Lynch situation continues to drag out (Photo Source)

Over fifteen days ago, Toronto native Kimberly Shpeley was struck by a Porsche SUV in downtown Buffalo in a hit-and-run incident that left her bruised, battered and stitched up.

Two weeks later, Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch - the owner of the vehicle in question - still hasn't talked about what occurred in the wee hours of the morning of May 31.  The seeming lack of new information over the past two weeks has frustrated nearly all parties involved; this is a situation that, in any normal circumstance, likely would have been resolved by this point.

If you're of the opinion that the case isn't moving forward, however, you're mistaken - battle lines are being drawn on all three sides of this issue.  The resolution of this legal matter may not be swift, but it is forthcoming.

The Lynch Camp - namely, Lynch and his attorney, Michael Caffery - have stayed away from talking about the issue, both to the investigators involved as well as the media.  Larry Felser of The Buffalo News doesn't see the sense in such an approach:

District Attorney Frank Clark suggests that Lynch, because he doesn’t have a rap sheet, is unlikely to do jail time no matter what his role in the hit-run caper. Which brings up another question: If he has a relatively clean record, why mess with it?

Just because Lynch isn't talking about his involvement (or the involvement of his Porsche) doesn't mean he's not talking at all.  Lynch on Saturday was very open about his willingness to give back to the community at a recent football camp for kids, hosted by Steelers LB LaMarr Woodley:

''I always have fun when I'm out here with the kids,'' said Lynch, a University of California product who finished 11th in the league in rushing with 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns in his rookie year last season.

''They run around with so much energy, it reminds me of how I got started and doing what I do now. I had to get some 'act right' in my system early and a camp like this would have helped. LaMarr came from some pretty rough streets like I did (in Oakland, Calif.). That motivates you to succeed and now, it's time to give back to the community and give the kids opportunities we didn't have.''

The Investigators, led by District Attorney Frank Clark, have been the drivers of the media bandwagon surrounding this incident.  After two weeks of talking to a brick wall (i.e. the Lynch camp), the D.A. handed out five subpoenas to Bills players and executives on Thursday in an effort to get some answers.  Those asked to appear: wide receivers James Hardy and Steve Johnson, offensive guard Christian Gaddis, Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon, and an unnamed security executive.

All five will appear in front of a grand jury to testify as to their knowledge about the situation.  Team owner Ralph Wilson remains a possibility to be subpoenaed as well.  The grand jury is set to convene this coming Friday, June 20.

The Victim - Shpeley - has remained out of the public spotlight while this "investigation" has taken place.  It is now being reported, however, that the victim has hired legal representation (Timothy O'Connell of the firm Siegel, Kelleher & Kahn), who are conducting their own investigation.  The results of that investigation will determine whether or not Shpeley and her representation pursue any lawsuit against Lynch.

"It’s not as minor as it has been reported," O’Connell told The Buffalo News. "She’s under the active care of several different physicians for injuries to several different parts of her body. She’s still under medical care."

O'Connell was also quick to point out that those making the argument that Shpeley was exploiting Lynch because of his popularity and financial standing are gravely mistaken; O'Connell is claiming that Shpeley "never heard of Marshawn Lynch before this incident":

Suggestions of some callers to local radio talk shows that Shpeley was responsible for the accident and that she staged it to seek money from a lawsuit are "scurrilous," O’Connell said.

From all three camps - Lynch, the investigators and Shpeley - battle lines are being drawn, with this Friday's grand jury proceedings the first very key date in a situation that, hopefully for Buffalo's sake, won't drag out too much further than that date.  Progress is slow, but it's being made.  Now all we need to wait for are the consequences.

Lynch situation continues to drag out (Photo Source)

Update: Only four members of the organization have been officially subpoenaed - the three players and an unnamed executive.  Wilson, Brandon and others may still follow.  This according to the WGR report linked below.

Twelve days after a hit-and-run incident involving the SUV of Buffalo Bills RB Marshawn Lynch ignited a police investigation into the running back, eight members of the Bills organization have been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury.

Team owner Ralph Wilson, COO Russ Brandon, three unnamed executives, and three players - believed to be rookie receivers James Hardy and Steve Johnson, as well as reserve offensive lineman Christian Gaddis - were those sought out by investigators, according to a WGR 550 report.

Buffalo police have been attempting for the better part of a week to speak with Lynch and, until now, anonymous Bills players who were believed to be in the vehicle involved in last Saturday's hit-and-run accident.  Investigators were reportedly at One Bills Drive for an hour and a half on Thursday, attempting to set up interviews with the players and executives listed above.  Again according to WGR, the investigators were forwarded to team attorneys; they didn't get the answers they were seeking.

Thus, according to an AP report (linked above), the grand jury will convene on June 20.

This news breaks after Bills head coach Dick Jauron broke mini-camp a day early, as a reward for the team's high attendance at voluntary workouts this off-season.  The team has issued a statement about the legal issues, stating that the organization is in full compliance with Buffalo law enforcement.

