Marshawn Lynch, who ran for 135 yards against the Cowboys last week, is a guy that Jackson intends to speak with Saturday evening.

“I’ll definitely talk to him,” Jackson told Buffalobills.com.

Jackson already tapped into Lynch as a resource earlier this season.

“I talked to Marshawn before the Giants game,” said Jackson. “It helped.”

Jackson rolled up 168 all-purpose yards against the Giants including 121 rushing yards.

Let’s hope Marshawn’s input is just as fruitful for Jackson the second time around.

Kirwan had him ranked third in tier E of his rankings. Overall he was ranked 23rd in the league. Here’s what Kirwan wrote about Jackson.

Fred Jackson, Bills (>): Jackson plays in the obscurity of Western New York, but was good enough for the Bills to part ways with Lynch.

Marshawn Lynch by the way was ranked just ahead of Jackson at 19th overall. C.J. Spiller did not appear on the list which had rankings going up to 45.

1 - Hi Chris, like Buddy Nix said during his interview, its going to take some time, and nothing can be done overnight. In your opinion, do you think the Bills will ever return to prominence? I think these guys (Nix and Gailey) are experienced, and they are obviously football guys, but will it be enough to help the Bills turn the corner? 
Tony, Daytona Beach, Fl

CB: I think the Bills have the right people in place to assemble a roster of quality talent and ability that can make Buffalo a perennial playoff contender. Nix is dead on, it’s going to take time. There is talent on this roster, but also a ton of holes. Nix has worked at the elbow of John Butler and Buddy Nix, two former Bills personnel men that were largely responsible for assembling the majority of the talent pooled in Buffalo in the late 80’s and early 90’s. I’m confident it can happen again… in time. The draft is the key.

2 – Hi Chris,
My question is about Buddy Nix’s scouting staff.  How big is the staff?  What level of compensation does the average pro scout receive?  Since scouting (i.e. hitting with your draft picks) is going to be so important to the Bills success I would like to see the Bills attract the best possible talent they can find to their scouting staff. 

This will obviously require opening the purse strings to entice scouts to work for Buffalo.  But, it seems like a great value proposition compared to the millions teams like the Redskins throw at free agent signings (with varying results).

I don’t how much it would cost, but I would think an extra million or two spent on hiring the best scouts would be the best investment the Bills could make.
Go Bills.

Tim N
Alexandria, VA

CB: There are 15 people, counting Nix, Tom Modrak and Doug Whaley on the college scouting staff. The most recent addition was Darrell Moody, who was most recently with the Chargers and serves the Bills as a National Scout, which means he’s not tied to a specific region of the country to scout.

That is one of the largest college scouting contingents in the league. Most NFL clubs average between 8 to 12 scouts. Cleveland, by my count, came the closest to Buffalo with 13. Indianapolis has 12 counting Bill Polian. Cincinnati, meanwhile, has just one person that organizes the scouting department, but their scouts are the members of their coaching staff.

I honestly do not know what the average compensation level is for NFL college scouts, nor what it would take to lure scouts away from another club.

3 - Hey Chris,
 
With the Bills picking up a 4th rounder for Marshawn and the Pats trading Randy Moss, I was thinking about the 2011 draft. Are the Bills eligible to pick up a compensatory pick, most likely for losing T.O.? I know the process of awarding picks is pretty confusing, but it would be nice if we may have an extra pick coming up.
 
Thanks,
Brad

CB: It’s a valid question, and you’re right the exact formula for determining compensatory picks is better protected by the NFL than the gold at Fort Knox. But a team is not even eligible to qualify for compensatory picks unless it has a net loss of free agents (lost more than they signed). There is also a time period in which signings would qualify. I’m going to have to check to see if Owens late signing (after training camps opened) would fall into the category of a free agent loss.

As I see it in a quick glance at last year’s transactions Buffalo did not have a net loss of free agents. They signed Cornell Green, Andra Davis and Dwan Edwards. They “lost” Terrell Owens, Jonathan Scott and Richie Incognito. Josh Reed doesn’t count because he did not make the San Diego roster. So I don’t think the Bills would be part of the compensatory equation.

4 - Hey Chris,
 
I understand the Bills traded Lynch for a 2011 4th round draft pick and a conditional pick in the 2012 draft.  Can you explain the conditional pick we could be getting?  Is it going to be in one of the later rounds, or is there a chance that it could be a 3rd or 4th round pick if Lynch plays well for the Seahawks?  Thanks.
 
