Inside The Bills

Carrington back

Bills DL/LB Alex Carrington, who did not practice on Monday was back practicing with his teammates here on Wednesday.

Carrington had a minor undisclosed ailment that kept him out of Monday’s practice.

Arthur Moats is today’s only non-participant.

Carrington, Moats sitting

The Bills have just a pair of players not participating at Monday’s practice.

Alex Carrington and Arthur Moats are both not practicing. We’ll get an update from Chan Gailey after practice.

Fan Friday 9-2

I can smell the season opener!  Can’t wait for the Bills to try to exact some revenge on the Chiefs after that horrible overtime game last year. Final cuts are coming on Saturday. Let’s get to your questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net.

1 - I was wondering how you see the defensive rotation going forward.  I think both Dareus and Kyle Williams are going to get heavy exposure, but who will be manning the other side? Will that spot still be open comeptition? Where do you see Alex Carington fitting in, and do the coaches think he is ready for a more full-time role?

Thanks again,
Ryan V, Rochester
CB: Carrington will have a bigger role this year, but it will be as more of a pass rushing linebacker in their nickel package, where he’s made some plays this preseason. He will also factor in on some subpackage duty at his more traditional defensive end role.

As far as that starting DE position on the right side, it’s Dwan Edwards’ spot to lose and fellow veteran Spencer Johnson has been pushing him with a strong preseason in his own right. I think Edwards and Johnson both did well this summer and it’ll be up to the coaches to decide who they feel should be the starter.

2 - Chris,
How are we in terms of offensive line depth? I’ve read that after the starters it’s a bit thin & even at least one of our tackles might be average at best. What’s your take?
John H.

CB: I can tell you that even Chan Gailey has said they have no depth, and that they need to develop it in the youth they have on their roster. I think the odds on favorite to be Buffalo’s swing tackle is fourth-round pick Chris Hairston.

He played both left and right tackle in the last preseason game against Jacksonville and did okay for his first game action, having missed the first two preseason games. He’s still got some work to do with his technique, but he’s got experience at left tackle having played there a couple of years in college and is a smart, heady player. The coaching staff clearly likes his potential, so it’ll be down to guys like him, Ed Wang and Cordaro Howard to represent the tackle depth on this roster.

3 - Assuming Byrd is starting at one safety spot, who is the front runner for the other spot? George Wilson? Also, what was the main reason the Bills did not re-sign Whitner? It seems that Searcy is a similar player to Whitner, does that explain his drafting and the letting go of Whit?

Seems as if Naaman is playing well in camp so far, does he have any chance of sneaking into a top 4 receiver spot? 

Thanks,
Dave
Buffalo, NY

CB: Lot of questions there. Yes, George Wilson is the starting SS and I don’t see that changing between now and the opener at KC. With Whitner it was a case of him asking for the moon in terms of money and secondly burning some bridges here with the organization. Cleaning out everything from his locker right after exit meetings did not go over well. He wasn’t even on hand for reporters for locker clean out day. I think the Bills already made their decision on him, which in part likely prompted the drafting of Da’Norris Searcy. Searcy however, is a much stouter player than Whitner as he goes about 223 pounds. Whitner was 206.

Roosevelt did have a solid camp before his ankle injury in the Denver game. I’m pretty confident he makes the roster.

4 – Hey Chris,

I am curious about Brad Smith and where he is lining up when he’s not at QB. Is he going to push for the 3rd or 4th Reciever role? or is he mainly a kick returner/ wildcat QB? 

Frank from Jupiter, Florida

CB: I don’t believe that Brad Smith will be full time in any one position. I think he’ll be a slash role player just like Kordell Stewart was. He’ll line up at QB in short yardage situations and Wildcat formations and he’ll split out at WR on occasion and also take part in kickoffs, though this new kickoff rule might render that moot with all the touchbacks we’ve seen. Where do I see him lining up the most? At QB this season.

5 - Chris, 

Thanks for the updates in camp. Who do you think will make the roster of the TE’s in camp? Chandler seems to be the favorite and has caught a lot of balls with the 1st team. Nelson is hurt again. The player that has looked good is Mike Caussin. He seems to maybe be a downfield TE. How many TE’s will make the roster? Will they keep a practice squad player or maybe have 4 TE on the roster. 

Thanks 
Sophie

CB: Glad you enjoyed our camp coverage. I see the Bills keeping three tight ends. Scott Chandler and veteran David Martin I think are safe bets, but after that it’s the coach’s call in terms of who they like better. Shawn Nelson’s injury hasn’t helped him and yes, Mike Caussin has performed well. Rookie Zack Pianalto has also turned in some nice play at times. Caussin and Pianalto are both practice squad eligible, but I think it’s going to be very close for that third spot.

Fan Friday 5-13

Happy Friday the 13th everybody! Let’s get to your questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net, which is where you can submit your question.

1 – Chris,
The long snapper is always mystifying to most NFL fans. As they only play on punting and field goals. In terms of Garrison Sanborn, he hasn’t played any time at offensive line. With roster spots so key, why don’t the Bills get a player to snap and also play in some capacity.  It would make sense for Wood or any other interior lineman to play this position. What is the teams philosophy for the position considering  he is on such few plays?

Thanks,
Jack S.

CB:  The long snapper has been a specialized position for the better part of 20-25 years. Mastering the velocity and accuracy is practically an art form. Yes, there are other players on Buffalo’s roster that can do it in a pinch, but NFL clubs have made it clear they’re willing to devote a roster spot to that role. It’s obvious they feel it’s worth it and Chan Gailey, who was once a special teams coach, feels the same way.

Your point however, is valid. For a guy that’s in on about 15 plays a game it’s certainly one that’s short on quantity. Obviously NFL coaches favor the quality of the performance at that position more.

