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.

Lynch, Jackson will be used plenty in 2008 (Photo Source)

When he was hired as the new offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills this past January, Turk Schonert promised to get Buffalo's two running backs, particularly Marshawn Lynch, more involved in the team's offensive attack.

If that turns out to be true, Lynch and his running mate, Fred Jackson, are in for very busy 2008 seasons.

Jackson made a name for himself in '07 while filling in for an injured Lynch, who missed three games, and he remained a part of Buffalo's offense even after Lynch returned to the lineup.  During the four-game stretch in which the duo played significant amounts of time together, they were, in a word, invaluable to Buffalo's (mediocre) offensive attack.

Take their combined stat lines from those four games, for instance:

Lynch, Weeks 14-17: 84 carries, 364 yards, 1 TD; 3 catches, 64 yards
Jackson, Weeks 14-17: 33 carries, 184 yards; 10 catches, 66 yards

Those numbers weren't accrued against cupcake defenses, either.  Sure, Miami was involved, but Cleveland, the Giants and Philadelphia were all very solid teams.  These two players combined for 130 touches between them in those four games (an average of 32.5 per game combined), and now, with the hiring of Schonert, we're expecting more from this duo.  Between the two, assuming they're both healthy for the entire '08 season, the duo could combine for 35-40 touches per game.  That's a very, very high total.

What's most important to realize about this duo is that with Jackson playing the role of complement, Lynch was far more effective, averaging 4.3 yards per carry and a whopping 21 yards per reception (a number that certainly would have dwindled had he been more involved as a receiver).  During the 9 games Lynch played without a steady complement, he averaged just 3.8 yards per carry and 8 yards per reception.

Let's extrapolate those four-game numbers for a healthy 16-game season for each player.  Clearly there will be some fluctuations based on the new offensive system, but even without factoring that into the equation, some of these numbers are staggering:

Lynch Extrapolated: 336 carries, 1456 yards
Jackson Extrapolated: 132 carries, 40 receptions

Is it really fathomable that these two players could touch the ball that many times this season?  In short, yes.  Considering the dearth of talent the Bills have at the tight end position, Buffalo's running backs are expected to pick up some of the slack in the short-area passing game.  It seems far-fetched, but looking at last year's small sample, this duo should surpass 500 combined touches quite easily.

When you have two good players at one position, there can sometimes be mutiny over playing time.  But by all accounts, Lynch and Jackson have a good relationship.  They'd better; they're bound to be on the field at the same time in 2008 for stretches.  When you have good players, use them - but not at the expense of sacrificing touches for your other skill players.  Schonert's biggest task will be getting Lynch and Jackson their touches without taking them away from guys like Lee Evans, James Hardy and Roscoe Parrish.

Two-headed rushing duos are hard to game plan for.  It looks like the Bills have a good one that they'll be able to use throughout the entire 2008 season.  Time will tell, however, just how big a part of Buffalo's offense they are this season.

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.

Bills LB Kawika Mitchell (Photo Source)

The Buffalo Bills will hold their first night practice of 2008 training camp tonight at 7PM Eastern at St. John Fisher College.  Buffalo Rumblings will be represented by yours truly at the festivities; we're already scheduled to meet up with killascript and the Dukes of Awesome, and if anyone else wants to meet up to chat for a few minutes, I'm game.  Look for the lame-o wearing the Posluszny jersey, holding a digital camera and obsessively writing notes.  Hope to see some of you out there!

Here's what's been making headlines recently in Bills country...

Bills' Defensive Tweaks
Why are the Bills tweaking their defensive system, abandoning specific defensive line techniques and focusing on becoming more physical?  Not just because it makes sense.  They're doing it to take full advantage of the talents of DT Marcus Stroud.

The Bills will be milking this guy's talent for all its worth.  They'll be using the alignments that Stroud is most comfortable with - also known as the alignments that the Jacksonville Jaguars have employed during Stroud's time there - in an effort to get as much statistical production out of their new defensive star as possible.  Not a bad strategy at all.

“Obviously we’re hoping he’s going to end up being a big player for us, whether it’s versus the run or the pass,” Kollar said. “He’s obviously a little better in the run than in the pass. He played mainly on the left side in Jacksonville. So for us to say, ‘No, you’re not going to do that; we’re going to play you on the shade (the nose) all the time and you’re going to play a different side than you played on,’ that didn’t make sense to us.”

