That according to offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who has a very young receiving corps in need of some veteran leadership.

“I think the good thing is Stevie has done a great job being out there and supporting everybody,” said Hackett. ”He’s obviously had to have some growing pains in the new system so he’s been able to get a lot of mental reps. I think being out there helping those guys has been critical for all of them. His presence has been out there the whole time it’s just nice to see him in a helmet from our standpoint.”

Hackett also pointed to Brad Smith as a veteran wideout that helps with the younger receivers.

1 - Chris,

I don’t see how anybody can say that the Bills are good on the offensive line. The loss of Levitre left a gaping hole there. RT is a question mark, since Pears was injured all last year, and Eric Wood seems like he might be injury prone.

CB: I think your concerns about left guard are legitimate, but beyond that Buffalo has capable players for the starting roles and depth behind them. At tackle you have Cordy Glenn on the left and Chris Hairston on the right. Erik Pears is still limited, but when healthy more than capable himself on the right side.

Kraig Urbik is your right guard with Wood in the pivot. Depth-wise you have Zebrie Sanders as a tackle guard option once healthy. Beyond that it is a green group in terms of playing experience, but that’s the case for most of the league.

2 – Chris,

With the new high tempo offense, can we expect Doug Marrone to try to take a lead by choosing to receive this year?

Please say it is so,

Len in NYC

CB: I’ll have to ask him about that to be sure, but most NFL head coaches have found that the research shows if you choose to defer you typically wind up with the last possession of the first half. Obviously by deferring you also get the first possession of the second half. Those back-to-back possessions are seen as valuable in the eyes of many coaches. However, if your defense is substandard it might be wiser to choose to receive first if you win the toss. I’ll see if we can get an answer on coach Marrone’s philosophy on that.

3 – Hi Chris:
Now that the draft is over and we still need some positional fills, who do you  think the Bills will go after in FA to fill those voids (like OL, LB, CB)?

Thanks for delivering!
Mike from Orlando

CB: I think cornerback could prove to be the most pressing need. Buffalo has some interesting young talent at corner among the undrafteds, but there’s already a good deal of youth at the position. I wouldn’t be surprised if they added a veteran to that group at some point.

4 – Dear Chris,

My questions are about Brad Smith, I have heard he has looked good this spring as a WR. Is this his only role now or could he still be a wildcat/#3 game day QB? Will coach Marrone even employ the wildcat? If not could Smith be on the trade block at some point this off season?

Either way I wish him the best the coming season. He’s a real asset as a triple threat and that seems to be something this new staff seems to value.

I hope to hear from you soon on this as I’m sure I’m not the only fan to be wondering about Brads future here. As always GO BILLS!!!
Thanks,

Scott Kane,
Seneca,Pa.

CB: Yes, Brad Smith is strictly a receiver and a return man at this point. Based on coach Marrone’s comment on the Wildcat after the draft, I highly doubt we’ll see it as any respectable part of Buffalo’s offense.

Smith to his credit has performed well in OTA practices. He and T.J. Graham have probably benefited the most from the absence of Stevie Johnson on the practice field.

As for the trade block, I think we’re a bit ahead of the game at this point. There’s a lot of evaluation that needs to be done by this coaching staff.

5 – Hi Chris,

Firstly, thank you for your coverage. As a Bills fan since 1986 living on the other side of the world, I am more than appreciative of all informed coverage.

Two quick questions: have the Bills had talks with Brandon Moore. if not, why not?

Secondly, it is all but impossible to follow college football from here. However, I have watched Keith Pough’s highlights. Admittedly, highlights can be very misleading, but he looked terrific. Why was he not drafted? What chance does he have of making the team?

Thanks,
Jeff Wallace,
Sydney, Australia

CB: Thanks for the kind words. To my knowledge the Bills have not talked to Brandon Moore. Obviously, Bills head coach Doug Marrone knows him extremely well. He was the Jets assistant offensive line coach, who turned him from a defensive lineman to a very successful guard on the offensive side. So there’s a relationship there. At age 33, he’s probably not what the Bills are looking for knowing they want to build this roster from the ground up with players that will be here for the long haul.

However, if they do not like what they feel they are getting from the guard spot you can’t rule out the Bills making a phone call to the veteran.

As for Keith Pough, he’s a bit undersized and did not perform well at the Combine, especially when it came to his 40 time (4.87). He also played at a lower level of college competition at Howard. That doesn’t mean he can’t make an NFL roster, but it discourages NFL clubs from taking a chance on him with a draft choice. Signing him as an undrafted offers less risk. I do know that the Bills are high on him among their undrafted group.

