Bills Notes: Ryan, Whaley, Ikard
- Conflicting reports emerged earlier this year as to whether Bills general manager Doug Whaley and head coach Rex Ryan faced playoffs-or-bust ultimatums — but team owner Terry Pegula says the rumors were unfounded. “No. We just hired the guys!” Pegula told Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “Doug’s a new GM basically (promoted in May 2013). And we just hired Rex. We’re talking about continuity, and the players need that.” The Bills are now 4-2 and back in the thick of the playoff race after winning four straight.
- Offensive lineman Gabe Ikard was cut earlier today to make room for the return of Shaq Lawson, but the Bills plan to re-sign next week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Ikard, a two-year NFL veteran, hasn’t played an offensive role for Buffalo this season, as he’s seen zero snaps. But he had managed to see the field for 11 special teams plays.
Bills Add Shaq Lawson To Active Roster
The Bills announced that rookie Shaq Lawson has been activated from the PUP list to the 53-man roster. Buffalo also promoted tight end Manasseh Garner up from the practice squad. To make room, the Bills cut guard Gabe Ikard and tight end Gerald Christian. 
Lawson, the No. 19 overall pick in this year’s draft, will join the team’s outside linebacker rotation behind Jerry Hughes and Lorenzo Alexander. After the Miami game, it seems possible that Lawson could be in line for a larger role. Per the team website, Lawson could also be moved to inside linebacker on passing downs.
Initially, it looked like Lawson’s shoulder surgery would keep him out for longer, but he has beaten expectations on his recovery. Many also expected the Bills’ defense to wilt without Lawson and other key players, but Buffalo has shocked everyone by winning their last four games, putting them at 4-2.
Latest On Bills RB LeSean McCoy
Bills running back LeSean McCoy is not playing this Sunday and could miss more time after that depending on how he heals, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
McCoy has been having a strong season for Buffalo, averaging 5.6 yards per carry through six games. Shady also has six touchdowns and one receiving touchdown, making him one of the NFL’s most productive running backs so far in this young season. Losing McCoy will hurt Buffalo, though they do have a talented backup in Mike Gillislee.
Gillislee is expected to start when the Bills face the Dolphins on Monday. Buffalo may also make a move to add another tailback to the roster.
Last year, racked up 1,187 total yards from scrimmage in 12 games. When he was out, Karlos Williams stepped up and kept Buffalo’s ground game moving. With any luck, the Bills can stay afloat with Gillislee, Jonathan Williams, and Reggie Bush in the backfield if McCoy has to miss significant time.
Bills' Vet Compares Greg Roman, Anthony Lynn
- Trestman wasn’t the first offensive coordinator to lose his job this year. That description belongs to Greg Roman, whom the Bills ousted after Week 2. Buffalo has won three straight since replacing Roman with Anthony Lynn, though the Bills’ defense has played a larger role in the turnaround than their offense. Still, one Bills veteran explained to Breer the key difference in the offense since Lynn took the reins, saying, “We’re running the same plays that we did under G-Ro. It’s just that with Roman, we had a huge playbook and we could run absolutely anything from week-to-week. Anthony’s all about matchups… He played [in the NFL], so he knows matchups are huge.”
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No Surgery For Bills WR Sammy Watkins
Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins will be out for a while, but he won’t have to go under the knife, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This week, foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson informed Watkins that he won’t need surgery and he can instead get by with just rest and rehab. That leaves the door open for Watkins to return to action late in the season. 
[RELATED: Bills Activate Seantrel Henderson]
Late last month, the Bills placed Watkins on injured reserve but the new rules allow teams to bring one player back from IR each season after eight weeks on the shelf. That means that the wide receiver could potentially return as soon for Week 12.
Watkins, 23, has been dealing with his foot issue since May, when he had a screw inserted following what was termed a “minor” fracture. The ailment clearly held him back this season as he recorded just six catches for 63 yards in two games. The foot was also an issue for Watkins in 2015, but he powered through the pain on most weeks.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/11/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Davis Tull
- Cut: P Michael Palardy
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: K Marshall Morgan (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OL Brian Mihalik
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: C Jake Brendel, T Terry Poole (Twitter link via Howard Balzer)
- Cut: G Jamil Douglas (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com)
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Ian Silberman (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New York Giants
- Signed: QB Logan Thomas (Twitter link via James Kratch of NJ.com)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Don Cherry, CB Duke Thomas
- Cut: FB Andrew Bonnet, G Darrell Greene
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: FB Julian Howsare
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Cut: LB Josh Keyes
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DL Joey Mbu
- Cut: CB Robertson Daniel, LB Jason Fanaika
Bills Activate Seantrel Henderson
The Bills announced that they have activated offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson. To make room, safety Colt Anderson has been placed on injured reserve. 