April Employing New Techniques
Bills Special Teams Coordinator Bobby April has long been known as an innovative, creative and energetic coach.  He's continued that tradition this season, reports The Buffalo News:

This summer, on occasion, he has punt returners working on a way to be more sure-handed at catching punts. The returners hold a football in their hands, a punt is boomed into the air. Before the ball comes to them, they must toss the ball they’re holding up, catch the ball that’s been punted, then catch the ball they originally held.

Players Liking Pads
Buffalo's first pads practice was yesterday, and as was mentioned throughout post-practice reports, the level of physicality was good.  Running back Marshawn Lynch made one of the better hits on the day, and the fans in attendance loved it.

Fred Jackson, the Bills’ other promising young runner, said players are eager for the first opportunity to practice in pads — even though it hurts later.

“That’s the process we need to take to get ready,” he said. “It’s good to get back to it. We’ll be taking those hits during the season.”

Losman Nicked
Chris Brown reports that backup QB J.P. Losman injured the thumb and index finger on his throwing hand yesterday after hitting his hand on the helmet of one of his linemen.  It's never good news to hear that your backup QB is dinged this early in camp, especially when your starter hasn't proven to be overly durable either.  We'll monitor Losman tonight at camp, but all indications are that he'll be fine (he continued to practice yesterday, after all).

Jackson, backs making plays as receivers (Photo Source)

Day three of 2008 Buffalo Bills Training Camp was a walk-through session; the team made up for the early walk-through today with the first pads practice of camp.  The Bills are completely done with two-a-days for the duration of camp, which may not be a bad thing, considering the way the team was hitting today.

Here's what occurred of note during today's practice, with, as usual, the bulk of the discussion topics lifted from the official site's excellent coverage...

This. Is. Football.
The pads were back on, which means that the Bills were playing physically.  Which means that football is back.  You have to love hearing lines like this:

"Marshawn Lynch got the drill started off with a good hit on linebacker Kawika Mitchell that drew some 'oohs' from the crowd."

Or this:

"In a two-on-two drill where two members of the wedge face two coverage players coming at them, Barnes was a coverage player and cracked rookie Demetrius Bell."

Or even this:

"Xavier Omon effectively lowered his shoulder to put a good lick on John Wendling..."

Running Backs Making Big Catches
We've discussed this very topic a bit already - and we're only five practices in - but running backs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson continue to make their presences felt in the passing game.

Fred Jackson had one of the prettier catches on the day as he out leapt Kawika Mitchell and Ko Simpson to make the reception down field on a throw from Trent Edwards.

Jackson has been a frequent target of QB Trent Edwards through the early portions of camp.  He was also a frequent target of Edwards during the latter parts of the '07 season; it's not a reach to expect Jackson to catch around 40 passes this season.  He should be involved heavily in the offense, even with Marshawn Lynch healthy.  That's good news for this ball club.

You have to love hearing this as well - if this can be utilized during the regular season, Lynch's celebrity will blossom in a big way...

Lynch may have trumped Wright however, as he made a reception 40 yards downfield as Edwards deftly dropped a ball between a pair of defenders for a big gain.

Welcome to the league, rookie
CB Leodis McKelvin, in his first official training camp practice as a Buffalo Bill, learned a valuable lesson at the hands of WR Roscoe Parrish today.

Leodis McKelvin got his welcome to the NFL from Roscoe Parrish. The speedy wideout flew past him on a go route and J.P. Losman hit him for what would've been a 40-yard gain.

Clearly, Leodis has still got some learning to do.

Impressed by Bowen
Working with the second unit as a rookie fifth-round draft pick, I've been impressed with what I've been hearing about Alvin Bowen.  He's been making plays against the pass, and today, he showed that he can be a factor defending the run as well.  He sounds like a very active linebacker.

John McCargo penetrated to grab Jackson behind the line, fifth-round pick Alvin Bowen also had a tackle for loss on an end around to Steve Johnson and Shaun Nua chipped in a tackle for loss.

