I have been scribbling, replacing and crossing out names on my depth chart throughout the preseason. After watching the preseason games and seeing the coverage that is available, I have a good idea who the Bills will keep this season.
I went with an even 25/25/3 split to make things easy. Surely Chan Gailey will have some variations in mind as he chisels away cuts. By going with 25 on each side of the ball I allowed myself to be somewhat conservative with my choices. Reason being, there aren’t many guys you want to take a chance on.
Quarterback: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen and Brad Smith. Easy pickings here. I thought there was a chance Smith would be kept as a seventh receiver so Levi Brown could stick around. That is obviously not a choice as every roster spot is precious at this time of the year.
Running Back: Fred Jackson, C.J. Spiller, Johnny White. Another easy position. Not too much threat to the incumbents and Johnny White has enough upside to not lose out to any of the other camp invites.
Fullback: Corey McIntyre: McIntyre is the fullback, end of story. He is very valuable on offense and special teams. Jehuu Caulcrick may have given him a run, but there was little chance McIntyre would lose his spot.
Wide Receiver: Stevie Johnson, Marcus Easley, Roscoe Parrish, David Nelson, Donald Jones, Naaman Roosevelt. I was curious to see if Ruvell Martin and Buster Davis could carve out a roster spot ahead of Roosevelt and Jones. That doesn’t appear to be the case. I do think Easley will start opposite Johnson this season. Parrish and Nelson were quiet in the preseason, Gailey should have some interesting ways to utilize his slot men.
Tight End: Scott Chandler, David Martin, Mike Caussin. I was hoping this would be the year for Shawn Nelson. However, he failed to stay healthy yet again. Chandler looks capable and Martin was good last season. Caussin makes my roster but is very much on the bubble. He could be cut to make more room on defense or for an offensive lineman.
Tackle: Demetrius Bell, Erik Pears, Chris Hairston. I only kept three with two things in mind. They could keep Ed Wang and cut Mike Caussin. Or, they will utilize Mansfield Wrotto at both guard and tackle. Don’t be surprised to see a waiver acquisition or two.
Guard: Andy Levitre, Kraig Urbik, Chad Rinehart, Mansfield Wrotto. Fairly straightforward on who to keep and cuut at guard. Wrotto can swing to tackle, apparently Levitre can too. Rinehart is a few bad snaps from getting on the field.
Center: Erik Wood, Geoff Hangartner. Everyone thinks Hangartner is gone, I’m not so sure. He is experienced and can at guard. Not to mention, there are no other centers on the roster.
Outside Linebacker: Shawne Merriman, Chris Kelsay, Danny Batten, Antonio Coleman. For my money Arthur Moats would be in this rotation as well. The coaches see it differently. The top three are locks, Batten has been excellent so far. Coleman and Robert Eddins were pretty close coming to the end of the preseason, but Coleman’s experience and Eddins practice squad eligibility makes the choice much easier.
Inside Linebacker: Nick Barnett, Andra Davis, Kirk Morrison, Kelvin Sheppard, Chris White. Chris White appears to be very much on the bubble with Coleman, Eddins and Moats. White has an edge over Moats inside because he is capable of playing the position, Moats can’t play inside. White could be sacrificed for a defensive back, but Gailey is more likely to keep additional linebackers over linemen or backs. Moats could also sneak in if there are only 24 offensive players on the final 53.
Defensive End: Marcell Dareus, Dwan Edwards, Spencer Johnson, Alex Carrington, Kellen Heard. Two versatile players inspired me to keep five DEs. Heard can play on the nose or at end while Carrington has played quite a bit as an outside linebacker. The other three are obvious choices, with the versatility of the other two the Bills can maximize their skill with limited numbers.
Nose Tackle: Kyle Williams, Torrell Troup. I wanted to find a way to put Mike Jasper on that list but I couldn’t find a spot. Again, he could be kept around depending on who is kept offensively. However, a season of coaching and training with the practice squad is what he needs. Just think of what it did for Jason Peters.
Cornerback: Terrence McGee, Drayton Florence, Leodis McKelvin, Aaron Williams, Reggie Corner. Consider Justin Rogers and Corner interchangeable. Also don’t be surprised to see Rogers kept along with the other five. The top four are locked in and talented, corner is one position the Bills shouldn’t struggle with.
Safety: George Wilson, Jarius Byrd, Bryan Scott, Da’Norris Searcy. Again I was forced to leave out a player unwanted to keep. Jon Corto should have a spot on this team but drafting Searcy and limited numbers may kill his chances.
Specialists: Rian Lindell, Brian Moorman, Garrison Sanborn. No surprises here, not even going to bother explaining these three.
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