2 – Chris,
Last year Buddy and Chan were very busy all year adding O linemen,recievers,TEs,linebackers etc. So many it is impossible to know who we still have and who we have let go. I checked the “transaction” file and it doesn’t help and needs to be upgraded.

Do we know who of all those additions still have a chance to stay? I know that after the draft and then the additions of UDFAs and all those others. I’m going to go crazy trying to figure out who is who?

Thanks for any help you can give us.
Wardloc2

CB: Since there is no CBA there are no rules as to how many accrued seasons a player must have to be an unrestricted, restricted or exclusive rights free agent. With no rules there is no way to designate the free agent status of players whose contracts are up. As such it’s more difficult to determine who is more likely to stay or go. Hence your crazy state of being.

When it’s all settled it’ll come into better focus.

3 - Hey Chris,
First off, thank you so much for all you do with keep my fellow Bills fans and myself up to date on our beloved team, even through our YEARS of struggles.  With the release of the 2011 schedule, once again it looks like a real tough one, 2nd toughest in the NFL, I looked back at the last 5 years.  Four of the last five years we have played both Super Bowl teams.  The other year we played one.  What are the odds of something like that happening?  I think before they started this rotational schedule, they use to determine opponents by records?  Do you think it’s just poor luck of the draw or that the NFL should reconsider their strength of scheduling rules?  I know they never know which teams are going to do well, but 9 of the last 10 Super Bowl teams seems ridiculous!!  Thanks again for everything and as always GO BILLS and GO 2011 NFL SEASON!!
 
Best regards,
Matt
Lancaster, NY

CB: First, thanks for the kind words. I understand your frustration, but the rotational schedule is what it is. Now the Bills did have a much easier schedule in 2008 when they began with three of their first five games against the pitiful NFC West and got off to a 5-1 start. Part of Buffalo’s strength of schedule can be directly attributed to the Patriots regular season dominance. They went 14-2 last season and that sharply shifts the winning percentage of their opponents. But they also face teams like Cincinnati and Denver, teams that were right there with them at the top of the draft board with the same 2010 record (4-12).

Sometimes a team will have the unfortunate timing of facing an intra or inter conference division that has quality from top to bottom (NFC East). The AFC West had been struggling in recent years with the exception of San Diego, but Kansas City has rebounded and Oakland was even at .500 last year. The strength of divisions sometimes go in cycles and it’s just a matter of when your team is up to play them.

4 - Chris,

I have been an avid Buffalo Bills fan for years, I know how we got the name Bills, but what does it (Bills) mean or stand for?

Bill

CB: So you know the story of the essay contest to name the AAFC team back in 1946 and the winning essay was written by James Dyson.

He compared the team to a band of “Buffalo Bills.” He wrote that while the legendary Indian Scout William “Buffalo Bill” Cody helped trailblaze the American Frontier, the football team was opening a new frontier in Buffalo sports.

So in essence the Bills are a band of trailblazers I suppose for lack of a clearer definition.  

5 - Chris, 

Can you help to break down the rotation of players in both 4-3 and 3-4 system coming into camp? It’s seems a given that Marcell and Kyle will be on the field in both schemes for a majority of the plays. Will Troup now have to be 3rd in line to play nose or 3-technique? In 3-4 DE, does Carrington have a chance to push Dwan for a starting chance? 

Thanks!

Tyler

CB: The coaches will obviously make those decisions, but here’s what I envision them doing. In a 3-4 set it should be from left to right Dareus, Williams and Dwan Edwards. Carrington and Spencer Johnson are the two rotational ends with Torell Troup the backup nose.

If they choose to go to more of a 4-3 look in the subpackages, Dareus will likely kick inside with Williams. Carrington, who is one of the better pass rushing ends would likely be on the field as well, with possible a stand up linebacker on the right side next to Williams.

In a straight 4-3 I’d expect it to be left to right Dareus, Troup, Williams, Edwards.

Troup, Carrington update

Bills GM Buddy Nix was the keynote speaker at the Monday QB Club post-draft event at Ralph Wilson Stadium Tuesday evening. He was asked about the future of Torell Troup and Alex Carrington with Marcell Dareus now in the fold. Here’s what Nix had to say.

“We have six guys we think can play with Marcell,” he said. ”Troup and Carrington are really good players. These days if you don’t start your first game as a rookie you’re a bust. It’s ludicrous. You really don’t know what guys will do until year three. They will get on field more (this season).

“Troup played a lot (last year), Carrington played late in year and got better every time he played. Troup he’s big enough to play in there, anchor the 3-4 and at defensive end.”

The battle for Stroud’s spot

With Marcus Stroud no longer on Buffalo’s roster there’s a vacant starting role on the left side of the Bills defensive line. Here are the candidates currently on the roster that will be in the mix to win that spot.

Alex Carrington – The Bills 3rd-round pick in 2010 didn’t get a ton of playing time, but saw the field more in the second half of the season. Head coach Chan Gailey felt that Carrington intially played the pass better than the run when he got on the field, which he felt was to be expected in light of his pass rush success at Arkansas State. The bottom line is Gailey felt Carrington improved, and faith in his improvement is partially borne out in the release of Stroud.

Spencer Johnson – Johnson is a reliable veteran player that again spelled the injured Dwan Edwards admirably last season in the starting lineup, something he’s done in his time with the Bills before. He offers versatility as he can kick inside on passing downs and is a steady performer.

These two guys are the players that are the primary contenders now. Obviously a high draft choice or free agency acquisition (if there is free agency) can change this, and I would anticipate additions being made this offseason.

Fan Friday 2-11

Into the offseason we go. Let’s hope things get resolved in short order with regard to a new deal and the 2011 season. In the meantime to your questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net.