Tuesday 7/29: Night Practice
Buffalo's first night practice will take place tomorrow night at 7PM, and Buffalo Rumblings will be represented there by your humble narrator (and we're going to meet up with one of the Dukes of Awesome!).  If anyone is able to make it out to tomorrow's night practice, I know that I would love to meet any and all Rumblers present.

McKelvin signs, will practice in pads Monday (Photo Source)

After their opening day of practices in which the offense shined and several players were signed, the Buffalo Bills received more good news on Saturday.  Left tackle Jason Peters, who continued his holdout on Saturday, remains the lone off-field distraction for the Bills.

Rookie cornerback Leodis McKelvin won't be missing any more practice time, as the first-round pick inked a 5-year, $19.4 million deal with $12.6 million guaranteed to officially end his short holdout yesterday.  As the Bills have a closed practice session today, the first time Bills fans will get to glimpse McKelvin will be during Monday's practice in pads.

Here's what took place of note on the field during Saturday's two practice sessions (courtesy of BuffaloBills.com):

Running Backs Catching Passes
As promised, new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert is making a concerted effort to get Buffalo's running backs more involved in the passing game this season.  Both Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson - and even Dwayne Wright to an extent - made some plays in the passing game, as Trent Edwards had another efficient day throwing in the short and intermediate areas.  We're very interested to see how this practice field development manifests itself during pre-season action.

Play of Note: "Jackson slipped down the sideline and Edwards tried to drop in ball over Paul Posluszny in coverage. Poz had solid coverage 20 yards downfield, but Jackson leaped up and over Posluszny to pull the ball in for what looked to be a reception and a 30-yard gain along the near sideline."

Schouman moving up depth chart?
As was the case during spring practices, second-year tight end Derek Schouman has been taking the bulk of first-team reps at the position - even with veteran Robert Royal fully cleared to practice.  An interesting note from Chris Brown:

In Royal's defense he's still getting his legs up under him after doing no football related work in the spring since he was still rehabbing. But Schouman has looked good in the passing game making plays every practice. And as I said earlier in the offseason when the pads go on he won't disappoint. He likes the physical nature of the game.

Royal is currently second in the tight end rotation, followed by Courtney Anderson, Tim Massaquoi and Derek Fine.  Definitely an interesting situation brewing at this position.

James Impressing at Corner
In Buffalo's defensive backfield, veteran free agent acquisition Will James continues to impress.  He's repeatedly making plays on the ball, tipping passes and making things happen in the turnover department.  He's not alone, however; Terrence McGee, Ashton Youboty and even rookie Reggie Corner have made some similar play themselves.  With McKelvin already two days behind in terms of on-field work, James seems to be a virtual lock for the nickel role - unless, of course, he challenges for a starting role.

Play of Note: "Later on in practice however, James successfully tipped a pass in the air and it was caught by John DiGiorgio for an interception. James began running up the field pumping his fist."

Good Pass Rush, or Bad Protection?
Buffalo's defensive front seven successfully got some heat on the team's quarterbacks during Saturday morning's session.  This is either a good sign for a defense that sorely needs to create pressure, or a bad sign for an offensive line playing without its best player.

Play of Note: "A short time later Kawika Mitchell appeared to come on a delayed blitz and would have taken Edwards down from the blind side had it been live football."

The Bills have a closed, walk-through practice session on Sunday.  They'll put the pads on for the first time in a lone Monday practice session, and Tuesday marks the team's first night practice.

It's Sunday, folks - and since Buffalo Bills fans watch football on Sundays, we're back with our second edition of the Sunday Football Vid.  Grab a quick snack and, if possible, drag your computer to your favorite football viewing location; we want your surroundings to mimic your regular football viewing habits as closely as possible to the real thing.

This Sunday, we've got an excellent ten-minute video - created by our friends over at Bills Zone - of Buffalo's biggest beat-down last season, a 38-17 drubbing of the Miami Dolphins at Ralph Wilson Stadium.  You'll see great plays as well as some Miami comedy.  Video courtesy of rob4989 at YouTube:

But wait!  This week's version of Sunday Football Vid is going into overtime!  Our very own sireric asked for a visual of Patriots QB Tom Brady taking a nice lick; a very quick video from Buffalo's 31-0 video over the Pats in 2003 fulfills his wishes.  The hit came courtesy Aaron Schobel; the video comes courtesy of Tolan04 at YouTube:

Man, I love football.  26 days until the start of training camp!

