Inside The Bills

Jets Wilkerson, LBs Carter, Harris questionable

The Jets have a couple of question marks in their starting lineup for Thursday night’s game against the Bills, including their Pro Bowl defensive lineman.

DL Muhammad Wilkerson and starting LBs Bruce Carter and David Harris are all questionable. Wilkerson is dealing with an ankle/toe injury while Carter and Harris both have shoulder injuries. A third starting linebacker, rookie Jordan Jenkins is doubtful with a calf injury.

Reports out of New York indicate that Wilkerson and Harris are expected to play Thursday night.

Jets scoop up LB David Harris

The Jets under new head coach Todd Bowles needs to rebuild a good portion of their roster. If free agent LB David Harris left he’d be another hole to fill. So New York on the heels of trading for WR Brandon Marshall paid Harris a lot of money.

Essentially the three-year deal he received is a two-year pact with $15M guaranteed in 2015 and 2016.

David Harris: $21.5M/3 years; $15M guaranteed in first two years. Translation: $15M, two-year deal.

— Andrew Brandt (@adbrandt) March 6, 2015

If a 31-year old LB can command $7.5M a year free agent linebackers set to hit the market are going to be pretty happy come Tuesday.

Jets NT Jenkins has hip injury

The player that sticks out like a behemoth of a nose tackle on the Jets injury report is their behemoth of a nose tackle. Kris Jenkins was limited in practice Wednesday for the Jets with a hip injury. No word on the severity of it, but with as dominant as he’s been any Jenkins that’s less than 100 percent would be welcome.

Other Jets players of note that are a bit hobbled include ILB Eric Barton (knee) who was limited on Wednesday, WR Laveranues Coles (thigh) who was also limited. LB Bryan Thomas (shoulder) was limited as well.

ILB David Harris is back in the lineup and has played the past couple of weeks in his return from a groin injury that kept him out of the first matchup with the Bills. I asked Jets coach Eric Mangini if Harris is full go as of yet.

“It gets better as we move along,” said Mangini of Harris’ groin. “Last week was really more play time than we had anticipated, because Eric Barton got a little bit nicked up early in the game, so David had to move into a primary sub-role for us. but he fought through it well and was productive. There’s some things where he’s rusty at missing the time that he did and not seeing what you see during the course of the week. But with David, he’s a dilligent guy and I think he’ll get that rust knocked off pretty quickly.”

WR/QB Brad Smith (head) did not practice.

Jets LB Harris out

Jets leading tackler ILB David Harris will not play for the Jets today. Harris did not make the trip to Buffalo with the team Saturday.

His backup Cody Spencer is also questionable with a shoulder injury. So it’s expected that David Bowens a defensive end that has been transitioned to ILB by the Jets will start for Harris.

The Jets to address their linebacker shortage activated Jason Trusnik from the physically unable to perform list and waived DL Kareem Brown.

Jets injury update

ILB David Harris (hip) did not practice all week and is listed as doubtful for the Jets on Sunday. If he can’t go backup Cody Spencer would normally fill in, but he’s questionable with a shoulder injury and was limited in practice all week. So the job would fall to David Bowens.

WRs Laveranues Coles (thigh) and Jerricho Cotchery (shoulder) are both listed as probable and are expected to play.

TE Chris Baker (hip) was limited in practice all week and is questionable for the game. He’ll be a game time decision. Fellow TE Bubba Franks (hip) is doubtful, so rookie Dustin Keller could have a lot on his plate Sunday.

S Eric Smith (head) is out for the game. Abram Elam is expected to start in his place.

RT Damien Woody who missed Wednesday and Thursday practice due to personal matters, returned to practice on Friday and was removed from the injury report.

Jets injury update

MLB David Harris is looking less and less likely to play Sunday for New York as he doesn’t appear ready to return from a groin injury. Harris rode the stationary bike for practice again on Thursday.

His backup Cody Spencer has been limited in practice the past two days with a shoulder injury, which would leave David Bowens as the only remaining ILB replacement.

Harris is the Jets’ leading tackler. He’s also the team’s defensive signal caller with the radio helmet. If he can’t play fellow ILB Eric Barton is expected to have the radio communication helmet.

TE Chris Baker (hip) practiced on a limited basis, but fellow TE Bubba Franks (hip) did not practice for a second straight day. If Baker and Franks can’t go it would leave them a bit short on the blocking side of things at TE though Eric Mangini insisted that rookie Dustin Keller, a pass catching TE by trade, could block on the line. I have my doubts.

WRs Laveranues Coles (thigh) and Jerricho Cotchery (shoulder) were both limited for a second straight day on Thursday, but both are expected to play Sunday.

S Eric Smith (head) has not practiced yet this week is not expected to play. Abram Elam is expected to replace him in the starting lineup.

OL Damien Woody (personal) has not practiced this week. The team is giving him the game plan via computer. Woody has also been plagued by a nagging calf injury. Wayne Hunter is the Jets’ swing tackle.

Jets injury report

The list is long for the Jets as far as injuries are concerned.

Not practicing for the Jets Wednesday were RT Damien Woody (personal), TE Bubba Franks (hip) and ILB David Harris (groin). Starting S Eric Smith also did not practice (head).

Harris appears to be the most serious, and his backup Cody Spencer is dinged too (see below). If Harris can’t go David Bowens presumably would step in as the only other backup ILB should Spencer be unable to play as well.

TE Chris Baker (hip), WR Laveranues Coles (thigh), WR Jerricho Cotchery (shoulder) and LB Cody Spencer (shoulder) were all limited in practice Wednesday.

Baker is expected to be back this week. Coles and Cotchery are both nicked up, but expected to play.

Kicker Mike Nugent (thigh) is still out so Jay Feely will continue to kick for the Jets.