Seahawks Lineman Out for Opener?

The Seahhawks are expected to be without receivers Bobby Engram and Deion Branch for the season opener against the Bills. Today, word comes that they may also be without starting right tackle Sean Locklear. He's got a sprained knee. Coach Mike Holmgren says Locklear is out 2 weeks, and could miss the opener on September 7th. He's hopeful, but says its a close call. Locklear was hurt in this weekend's preseason game against Chicago.
As I said when news of the receiver injuries hit, maybe the injury gods have moved on from Buffalo and taken up residence in the Northwest.

Taking Nothing for Granted

So much of training camp reporting deals with rookies, and the new free agents on the roster. You can sometimes overlook the work that experienced, veteran starters put in, just to keep their jobs and excel.
For example, today I watched both starting cornerbacks, Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer,work after practice for about 30-minutes. They ran through conditioning drills and technique exercises long after their teammates ended the 2-hour afternoon workout.
I asked McGee about it later on. Keep in mind, he's solidly entrenched as the starting CB, and he's been to the Pro Bowl as a return specialist. Terrence said he and Greer started this practice last year during the season, working two or three days a week after practice, just tuning up and keeping focused on their jobs.
It's impressive, to say the least. I think it's that kind of work ethic that separates veterans who excel in the NFL from those just hanging on to their jobs. It's important to keep an eye on those veterans at camp, along with the rookies and new faces.

A Lot to Choose From at WR

Now that Josh Reed is back practicing, it struck me watching practice today what a diverse group of wide receivers the Bills have in camp. It's a good thing--a mix of targets for Trent Edwards with various skills and sizes.
Think about it--you've got Lee Evans, the all-around guy with speed, route running ability, and good hands. You've got Josh Reed the ultimate possession receiver and strong blocker for the running game. Add in James Hardy, the big red-zone target who's probably going to be used as a situational WR this year. And, of course, Roscoe Parrish, the waterbug wideout who cannot be stopped in the open field. The top four receivers provide a mixture of size and skill that Trent Edwards says is critical. Edwards told me today he gets a chance to put Hardy and Evans outside, work Roscoe and Reed inside, and then split Marshawn Lynch or Fred Jackson out wide, to cause matchup problems for opposing defenses.

Turf Wars

Hello, pot. This is the kettle. You're black. That's what I thought of when I heard the Steelers complaining about the turf in the Rogers Centre. The same Steelers who's grass at Heinz Field is just about the worst in the NFL. Remember the Monday Night game played in the mud bog against the Dolphins? Remember the team's decision to NOT replace that cow pasture with a synthetic surface like Fieldturf? It'll be grass again this season. Can't wait for those November games when Ben Roethlisberger will have to be listed 2 inches shorter because his feet have sunk in to the mud.
Granted, the turf in the Rogers Centre is unlike any other in the NFL. Because they play baseball on it, its a much lower blade of synthetic grass. Because it gets removed, it was a bit matted down and there were more seams than a normal NFL field. But no one appeared to trip, stumble or was injured during the preseason game. It actually might make the players faster, because its easier to cut on.
But Roethlisberger and Leftwich should have kept quiet. After all, its the Dolphins problem now.

Position Switch for Corto

It's worth keeping an eye on, in the last few days of training camp. Free agent Jon Corto has been moved to outside linebacker from strong safety, a position switch that occured in the middle of last week.
Corto was impressive last Thursday at his new/old position. He played linebacker in college, at Sacred Heart. With injuries to the LB corps, the Bills felt the need to move Corto back to OLB for awhile. He seemed to thrive at the position, making several tackles on defense. He also got a look at the gunner spot on punt team. In all, Corto looks to be filling the shoes of Coy Wire who was not re-signed by the Bills, and it just could be his ticket onto the roster.
The Orchard Park native told me he feels much more comfortable at LB, and he thinks he can make more plays from that spot. It will be interesting to see if the Bills keep him there through the rest of the preseason, and to see if can mount a challenge for a roster spot.
Corto is our guest tonight at 6:45pm on News 4 at Six, live from Training Camp.

Hamdan's Role

The typical job description for a third string quarterback in the NFL? Hold a clipboard on the sidelines, take a few snaps at the end of practice, and don't cause any problems. The Bills Gibran Hamdan does all of that, and he does it with good humor and perspective.
But Hamdan also provides a key role as Trent Edwards primary counselor and sounding board. Edwards freely admits that he counts on Hamdan as an extra set of eyes during practice and games, and a source of information during QB meetings. Even though Hamdan only has two more years of experience than Edwards, he has experience in different offensive systems and with different coaches and teammates. It's clear that Edwards leans on Hamdan for advice and support, even though Hamdan tries to downplay how much he helps the starting QB.
Hamdan has an interesting life story, growing up in California, moving to Kuwait at an early age, and watching his family victimized by some of the violence and upheaval in that turbulent part of the world.
He adds a lot to the Bills mix at quarterback, and the coaching staff considers him an important piece of the puzzle.

Reinforcements for Offensive Tackle?

Matt Murphy is hurt, so is Patrick Estes, and Jason Peters is nowhere to be found. All of a sudden, the Bills have a serious depth problem at Offensive Tackle. Murphy has a shoulder injury, and we saw him walking around camp today with his arm in a sling. Dick Jauron had very little in the way of an update on Murphy's injury, or how long he might be out. Patrick Estes, the free agent from Virginia, was on the sidelines with his left leg wrapped up, and there's no word on how much time he might miss. And, of course, Jason Peters is still holding out.
Dick Jauron seemed to indicate today that it would be nearly impossible to bring in a backup tackle to help in this Thursday's game in Toronto. But late in the day, we spotted Bills personnel officials putting a potential roster candidate through a workout, so stay tuned.