Will Wright, others see more playing time? (Photo Source)

Let's suppose that come September, the Buffalo Bills will be without running back Marshawn Lynch for an extended period of time.  That's not close to being out of the question, as the second-year pro's off-field troubles (hit and run accident) could land him multiple misdemeanor charges; NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell may be compelled to hand out a suspension even if Lynch lands a plea deal.

Lynch might face charges in hit and run [Buffalo News]
Buffalo police threaten Bills RB Lynch with obstruction of justice [CBC Sports]

The Bills would do well in this scenario to prepare for the worst, and the worst is a lengthy suspension for Buffalo's running back.  While we keep our fingers and toes crossed that Lynch can avoid disciplinarian action from the NFL (learn your lesson, Marshawn), we can also discuss Buffalo's contingency plan at the running back position.

Jackson starts, but can he score?
Buffalo had good luck in 2007 when its top two running backs, Lynch and Anthony Thomas, were on the shelf with injuries.  That's when Fred Jackson - a former undrafted free agent out of Division III Coe College - emerged onto the NFL scene with solid performances in Bills wins over the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins.  More than a fantasy for Freddy Jackson [Niagara Gazette]

Jackson performed admirably and became an integral part of Buffalo's offense - he notched 78 touches over the final seven weeks of the season in mostly backup duty - but the one thing he never did was score a touchdown.  Jackson has proven that when he's starting he can move the chains, both on the ground and through the air, but he hasn't proven that he can put the ball in the end zone.

That's where Buffalo's two young reserves come in.  Second-year man Dwayne Wright struggled as a rookie, but did show an ability to make tough runs and break tackles (though he'd usually fumble shortly thereafter).  If Jackson were to struggle to score, Wright would almost certainly see short-yardage and goal line work - though he'll get a push from rookie sixth-round pick Xavier Omon.  A Division II record-setting running back, Omon is not as tough as Wright, but is tough enough to handle those duties and shows outstanding cutting ability for a man his size.  However, he's got a long way to go before he can make an impact at the NFL level, as he's facing quite the talent jump.

Are there outside sources that could help?
Supposing Lynch is suspended - and again, that's not quite a certainty at this point - the Bills will very likely keep four running backs on the roster.  That means good things for Jackson, Wright and Omon, and in all likelihood, the Bills would rely on their young depth to get them through any disciplinary action Lynch may incur.

But if the team did not feel comfortable going into a significant chunk of their season with inexperience at a key offensive position, there are veteran options available.  Former Bill Travis Henry was released by Denver this past week, and although he's a gigantic character risk, he'd be a productive short-term replacement.  Former Lion Kevin Jones and former Seahawk and NFL MVP Shaun Alexander are available as well; the Raiders are also shopping veteran LaMont Jordan on the trade market.

If Lynch misses time, the Bills have options at running back.  Obviously, none are as appealing as Lynch, however.  Keep those fingers and toes crossed, Bills fans - not only that Lynch avoids missing major time, but that Jackson and others are up to the task should they need to replace him.

Week Two of our newest feature, "Around the AFC East", is in the books.  I hope all of you are enjoying our weekly interviews with three outstanding "enemy" bloggers in Matty I (The Phinsider), MaPatsFan (Pats Pulpit) and Brian Bassett (The Jets Blog).  The purpose of these interviews is not just to learn a bit more about the Buffalo Bills' biggest rivals; we're hoping to keep the chemicals of football pumping through your veins in these boring off-season days, as well.

Today, we discussed quarterback controversies in New York and Miami and the Patriots' rushing attack - feel free to continue those discussions in their respective posts.  Here's what went on at the rest of the excellent blogs involved:

Over at The Phinsider:

  I discuss the most overrated and underrated Bills players, from a national media perspective.
  MaPatsFan breaks down the massive changes the Pats went through at the CB position.
  Bassett talks about the Jets' stable of (read: logjam at) running backs.