1 – With Nick Fairley saying that he doesn’t want a cold weather team do you see the Bills staying away from him even if he is available. Also do you see DaQuan Bowers or Marcell Dareus fitting our scheme better. I also understand that Fitz is our starter next year, but if Locker is there in the second could we really pass him up?
Russell from Idaho

CB: I think in all fairness to Fairley, being from Mobile and playing his entire career in the south cold weather is just something he doesn’t know about. Besides he doesn’t get to choose where he goes anyway. The Bills won’t ever shy away from drafting someone just because they might not be a fan of the cold. As much as Fairley might not like cold, I think in the grand scheme of things it’s a minor issue.

As for Bowers, there’s a question as to where he fits in a 3-4 scheme, which the Bills play. His ideal fit is as a 4-3 end. To his credit he does play the run well and at 6’4” 275 pounds he has a freakishly strong upper body. It’ll be interesting to see if the Bills or any other 3-4 team believes he could handle end in a 3-4 scheme. I don’t know if playing OLB in a 3-4 is in the cards for him.

Dareus would be a fit in any system. He could be a DT in a 4-3 or a 3-4 and he could be an end in a 3-4 as I see it.

With respect to Jake Locker, I just don’t see it. Great physical tools, but consistency in his game is an issue.

2 - Do you think the Bills can get two quality ILB’s through the draft and free agency…then move Paul Posluszny to an OLB role? Were that to happen…how do you think he stacks up against someone like Clay Matthews..or Bryce Paup? At least capable of a 10 sack season..playing opposite Merriman?
 
CB: The draft unfortunately is a bit thin at inside linebacker, but Buddy Nix told me that they need to add two this offseason either via draft, free agency or some combination therein. Even if they do add two I still believe Posluszny stays inside. I don’t see them moving Poz, whose best fit in my opinion is at ILB. He’s good at rushing through the gaps inside. I don’t see him as a 10 sack guy at OLB and as you mentioned they don’t need to make Poz that with Merriman out there.

3 – All the talk about drafting a DT/DE with the 3rd pick makes me wonder, did Torell Troup and Alex Carrington not pan out as the staff had hoped? I haven’t heard much about them heading into the offseason. Any updates from 1 Bills Dr. regarding those two?
Josh
Buffalo, NY

CB: I’ll let GM Buddy Nix explain the Bills position on this in his own words.

“Obviously you’ve got to have a big nose tackle,” said Nix in reference to the 3-4 scheme. “We drafted one last year. We’re happy with Troup. We’re happy with Carrington, we just need a couple of more now.”

Buffalo does have enough of a veteran presence on the defensive line with Dwan Edwards and Spencer Johnson. Marcus Stroud is going into his 11th season and John McCargo is unlikely to be back as I see it. So there will need to be new blood on that defensive line this year.

4 - Hey Chris,
 
How come we never see any Bills head coach on ESPN or NFL Network with a post game speech.  It seems like we see every team but Buffalo.  Do the Bills not allow NFL Films or any other media sources in the locker room immediately after the game? 

D Fischer
Rochester, NY

CB: First, I believe NFL Films has the right to be in any postgame locker room by authority of the league. Second, the Bills haven’t had too many landmark wins that ESPN or NFL Network has felt are worthy to air. Once Gailey and his staff get this thing turned around there will hopefully be more notable victories that are worth publicizing on the major networks.

5 - Chris

The offensive line seems to have gained depth this year with much of it in the middle.  Any chance of one of the starters moving out to right tackle?  Also, Brad Butler has had a year to recover and rest.  Any signs that he may want to return to football?  Thanks.  

Mark in Prospect, KY

CB: The Bills have assembled some depth on the interior thanks in large part to Asst. GM Doug Whaley and his pro scouting staff. That’s why I think there’s a real chance that Eric Wood and Geoff Hangartner compete for the starting center role with Kraig Urbik the likely starter at right guard. At right tackle I believe the odds on favorite to start there is Erik Pears.

I haven’t spoken to Brad, but I did see him recently and all indications I’ve gotten from those close to him is that he’s happy with his decision to retire. I think he’s just got other irons in the fire so to speak.

PFF rates Bills players

Pro Football Focus, which does a lot of film review and number crunching released it’s ‘Changing of the Guard’ review for the AFC East teams.

In it they pick out three players from each of the teams in the division. One player that’s on the rise. One that they feel slipped and a third that they feel should get more playing time based on their independent film study of the 16 games from 2010.

Here were their findings for the Bills, though we don’t agree with all of their assessments.

Moving On Up: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (+10.4 to +18.5)

Fitzpatrick took some time to get going, but had the kind of stretch of play from Week 11 to Week 15 that made you think he could do a job for the Bills going forward. He’ll always have the odd bad game because he walks a fine line between making a good throw or a bad decision, but he gave Buffalo more of an opportunity to win than you figured he would. He’s probably not the future, but he might be the near-future.

Had a Bad Year: LB Paul Posluszny (+16.6 to -2.7)

Our top-rated Bills defender in 2009 didn’t find life easy as the Bills defense struggled to find a schematic identity. He actually made more tackles and missed fewer in 2010, but he was too easily handled in the run game and looked a little out of place in coverage.

Give This Guy More Snaps: DE Alex Carrington (+1.6 in 214 snaps)

The rookie defensive end only got on the field for nine games, but in that time he did enough to suggest he could contribute (and upgrade) the Bills defensive line rotation. In Week 12 against Pittsburgh, where he saw his most extensive action, he picked up a sack and quarterback pressure while constantly getting inside Jonathan Scott to disrupt the Steeler running game. For the rest of the season his time was limited, but he graded positively when being used as a more conventional 4-3 end.

Fan Friday 12-10

Could be a winter weather mess on Sunday for Bills-Browns. In the meantime we answer your questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net.

