WGR 550 reported, and the Buffalo Bills themselves have confirmed, that veteran linebacker Pat Thomas has been released by the club.
Thomas, a four-year NFL veteran, was signed this past March as depth and competition for several young players. However, Thomas has been dealing with an ankle injury, which has caused him to miss several weeks of practice as well as the last three pre-season games.
With Thomas out of the picture, the Bills now have no linebackers behind their starting trio with significant NFL experience. Jon Corto and Marcus Buggs spent 2008 with the Bills, but rarely saw the field at linebacker; Nic Harris, Alvin Bowen, Ashlee Palmer and Ryan Manalac have never seen a live down of regular season NFL action.
Don't be surprised if the Bills try to rectify their lack of depth at this position via trade over the next few days. The Bills have defenders that can be dealt, and if they can swap a corner or an end for linebacker depth, they could very well pull the trigger. NFL rosters must be set at 53 players by 4:00 PM ET Saturday.