Over at Pats Pulpit:

   I talk favorite and least favorite Bills draft picks, with emphasis on Xavier Omon.
   Matty I talks about the departure of Cam Cameron and the new regime in Miami.
   Bassett continues the coaching discussion by talking about Year 3 of Eric Mangini's reign.

Over at The Jets Blog:

   I attempt to answer questions about Jason Peters' future as a Bill, now that he's looking for more money.
   Matty I believes that a switch back to the 3-4 defense will do LB Joey Porter some good.
   MaPatsFan discusses the possibility of second year S Brandon Meriweather playing some cornerback.

We're always open to suggestions, so if you have any to offer about this feature - and what could make it better or more useful to y'all - we'd love to hear them.  We'd also love to hear suggestions for questions you'd like to see asked of each blogger next week - so if you have any questions for Matty I, MaPatsFan or Bassett, let's hear 'em.

Lynch remains focal point of Buffalo's offense (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'll attempt to answer over the next week or so.

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

Marshawn Lynch: Here's hoping that Buffalo's prize 2007 rookie spent his off-season accomplishing the difficult task of staying in shape while taking it easy on his body - the second-year back was relied on heavily as a rookie, and will be counted on even more in his second season.  Lynch is the bread and butter of Buffalo's offense, and you can bet that he'll continue to face loaded defensive fronts until Buffalo's passing attack can take pressure off of him.

Lynch has elite NFL potential, but don't expect to see more than flashes of it in his sophomore season as Buffalo's offense continues to lose the training wheels.  Buffalo's coaching staff could stand to find a way to keep Lynch fresh, as well as getting him more involved in the passing game.  Lynch has unquestionably cemented himself as the engine that makes Buffalo's offense go.  He's a fan favorite, a hard worker, and a fun personality.  I could write about this guy for weeks at a time.

Fred Jackson: Jackson was a pleasant surprise in 2007, filling in admirably for an injured Lynch - and then complementing him well - in late-season wins over the Redskins and Dolphins.  Once Lynch returned to action, Jackson continued to see steady work as a receiving back and third down specialist.  It is in Buffalo's best interest to continue to develop Jackson's role in this offense - he's a talented kid, and it takes pressure off of Lynch.

Dwayne Wright: Drafted in the fourth round last season, Wright was expected to provide the thunder to Lynch's lightning down the line.  Wright was eventually passed on the depth chart by Jackson, the former Division III Coe College stand-out, and his playing time was minimal.  He'll receive heavy competition for a roster spot this season from Buffalo's sixth-round draft pick, Xavier Omon.

The Additions: Xavier Omon, Bruce Hall
Omon becomes Buffalo's second sub-Division I running back on the roster, joining Jackson from Division II Northwest Missouri State.  The rookie is a strong, tough runner with excellent cutting ability and solid (if unused) hands.  Like Wright, he does not have the break-away speed to be a starter, but his 96 collegiate touchdowns prove he has a nose for the end zone.

Hall, an undrafted rookie free agent, is being looked at as a reserve and return specialist.  He is a longshot to make the opening day roster.

The Subtractions: Anthony Thomas, Shaud Williams
Thomas, who has spent time under Dick Jauron with both the Bears and the Bills, was placed on Injured Reserve after a 2007 loss to the Jaguars and had not received significant playing time prior to filling in for Lynch in that game.  The veteran is probably done in the NFL.  The diminutive Williams was brought back after injuries to Lynch and Thomas and was not re-signed.

Pre-Season Outlook: Fred Jackson is currently the most experienced runner on Buffalo's roster, having a year of practice squad experience under his belt along with his contributions last year.  Lynch and Wright are entering their second seasons, and Omon and Hall are rookies.  However, along with youth comes a wide variety of skills and a potential superstar in Lynch.  We will likely witness some growing pains as these young guys continue to learn the ropes, but there is talent at this position - and Turk Schonert would be crazy not to utilize it, especially from his top two guys.

Lynch and Jackson, at this point, are virtual locks for the opening day roster.  The team will keep a third back, with Wright and Omon going to battle for that spot.  There is a possibility that the team keeps four backs, but one of those guys will need to prove his worth either as a blocking back or on special teams for that to happen.

Change: Youth movement.

As always, your thoughts on Buffalo's running back situation are welcome and encouraged in the comments section.