1 - Chris,
With everyone buzzing about Andrew Luck being the Bills quarterback of the future, I have two questions.  My first question is, how are Levi Brown and Brian Brohm looking?  My understanding is that the Bills released Trent Edwards to give more snaps to these young guys and see what they are capable of.  So before start saving up for my Andrew Luck jersey, do you think Brown or Brohm have a chance at stepping up into the role of “the future”?  Second question, As well as Fitz has played, I don’t believe he is the long term solution.  BUT, Do you think he is good enough that the Bills will not draft a QB in the first round?  Instead draft a defensive stud like Marcell Dareus (Alabama) to help in the 3-4?
Thanks,
Bob in Jacksonville, FL
(Rochester native)

CB: I think you can count on GM Buddy Nix not pigeon-holing himself into taking a QB no matter what with Buffalo’s top pick. Luck is the pick if he’s on the board. He’s about as sure a thing to come along since Peyton Manning in terms of NFL success. Not saying he’s going to be him, but Peyton had similar sure fire success written all over him when he came out.

Trent Edwards was not cut to give Brohm and Brown more opportunities. He was cut because he wasn’t the answer. Just because he is not doesn’t mean that Brohm and Brown necessarily are. They have to prove that on the field in practice.

I think there’s some upside to Brown, who still has a lot to learn. Brohm I think showed he’s capable in the preseason. But I don’t know that either of them are the future long term starter for this team.

Fitz has done well for himself this season and could help this team in that role again next season (he’s signed through 2011), but adding a top flight quarterback prospect is still a priority for this franchise in the short term.

Again that doesn’t guarantee that the Bills will take one early. That will depend on how the board falls and who they feel is worth an investment that high in the draft. Luck may prove to be the only worthy candidate in that situation, especially knowing Buffalo has several other positional needs (pass rushing LB, OT, ILB, etc.)

2 - Chris,
Watched the Steelers game and was impressed by Alex Carrington’s play.  Looked like he got a good push off the edge, worked well on containment and pretty much held up his end, especially given the amount of playing time he has had.  Do you see the same things and do you see him getting more playing time during the rest of the season?
As always, appreciate your insights.
Jim
Macungie, Pa.

CB: As Chan Gailey has said from the start, Carrington is a bit further along as a rookie against the pass because sacking the quarterback was something he did particularly well at Arkansas State. This is the first time he’s playing in a 3-4, so that’s been an adjustment for him.
Gailey feels he needs to improve against the run a bit, and with Dwan Edwards now lost for the season he’s going to get a lot of valuable experience on the field. I really liked him coming out and I think this kid can be an anchor at end for this team for a long time.

3 - Chris,
I am an avid Bills fan from West Virginia!! (originally from Buffalo). You have been a very big supporter of Lee Evans, and I agree with you that he is a talent!  Would you agree that he may be similar to Trent Edwards in that he demonstrates his physical talent in practice and disappears on game day?  I don’t like that they pay him elite money, and he doesn’t produce as you’d expect.  

With the emergence of Steve Johnson, Donald Jones, and with Roscoe Parrish and youngster Marcus Easley returning next year, do you see any chance that they unload Evans for a low round draft choice just to free up future cap space to reinvest in our front 7 or o-line?  
Thank you and I look forward to hearing your responses!
Jim Eimer

CB: Jim you raise an interesting point. Stevie Johnson’s emergence has unfortunately shed a new light on Lee Evans’ production. He does have trouble getting consistent separation against bump and run coverage and opponents know this. What was once a position of perceived weakness is rounding into a pretty deep group.

As you astutely point out, Easley will return next year and was turning heads in the spring and early in training camp. However, unloading Evans at his current contract level (near $9M per season) would be supremely difficult.
4 – Chris,

Is the NFL Competition Committee going to look at this ridiculous “icing the kicker” stunt, that is employed by NFL coaches, after the season? Time out is called for no other reason than to make the field goal kicker kick the ball a second time -in the hope that he will miss.
  
It is really not fair to call time out after the kicker has gone through his motion and the ball is in the air. Something needs to be done about this!

LeeD
 
CB: I supposed it’s possible that it will be looked at a bit closer now that more coaches are making use of the timeout prior to the snap of the ball. But I’ve talked to Rian Lindell at length about this and he maintains it’s a non-issue for kickers. Here’s what he said about opposing coaches forcing you to kick it a second time with the timeout call.

“It really is a little like golf if you get to re-tee it after the first shot,” said Lindell. “I would think the second shot would probably be better. You get to see how the ball travels if the wind is blowing and if it’s carrying well. And there’s enough time there to go to the sideline and then come back on.

“I think fans believe that we’re obsessing over the kick through the whole timeout, but really I’ve been thinking about that kick since the offense got the ball. It’s not just all of a sudden I’m spending extra time thinking about it. So an extra 30 seconds is not a big deal.”

Lindell has said that other kickers in the league feel the same way. If you remember the only reason he missed that second 53-yarder against Kansas City was because his foot hit the ground before the ball and catching all that dirt slowed the momentum of his follow through. And that kick still hit the upright.

Personally I don’t like it. It cheapens the game, but if kickers don’t mind it, I don’t think it’s going away.

5 - Hi Chris,

I am curious about the nature of football players like Shawn Nelson and Percy Harvin having migraines. Is this football related or genetics? It would be great if you could shed some light on this. Thanks!
Much appreciated.

Stephen A. Naetzker

CB: Being a migraine sufferer myself (2-4 a year), which is not even close to those that Harvin or Nelson experience, I know a little bit about migraines. First of all, research has shown that migraine headaches are often hereditary and affect three times as many women as men.

If one parent has these severe headaches, children have a 50 percent chance of also having them. If both parents have migraines, the chance for a child to be predisposed to migraines goes up 75 percent. Even if a distant relative has migraine headaches, a 20 percent chance exists that any offspring will be prone to migraine headaches.

In talking with Shawn I know his mother suffered from migraine headaches so he was at increased risk to have them as well.

