Through the spring practices the Bills have lined up Colin Brown, undrafted rookie Zach Chibane, Chris Scott, David Snow, Thomas Welch and Sam Young at guard at one time or another. Toward the end of the OTA practice sessions Welch lined up at guard for the first time in his tenure with Buffalo after playing exclusively at offensive tackle.

Both Tyronne Green and Doug Legursky, who visited Tuesday, have at least one year of starting experience under their belt. Green started 13 games in 2012 and Legursky 10 games in 2011. Combined the pair have 45 starts in their NFL careers. Here’s a look at the combined career starts and game appearances of the half dozen guard candidates currently on Buffalo’s roster.

Colin Brown – 12 games, 2 starts
Zach Chibane – 0 games, 0 starts
Chris Scott – 2 games, 0 starts
David Snow – 5 games, 2 starts
Thomas Welch – 11 games, 0 starts
Sam Young – 18 games, 4 starts
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Totals – 48 games, 8 starts

Now these numbers do not mean that any of the players listed above are not capable. In fact Snow and Young availed themselves well on the interior when asked to step in for injured starters last season. But the fact is that NFL coaches rest a bit easier when they can start a guy that’s been there before and proven it on a consistent basis.

OL Colin Brown, who re-signed with the Bills today, saw his 2012 season cut short by a hamstring injury. But it wasn’t any pulled muscle. It was about the most severe hamstring injury one could have.

Some older Bills fans might remember when Andre Reed tore his hamstring away from the bone and missed a large portion of the 1995 season. Colin Brown, who was starting at right guard in Week 5 at San Francisco, had a very similar injury in that game. Brown tore his hamstring from the bone.

Rehab takes three to six months. I saw Brown in the hallway at One Bills Drive last month and he said he was just getting back to full strength in his affected leg. With the Bills signing him to a new contract it can be presumed that he’ll be healthy for the offseason conditioning program this spring.

Colin Brown started for Rinehart Sunday after Rinehart was a last minute scratch for the starting lineup. But Brown left the game with an injury after just a couple of series on offense and didn’t return.

“It’s a hamstring and he won’t make it this week,” said Chan Gailey of Brown.

Rinehart meanwhile is still a question mark as well.

“Rinehart, we’re going to rest him Wednesday,” said Gailey. ”We think he’s got a decent chance to make the game.”

If he cannot go Sunday, Sam Young, who replaced him late in Sunday’s game, would step in. With just five healthy linemen it’s likely that Buffalo will have to make a roster move before the end of the week if Rinehart does not improve.

Just two series into Sunday’s game, Colin Brown, the right guard filling in for Chad Rinehart suffered a hamstring injury and was lost for the game and presumably their next game at Arizona. Rinehart stepped in and played most of the game, but re-aggravated his calf injury and had to exit as well.

That left reserve offensive tackle Sam Young to play right guard in the second half Sunday. With Kraig Urbik and Cordy Glenn not even making the trip west for the week in Phoenix neither are expected to be ready to return from their ankle injuries.

It leaves Buffalo with just Chris Hairston, Andy Levitre, Eric Wood and Erik Pears as their only healthy offensive linemen. They’re expected to call up at least two, possibly all three offensive linemen on their practice squad.

C/G David Snow is the most familiar with Buffalo’s offensive system. He was an undrafted signee back in May and went through all of training camp and preseason with the club. So he’s the most likely call up.

G/T Reggie Stephens and G/T Andrew Jackson were just signed by the club last week following the injuries to Glenn and Urbik as insurance. Unfortunately one or both might be pressed into action depending on the severity of Rinehart’s calf injury.

Presumably one of the newer call ups would be schooled up only on the game plan for this week’s matchup with Arizona. Of course the Cardinals defense will be no easy task. They were the third-stingiest defense in the league going into Week 5 in terms of points allowed per game. They were also third in the league in sacks per play prior to this week’s games.

“Michael is struggling,” said Gailey. ”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.”

It’s certainly going to be an uphill battle for Jasper to make the roster. Chad Rinehart is the primary reserve guard. Then there’s second-year man Colin Brown, who plays guard and center, sixth-round pick Mark Asper who plays guard and center, but has had his ups and downs too. Keith Williams is another guard who spent time on the team’s practice squad as well. There’s a lot of competition there.

“It’s a little easier with the amount of snaps that me and Andy (Levitre) were getting at center last year,” said Kraig Urbik. ”In training camp I’ll get a lot of reps at center too. It was just unfortunate. We couldn’t help the injuries. It wasn’t like we were running and got hurt. Guys fell on your legs and stuff like that. It was unfortunate, but part of the game.”

Buffalo used a total of three players at left tackle last season and four at center (Wood, Levitre, Urbik and Colin Brown). Getting Urbik and Rinehart back in the fold however, will do wonders for continuity.

“Colin was a little shaky early with the snaps and then he settled down and did a better job,” said head coach Chan Gailey.

With Urbik’s injury considered “not good” by Gailey, the Bills head coach confirmed that the plan is for Brown to finish the season in the pivot on Sunday in Foxboro against the Patriots. 

“Right now it’ll be Colin that’ll play in there,” said Gailey.

It’ll be a heck of a first NFL start at center for Brown, who will be facing perennial Pro Bowler Vince Wilfork.

“Rinehart just tweaked something in his shoulder and we held him out,” said head coach Chan Gailey after Friday’s practice. ”We don’t think it’ll be an issue at all on Sunday.”

Rinehart has manned the right guard spot ever since Kraig Urbik moved inside to center in Week 12. He’s listed as questionable. If Rinehart can’t go Sunday, Colin Brown would start in his place.

Rinehart had practiced all week leading up to today (Friday), but was not on the practice field during the media viewing portion of practice. He’s been starting at right guard in place of Kraig Urbik, who has moved to center and started there the past two games.

Replacing Rinehart in the starting lineup at practice was Colin Brown.

WR Ruvell Martin hasn’t been with the club for more than a week, but showed some ability on special teams and in the passing game Thursday night against the Lions and at 6’4″ 212 pounds is an intriguing target.

OL Colin Brown, who has been lined up at guard all summer with the second and third unit, is one of Buffalo’s largest offensive linemen at 6’7″ and 328 pounds. He too made the roster.

Now size wasn’t the only reason these players made Buffalo’s 53-man squad. They obviously have talent as well, but smaller players at their positions were not retained.

Bills GM Buddy Nix had a good working knowledge of Pears since he played in the same division as his former team the San Diego Chargers. And Brown was in Kansas City when Gailey and D’Alessandris were coaching there leading up to the 2009 season.

“Erik is a guy that Buddy had his eye on and knew about him and had followed his career,” said Gailey. ”As we’ve said all along we’re always looking to try to find ways to upgrade our football team. Maybe Erik get a comfort level with our system and our scheme and he can find a way to contribute either short term or long term.

“Colin is a guy that we had in Kansas City that we knew what he’s capable of. He hasn’t had an opportunity to prove it yet in the regular season so hopefully he can earn a spot somewhere down the road and maybe be able to help us before it’s over with.”

Buffalo’s pro personnel department led by Assistant GM Doug Whaley is making a concerted effort to stockpile some capable talent in an effort to give the coaching staff about a month or so of time to evaluate a lot of these players in the practice setting first and possibly in the last few games so they can determine who might have a future with the club beyond this season.

With some of the additions like Kraig Urbik, Scott Chandler, Chad Rinehart and Pears to name just a few there’s a deeper talent base to draw upon and shape the roster next offseason.

Colin Brown will be wearing number 74 and Erik Pears will be wearing number 79.