Whitner to miss Saturday's pre-season opener (Photo Source)

The Buffalo Bills open their 2008 pre-season schedule in approximately 71 hours, and the team has already named two veteran players doubtful for the '08 premiere.  After today's practice, head coach Dick Jauron named SS Donte Whitner and WR Josh Reed doubtful for the Bills' road game at Washington.

Whitner, who has battled a sore ankle since this past weekend, has no swelling and, were this a regular season game, would be ready to go.  The same goes for Reed, who has missed a few practices resting his surgically repaired back.

WR James Hardy returned to practice today in a full capacity, but it's still unclear as to whether he'll suit up for the Redskins game.  CB Will James is in the same boat with his groin injury.  DE Copeland Bryan, WR Scott Mayle and QB Matt Baker all missed practice Wednesday as well.

Veterans Resting
Once again, Jauron eased the work load of some of his veterans, and for two key Bills rookies, this was good news.  WR Lee Evans and CB Terrence McGee saw their number of reps decreased; they were replaced on the top unit by rookies Hardy and Leodis McKelvin, respectively.  Both held their own with the ones, as well.

Leodis McKelvin, who got some first team reps at left cornerback with Terrence McGee receiving a lighter workload from the staff, forced a fumble on a catch that was made by Derek Fine.

Hardy got reps with the first team offense for most of the practice during team work as Lee Evans was given a lighter workload Wednesday by the staff. Early in 7-on-7 he made a nice reception on a crossing pattern, catching the ball in stride and heading up field. He made a few other short receptions as well...

This is an ideal situation for Buffalo.  It keeps two of their key veterans healthy, and it allows a couple of key young guys to gain some confidence working with the team's best players.  This situation is sure to present itself a few more times as the regular season approaches; it's likely that further work with the top unit will groom both McKelvin and Hardy to have the immediate impact that the club needs.

Youboty Watch
Ashton Youboty Watch has officially begun at Buffalo Rumblings, as the majority of us yearn to see the 24-year-old earn his keep with this team.  Youboty made his third interception of camp today on a tipped pass by LB Donnie Spragan; if James misses the Washington game, Youboty will have a golden opportunity to move up a slot or two on the depth chart with a strong performance.

Some Notes about the Redskins Game
Looking for the perfect spot to get the most out of Saturday night's pre-season opener?  Make Buffalo Rumblings your first and last stop.  We'll have live coverage of the game with an open game thread, so we will be able to discuss/break down the game as it occurs.  Your humble narrator will also be recording the game on DVR, which will allow us to have a little "film session" breakdown a day or two after the game.  This is where you come in.

There's a lot to take in on game day, so be prepared to give your input after the game as to what you'd like to see covered in the Film Session.  We don't need ideas yet; just make sure that you let us know exactly what you'd like to hear about once the game is over.

Also, we'll be doing a little interview session with Skin Patrol of Hogs Haven over the next couple of days - so if you're yearning for a little knowledge on the 'Skins, head on over to his fine establishment and keep your eyes peeled for that interview.

Reed (right) continues to sit out with back issue (Photo Source)

The Buffalo Bills are four days away from opening their 2008 pre-season schedule with a visit to Washington, and the team continued its training camp preparations last night despite nearly being driven off the field due to inclement weather.

Rain delayed practice twice, but the Bills were able to complete their full session as they head into Wednesday's 1PM practice.

Not participating in Tuesday night's practice were SS Donte Whitner (ankle), WR Josh Reed (back) and DE Copeland Bryan (hamstring).  Whitner and Reed are expected to be back on the field by the end of the week and should see some (albeit very little) playing time on Saturday.  Rookie WR James Hardy (hamstring) and veteran CB Will James (groin) were scheduled to return to the practice field last night, but due to the slick weather conditions participated only in individual drills.  They should be full go today.

Interesting Debate
An interesting debate that can arise out of a situation like last night is whether or not it's a good thing to have to fight through a practice in those types of weather conditions.  Clearly, the Bills are a young football team, and a large percentage of their most important players have not had to deal with harsh weather conditions on a regular basis before.  That'll happen often in Buffalo.  At the same time, this is just practice - and the team is, in fact, attempting to answer a lot of questions and install a new offense prior to the start of the important games.  There are definitely two strong (opposing) arguments to make.