But there are a lot of triggers for migraines as well , such as stress , change in the weather, changes in air pressure (flying in planes), bright sunlight, flickering light from TVs or computers, odors or fumes and eating habits.

As you see there’s a wide range of triggers and migraines themselves range widely in severity. Just know that migraines are now classified as a chronic illness, not a headache. They’re not fun and they can be extremely debilitating. Hope that helps.

Def. game plan “simpler”

With jack-of-all-trades LB  Reggie Torbor and DE Dwan Edwards now on I-R and the likes of rookies Antonio Coleman and Alex Carrington helping to fill those voids, Buffalo’s defensive scheme will not have as many wrinkles as it usually does this week. Head coach Chan Gailey explains why.

“You have to monitor how you set things up,” said Gailey. ”They have to handle every call, but what you do is you set the game plan up to be a little simpler, a little easier to understand. You don’t do all the subtle things you were doing earlier in the year with all those veterans in there. So really you have to scale it back for the whole defense in case you have to play one of those guys.”

Coleman is expected to handle most of those OLB duties previously manned by Torbor. At ILB Akin Ayodele and Bryan Scott are expected to divvy up Torbor’s ILB duties. And at DE, Spencer Johnson is expected to start in Edwards spot with Alex Carrington rotating in a good deal.

Fibula for Troup

Torell Troup was one of the non-participants in practice Wednesday and the injury report has revealed why.

Troup is dealing with a fibula injury suffered in last Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh. If Troup is unable to play Sunday, it makes Buffalo’s defensive line all the thinner as they’ll be without Dwan Edwards for sure in Minnesota.

Spencer Johnson is returning from a hamstring injury so he’s expected to start in Edwards’ place, but without Troup, Alex Carrington would likely move inside in Buffalo’s 4-3 looks. It also means there’s a strong chance that for the first time this season John McCargo is active on Sunday.

He’s been inactive the first 11 games this season.

Spencer back Sunday

Bills DE Spencer Johnson will return from a hamstring injury that’s forced him to miss the past two games. Being back for this game will hold a little extra meaning for the veteran defensive lineman.

Johnson got his start in the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Minnesota Vikings and played his way onto the roster. Now he’ll face that Vikings team, which still has a lot of familiar faces.

Johnson’s availability comes at just the right time as he’s expected to start in place of the injured Dwan Edwards. Alex Carrington and John McCargo also figure to be active for Sunday’s game in Minnesota.

“We get Spencer back this week, but we’ve got a pretty good rotation there now,” said Chan Gailey. ”We’ve got a lot of guys playing for us.”

Carrington active

Bills DE Alex Carrington is active for today’s game against the Bengals.

It’s due primarily to the fact that Spencer Johnson is out of the lineup with a hamstring injury. That along with the fact that Kyle Williams is not 100 percent with a hamstring injury.

Williams is not moving very well in pre-game warmups and if he can’t go the whole game that would put Torell Troup into a full time role at NT. And if  they go to a four man front, Dwan Edwards would kick inside alongside Troup meaning Carrington would have to take the end position.

Fan Friday 11-19

Win No. 1 is in the books and the Bills have a very winnable game Sunday against a reeling Cincinnati squad. Getting mixed feedback from fans on winning right now as some want to lock up the top pick with the worst NFL record. I don’t see that happening because Carolina is a far worse team and Buffalo has made strides the last month. They’re playing better football. Now to your questions from the AskChris@bills.nfl.net file.

1 - Hey Chris,
I know Ralph has said QB is the top priority this offseason and that really worries me that we will desperately take whoever is the best QB available at our pick in the draft,whether or not he is necessarily deserving of the pick. Personally I think Andrew Luck is the real deal and would take him first overall no question, but if he stays in school like he’s said he will then we take a QB just to take one? I think Mallett is a little inconsistent and have had character questions and that Locker is far too inaccurate and raw to cut it in the NFL. I would say to take a tackle but it doesn’t seem as though there’s an elite tackle at this point. If we can’t take Luck, do you think it would make more sense to take a defensive impact player such as Bowers from Clemson or Fairley from Auburn, maybe even Peterson on LSU, a tackle in the second and try to get Luck or someone like a Matt Barkley whenever they declare? Thanks.
 
From,
Tom

CB: I think you can rest assured knowing that GM Buddy Nix is not going to desperately do anything. As I mentioned last week, we have to see which underclassmen declare in mid-January before we can really assess the landscape of what will be available to the Bills. At that point we’ll also know where Buffalo will be picking in the draft order.

Know this, Buddy Nix worked primarily under John Butler during his first stint with the Bills. Butler worked under Bill Polian, who openly stated that the top two positions on a football team in terms of importance were QB and a pass rushing DE or OLB depending on your defensive system.

I’ve seen a lot of Fairley and that kid is impressive. He jumps off the TV screen. I haven’t seen as much of Bowers, but of the tape I’ve watched it’s evident he’s a special talent. In fact, there’s one part of his game that resembles Bruce Smith. Bowers can drop his inside shoulder and his inside hip and flatten himself out at almost a 45 degree angle and still maintain his pass rush speed to get to the quarterback.

There are very few pass rushers that can do that. Marcellus Wiley told me when he tried to do some of the things that Bruce could do he would fall down. I’m not saying Bowers is Bruce Smith, but I am saying that on the surface it appears he has some similar athletic traits in his game to that of the Hall of Famer.

Just know that Nix is not going to have his hand forced with their top pick. I think he proved that last spring when he took Spiller despite glaring needs at other positions. If the individual talent at a position of need doesn’t fit their spot on the board he won’t reach to fill it.

2 - Hey Chris ,
I’ll make this quick – What do you think about Kellen Moore ?? All the kid does is win !!

