Roster

For the third time in Bills offseason practice, rookie receiver Da'Rick Rogers hooked up with E.J. Manuel for a long touchdown. Rogers also caught a bomb from Kevin Kolb in drills two weeks ago.

The Bills official team website reports that tight end Lee Smith has been sidelined since late last week with an undisclosed lower right leg injury. He was seen on the sidelines Wednesday with his right leg in an immobilizer boot. Head coach Doug Marrone said Smith is unlikely to return to the field before late July. “We had an injury in the weight room and he’ll be available for training camp,” said Marrone.

Leg - Questionable for start of training camp

Bills defensive back Da'Norris Searcy left in Week 6 against the Cardinals due to an ankle injury. He sustained the injury in the second quarter and was unable to return to the contest. Searcy did not record a tackle prior to leaving.

Bills quarterback Tyler Thigpen saw his first action of the season in Week 15 against the Seahawks. He came on for starter Ryan Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter and completed 3 of 5 passes for 30 yards in the 50-17 loss.

Bills coach Chan Gailey said defensive lineman Mark Anderson will miss another 2-3 weeks because he had another procedure on his injured knee.

Bills cornerback Aaron Williams hurt his right knee making a tackle and left the game Sunday at the Texans in Week 9. He finished the game with four tackles.

Bills defensive lineman Marcell Dareus had a strong performance in Week 16 against the Dolphins, despite a 24-10 loss. Dareus got to Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill twice in the game, while adding four solo tackles.

The Buffalo News reports that Bills receiver Steve Johnson revealed his previous back injury wasn't merely a strain. He broke it. Johnson said he fractured his L-5 vertebra in March while filming a workout session. "It got to the point where, 'It's got to be something more than a strain or something' because every time I sit down it's hurting," Johnson said. "Every time I stand up it's hurting. I lay down, it's hurting. I went through rehab and it wasn't helping. So I got the MRI, and it was a slight fracture." Johnson said he was given a cortisone shot and an epidural as part of his recovery.

The Bills official team website reports that tight end Scott Chandler is participating in minicamp Tuesday. This is a surprise since he's just five months removed from ACL surgery after he was injured in Week 16. It is not known if Chandler worked in team drills or did individual work on the side.

Knee - Questionable for start of training camp

Buffalo LB Chris White suffered a torn ACL during the Week 10 game at Dallas, reports the Buffalo News Monday. White, a rookie, will miss the remainder of the season.

The Cardinals waived or released the following players Friday: cornerback Crezdon Butler, linebacker Antonio Coleman, safety Blake Gideon, linebacker Clark Haggans, defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin, linebacker Colin Parker, cornerback Larry Parker, wide receiver DeMarco Sampson, tight end Steve Skelton, running back Alfonso Smith, linebacker Quan Sturdivant, defensive end Ronald Talley, defensive end Everette Thompson, tight end Martell Webb and wide receiver Isaiah Williams.

The Bills have released QB Aaron Corp, kicker Chris Koepplin and TE Joe Sawyer.

The Bills announced Wednesday defensive backs Cris Hill and Joshua Nesbitt were waived-injured.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made some cuts on Monday afternoon to trim the roster down to 75 players, reports the Tampa Tribune. Released were running back De'Anthony Curtis, snapper Andrew DePaola, wide receiver Greg Ellingson, tight end Collin Franklin, wide receiver Ed Gant, punter Eric Guthrie, tackle Mike Ingersoll, linebacker Brian Smith, safety Tramain Thomas and cornerback Marquese Wheaton.

The Bills have drafted Texas receiver Marquise Goodwin with the 78th pick in the NFL draft, adding speed to what's becoming a new-look offense. Listed at 5-foot-8 and 179 pounds, Goodwin competed at the London Summer Games last year, where he finished 10th in the long jump. He was also a sprinter on the Longhorns track team. In football, he had 120 catches for 1,364 yards and seven touchdowns in 50 career games, including 22 starts. Goodwin became the second receiver drafted by Buffalo on Thursday. The team opened the second round by selecting Southern California's Robert Woods with the 41st pick. The Bills offense is being transformed under rookie head coach Doug Marrone. Buffalo opened the draft by picking Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel with the 16th pick.

