.  They looked rather chummy.)

Copeland Bryan ran with the twos, pushing Chris Ellis to third team end, but I don't expect that to last long.  Ellis is green - he lacks lower body strength, so he certainly won't be playing on early downs - but Bryan was pedestrian.  Ellis should pass him on the depth chart by the end of camp.

Crowell Sits; Young LBs Looking Good
Angelo Crowell missed the practice; he had a wrap on his left knee and came out in shorts.  He watched the entire practice from the sidelines.  Keith Ellison replaced him on the strong side; Marcus Buggs took Ellison's spot with the second unit.

Speaking of Buggs, he has a very realistic shot at making this team.  He made one or two very nice hits in punt coverage drills, and while he's small, he looks like a very good athlete.  He's another young guy to keep your eyes on during pre-season action.

Paul Posluszny looked good.  He looks like he's in the best shape of his life, and, to be frank, like he could snap most of the Bills' receivers in half with a good lick.  He and Lynch are easily the team's most popular players.

Defensive Back Notes: Simpson Dinged
Ko Simpson left practice early with an apparent injury to his surgically repaired ankle.  He was walking on it fine on the sidelines, but he clearly was uncomfortable.  We'll see if he practices today.  To no one's surprise, George Wilson took his place with the top unit; he looks far more comfortable back there than he did last season.  He was making a few hits as well.

It was only his second practice, but Leodis McKelvin continued to struggle.  He looked better than what we heard in one-on-one coverage drills, but you can tell his ball skills are lacking.  He'll blanket a receiver, but he's not instinctual in knowing when to turn his head.  He's very good at making plays coming forward, however.  He also looked great returning punts (even earning the very loud praise of Bobby April on one return), and in positional drills, you can tell just how good an athlete the kid is.  He's very technical in his agility (read: amazing footwork), and when that can translate better to covering receivers, he should be outstanding.

Will James struggled.  A lot.  He repeatedly got burned deep covering receivers in single coverage.  He's still probably a lock to be the team's nickel corner on opening weekend.  Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer seem entrenched as the starters, and that shouldn't change any time soon.  Reggie Corner was actually playing ahead of McKelvin in dime packages; McKelvin played outside with the second unit.  I expect McKelvin to take James' nickel spot early in the season, and Corner is a bigger factor in this equation than many people tend to believe.

Ashton Youboty is very clearly the team's sixth corner - and I thought he looked very good.  He blatantly held Jason Jones in single coverage during one drill, but also made a nice break to intercept a pass in front of Felton Huggins.  He's much more physical than some of Buffalo's young guys, as well.  I hope he stays on the team - he's still got a world of talent.

General Observations
I love watching Perry Fewell and Bobby April coach.  They're loud, funny, and they get their guys moving hard.  Their units were easily the two strongest on the field last night.

The offense struggled mightily last night, but you can tell that Turk Schonert's offensive system will be better than Steve Fairchild's.  The tempo is faster, Edwards looks much more comfortable, and more guys are getting involved in the passing game (most notably Roscoe Parrish).

Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of the night practice experience.  Perhaps it was the idea that I had to go to work the next morning.  But it was good seeing the guys in Bills colors, and it was even better to hear the crowd chanting and reacting to what was going on on the field.  It was a good time.

The Bills practice from 1:00 to 3:05 today.  Buffalo Rumblings will recap the day's action later this afternoon.

Evans pleased with progress on contract negotiations (Photo Source)

The Buffalo Bills hit the field at St. John Fisher College for two practice sessions today, as they opened 2008 training camp with two solid practices.  Here's what happened of note on the first day of camp (as reported by BuffaloBills.com):

Peters Holds Out
The big story, of course, is that Jason Peters is holding out.  We'll definitely discuss this a bit more over the weekend (probably tomorrow morning); for now, if you're looking to vent on Peters, check out this story.

Evans Has a Great Day
Lee Evans had a good day, both off the field and on.  In his usual candid manner, Evans confirmed that progress has been made between his agent and the Bills on a contract extension.  This is great news - Evans has been a true professional, never missing a workout and never complaining about his deal (he's currently working on his rookie deal), and the Bills are rewarding him for his loyalty and professionalism.  Hear that, Mr. Peters?

Evans also reportedly ran several outstanding routes today in what was a strong performance by Buffalo's revamped passing attack.  Always one for a good quote, Evans spoke about his comfort level with QB Trent Edwards as they enter their first full season starting together:

"It's only day one, but we certainly have a comfort level with each other," said Evans. "I think he trusts me and I trust him and now it's just a matter of getting in that rhythm and staying in that rhythm and staying consistent."

Edwards Looking Good
Keep in mind that this was just a practice session, but the fact that Edwards started both practice sessions with 10 consecutive completions in 7-on-7 work.  Buffalo's offense, under coordinator Turk Schonert, will have more of a West Coast feel - we're going to see more passing, and Edwards will need to be accurate.  It sounds like he's been precise to this point.