Mr. T from Ft. Myers via Nashville

CB: Moore has shown the ability to perform in the clutch and you’re right he is no question a winner. His greatest strength is his knowledge of the game. A son of a football coach, Moore is a football nerd. As a kid he used allowance money to buy college game tape off the internet.

Since he was a sophomore his college staff was so impressed with his knowledge and scouting of opponents that they would often incorporate plays he liked into the game plan. To my knowledge they still do this.

What’s going to steer NFL GMs away from Moore are his physical limitations. He’s a 6’0” 187-pound pocket passer. He’s not all that mobile and his arm is adequate at best.

His football intelligence will get him drafted, but it will be hard for talent evaluators to overlook his physical deficiencies. I think he’ll be a mid to late round pick (4th to 6th), but I wouldn’t mind having him on my team as a backup. It should be noted that he is a junior, so he still has a year of college eligibility left.

He gets knocked for being a system quarterback, but I think he’s more than that personally.

3 - Chris:
It starting to look like Alex Carrington is falling into the potential bust category. How is it that a young Defensive Lineman can’t get on the field for this team that has major Defensive issues stopping the run and rushing the passer?
 
Thanks
Joe Badaszewski
Blasdell

CB: I think you’re way off the mark here on Carrington. First of all Carrington is playing a position where there are experienced veterans in front of him (Johnson, Stroud, Edwards). That combined with the fact that in a 3-4 you really only need five defensive linemen active for a game and you see the numbers game where Carrington gets caught.

So I think to even attribute bust in the same sentence as Carrington is misguided at best. When you have proven veterans in front of you on the depth chart, that’s what is going to keep you off the field more than anything. It has less to do with his ability and more to do with the ability of the vets.
4 – Hi Chris,
 
Couple of questions for you. First, regarding free Agency this off-season, what notable players on the Bills roster have contracts that are expiring? Specifically, where do players like Whitner and Poz stand (I think theirs may be up soon) and do you foresee them being offered new contracts, or do you think Nix/Gailey may be looking to move in a different direction once the season is over?

Paul in Toronto

CB: Here are the names according to my records. I believe I have most of them. Paul Posluszny, Donte Whitner, George Wilson, Ashton Youboty, Keith Ellison, Brian Brohm, Drayton Florence, Jonathan Stupar and Garrison Sanborn.

I would think that Poz is a top priority with Whitner and Florence other notable considerations. I think keeping a quality long snapper is also important so I anticipate Sanborn will be back.

All that being said, with the labor uncertainty there’s no definition as to who is restricted or unrestricted based on accrued seasons before there is no CBA to go off of. A couple of these players are likely to be re-signed prior to a new CBA regardless of what the new rules become because the organization deems them important pieces for their future. But the absence of a CBA won’t make the process any easier.
5 – Chris,

One question about the Bills has really been bugging me: a couple of years ago Leodis McKelvin was a fantastic kickoff returner for Buffalo. C J Spiller seems awful tentative on kick returns. Why does McKelvin not return kickoffs? Does Coach Gailey not know that McKelvin is an electric return man? Maybe you could ask him that the next time you interview him.

Lee D.

CB: It looks like you’re going to get your wish Lee due to injury. Spiller is out Sunday against Cincinnati and McKelvin is slated to handle both kick and punt return. Personally I thought he was robbed last week on his 78-yard return on a very questionable holding call against Jon Corto. I thought Corto had him locked up legally and was driving his man down the field.

I do like that McKelvin is getting this opportunity. I think the Bills staff was so eager to get Spiller on the field, and knowing he’d be worked in slowly on the offensive side, returns were a way to get him extra touches. They also wanted McKelvin to focus more on defense because his consistency series to series had been an issue. In my opinion he played his best game of the season against Detroit last week.

Spencer likely out Sun.

Head coach Chan Gailey wasn’t optimistic about having Spencer Johnson available for Sunday’s game in Cincinnati.

“I probably don’t see that happening,” said Gailey of Johnson’s chances for playing Sunday. ”I think he’s out at least one game and maybe two.”

Johnson pulled his hamstring in Sunday’s game against Detroit. No word on whether it’s the same hamstring that sidelined him for half of training camp this past summer.

The injury means that rookie Alex Carrington should be active this week against the Bengals.

Fan Friday 10-8

Fan Friday

My apologies for missing Fan Friday last week. Got caught up in all the roster moves and it completely slipped my mind. Here’s this week’s five-pack. As always questions can go to AskChris@bills.nfl.net. And don’t forget the LIVE BLOG on game day, especially this week with the game blacked out.

1 - Hey Chris,
With Alex Carrington being deactivated as he was to make room for other positions. Could another team come in and sign him away from us on a week he was deacitivated?
 
Thanks,
Brandon
San Diego, CA

CB: I think you’re misunderstanding the inactive list. When a player is declared inactive for a game it means that he won’t dress on game day. Every team in the league can only dress 46 (counting a 3rd QB) from their 53-man roster for a game by NFL rule.

They’re still on the active roster however, and cannot be signed away by another club.

The only way a player can be signed away by another club is if they are on a team’s eight-man practice squad. Practice squad players can sign a contract with another team that wants to put them on their 53-man roster. The rule for the team that signs a practice squad player away from another team is that player must remain on their active roster for at least three weeks. An example this year would be RB Joique Bell, who was signed off Buffalo’s practice squad by Philadelphia.

I assure you Alex Carrington is under contract with the Bills.
2 -  Who is our dominant pass rusher? Like a Bruce Smith, or Clay Matthews! We don t have one. Brady sat back all day just enjoying himself, so did Sanchez. 0-4 I can live with that except that we have to have both or all units doing their job every game.
Tony

CB: Unfortunately I think you answered your own question. The Bills don’t have a proven pass rusher on the roster, which is why the defensive staff has given just about anyone on the roster at outside linebacker a shot. In Week 4, rookies Antonio Coleman and Arthur Moats got opportunities.