Editor's Take: Even with the knowledge that this was coming, this situation is a mess.  I'm close to joining Buffalo police investigators in their insatiable thirst for answers, regardless of what it means for the organization.  This situation started off as a black eye for Lynch; it's now a full-fledged shiner on the organization.

Something has happened in Buffalo.  In an off-season where the last thing the team needed was distraction, they're getting them from every angle.  With training camp set to begin on July 25, the organization has roughly six weeks to apply a little cover-up, and maybe even resolve some of these issues - you know, if they're up to it.  Sitting idly by waiting for these issues to pass is no longer going to slide - and that includes this issue, as well as the Jason Peters holdout.  It's time to take action, Buffalo.  Get on it.

Fowler considered the weak link on a strong line (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 interior offensive linemen.  To view our previous discussions on Buffalo's G/C situation (pre-off-season), bang it here.

Derrick Dockery: He may not have been completely worth the $49 million that the team invested in him last March, but Dockery proved to be an excellent addition to Buffalo's line.  He finally brought post-Ruben Brown stability to the Bills' left guard position, and along with Jason Peters gives Bills quarterbacks excellent blind side protection.  Dock has five more years on his contract and will be a Bill for the foreseeable future.

Brad Butler: Who was Buffalo's best run blocker last season?  Why, that would be Brad Butler, of course.  The last lineman to lock down a starting spot was the Bills' most efficient run blocker all season and proved that he can avoid injuries; he enters his third NFL season in '08 as a promising young blocker still learning the nuances of his position.  This kid has a bright future as well.

Melvin Fowler: The starter at center for the past two seasons, the 29-year-old Fowler is the elder statesman amongst the Bills' starting linemen, and is regarded here as the weakest link on the line to boot.  Fowler does some good things - he's a solid technician, a fine athlete and pass protector, and can pull on run plays - but in a division where all three of the Bills' opponents run a 3-4 defense with massive nose tackles (Vince Wilfork, Jason Ferguson and Kris Jenkins), Fowler isn't stout enough at the point of attack to handle those guys one-on-one.  Look for the Bills to replace Fowler at the pivot over the next season or two.

Jason Whittle: This veteran lineman will be counted on in two capacities (he's virtually locked up a roster spot): he'll be the team's top reserve at both guard and center, and he'll also be the central member of what's called the "wedge", the lead-blocking unit on kickoff returns.  We'll see a lot of Whittle on special teams this season, but his true value to this team is his versatility and ability to back up starters at several key positions on the line.

Duke Preston: The young vet is the whipping boy for poor lines of the past.  Preston had a shot during '07 training camp to lock down a starting spot at right guard or unseat Fowler at center; he couldn't do either.  If Whittle can prove he's completely healthy and the team likes some of its younger players enough, Preston has fallen far enough from grace that he may just be shown the door prior to the start of the regular season.

Christian Gaddis: Gaddis spent the first half of the season on the team's practice squad, was elevated to the active roster after Week 10, and played in his first professional game in the season-ending loss to the Eagles.  He's a smart, tough young kid with some physical limitations, but he has a very good shot at claiming Preston's tenuous spot on the roster.

Nevin McCaskill: This is another young lineman signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in '07 that spent the majority of his rookie year on the practice squad.  McCaskill is a very similar player to Gaddis (he may be a bit more athletic), but he's likely a longshot to make the roster at this point.  He'd be a logical choice for another season on the practice squad, however.

The Additions: Robert Felton
The Bills chose to largely leave intact their interior offensive line, re-signing Whittle and adding just Felton, an undrafted free agent from Arkansas.  Felton is a massive player (6'4", 324) that is technically sound and played every line position during his time in the SEC blocking for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.  This was an underrated signing, and if Felton holds his own during training camp, he has enough potential to stick around on the active roster.  If not, he's a natural pick for the practice squad, even ahead of a guy like McCaskill.

The Subtractions: Aaron Merz
Due to a never-ending spate of injuries that routinely landed Merz on the long-term injury lists, he was released.  Merz is a massive player with some potential, but his NFL career may be over thanks to the aforementioned injuries, especially the one to his shoulder.

Pre-Season Outlook: Like the tackles, the Bills have solid - if unspectacular - starters on the interior with young, talented players in reserve.  Whittle is the wild card at this position - he gives the Bills excellent versatile depth with NFL starting experience, something the team does not have on the outside.  This is another position of strength for the Bills, though these starters still have something to prove.

Sometimes, change is a bad thing.  In 2007, the Bills didn't have an overwhelming offensive line, but they did finally establish some consistency among their starting five.  This is a big season for this unit - if they don't make improvements across the board - especially from center through right tackle - we may see some changes next off-season.  Keep an eye on Fowler and Langston Walker - they seem to be the two guys most likely to be replaced in the near future.

Change: Negligible.

As always, your thoughts on Buffalo's offensive line are welcome and encouraged in the comments section.  For those of you who missed it this morning, be sure to check out Ron From NM's in-depth looks at the Bills' 2007 offensive line performance here and here.