Brendan – Las Vegas

CB: Conditional picks are based on certain… conditions. The pick has a base line established value, in this case a sixth-round pick. So at worst the Bills will be getting a 4th round pick in 2011 and a 6th round pick in 2012. However, with the 2012 pick being conditional it is tied to certain conditions agreed upon by the Bills and the Seahawks.

What those conditions are I do not know, but in most cases with a running back they’re tied to any or all of the following, games played, playing time (percentage of team’s offensive snaps), rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, division title, playoff berth, Pro Bowl berth etc.
So basically if Lynch has a monster season in 2011, the Bills 2012 sixth-round pick from Seattle is likely to improve to a fifth-round pick. Hope that helps.

5 - Hey Chris,

It seems as though the offense has had it’s jump start by putting Fitz in , putting Fred back where he belongs #1  and we at least look respectable in a lot of ways on offense , but the roles seem to be  reversed this year . Last year it seemed like the D kept us within range to win games but the Offense couldn’t put up enough points to win , now that points are going on the board the D seems like it is 
suspect . Last year with the same players we at least had one of the top 10 secondaries in the NFL , but the run game is still suffering . 

So I was wondering your take is it that we need to upgrade our players , is the DC on the right track , or is it just the scheme &  players don’t mesh ?? If you read the others Blogs like TBD of course some of the Bills fans have all the answers but I tend to lean more towards guys like you & others that know a bit more than the fans .
Go Bills !!

Mr. T from Ft. Myers via Nashville

CB: You’re right about the offense. As many of us thought Chan Gailey would make the offense a more productive point scoring unit. They still have their flaws, but they’re scoring with regularity.

The defense has been a big problem, with stopping the run topping the list. The lack of a proven pass rusher is also hurting and preventing the men in Buffalo’s secondary from making plays on the ball because no throws are being hurried with opposing QBs not being forced to make bad decisions due to pressure.

So the answer is yes, they need to upgrade their players, yes, not all the players fit the new scheme. The defensive staff and Chan Gailey made a commitment to the 3-4. They got some long terms pieces for that system in Troup and Carrington. They’ll acquire more this offseason. A can’t miss pass rusher is what they need the most in my opinion. They also need to get bigger on that side of the ball playing in a 3-4 across the front seven.

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.

“At the time we weren’t sure where we were,” said Nix in reference to when they were being presented with trade offers by other teams in April. ”When I said he’s not for trade, at that time he wasn’t so it never went past that. There’s no need in me trying to say we would’ve been better off to have done it then or now or whatever. I don’t understand what good it does to go through the summer or presesason with a draft pick in your pocket that you can’t use until April. Why not do it when we did it? It’s the same draft pick. It’s in our pocket and we can’t use it until April.”

When asked what changed their strong stance that they wanted Lynch on their roster Nix offered the following.

“To be honest with you as we started looking at it, as Chan said, three backs obviously when we kept him and went through camp and got two guys hurt in the first six plays of preseason it felt really good to have three backs. Now once we got them all healthy and they’re not getting the number of touches, then we decided it was time.”

Poz and top pick Marshawn Lynch developed a friendship when they both trained at the same pre-draft training facility in Arizona. After they were drafted they joked about meeting in the hole for the first time in practice. Entering their second NFL seasons Lynch, Poz and Trent Edwards, the team’s top three picks in 2007 were all starters in key positions.

But Poz saw a different part of the business the past two weeks with Edwards’ released due in large part to performance and Lynch moved via trade to help strengthen the franchise with respect to the future. 

“It’s a tough situation,” said Posluszny. “I don’t know how to take it. It’s personal because those are the guys I came in with, we got drafted together, that class in 2007. It goes to show there’s a lot of turnover in the NFL and things can change in a hurry. We’ve got to concentrate on the day-to-day and concentrate on our work each day and go from there.

“We’ve all said this before. You’ve got to perform at a high level at all times because there’s a lot of turnover.”

With Lynch and Edwards gone, Posluszny is the last remaining member of the 2007 draft class on the roster.

“I don’t get into sooner or later, there’s a lot of things that go into decisions like this,” said Gailey. ”Sooner wasn’t better for our situation. We found out in preseason how quickly two guys can go down (to injury). You make decisions based on the information you have and where you are in a season and where you are in a production of trying to take your team from one step to the next step.”