I think defensive coordinator George Edwards is in a tough spot. First, it’s rare that the Bills defense has their opponent in a long down and distance situation where they can dial up the blitz because they’re certain it’s a passing down. Second, without a proven pass rusher they have to get more aggressive and send at least five, perhaps six to get enough pressure. Now down cornerbacks for this week’s game getting aggressive might not be wise knowing the strain on the back end with coverage ability thinned.
3 - Does Buffalo need to go to 2 min drill for a whole game? Is this the only way they can win any football games?
Tony Smith

CB: Seeing the Bills get their only touchdown last week, when it was still a game, at the end of the first half in their two-minute drill, I understand why you’d suggest that as a full-time offense. However, when you run a two-minute attack the entire game the opposing defense doesn’t play soft coverage and keep everything in front of them, the way they do at the end of the half or end of the game when they’re ahead on the scoreboard.

So while I understand why you think it would be a good idea, you have to realize that soft coverage is not what you’re going to see when you run two minute the whole game.

At the end of the first half in their two-minute drill, I understand why you’d suggest that as a full-time offense. However, when you run a two-minute attack the entire game the opposing defense doesn’t play soft coverage and keep everything in front of them, the way they do at the end of the half or end of the game when they’re ahead on the scoreboard.

So while I understand why you think it would be a good idea, you have to realize that soft coverage is not what you’re going to see when you run two minute the whole game.
4 – Hey Chris,

I cannot fathom that we gave Lynch up for a 4th round and an undisclosed draft pick. He was worth at least a second and an undisclosed draft pick. Poor choices like the one involving getting little to no value for Lynch is why our team is not doing well and our organization is burying itself in a deeper whole. I am very disappointed and we should have received a better value for Lynch. What say you?
Stephen Naetzker

CB: I say that the Bills fared pretty well. First, the value of running backs on the trade market has plummeted in the last two years. Trades like the Ricky Williams deal when he went from New Orleans to Miami for four picks including a pair of first rounders in 2002 are long gone. Even getting a couple of mid-round picks, like the Bills did in 2007 for Willis McGahee is a thing of the past. It’s primarily due to the fact that a lot of these teams that acquire the RB see they don’t get enough value in return.

Running backs today are viewed by NFL GMs as more expendable than ever. They run them into the ground for four or five years and then go get a new one. Once I saw Laurence Maroney go for a fourth-round pick a couple of weeks prior to the Lynch deal, it was easy to see that the Bills were going to be hard pressed to do better.

But they did. They got a fourth and a sixth that could become a fifth. Getting a mid-round pick and another potential mid-round pick for a player that is one strike away from being suspended for a year is a pretty good take in my opinion.
5 – Hey Chris,
I expect you’re disappointed like the rest of us, but was wondering if you have any insight to the lack of spine this team is showing? It seemed the defense is not hustling, Lee Evans was dropping passes, special teams was making mistakes. They were putting up more of a fight last season with a lot of the same players.

The secondary is supposed to be the strength of the team and no one can cover. Every time the Jets passed the Bills guys were near the receiver, but never bothered to look for the ball to make a play on it not to mention they were very close to pass interference on more plays than what they got called for. Are they losing on purpose to get the first pick of the draft? I think there are college teams that could beat them this year!
Dan

CB: I respect your frustration, I do. The secondary is giving up big plays because there’s no pass rush on the front end. What had you upset had Chan Gailey fuming after the game as well. The lapses in concentration on the field last week against the Jets was embarrassing and it led to poor execution.

As I have said before Chan Gailey has a double-edged task ahead of him in turning this team around. He has to improve the team’s performance, while also vanquishing the losing culture that has existed in that locker room for the better part of the last decade. When the lack of success has lasted that long, getting rid of that kind of culture is a monumental task.

I asked Bills GM Buddy Nix how hard it is, and if it’s a tough secondary task on top of improving the product on the field. Knowing he was a former head coach himself I thought I’d get a good response and I did. Here was his answer.

“I think that’s a great question and I’m not sure it’s a secondary task,” said Nix. “It’s probably the first and the hardest task. I don’t care whether you want to admit it or not, but losing gets to be a habit and it gets to be something you accept and we’re not going to do that. We’re going to demand that we get the proper attention to getting that addressed. To be honest with you it’s the hardest thing you have to do.”

Changing that losing culture is supremely difficult when losing, whether it’s consciously or subconsciously, becomes accepted. Nix believes it’s become accepted to a certain extent and he and Chan Gailey aim to get rid of it. Unfortunately that along with a lot of Buffalo’s other problems are going to take time to eliminate.

Stroud sounds questionable

Head coach Chan Gailey indicated that a couple of players will miss practice Wednesday, but he’s optimistic that just about all of them will be healthy enough to play on Sunday against the Jets. He has reservations about just one of his starters.

“The only guy that might miss (the game) is Marcus Stroud,” said Gailey. “He got hurt in the ball game and we’ll see how he feels today, but he’s probably the one that has the least chance to make it for Sunday.”

That means there’s a good chance that rookie DE Alex Carrington will be active for the first time this season. Carrington was likely to be active this week anyway knowing that the Jets are more of a two-back offense than Buffalo’s previous two opponents in Green Bay and New England.

Fan Friday 9-24

New week, new QB in Fitzpatrick, new #2 WR in Parrish and RB by committee. We’ll see what happens. On to your questions, which as always can be sent to AskChris@bills.nfl.net.

1 - Hey Chris,
With our lackluster performance so far on offense, do you think it was wise to take C.J Spiller instead of a top left tackle? Brian Bulaga was still on the board when Buffalo picked 9th, and most of our problems on offense seem to stem from our O-line. Not trying to take anything away from Spiller but why draft an explosive running back if there’s no one to block for him?
Chris
Manchester, CT

CB: I understand and respect your frustration. As the Bills explained on draft weekend, they were not going to fill a positional need with a guy that they did not believe fit the value of where they were picking.