Henderson was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The tackle started all 16 games in his rookie season in Buffalo, and had started ten games for the team in 2015 before he was sidelined with Crohn’s. In May, head coach Rex Ryan and some of Henderson’s teammates indicated that they had not heard from him in some time.
This offseason, there were also rumblings that Henderson’s heart wasn’t in playing football and some teammates indicated that he had a problem with marijuana. The 24-year-old now has a chance to silence his critics as he joins the Bills this week.
Anderson suffered an arm injury in Buffalo’s 30-19 victory over the Rams. After spending the first six years of his career with the Eagles and Colts, Anderson joined Buffalo this offseason to beef up their special teams unit. He’ll be eligible for free agency after the season.
The Bills host the Niners on Sunday.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills Activate Marcell Dareus
Fresh off two straight wins to even their record at 2-2, the Bills will welcome back one of their cornerstone players in time for a road game against the Rams on Sunday. The team has activated two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, whom the NFL suspended for the season’s first four games for a substance abuse violation. In corresponding moves, the Bills have placed wide receiver Greg Salas on injured reserve with a groin issue and cut guard Terran Vaughn from their practice squad.
Dareus is now coming off his second suspension in as many years, though his ban in 2015 only lasted one game. After the league handed him his latest suspension, the 26-year-old claimed it was the result of a missed drug test. Dareus also declared he’d check into rehab. Neither of those statements proved true, however, as Tim Graham of the Buffalo News reported Wednesday that Dareus did not miss a test – he instead violated the league’s drug program multiple times dating back to his one-game suspension last year. And, in lieu of rehab, Dareus received treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to Jarrett Bell of USA Today. He also sought counsel from Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Bruce Smith, the Bills’ all-time greatest defender.
Going forward, the Bills will now hope Dareus’ off-field troubles are behind him. The club signed the ex-Alabama star and 2011 third overall pick to a massive extension 13 months ago, but Dareus then had somewhat of a disappointing season as part of an underachieving defense. Dareus posted a career-low sack total last season (two) after piling up 10.5 the previous year and a combined 28.5 from 2011-14. He could now bolster a unit that ranks fourth in the league in sacks, 14th in DVOA and 16th in total defense.
Meanwhile, although Salas missed the Bills’ wins over the past two weeks, his loss is another blow to the depth of a team that’s perilously thin at receiver. With Salas and the highly talented Sammy Watkins on IR, the Bills are left with Robert Woods, Marquise Goodwin and Walter Powell as their top three options. Salas hauled in four catches for 89 yards and a touchdown over the season’s first two weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
No Deal For Bills, Karlos Williams?
Earlier today, it was reported that Karlos Williams would be working out for the Bills this week with a deal effectively agreed upon between the two sides. Apparently, that’s not quite the case. Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter) hears from a team source that the odds of a deal are now “50/50.” Meanwhile, Ryan Talbot of NewYorkUpstate.com hears that the Bills have cancelled Williams’ work out. 
Williams is highly talented, but also a handful to deal with off the field. This year, the league office suspended the running back for the first four games of the season due to a substance abuse policy violation. Then, in the summer, Williams ballooned up to 261 pounds, up from his 2015 playing weight of 229. The Bills grew tired of the headaches caused by Williams and they released him in August.
The Bills signed veteran Reggie Bush to serve as Williams’ primary backup, but that addition hasn’t really panned out. Williams would make sense for Buffalo as a complement to LeSean McCoy, but it doesn’t appear that there is any deal in place at the moment.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills To Re-Sign Karlos Williams
Karlos Williams is set to return to the NFL and it sounds like he’s going to do it with the only team he’s ever known. The running back is visiting with the Bills today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter), and the Bills are expected to re-sign him. It is not immediately clear whether Williams has signed a practice squad deal or an active roster deal, but it is presumably the latter.
Despite a rookie year in which he averaged 5.6 yards per carry, picked up 613 scrimmage yards, and scored nine times on just 104 touches, Williams has proven to be a bit of a headache. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season after violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and he struggled with his weight throughout the offseason. The Bills opted to cut Williams in August and he went unclaimed on waivers.
If he is on the 53-man roster, the 2015 fifth-round pick will resume his old place as a backup behind starter LeSean McCoy. And if that’s the case, veteran Reggie Bush could be on the outs.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.