Taking reps on kick return in OTAs this week were Marquise Goodwin, T.J. Graham, Brad Smith and Tashard Choice. Leodis McKelvin has been mentioned as an option as well, but he’s been limited to just individual position drill work in practices coming off his groin surgery earlier this offseason.

Nevertheless the speed quota is more than filled in the return game for Buffalo.

“It’s a lot of conditioning along with the speed stuff and the high tempo in the weight room, there’s no down time, it’s always going,” said Brad Smith. ”It just gets the most out of you. The workouts are pretty tough.”

For offensive linemen like Kraig Urbik, who was asked to play heavier under the previous regime at around 330 pounds, the demands have shifted to lighter and faster.

“I’m actually dropping a lot of weight. I’m down 10 pounds,” Urbik told Buffalobills.com. ”I’m going to keep doing it from my body standpoint. Running a high tempo offense I’m going to need to be in this kind of shape.”

“No, I don’t think he’s going to make it today,” said head coach Chan Gailey.

When asked if he’d make it back to practice this week, Gailey did not sound optimistic.

“Maybe,” said Gailey. ”Outside chance.”

If McKelvin is unable to play again this Sunday at Miami, expect Justin Rogers to return punts. Rogers and Brad Smith would presumably be back to return kickoffs, much like they did last week. Marcus Easley also helped return kicks last Sunday, but injured a hamstring and was declared out for Sunday’s game by Gailey on Monday.

Corey McIntyre, Brad Smith and Spencer Johnson all practiced Thursday and Friday and are expected to play on Sunday in Indianapolis.

Kyle Williams is listed as probable with a host of other players.

Smith (hamstring) and Johnson (ankle) were both limited participants in practice. The hope is they do more on Thursday and Friday heading into Sunday’s game. Here’s Buffalo’s full injury report.

Did not practice
CB Ron Brooks – teeth
CB Aaron Williams – knee
DE Mark Anderson – knee
DT Kyle Williams – ankle

Limited in practice
DL Spencer Johnson – ankle
WR Brad Smith – hamstring

Full practice
RB Fred Jackson – concussion
S Da’Norris Searcy - hand
RB C.J. Spiller – shoulder
DE Chris Kelsay – neck
DE Mario Williams – wrist, ankle
C Eric Wood – knee
S Jairus Byrd – back
DE Shawne Merriman – groin
LB Kelvin Sheppard – back
G Andy Levitre – knee
DT Marcell Dareus – shoulder
OT Chris Hairston – knee
CB Leodis McKelvin – groin
CB Justin Rogers – hamstring

“He’ll be fine,” said head coach Chan Gailey of Smith. ”He just sat out today. He’ll be fine Wednesday I think. That’s what I understood.”

Smith is dealing with a sore hamstring.

As for Spencer Johnson he too was given a rest day for some assorted ailments he’s been dealing with. He too will return to the practice setting Wednesday. “We rested him today. He’s got multiple things, he’s just kind of beat up, so we rested him today. He’ll be back Wednesday.”

Jackson has still not been medically cleared from his concussion. Smith is dealing with a hamstring injury.

We’ll get an update from coach Gailey after practice.

Through the Texans’ first seven games, Graham and the Texans are last in the league in touchback percentage (25.6%) which is almost half the league average (50%). Part of the reason the percentage is so low is because they have the second fewest touchbacks in the league (11) and the fourth-most kickoffs (45).

“I don’t think you can all of a sudden say if he’s kicking it two yards deep say it’s got to be out of the end zone,” said Houston head coach Gary Kubiak. ”You can do what you can do. He does directional kick pretty good. The thing we’ve noticed he kicks off pretty well early in games and as the game goes on, they’re not as good. So we tried to focus on that trying to keep him focused on some things we think can help him.

“We’re going to have to be smart some of the things we do kicking the ball, too. If you know you can’t kick it out of the endzone then you better know where you’re kicking it and how you’re going to cover, so we’ve got our hands full there. Hopefully we can start to improve that this week.”

Bills head coach Chan Gailey is hopeful Houston’s struggles lead to opportunities for Leodis McKelvin and Brad Smith.

“I am seeing opportunities,” said Gailey. ”I don’t want too many kickoff returns. You don’t want to go out there and have a chance for five or six, but the two or three they may kick you hope we get good returns on them to get good field position or points on them which happened in our last game.”

Brad Smith returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown in Buffalo’s last game in Week 7 against the Titans. Houston is last in the league in average drive start allowed giving opponents an average start of their own 26-yard line. Conversely, they’re last in their own average drive start, with a mark of their own 18.5-yard line.