In their eyes there was not a tackle they felt was worthy of the 9^th overall pick when they were on the clock. I believe if Okung or Trent Williams was still there there’s a good chance they would’ve taken them, but they weren’t.

They chose to take the best player on the board. Taking the best player on the board might not look as good when a team has as many holes as the Bills do, but as Buddy Nix said you can’t fill them all in one year.

In fact the Bills might not be able to fill them all by this time next year. And I realize that seeing Bryan Bulaga start at left tackle this week for Green Bay won’t make it any easier.

But I believe that the team’s GM and head coach know football and know how to put a winning program together. The most difficult thing for fans to face is that it will take time to fix the shape the roster is in right now from past mistakes.

2 - Do you see Buffalo going after Vick in this upcoming off season because with this team they are lucky if they win 2 games. I know that this team is high on character guys but they don’t get the job done. Last year Tony Dungy believed that Vick would wind up in buffalo after the one year deal that Philly gave him.

I was just wondering what your thoughts were as far as Vick goes because to me he looks pretty damn good even better than when he was in Atlanta. I believe that he would be a major upgrade to what we have now but of course for the Bills would have to actually spend some cash and not waste it on other players. I believe Vick has paid his dues and then some just wondering what you thought.                      
Thanks
Jon
Tampa,FL   (former Lockportian, NY)

CB: While I believe there is value in having a mobile quarterback that can improvise when you’re trying to re-construct an offensive line into a consistent pass protecting unit, I’m not sure Vick is the kind of player that would be in their plans. I suppose anything is possible, but I believe that Buddy Nix will address positional holes through the draft.

3 – Chris,
 
I’m pretty sure every Bills fan is as frustrated as I am.  When is the team going to stop giving generic answers to questions held in press conferences and start correcting the problems we have?  The offensive line is 80% of our problem.  It has been blatantly obvious through the first 2 games.  I can’t even blame Trent anymore.  He literally has NO time to throw the ball.  Other teams get pressure on us even when they only rush 3 or 4 players.  Do you see us making a major move to get help in this area?  Is there anyone available?   

Thanks,
Jason

CB: There’s nothing on the open market at this stage of the game that would represent an upgrade on the offensive line. Granted, pass protection has been a major issue for this team’s offense for some time now. I believe one of the major reasons Chan Gailey made the switch to Ryan Fitzpatrick this week is because Fitz is more mobile and can get away from trouble and is good at improvising when a play breaks down. Hopefully the line comes together in the coming weeks.

4 – Hey Chris, I was wondering what the deal is with Alex Carrington I thought he was doing well in camp and I noticed he hasn’t even been active. Do you think he will play later in the season or is he turning out to be a bust?

Dan from western MA

CB: I actually asked coach Gailey what Carrington needs to do in the practice setting to get on the field more for his Bills Digest Q&A. Here was his answer.

He’s earned the right to contribute on Sundays. You’ve just got to deactivate seven players each week and the numbers get you because of special teams. The last two weeks we played teams that have us using nickel packages more and our outside backers are pass rushers and we don’t need as many down linemen.

Now against the Jets this week that may change because they’re more of a two back running team. It’s more of a week to week thing. He’s earned the right to play. It’s just the numbers catch us and we’ve got some more experienced players in those positions.

5 – Chris:

Do you think the Bills will make a trade before the trade deadline to get a quarterback, linebacker or offensive lineman?  I remember when the Bills made the blockbuster trade for Cornelius Bennet prior to the trade deadline.  That trade made a huge, long-term impact on the team.  We have Lynch, draft choices and probably most players (other than Spiller) that we could trade.  I believe that the Bills need to make a major move to give the fans hope, or this will be a very, very long season which will have devastatingly long term effects on the fan base.

John VonLangen
Anchorage, AK 

CB: I don’t see a quarterback coming in at this stage of the game. Brian Brohm is a perfect example of why it’s hard to bring a quarterback on board once the season is already underway. They not only are foreign to the offensive system, but they’ve never repped it in the practice setting. Brohm has talked about how difficult it was for him to catch up and feel comfortable with the Bills offensive system when he was signed to the Bills roster in Week 3 last year.

Even though he started at Atlanta in Week 16 last year he still had a reduced game plan because even at that point in time he had not yet mastered the offensive playbook, and should not have been expected to quite frankly.

As for a linebacker or an offensive lineman, there aren’t too many teams willing to part with capable starting caliber players unless you’re willing to offer one in return. You mentioned Lynch, but I believe he’s here for the duration of the season.

I think the front office is going to build this team methodically year to year and not with quick fixes once the season is underway unless there’s a rash of injuries at one position.

Carrington update

A day after sitting out a pair of practices Monday, DE Alex Carrington is back in the fray.

Carrington is going thru individual position drills. We’ll let you know if he participates in team work.

Bills rooks to be at Red Wings game

For those Bills fans in Rochester, Buffalo’s top three draft choices this past spring will be at the Rochester Red Wings game this weekend.

CJ Spiller, Torell Troup and Alex Carrington along with members of the Buffalo Jills and Billy Buffalo will be a part of Buffalo Bills Day at Frontier Field on Sunday, Aug. 15 when the Red Wings battle the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at 1:05 p.m.

Spiller, Troup, and Carrington will sign autographs prior to the game in the main concourse from 12:00 p.m. to 12:55 p.m., with each throwing out a first pitch prior to the game.

Members of the Buffalo Jills and Billy Buffalo will also be roaming the stands and available for photos and autographs.

Fans can also pick-up schedules and ticket information for the Buffalo Bills upcoming season. Fans wearing any Buffalo Bills merchandise on Sunday will receive $1 off their ticket.

Call 423-WING for more ticket information.