Evans extension could be completed soon (Photo Source)

After over three weeks of training camp practices, the Buffalo Bills are just two sessions shy of wrapping up 2008 Bills Training Camp at St. John Fisher College.  Unbelievable, right?  With camp closing after Wednesday's practice concludes, several story lines are becoming prevalent again; and, of course, the Bills continue to make stories on the practice field as well.  Here's what we should be talking about as training camp comes to a close...

Peters Watch: Decision Time?
In case you took a holiday to Mars in March and are only just now returning to this glorious planet, Bills LT Jason Peters hasn't reported to Buffalo since taking a physical in early January.  Holding out for more money, the break of training camp seems a logical place to get a further reading on Peters' intentions for the 2008 season.  Will he report with camp over, or will he continue his holdout?  If he continues to stay away, it's likely that he'll be sitting out at least a portion of the regular season.

WGR 550 mentioned on this morning's "Howard Simon Show" that Bills LG Derrick Dockery - the only Bills player to have communicated with Peters (via text message) that we know of - mentioned that he believes Peters will be reporting for team duties "soon".  Whether this manifests into truth remains to be seen, but that - coupled with the fact that the Bills made no attempt to sign a replacement tackle after the injury to Matt Murphy - are encouraging signs for fans who'd like to see Peters report ASAP.  Stay tuned - we should be hearing much more on this throughout the rest of the week.

New Deal for Evans Imminent?
Rumors have been circulating ever since this past Thursday's pre-season win over Pittsburgh that WR Lee Evans and the Bills are coming closer to agreeing on a long-term contract extension.  COO Russ Brandon, who mentioned that he'd like to see Evans in a Bills uniform for the rest of his career, and Evans both confirmed that talks were moving in the right direction late last week.

Evans' deal is expected to be huge, and should it happen quickly, it will really solidify Buffalo's receiving corps for the foreseeable future.  This one seems to be much closer than any return by Peters, and it's expected that the ink will be dry on a new contract for Evans by the start of the regular season.

On/Off the Field
The Bills held a night practice Sunday evening and followed it up with an afternoon practice yesterday.  The Bills are steadily getting healthier, highlighted by the return of WR Josh Reed to the practice field.  Reed's lower back had kept him out of several practices and both pre-season games, but his back is now fine - though he's not completely out of the woods yet.  Reed has re-assumed his role of "Trent Edwards' favorite underneath target" immediately since his return; Edwards has spoken glowingly of Reed all week.

“I’m very, very happy with the progress that Josh has made this offseason,” said Edwards. “I was happy with the way he practiced during OTAs and minicamps and he’s progressed a ton since last year, so I’m excited for him this year.”

OT Patrick Estes, injured last week, also returned to the practice field.  Missing practice time over the past two days were TE Derek Schouman (who could miss several weeks), WR Scott Mayle, WR Roscoe Parrish (minor knee), WR James Hardy (resting hamstring), CB Kennard Cox and SS Donte Whitner (excused - family).

Position Battles Still Heated
Several position battles are still making headlines over the last few practices of training camp.  Let's review:

- RB Xavier Omon took second-team reps yesterday ahead of second-year pro Dwayne Wright, indicating that the rookie has snuck ahead of Wright in the battle for the team's #3 RB role.  Wright's fumbles appear to be the culprit.

- Receivers James Hardy and Josh Reed appear to be neck-and-neck for the starting role opposite Lee Evans.  Both are expected to be heavily involved in Buffalo's offense.

- With Derek Schouman ailing, rookie TE Derek Fine's solid performances could lead to him staying on the field ahead of Schouman when the latter returns from his knee injury.  Courtney Anderson's chances at making the final roster have improved as well.

- Both Kyle Williams and Spencer Johnson - as well as John McCargo to an extent - are vying for the starting DT role next to Marcus Stroud.  All three are expected to factor in heavily, but it appears that Williams and Johnson in particular are making strong cases to see the bulk of playing time between the three bigs.

- Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer are entrenched as the starting corners, but the battle for the nickel job is heating up.  Will James is the likely starter at this point, but rookie Leodis McKelvin - as well as fellow rookie Reggie Corner - are making a late push for the role.  It's expected that James will man the nickel spot to start the season (with McKelvin taking dime work), but the first-round pick should take over the third slot well before the end of the season.

The Bills have their final night practice tonight, and follow it up with an afternoon practice Wednesday to close out their three-week stay at St. John Fisher.  We'll discuss the events of those two practices - as well as events tied in with the end of camp - as it happens.

Whitner returns to practice, may play Thursday (Photo Source)

The Buffalo Bills held their final public practice prior to Thursday's pre-season matchup with Pittsburgh this afternoon, and the big news of the day was the fact that right guard Brad Butler was getting reps at right tackle.  This is not a permanent move; it is merely a precaution, as the Bills will very likely face Pittsburgh with three healthy tackles on the roster.  Butler practiced with the third team on the right side, and if things go well Thursday, he likely won't see much - if any - time at right tackle.

Strong safety Donte Whitner returned to practice today; his ankle is healthy and he participated in all individual and team activities.  It's still unclear as to whether he'll play Thursday night, but it looks promising that he'll at least suit up.  CB Terrence McGee also returned to practice Thursday.

Neither of Buffalo's two injured offensive tackles - Patrick Estes and Matt Murphy - are expected to play Thursday.  Missing Tuesday's practice were wideouts Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish and Scott Mayle, tight end Tim Massaquoi, and linebackers Blake Costanzo and Marcus Buggs.

Hark! More Offense!
The Bills had yet another productive day offensively; offensive coordinator Turk Schonert reportedly installed more four-wide spread formations today, with the result that the Bills had some impressive passing plays for the second straight practice session.  James Hardy and Lee Evans were two of many beneficiaries:

Trent Edwards found James Hardy on an early 7-on-7 play for first down yardage. That was followed up by a couple of nice receptions by Lee Evans including a touchdown catch that drew cheers from the crowd.

I'll repeat what I said this morning - this type of production on the practice field remains a disappointment until it's translated to the playing field.  Hopefully, we'll see much more than we did from the offense this past Saturday.  I'm not concerned, but boy, would I like a pick-me-up.

John Wendling is Awesome
This is one of the coolest and most amusing things I've read about a Bills player in quite some time:

Leading up to the draft the Wyoming product was known by most for his YouTube video that showed him leaping over a 66-inch high bar from a standing position.

Special teams coordinator Bobby April has allowed Wendling to try leaping over the entire field goal formation including the opposing line to see if he's capable of blocking a field goal attempt.

Brownie reports that Wendling has cleared both lines on more than one occasion; while it hasn't led to a field goal block, says Brown, "at the very least it's entertaining to watch".  I'll say.  And since John Wendling is in fact so awesome, let's post that YouTube video in question for yet another view:

The Bills have a closed practice Wednesday, and Thursday they hit the field at the Rogers Centre at 7:30 PM ET for their first game in Canada.  Be sure to stop by Thursday night if you can for the Buffalo Rumblings Open Thread - we hope to have more folks join the nine of us who chatted live last weekend!

Loss of Murphy cripples depth at LT (Photo Source)

Quick Note: We're still making a valiant attempt to get everyone signed up for Buffalo Rumblings Fantasy Football.  If you haven't checked out the announcement yet and it's relevant to you, please do so ASAP!

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.

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.

Can Evans build chemistry with QB Edwards? (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 wide receiver corps.  To view our previous discussions on Buffalo's WR situation (pre-off-season), bang it here.