I'd be very interested to hear what everyone here believes about this topic.

S. Johnson at DE?
As the Bills' defense practiced in nickel packages last night, there was one surprise player playing outside at defensive end:

Spencer Johnson got some reps at defensive end in the nickel package.

This is curious.  Perhaps I'm not seeing the positive spin on this, but this doesn't make a ton of sense to me.  Do I think Spencer Johnson can play end?  Certainly - he's probably the quickest, most explosive athlete the Bills have at defensive tackle.  But to play him outside on passing downs?  To me, that sacrifices some of what little pass rush the Bills already have.  Johnson would be a force to be reckoned with on run downs, but I'd rather see them sub in a guy like Chris Ellis for passing downs.

Clearly, it's far too early to get worked up about this - or to believe it's a permanent wrinkle that Perry Fewell is installing - but it's definitely something to think about.

Youboty Still Making Plays
It seems that every practice, CB Ashton Youboty - seemingly buried on the depth chart - makes one or two good plays.  Maybe it's because he's working on throws made by Gibran Hamdan most of the time, but it also speaks volumes about his work ethic.  He's working his tail off to prove he still belongs on this team; maybe the light is about to go on for this kid.

Ashton Youboty made a nice over the shoulder interception on a deep pass down the sideline from J.P. Losman. Youboty also had a pass breakup late in practice.

Rookie Reggie Corner continues to take first-team nickel back reps with James sidelined, and as krytime discusses, he's been one of the more surprising players on the field for the Bills through the first week-plus of camp.  He leads the team with three interceptions to date.  Leodis McKelvin worked outside with the second unit and also saw some reps in the nickel package with the second unit, as they continue to experiment with ways to get their top draft pick onto the field.

The Bills practice at 1PM today.  They follow it up with another night practice Thursday, a closed practice Friday, and then they hit the field in Washington for the first live game action of the 2008 season.

LB Crowell returns to practice (Photo Source)

After nine days of practices, the Buffalo Bills had Sunday off and returned to the practice field yesterday afternoon for their eleventh day of training camp.  While OT Jason Peters continued his holdout, the Bills did get some good news in the form of veteran LB Angelo Crowell returning to the field of play.  Crowell missed the majority of last week's practices with a left knee injury.

Joining Crowell on the field were newly signed LB Donnie Spragan as well as UDFA rookie WR C.J. Hawthorne, a Hawaii product that the Bills added yesterday.  Hawthorne takes the roster spot of one Jason Peters, and was signed to reduce the number of reps that Buffalo's depleted receiving corps was taking.

Strong safety Donte Whitner missed practice with an ankle injury that required an MRI, but the injury is not considered serious.  WR Josh Reed was also held out of practice Monday as the team looked to reduce his work load and rest his surgically repaired lower back; he's not expected to miss much action either.  DE Copeland Bryan (hamstring) and CB Will James (groin) also missed practice Monday.  WR James Hardy (hamstring) participated on a limited basis in individual drills.

Parrish Stepping Up in Reed's Absence
Not surprisingly, Roscoe Parrish - the other veteran wideout on the team not named Lee Evans - saw an increased workload with Reed on the sidelines.  Buffalo's diminutive return star was making some plays in the receiving game, always a nice thing to hear; he was also, however, showing that he can be physical despite his small frame:

After taking a hard hit from Jabari Greer on a short out route to the sideline that left him on the ground for a minute, Parrish came back with some of his own hitting as he cracked Ashton Youboty on a run play.

Donte Whitner shouted from the sidelines, "I see that Roscoe. You want to hit like that?"

To which Parrish responded, "I'll hit like that all day!"

Parrish isn't the only one with the bug; thing seem to have become a bit more physical as the team gears up for its first pre-season game of the year, this coming Saturday in Washington.  Justin Jenkins also received some first-team reps at wideout in Reed's absence.

Cornerback Competition Update
With Will James sidelined with his groin injury, we've gotten a pretty good look at exactly how Buffalo's depth chart currently shakes out at cornerback.  James - currently the first team nickel back on the depth chart - has been replaced at that position by rookie fourth-round pick Reggie Corner (with Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer holding down the starting slots, as usual).  Ashton Youboty and Leodis McKelvin have manned the outside slots for the second unit.  McKelvin has been taking reps at the nickel spot for both units as well.