When asked what precipitated the move now, Gailey would only say that there were a number of factors at work.

“A lot of different things and you can’t go into all of them because there’s too many things that are involved in the decision,” said Gailey. ”You can’t say it’s one thing or it was this or it was that or the timing, there’s a ton of things that went into this decision. Buddy and I had talked about it and we had the opportunity and we felt like we had to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Gailey was asked if three being a bit of a crowd was one of those factors.

“That was a little bit of a part of it, sure,” he said. ”You need to keep depth at a position you’ve got to be smart about your football team and that was all part of it; that’s part of the decision.”

Lynch called Fred Jackson’s cell phone this morning and asked that it be put on speaker in the Bills locker room this morning.

“I talked to him this morning,” said Jackson. “He called this morning and wanted to talk to all the guys in the locker room that he didn’t get a chance to talk to before he left. So he made sure to call before our meetings and let everybody know that he’s going to miss us, but that he’s excited about his new opportunity.”

To a man every player in Buffalo’s locker room called Lynch a great teammate, and his phone call Wednesday morning was a strong indication of that.

“He was a great teammate and I wish him all the best,” said Spiller. “Our friendship was more like a brotherhood and I’m definitely going to stay in contact with him.”

When asked for his thoughts on now having a greater share of the rushing load, he said he’s ready to do whatever is asked of him to help the team win.

While there will likely be some thought given to adding another running back so that there are three on the active roster, like RB Andre Anderson, the more immediate move could be the activation of Shawn Nelson from the roster exempt list provided he shows he’s fit and ready to play this weekend, which is still an ‘if.’

Nelson can be on the roster exempt list through Monday, but if he’s fit to play he’ll go on the 53-man roster before Sunday’s game.

Jackson feels Lynch believes his career will be better off with his fresh start in Seattle.

“To be happy in this career that we’ve chosen you have to be somewhere that you feel like you want to be,” Jackson told Buffalobills.com. ”I don’t think he hated it here, but he just wasn’t able to be himself a lot of times. He’ll have a chance to make plays somewhere else. I wish him the best. We’ll be in constant contact. I’ll talk to him every day. He likes to stay in contact with everyone that’s close with him, so I’m sure I’ll hear from him every now and then.”

“I think it’s going to go from week to week on what he’s asking us to do or what our role is going to be,” said Jackson. ”My job is just to go out there and when I get out there and execute whatever it is coach is asking me to do. I’m thinking things might not change too much, but then again it could change drastically.”

Either way, Jackson and Spiller will see their carries increase significantly moving forward.

That according to the Philadelphia Daily News, which cited a “source close to the situation” as saying that the Eagles are not looking to add a RB or QB at this time despite the injuries suffered by starters at both of those positions.

There were rumors swirling earlier in the day that the Bills and Eagles had been in contact with one another and that naturally led to speculation on a possible trade involving Marshawn Lynch.

The Eagles have Mike Bell, Eldra Buckley and Joique Bell on the roster at the tailback position and it appears as though Andy Reid is prepared to go with that trio of backs this week if McCoy is not available per the report.

The report cites the Eagles sudden shortage of proven backs with starter LeSean McCoy potentially sidelined with a broken rib. The only other backs on the roster are Mike Bell, Eldra Buckley and former Bills practice squader Joique Bell.

The Bills have not wavered in their stance that they are not interested in trading Marshawn Lynch, who despite some limited work still got more carries than C.J. Spiller or Fred Jackson for the third straight week this past Sunday.

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.

When asked about curbing C.J. Spiller’s carries from Week 1 to Week 2, Gailey indicated that he may have put too much on Spiller’s plate too soon.

“When he got to the regular season, that first game he was just going extremely fast and I was probably unfair to him to throw him in there,” said Gailey. “But the other two running backs have been hurt all preseason and C.J had done a good job. We backed him back a little bit this past week. He’s still going to be a dynamic player and he’s still going to make a lot of big plays for us in the future. We just need to get him going on a little slower pace than throwing him in there from the get go. He’s doing kickoff returns for us. We let him go do that and then break him in slowly on offense.”

When asked about the degree to which he utilized Marshawn Lynch last week, Gailey hinted that Lynch will see a good deal of action this Sunday as well. 