Lee Evans: Buffalo's top receiver suffered a steep statistical drop-off in 2007, catching just 55 passes for 849 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Part of that drop-off may be directly attributed to the shuffling of quarterbacks, with another portion attributed to the seemingly constant double teams that Evans faced all season.  Entering the "final" year of his rookie contract (he's signed through 2010, but the final year can be voided), Evans faces a lot of pressure to get the big pay day he wants anywhere, let alone Buffalo.  The big question is whether or not he can assimilate to yet another full-time starting quarterback change.

Josh Reed: Reed's problem is not opportunity; he caught 51 passes last season and was a nice safety valve on underneath and possession throws for Edwards.  The big problem with Reed is that he just doesn't score - he's scored eight touchdowns in six NFL seasons, and did not score last season.  Expect more of the same from Reed this season - he'll catch 3 or 4 passes a game, mostly on third downs, and we'll be lucky to see him score a touchdown or two.  There's a place on this team for Reed for now, but if the Bills can find a slot receiver who can score more frequently, it's a better situation for the team.

Roscoe Parrish: No, Parrish is not that slot receiver who can score.  Perhaps it's from a lack of opportunity, but Parrish himself has only scored four receiving touchdowns in three seasons of NFL work.  Easily Buffalo's most quick and elusive receiver, Parrish's true value comes as a punt returner, but he should continue to see work in Buffalo's offense as an alternative slot option.  Keep an eye on whether or not Parrish gets suspended prior to the season; he was arrested for a DUI earlier this off-season and may see punishment from Commissioner Goodell.

Justin Jenkins: After starting the '07 season on the practice squad, Jenkins was called up to the active roster after injuries to Peerless Price and Sam Aiken.  He provides very little from an offensive standpoint, but Jenkins surprised as a special teams ace and became one of Buffalo's better performers in that area, especially as a punt gunner.  If he makes the roster - and he has a very good shot at doing so - it will be as one of the Bills' key special teams cogs.

Scott Mayle: Spent most of '07 on the practice squad and was called up to the big roster for the final regular season game in Philadelphia.  A longshot to make the roster, but Bills coaches like his speed.

Felton Huggins: An even longer shot to make the roster, Huggins was released prior to the regular season and brought back on to the practice squad for the last ten games of the season.  Unlike the rest of the incumbents on the roster at WR, Huggins has some size (6'2", 186).

The Additions: James Hardy, Steve Johnson, Jason Jones
Clearly, the "big" addition to this unit was second round draft pick James Hardy, a 6'5" scoring machine from Indiana.  Hardy will start as a rookie next to Evans, and while there isn't a ton of pressure on him to produce above-average rookie receiver numbers, he will be counted on to score in the red zone and free up the middle of the field for the rest of Buffalo's receivers.

Johnson and Jones are intriguing names as well - Johnson, a seventh round pick, has the size the Bills coveted at the position and could develop into a heck of a slot option in time.  Jones is a record-setting Division I-AA receiver from Arkansas Pine-Bluff that's extremely raw, but has a shot at sticking with the organization on the practice squad.

The Subtractions: Peerless Price, Sam Aiken
This duo won't be missed.  Price, who spent most of '07 on IR, made one big play in his second stint with the Bills (a game-winning score in Houston) and otherwise was mediocre.  Aiken was an excellent special teams coverage man for the Bills, but never provided anything offensively and wasn't worth keeping around.  Their departures will have little to no negative impact on the receiving corps.

Pre-Season Outlook: Buffalo is bigger and younger at wide receiver, and it's still very uncertain as to whether that's a good or a bad thing.  At the very least, the team is far more talented at the position, and the players that have been brought in - specifically Hardy and possibly Johnson - have a chance to work with Edwards right out of the gate.  That will help their chemistry.

At a minimum, five receivers will be kept, but with such youth and inexperience at the position, it's more likely that six receivers will stick on the '08 roster.  Predicting that Jenkins stays as a special teams player, that leaves guys like Johnson, Mayle, Huggins and Jones to fight it out for one (potential) roster spot.

Change: Youth and size.

As always, your thoughts on Buffalo's wide receiver position are welcome and encouraged in the comments section.