Clearly, the Bills are mixing and matching their personnel inside for now to see which players fit best at which positions.  What may be most surprising, however, is the fact that Reggie Corner's role seems to be solidified, while McKelvin's has not.  It seems, for now, that the Bills are working on ways to get their first-round pick onto the field, because at this point, it seems pretty obvious that he won't start right away.

Who's Making Plays
Crowell looked good in his return to the lineup, making several plays in the passing game.  Parrish routinely beat defenders running routes, and has proven to be quite as difficult to cover as Lee Evans has in man coverage.  CB Jabari Greer blocked a field goal yesterday.  Buffalo Rumblings' second-favorite linebacker, Jon Banks, tipped a pass that was intercepted by safety Jon Corto.

You have to love hearing this, as well.  Looking forward to big things from #23 this year.

Marshawn Lynch ran under a reception deep down the far sideline for a big gain.

The Bills will hit the practice field for another night practice today, which runs from 7PM until just after 9.  We'll discuss the developments from tonight's practice tomorrow morning.

Hardy, others miss practice time (Photo Source)

The Buffalo Bills completed their first full seven-day week of training camp last night with an evening practice at St. John Fisher College, and Buffalo's injury list continues to lengthen early in camp.

The injuries are not yet considered serious, but there are several players missing practice time.  Rookie wide receiver James Hardy, who pulled a hamstring during warm-ups, joined fellow rookie wideout Steve Johnson as sideline spectators.  LB Angelo Crowell missed his third straight night of practice, and S Ko Simpson was absent as well as he had his surgically repaired ankle tested (the MRIs were reportedly negative).  Fellow starting safety Donte Whitner left practice early after getting sick on the field.

Despite the injuries (and the continued absence of a certain Pro Bowl left tackle), the Bills' offense put together one of its better practice sessions of camp last night, particularly in the red zone.  Defensive ends Aaron Schobel and Shaun Nua were also absent.

Evans, Royal, Jackson Making Plays as Receivers
I'm hoping that headline isn't surprising to any of you in regards to Evans.  It's great news to hear just how effective Evans was last night in the red area without the team's tall, shiny new receiver to take attention away from him.  Evans burned both of Buffalo's starting corners, Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer, for scores last night.

The quarterback and receiver hooked up for a pair of touchdowns. Early in practice Edwards zipped a tight pass to Evans outside shoulder as he got just enough separation from Jabari Greer for a touchdown in the front corner of the end zone on the far sideline.  Evans later got by Terrence McGee for another touchdown reception on the near sideline.

Fred Jackson was also a frequent target of Trent Edwards during this session, both down the field and out in the flats.  What's encouraging to hear is that Robert Royal seems to be stepping up his play as he fights for his starting job with the unheralded Derek Schouman:

Robert Royal is factoring a bit more into the offense the last couple of practices. He caught a touchdown pass down the middle on a well-timed pass from J.P. Losman. He also pulled in a well-placed throw down the seam from Edwards.

Defense Making Plays in the Backfield
After two years of attempting to install a penetrating, Cover 2 defense with a disruptive defensive line, defensive coordinator Perry Fewell seems to have finally reached his goal.  Buffalo's active front seven has made plays in the backfield early and often in camp, and continued the trend last night:

Kawika Mitchell came screaming into the backfield on one stretch play to the near sideline and would've had Lynch on a tackle for loss in live football conditions...

Among the other highlights during full team work was a blitz by Donte Whitner as he got to Edwards before he delivered a quick timing pass on a three step drop for a would-be sack...

Third-round pick Chris Ellis also had a would-be sack on Losman as he knifed inside and got into the offensive backfield quickly.

Ellis is still, in my opinion, the key to Buffalo having not just a very good defense this season, but a dominant one.  If he can provide that spark as a situational pass rusher that the team hasn't had in years, Buffalo might just have one of the better defensive lines in football.  It's good to hear that he's finally starting to make some plays in camp; we'll be watching his progress during pre-season games with great interest.

The Enigma that is Demetrius Bell
As the Bills continue to experiment with their depth at offensive tackle, one benefactor has been rookie seventh-round pick Demetrius Bell.  One of the most athletic players on the team - yet also one of the most underdeveloped as a player - Bell has been taking strides as of late and was rewarded with some reps as the second-team left tackle last night.