Play of Note: "One of Edwards prettiest passes of the series was when he looked the safety off to the right and then dropped a well-timed ball in between three defenders to Josh Reed on the left side of the field for a 20-yard gain."

Defense Quiet, but Corners Looking Good
Naturally, on a productive day for the offense, the defense didn't have such a good go of it.  Of note, however, was the play of two of Buffalo's sub-package corners in Will James and Ashton Youboty.  Both made multiple nice pass break-ups (James more so than Youboty); the defensive backfield picked off a few passes, and in general were active on the day.

Play of Note: "A deep ball intended for Evans was tipped on a nice play by Ashton Youboty and Simpson was the final beneficiary."

Depth Chart Notes
Kirk Chambers replaced Peters at starting left tackle.  Robert Royal and Derek Schouman both worked with the first team at tight end; they were followed by Courtney Anderson in the rotation.  James Hardy worked with the second team offense at wideout, as Josh Reed ran with Evans at the top of the lineup.  With Kyle Williams excused, John McCargo and Spencer Johnson split first-team reps next to Marcus Stroud.

McKelvin Still Unsigned
Top draft pick Leodis McKelvin missed both of day one's workouts as he remains unsigned.  There was talk that a deal was close enough that a deal might be worked out to get McKelvin on the field for this afternoon's workouts, but that did not materialize.  A deal is expected to be completed over the weekend.

Look for the Bills to wrap up talks with Evans and McKelvin before doing anything with the Jason Peters situation.

Day Two: Saturday 7/26
The Bills hit the field again tomorrow for two more practices - one at 8:30 AM, the other at 2:15 PM.  We'll talk a bit more about Peters, McKelvin and Evans tomorrow morning, and we'll follow it up with another short recap of tomorrow's events.  Again, I'll urge you all - if you go to camp and have anything to say about your visit, let us know.  We'd love to hear about Buffalo's progress from a fan's perspective.

Chambers leading the pack to back up Peters (Photo Source)

Note: As Buffalo Rumblings counts down the days until the start of the Buffalo Bills' 2008 training camp (current count: 8), we'll be breaking down some of the bigger battles we're sure to witness during summer practices as part of a comprehensive package of pre-camp topics we'll explain in more depth in the near future.  For now, we'll continue our Battles series by looking at the battle for the team's third tackle position.  Previous installments: Backup TE

With Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters unhappy with his contract situation, the training camp battle for the right to be Peters' primary backup suddenly holds much more importance for the Bills.  If Peters decides to hold out of even part of training camp - and nothing is out of the question at this point - and things get ugly, the winner of this competition becomes one of the most important players on Buffalo's entire offensive unit.

Meet the candidates...

The Favorite: Kirk Chambers (73)
The primary backup at both tackle positions last season, Chambers did not see a ton of action until the final two weeks of the season, when Peters went down with a season-ending groin injury.  He's an unspectacular athlete with marginal instincts for the game, but there are worse options as a backup tackle - he's smart, tough, and while he needs a little help, he generally avoids making big mistakes.  He's certainly the favorite, but if one of the other contenders surprises, he's certainly expendable as well.

The Upstart: Matt Murphy (70)
Like Peters, Murphy is a former tight end that has converted to offensive tackle, and he's got above-average athleticism for the position.  That's where the comparisons end.  Murphy is underweight and is making the full position switch for the first time; he's raw and needs some technique work, but he also has a bit of upside.  He's got a lot to prove, but if he starts stealing reps and moving up the depth chart during camp, Chambers better keep his head on a swivel.

The Darkhorse: Patrick Estes (79)
Signed late in the 2007 season as a reserve once Peters went down, Estes has kicked around the league early in his career.  He's a bit of an unknown commodity, but Buffalo's coaches reportedly like his smarts and his build.  He, too, has some work to do, but don't immediately count this guy out of the competition.

The Longshot: Demetrius Bell (77)
Keep in mind that Bell, the first of Buffalo's three seventh-round picks this past April, is only a long shot for the time being.  Blessed with rare athleticism for an offensive lineman, Bell is about as green as an NFL prospect comes, but he's got loads of upside and a solid athletic pedigree.  He's very likely to end up on the practice squad, but don't be shocked to see him make quick advances under the tutelage of line coach Sean Kugler.

Predicting the Winner
It may be boring, and it may leave you a bit queasy, but for now, Chambers seems like the clear favorite to win this competition.  The fact that the Bills have three upside guys behind Chambers, however, obviously indicates that the team is looking for an upgrade if one is available.  Given the team's interior depth - both Jason Whittle and Christian Gaddis have an excellent shot at making the roster - only one of these guys will make the roster, in all likelihood.  If Murphy or Estes surprises, that's great.  If not, the team will grit its teeth and go to work with Chambers for another season.

Ultimately, my opinion is as good as all of yours'; let's hear it, folks.  Who should/will be Buffalo's backup left tackle heading into the 2008 season?

Next Battle: Starting Cornerback