10 - Tie – 24 yards – Scott Chandler TD from Fitzpatrick (distance of pass – 24 yards) vs. New England – Week 4
24 yards – Dorin Dickerson from Fitzpatrick (distance of pass – 0 yards) vs. New England – Week 4

9 - 27 yards – C.J. Spiller from Fitzpatrick (distance of pass – 0 yards) vs. Kansas City – Week 2

8 – 29 yards – Stevie Johnson TD from Fitzpatrick (distance of pass – 14 yards) vs. NY Jets – Week 1

7 – 30 yards – C.J. Spiller from Fitzpatrick (distance of pass – 25 yards) vs. NY Jets – Week 1

6 – 32 yards – C.J. Spiller TD from Fitzpatrick (distance of pass – 6 yards) at Cleveland – Week 3

5 – 34 yards – Fred Jackson from Fitzpatrick (distance of pass – 31 yards) vs. New England – Week 4

4 – 35 yards – Brad Smith from Fitzpatrick (distance of pass – 25 yards) vs. New England – Week 4

3 – 43 yards – Scott Chandler from Fitzpatrick (distance of pass – 11 yards) vs. Kansas City – Week 2

2 – 49 yards – Stevie Johnson from Fitzpatrick (distance of pass – 7 yards) vs. Kansas City – Week 2

1 – 68 yards – Donald Jones from Fitzpatrick (distance of pass – 7 yards) vs. New England – Week 4

Head coach Chan Gailey even admitted the Wildcat package did not provide the desired results in the win over the Chiefs.

“The Wildcat looked like it was the first time we’d run it in a game, that’s what it looked like,” said Gailey. ”It’s got rust all over it and we’ve got to polish it up, get it ready to go in the future and we’re going to continue to use it as many weeks as we see it being a viable part of our offense. So you’re going to see it some more. We’ve got to add some stuff to it, we’ve got to put in a few more things but I like where we’re heading with it.”

Buffalo now has the following receivers, who all should be available Sunday.

Donald Jones, Stevie Johnson, T.J. Graham, Ruvell Martin and if needed Brad Smith.

Chan Gailey makes it the receiver’s responsibility to know all of the wideout positions in the event that something like a season-ending injury happens to one of the regulars. With that now the case you could argue that all of the remaining wideouts could handle Nelson’s slot receiver role.

However, Donald Jones spent a great deal of time taking reps in the slot in the spring practices and was even kicked inside a good deal in training camp. We’ll wait and see what we get on Sunday, but I think it’s very likely that Jones becomes the primary slot receiver in three wide sets and guys like Graham and Martin take Jones’ role outside when Jones moves inside. C.J. Spiller is also a slot option, but that would seem more likely in a four wide look.

“No question he’s ready to go,” said Gailey. “We were able to time up our Wildcat so he’s ready to go.”

Smith is listed as probable for Sunday.

“He moved around great today,” said head coach Chan Gailey. “We got some timing with our Wildcat so that part of it was good. He took some reps at receiver. I was shocked how well he looked today. So I’m very encouraged.”

Smith was still listed as a limited participant in practice, but all signs are pointing to him being available for Sunday’s game. Smith was injured in the last preseason game at Detroit last week.

Smith, who is dealing with a groin injury suffered last week, was running routes and planting and cutting without much limitation during the media viewing portion of practice. Coach Gailey said on Wednesday that the plan was to have him do a little more each day in practice and that plan looks to be moving along as scheduled.

We’ll get an update from coach Gailey as to the extent of Smith’s participation after practice.

Did not practice
RG Kraig Urbik – lower back

Limited in practice
QB/WR Brad Smith – groin
WR Stevie Johnson – groin

We’ve provided details on the status of Johnson and Urbik for this week.

Dressed in his white receiver jersey, Smith caught passes in the warmup lines where receivers move at half speed. He then joined the quarterbacks for individual position drills, but did not attempt a pass. Suffice to say Smith was very limited in his return from a groin injury last week.

Head coach Chan Gailey said the plan is to work him in a little bit more each day this week to hopefully have him ready for Sunday.

“He’s going to go out and work a little bit,” said Gailey of Smith prior to Wednesday’s practice. ”This is sort of the transition day and we’ll hopefully get him on the field a little bit more tomorrow and a little bit more Friday and hopefully have him Sunday.”

When asked if Smith can’t go and if there is a backup for their Wildcat package, Gailey had a terse response.

“No,” he said.

The follow up was if Smith can’t go is the Wildcat out for Sunday’s game?

“Yep,” said Gailey.

Smith’s likelihood for Sunday’s game doesn’t need to be provided by the team until Friday. While another player on Buffalo’s roster might be designated as a Wildcat backup, he’s unlikely to be able to run the Wildcat package as extensively as Smith.

CB Ron Brooks and QB/WR Brad Smith both were not practicing. Smith was riding the stationary bike Monday during practice.