Seventh-round pick Demetrius Bell has come along of late and was moved up to the second unit to get some left tackle snaps Thursday night. Matt Murphy flipped over to right tackle with the second group.

Murphy has impressed, too, with his footwork after making the transition to tackle from tight end.  Depending on what happens with Jason Peters' holdout situation, it's not completely out of the question to believe that either Bell or Murphy (or both) could sneak ahead of Kirk Chambers on the depth chart.  Again, that would probably only happen if Peters returns in time for the final cut-downs.

The Bills have one practice today (Friday), which runs from 2:15-4:20 PM.

Can Whitner increase productivity in Year 3? (Photo Source)

Prior to the 2008 NFL Draft - in fact, prior to the free agent signing period of this past March - we took a look at the Buffalo Bills' roster position by position, breaking down then-current personnel, finding holes, and building our community needs list.

Now that free agency and the Draft have been completed, and the Bills have infused their roster with new talent, it's time to repeat our process.  Where has Buffalo gotten better?  Where have they gotten worse?  How will additions impact which Bills veterans remain on the roster?  These are questions that we've been attempting to answer for the past week or so, and will continue to do so.

We continue those discussions today with an examination of Buffalo's strong safeties.  To view our previous discussions on Buffalo's SS situation (pre-off-season), bang it here.

Donte Whitner: Entering his third year in the league - and his third as the Bills' starting strong safety - Donte Whitner, at least from your humble narrator, is facing lofty expectations.  Whitner is regarded as one of the best young safeties in the NFL (and that very well may be true), but on a weak Bills defense, Whitner's production has been anything but elite.  In '07, Whitner notched 89 tackles (good for third on the team) and an interception.  He brings a lot to the table in terms of consistency, athleticism and leadership qualities, but with the team making significant defensive improvements this off-season, the pressure is on Whitner to produce like a #8 overall pick should.  I like this kid - but he's still got something to prove.

Bryan Scott: Signed as a street free agent during the '07 campaign, Scott was a pleasant surprise as a reserve safety and situational blitzer and run stuffer.  Scott has bounced around the league a little, but when the Bills re-signed him this off-season, it was an excellent move - they've brought back a player who knows the system, knows his coaches and teammates, and can play an important role in a defense that could still use more diversity.  He's got special teams value as well.  Scott may end up being the top reserve at both safety spots for the Bills - yes, even ahead of George Wilson.

John Wendling: No, I'm not sure what position he plays.  I'm not even sure he'll see the field as a defender outside of the pre-season in 2008.  All I know is this - just like a very similar player named Coy Wire, Wendling is a safety in a linebacker's body, and his specialty will be as... well... a specialist.  Will Wendling ever play defense in any capacity?  That remains to be seen.  What's known is this - Wendling will be a centerpiece of a revamped special teams unit, and therefore his value to this team is underrated by many.

The Additions: None.

The Subtractions: None.

Pre-Season Outlook: Unlike the free safety position, which is largely unsettled, there shouldn't be too many surprises at the strong safety position throughout training camp and the pre-season.  Whitner is the starter, and he's probably going to be the defender who plays more than any other (barring injury, of course).  Scott is the niche player that can make an impact as a reserve, and Wendling is the centerpiece to the team's new-look special teams units.  There's still something to prove for all three players (but especially in Whitner's case), but this position is settled and, by and large, very strong.

Change: None.

As always, your thoughts and opinions are welcome and encouraged in the comments section.  We'll wrap up our State of the Roster II series this afternoon with a general discussion on the team's special teams units.

Stroud will be counted on as leader in '08 (Photo Source)

Leadership may be a bit of a cliche when it comes to discussing NFL rosters, but the fact of the matter is that good NFL teams have good leaders.  Whether that leadership comes in the form of coaching, star quarterbacks or even punters, NFL rosters these days are so full of young players that it takes a certain type of leadership structure to get the most out of that inexperienced talent.  Just look at how the leadership of the 2007 New York Giants milked outstanding play out of several rookies en route to their Super Bowl championship.