“He started last week and he’ll play a lot this week,” Gailey said. ”He ran the ball pretty good. You could tell he was rusty from last year not having played a ton and getting back into it this year. He didn’t play in the preseason as well, so he’s just now getting back into it and as most everybody knows you can never have enough quality running backs in this league.” 

Fred Jackson should not go unmentioned here, especially in light of the fact that he’s amassed over 100 total yards in three of his last four games against the Patriots, and the one in which he didn’t he only had a handful of touches in the game. Jackson had nine carries and a touchdown in last week’s game.

Lynch took calls from fans during his appearance, which lasted almost 45 minutes. Naturally there were a lot of Packer fans telling him how they need him in Green Bay, and there were responses from Bills fans telling him how they want him to stay in Buffalo. Kind of a battling fan base type thing. Lynch was polite telling Packer fans he appreciated the support, but the Bills back made it clear that he plays for the Bills.

“Hey man I appreciate that,” said Lynch in response to one Packer fan that called in. ”That’s good to hear from someone other than your home team fans. Just to know that I’m being appreciated around the league. But just to give you a heads up, stay true to your team.”

Lynch was also asked about the increased workload he got in the Green Bay game and when asked about how he takes being the starter offered the following.

“I’m just going to pay my respects to those two gentlemen that I’ve got on the side of me Fred and C.J.,” said Lynch. ”We don’t take it as a starting role, we take it as the guy that gets in there and gets the game going. Them giving me the chance to get the game going felt pretty good.”

Lynch was also asked about the possibility of seeing a split backfield in Buffalo’s offense and the running back explained how he’s not a part of making those kinds of plans.

“Them decisions are not up to me, but I’ve been known to get on the field where I can help,” said Lynch. “Chan (Gailey) is a pretty savvy guy with the offense so hopefully he’s got that in the arsenal and he brings it out.”

Another caller asked if he and Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller have come up with a nickname for their trio, as Bills fans are apparently trying to come up with one of their own. Here was his answer to that question.

“21, 22 and 23,” he said.

Finally a young fan called and asked Lynch to finally beat the Patriots to end the Bills’ losing streak to the division rival.

“We’re going to push as a team to make that happen,” Lynch said. ”We appreciate the loyalty of our fans. Stay loyal to us and it’ll change around.”

Lynch will be on the blogtalkradio show Tuesday night at 10:30 pm Eastern time. Bills fans can listen online.

The call in number is 646-378-1915 if fans want to have a word with Marshawn.

“No, because if it’s going to happen then it’s going to happen,” Lynch said. ”What will I be able to do about it? If they say I’ve got to go then what am I going to do, tell them no? If they say I’m going to stay, I’m here, if they say I’m not going nowhere then let’s continue to build on this thing and get better.”

The Bills have maintained a consistent stance on Lynch’s status with the team, which is that they intend to keep him on their roster.

Lynch is more focused on righting the run game after the three-man tandem did not produce the way they wanted to in Week 1.

“It wasn’t what us as a group wanted it to be,” said Lynch. ”The most carries by a back I believe was seven. That’s not good for any running back to get a feel for it. I’m not saying what should’ve been done or could’ve been done. All I know is we’ve just got to do something to get on track with it.”

Many reports have speculated that Lynch could be traded to Green Bay, but that’s simply not the case. The Bills have maintained a consistent stance on Marshawn Lynch, which is that they plan to keep him on their roster.

“Our intention is for Marshawn Lynch to be here,” said Bills GM Buddy Nix the weekend of the draft. “He is under contract and we think he is a good back. All this trade talk is not coming from us. He is ours and we intend for him to be here.”

Head coach Chan Gailey made his stance clear as well on Wednesday this week saying he wants to have Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch and C.J. Spiller on his roster.

“Everybody has got opinions about what’s right and we feel like having the three we have right now is a very good situation for us,” said Gailey. ”We have to continue to get better with each one of them and see how their roles play out as the year goes on. This is a situation in the NFL where you can’t have too many good running backs.”

And the Bills experienced that first hand in the preseason when both Jackson and Lynch were both injured on the first series of the first preseason game and were lost for three and four weeks, leaving the team with just Spiller.

If anything that situation only further strengthened the team’s stance that they’ll need all three backs to get through the season with their running game not suffering from a lack of capable ball carriers.