Buffalo Bills transactions: Jay Ross released; team has open roster spot

The Buffalo Bills find themselves with an open roster spot after announcing on Tuesday that they'd released reserve defensive lineman Jay Ross.

Buffalo had been using Ross as their fifth rotational defensive lineman since placing Alex Carrington on season-ending Injured Reserve after Week 3. Playing an average of 9.6 snaps per game over the last five weeks (as compared to the 20.8-snaps per game average for fellow reserve Corbin Bryant), Ross did not have a large role, but may have filled one that the Bills will try to fill again with another defensive lineman. Ross had struggled mightily during games for the last three games, however, which likely led to his ouster.

It's also possible that the Bills are opening up the roster spot to potentially account for an injury with a practice squad call-up later this week, in similar fashion to what they did last week calling up Ronnie Wingo with C.J. Spiller sidelined. The injury situations for players like Stevie Johnson, Marquise Goodwin and Manny Lawson will be worth monitoring over the next few days; the team signed rookie receiver Cordell Roberson to the practice squad on Tuesday, which may speak a bit to those receiver injuries.

The Bills will hit the practice field tomorrow to begin preparations for Sunday's home game against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs.