Michael Jasper Released By Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills on Monday announced that second-year offensive guard Michael Jasper has been released. A popular player with fans from the second he was made a seventh-round draft pick in 2011, Jasper was the last offensive lineman to see playing time in the team's pre-season opener against Washington, and head coach Chan Gailey gave a blunt assessment of his performance over the weekend.

"Michael is struggling," Gailey said after the Redskins game. "Michael has got to learn his assignments. He’s got to learn to play physical every snap. A big, strong guy that’s got a lot of talent as we all know, but he’s got to be more physical and he’s got to continue to push through on assignments."

Buffalo now has 15 offensive linemen on the roster, and are down to 89 players in total on the team. They can carry 90 through August 27, with the first cut-down to 80 coming two weeks from today. That means they can sign a player, and we know that the team has expressed interest in bringing in a veteran safety.

Jasper, popular because of his size (he weighed well over 400 pounds in the pre-draft process) and his personality, was given a shot at defensive tackle during his rookie training camp before transitioning to guard as a member of the practice squad. He appeared in one regular season game as a member of the Bills, but didn't get onto the field.