Crezdon Butler taking first-team reps with Stephon Gilmore injured

Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore has a broken wrist that will require surgery and keep him out of the lineup for the next six to eight weeks. The grieving process for that particular injury is ongoing in this thread, but if you're wondering who might replace Gilmore in the starting lineup for that stretch, we may already have an answer.

WGR 550's Joe Buscaglia reports this fine Tuesday morning that Crezdon Butler is lined up across from Leodis McKelvin with the first-team defense.

Crezdon Butler taking first team reps at CB opposite Leodis McKelvin. #Bills

— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) August 27, 2013

When McKelvin missed long stretches of time during training camp, Butler was just one of many cornerbacks that lined up across the field from Gilmore. Ron Brooks, Nickell Robey and Justin Rogers were the other notable names to do so, but after a strong preseason opener in Indianapolis, Butler is the latest to make a surge up the depth chart.

While it appears that Butler will have the first crack at starting alongside McKelvin in Week 1, don't count out Rogers, who along with Butler was the recipient of praise from head coach Doug Marrone on Tuesday.

"Both (Butler) and Rogers have had some injuries during camp. We know that when we see them play in games, both of those players have played well recently," Marrone said. "I think both of those players right now, we’re looking at along with (T.J. Heath) still in the mix with that corner position to see how they do. So both players played well in the last two weeks, Rogers and Butler."