vincec

That's what I saw as well. Chandler was the right read there. In great position with a lot of end zone to work with. Woods gets destroyed if they go to him and if Manuel tries Graham on the post then the safety picks it off.

+1. It's only when Marrone, the offensive line specialist, took over than Urbik and Pears (and Spiller and Stevie Johnson and Chandler) started to stink. Coincidence? And don't blame it on Manuel because Fitz is not any better than Manuel.

JP Loss-man was the other starter in 2005 not Trent, and Kelly Holcomb was 4-4 as a starter that season with 10 TDs and 8 Ints. So yes, he was much better than Thad Lewis. Tyler Thigpen never started a game as a Bill so it's tough to judge but he has a career 72.5 QB rating which doesn't totally stink. Billy Joe Hobert wasn't the backup in 1997, Alex Van Pelt was with Todd Collins as the starter. Van Pelt was better than either Tuel or Lewis by a wide margin.

Practice squads are a joke, IMO. They're just a way for NFL teams to keep some extra bodies around during the regular season to beat up on for cheap and protect their actual players.

Expecting Henderson to RT with Glenn back, but surprised to see Pears at RG. Is there anyone they haven't tried at RG yet?

This is as plausible as any, but I wouldn't be happy with Tuel and Lewis as backup QBs. I'd cut one and bring in another QB as a developmental prospect. Also, cutting Hairston for Legursky would be tough to swallow even though I agree with the logic. Finally, and I know that I'm in the minority here, but Goodwin needs to show me something this pre-season to stay on the team. The guy looks like an injury machine in the making and hasn't done anything to keep his roster spot in my mind. If Graham can make a late push over the last two games I think he's a live possibility.

Philbin and Marrone are tied, IMO. Both need to make the playoffs or they're toast.

I like your list, but Dufek, Matheson and Ferragamo were better than either Tuel or Lewis. Brohm and Hobert were third string. I believe Fitz and Edwards were also on the roster with Brohm and Van Pelt and Collins with with Hobert, so the situation wasn't quite as bad as it is now. Totten was a replacement player so I don't think it's really fair to include him on any list. In short, I've been a Bills fan since the OJ days and I have to agree that I don't really remember a worse backup situation than during the Marrone era.

Offense looks the same to me based on preseason. I'm worried about the defense given that they lost Byrd and Kiko, plus Schwartz is a huge unknown IMO. Based on that I'm kind of expecting 5-8 wins, again.

Yeah, like the two situations are remotely comparable. A team that has made it to three straight NFC championship games and one Super Bowl compared to a team that hasn't made the playoffs in a generation. 49er fans KNOW that they are good while Bills fans have scant few reasons to believe so.

So basically, the scouts are stupid? They come to the games where the teams don't use their "real" defenses but don't go to the open practice sessions where they do? If you never practice your defense against live opponents how will you ever be able to play it well once the season starts? I agree that they don't game plan during the preseason, but they'd better be practicing the stuff that they plan on using once the real games start. Otherwise these two months are just an exercise in avoiding injuries.

So there's no need to practice your actual defense prior to the opening game of the season?

Graham was picked off by Duke Williams. It was Williams fault as Graham was in the position he was supposed to be in. Watch the play again. If that's Jarius Byrd back there then that's an int, not a TD.

It would be Pears starting with Hairston as swing backup. Roster would look like this: Glenn, Williams, Wood, Urbik, Pears, Hairson, Henderson, Richardson, Legursky/Kouandio. I can also see Henderson starting to get some RT reps when Glenn returns on his way to swing tackle duty. We'll see how it plays out. No way I start him though.

I'm sure a better backup prospect will be cut in a couple of weeks.

Any more excuses for EJ? The ball was wet? The lights were in his eyes?

Bills DL: M Williams, Dareus, K Williams, Hughes, Lawson, Charles, Cohen, Johnson. If the Bills keep 9 then it is between him and Wynn, IMO. Otherwise he will be cut.

Guard is pretty crowded with candidates right now. I suspect that when Glenn returns we will see Henderson get some reps at RT and Kouandjio get some reps at guard. If Kouandjio looks bad there too then I think he may be in some danger of getting cut. I don't think the NFL would like that.

Gilmore has some improving to do but I think he can do it. If not, Corey Graham has looked pretty good this preseason as well and may push Gilmore for playing time.

What's going to happen when Schwartz leaves after the season and the Bills go back to a 3-4? Who's the OLB then?

I think that Henderson needs a year in the NFL with no issues before anyone entrusts him with a starting position, IMO. Let him work as a tackle backup, ideally in one spot like they are doing and ease him into this thing. Henderson has a lot to prove on and off the field to me before he becomes a starter.

You're funny. Exactly. You don't want too good a backup or Manuel might start looking over his shoulder after a bad game or two. I don't necessarily agree with this but it seems to me that this is the Bills approach.

I don't see it happening. The Bills staff is stubbornly "happy" with the current QB situation. These are the guys for the Marrone era, IMO. The only way things change is if there is an injury.

Any news on how Hairston has looked at guard in practice? My impression from reading the reports so far was that he didn't do that well there and was back working at tackle.