Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills are in the throes of challenging roster decisions, but injuries refuse to go ignored during the process. That often makes for less clear-cut choices when trying to build a team coaches feel is strong enough to endure the challenges of a season. One Bills Drive is no stranger to this game of cat & mouse, with the latest setbacks coming off a long weekend in Chicago, IL.
Ahead of their preseason matchup at Soldier Field, Buffalo took part in a joint practice session with the Bears on Friday. Initially few reports claimed anyone as injured for the Bills, but reports on Sunday revealed that center Connor McGovern was held out of preseason action after tweaking his hamstring on Friday. That was then followed on Monday afternoon by a report from Lance Lysowski that running back Darrynton Evans also suffered a hamstring injury in Friday’s joint practice.
That news about Evans was part of a transaction wire report referenced by Lysowski, in which four players had been in to One Bills Drive for tryouts:
It remains to be seen if any of that group is signed to Buffalo’s preseason roster, but time is running short for those on the roster bubble. That’s especially true for those who are injured, which saw wide receiver Kaden Prather again joining the list. Prather had recovered from the hamstring injury that caused him to miss a lot of training camp early on and the first preseason game. He only played 10 snaps, and didn’t catch his lone target. But the bigger concern is that Prather may have re-injured himself.
Doctor Kyle Trimble (aka Banged Up Bills) wonders if “(t)hose wide receivers could spell the end of Kaden Prather’s season after he looked like he aggravated his hamstring (Sunday) night.” It’s going to be an impossibly difficult climb to an active roster spot for Prather, even if healthy. That’s true of many receivers on the bubble, but Buffalo has to field enough players in order to avoid exposing key starters to injury in the final preseason matchup.
That’s perhaps a huge reason for the receiver tryouts, and also the case at running back. The Bills have a loaded running back room, led by James Cook who’s complemented by Ty Johnson and Ray Davis. Many sees the back end of the depth chart as enticing as those behind Cook, with Darrynton Evans and Frank Gore Jr. rounding out a true strength for the team. It’s unlikely that Gore or Evans are bound for the 53-man roster short of injury, but they are viewed as priority practice squad signings. Trimble also wonders if Evans could be staring at a different future.
In other injury news, rookie defensive back Jordan Hancock suffered a shoulder injury. Hancock appeared okay and in good spirits following Sunday’s game, when asked about the situation during locker room interviews. Trimble shared his observations in the...