With one of the youngest rosters in the league, where does Buffalo's leadership come from?  That's the question we'll attempt to answer this morning.  Due to the youth of the roster, especially at key positions, Buffalo's roster leadership structure is slightly different than those of teams like the Patriots and Colts, who have natural leaders at the quarterback position.  The Bills have players that they rely on, but each goes about his leadership duties in different manners.

Locker Room Leaders
Being a team built on high-character standards, the Bills have a locker room full of hard workers that are relentless on the football field (even if those types of players aren't routinely spectacular on the field).  But even amongst this group, there are players that stick out.  OT Jason Peters is a former undrafted free agent who has worked himself into a Pro Bowl left tackle (hear that, Marshall Faulk?).  That fact, coupled with his work ethic, make him a role model for Buffalo's younger players.

Punter Brian Moorman and defensive end Chris Kelsay were both team captains last year and figure to serve in that capacity again.  Moorman has been one of the NFL's elite punters for multiple seasons at this point, making him a leader by example (though he could stand to regain some consistency in '08).  Kelsay is a classic blue-collar worker who is on the field simply because of his hustle.  Sure, we as Bills fans would like to see more statistical production out of him, but those types of players earn the admiration of their teammates.  Kelsay is looked up to.

Models of Consistency
Any player that performs well week in and week out, especially statistically, becomes a leader by default.  Last year, then-rookie running back Marshawn Lynch became that player for Buffalo's offense.  Despite having to play in games where he was literally the only source of offensive yardage for his team, Lynch never rushed for fewer than 63 yards in a game - and that came in a Week 2 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Lynch will need to be as consistent in '08 as he was in '07, all the while increasing statistical production.  That's a tall task.

Defensively, Buffalo's model of consistency is linebacker Angelo Crowell.  He's not the league's best linebacker, and he has off days, but in general, Crowell was Buffalo's best defender last year.  Entering the final year of his contract, Crowell's production is expected to increase and become even more consistent as he plays for a new deal.  That may sound selfish on the surface, but if he plays well, it helps out young Bills defenders, specifically Paul Posluszny.

Energizer Bunnies
These types of players are the guys who are either the "big play" guys, or the guys you see romping up and down the sidelines and on the field, jawing at opponents and teammates alike and getting the crowd fired up.  The prior, in Buffalo's arsenal, is wide receiver Lee Evans.  The Bills need more out of their top receiver production-wise, but if the team is looking for a big play, they're targeting Evans.  Defensively, the "ra ra" guy is strong safety Donte Whitner, another player that needs to up his production in '08.  Both Evans and Whitner are elite talents, but neither made many big plays last season.  When these guys are on - both in the leadership department as well as making plays on the field - the Bills are going to be very difficult to beat.  Evans and Whitner hold the keys to Buffalo's offense and defense, respectively.

Buffalo's return specialists will be counted on to provide big plays and team energy this season as well.  Terrence McGee and Roscoe Parrish have done that for the better part of three seasons as one of the elite return duos in the league.  Adding a third explosive returner in top draft pick Leodis McKelvin only adds to the big-play potential of Buffalo's return units; this unit will be incredibly difficult for opposing teams to game plan against, and these three guys have to make big plays to help out the team's developing offense.

Clutch Performers
Ultimately, considering the style of football the Bills play offensively and defensively, the Bills are going to have to rely on guys in the clutch.  The Bills will be playing a lot of close games - just like they did in '07 - and they'll need excellent play from two players in particular to win those tight games.  Defensively, that player is Marcus Stroud - as the "big-name" addition being billed as the guy who will save Buffalo's defense, he'll ultimately shoulder the glory or the blame in tight situations.

You didn't think I'd go an entire leadership post without mentioning quarterback, right?  Trent Edwards, as a second-year starting quarterback, likely won't be asked to shoulder all of the leadership responsibilities of this team - yet.  He needs to concentrate on scoring touchdowns first.  But in those close games, no matter if your quarterback's name is Brady or Rob Johnson, quarterbacks must perform.  Edwards showed flashes of an ability to perform in the clutch last season in a win at Washington and a near-miss on a desperate final drive in Cleveland.  He needs to improve by leaps and bounds in this area.  But like Stroud, he'll ultimately shoulder the responsibility in late-game situations.

Buffalo has a wide-spread and varied leadership tree on their roster.  Whether that structure leads to more wins, however, remains to be seen.