Playing in only his fifth game after beginning the season on injured reserve, Bills rookie defensive back Ron Brooks recorded a team-high nine tackles, including eight solo, Week 13 against the Jaguars. He entered the game with only four tackles on the season.

The Bills official team website reports that second-year receiver T.J. Graham looks like "a prime candidate to make a jump" in his production this season. The report says Graham made a host of plays in the passing game through the course of OTA practices. Graham said he put in a lot of time to sharpen his game and believes he’s already reaping the rewards in practice. “I understood what I had to do for an NFL game or a practice -- what things to work on,” said Graham. “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. You’ve got to pace yourself. The training this year was a little different. There’s different things I trained on — speed work, better endurance. I feel good.”

The Bills have released cornerback Terrence McGee Thursday, according to ESPN. McGee spent the final two months of the regular season on the injured reserve list because of a nagging knee injury.

Knee - Probable for start of training camp

Buffalo defensive lineman Mario Williams is active for Week 17 against the Jets as he continues to return to full strength following a wrist injury. Williams, who has dealt with the issue for most of the season, was listed as probable on the team's injury report.

Bills wide receiver Marcus Easley was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster Tuesday.

Doug Marrone said he believes in playing the hot hand when it comes to running backs, not pulling them off the field in certain situations because of size or ability. That's a change for the Bills as the previous coaching staff preferred Fred Jackson in certain situations over C.J. Spiller. "We have two backs that can produce results," Marrone said. "C.J. has great ability to get outside and also run inside. I see C.J. Spiller, from the time I've been here, has worked extremely hard to really step his game up, and that's exciting. I see Fred as a veteran player really work hard and look good. I think we have an opportunity to have two backs back there that can be productive, and sometimes we've had them in the same backfield together in this camp."

Knee - Probable for start of training camp

The Bills added wide receiver Ruvell Martin to the active roster Tuesday after he was among the team's final cuts last week. Martin filled the vacancy created by defensive back Ron Brooks' move to injured reserve recall with a foot injury.

Buffalo announced that tight end Mike Caussin's contract has tolled and he will remain under contract. Caussin was placed on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform prior to the 2012 season.

Knee - Questionable for start of training camp

The Bills placed linebacker Arthur Moats (ankle) on injured reserve Tuesday.

The Bills have signed safety Bryan Scott to a new contract.

The Bills announced they have designated free safety Jairus Byrd as its franchise player. He's expected to continue his career in Buffalo.

The Bills promoted defensive lineman Jay Ross from the practice squad to the active roster Tuesday.

The Bills signed cornerback Crezdon Butler Wednesday.

The Bills promoted cornerback T.J. Heath from the practice squad to the active roster Wednesday.

Buffalo cornerback Stephon Gilmore had one of his better tackling performances in the Week 10 loss at New England Sunday. Gilmore finished the game with six tackles and five went for solo stops. The 22-year-old rookie's season high was seven tackles done twice this year.

Doug Marrone said he believes in playing the hot hand when it comes to running backs, not pulling them off the field in certain situations because of size or ability. That should mean good things for C.J. Spiller, who has been the Bills' most explosive back the past few years. Marrone said he has no concerns over putting Spiller in certain spots so long as he's running well. "I've really seen him as well as Fred (Jackson) work on the things that make them both complete backs," Marrone said per the Buffalo News. "Our goal, when we put a back back there, is to make sure they're complete backs. ... C.J. has great ability to get outside and also run inside. I see C.J. Spiller, from the time I've been here, has worked extremely hard to really step his game up, and that's exciting."

Following their April minicamp the Bills signed kicker Chris Koepplin, fullback Frank Summers, punter Brian Stahovich and defensive ends Kourtnei Brown and Jamie Blatnick.

Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams had Achilles surgery in mid-February, the official team site reports. Williams' injury was not a rupture and instead was a frayed ligament, helping his chances to be ready for the start of the season.

Achilles - Questionable for start of training camp

The Bills traded linebacker Kelvin Sheppard to the Colts for pass rusher Jerry Hughes. Sheppard started 15 games for the Bills last year and has at least 70 total tackles in each of his first two seasons. Hughes, a former first-round pick, posted career-highs with four sacks and 41 total tackles last season.

The Bills have tendered exclusive rights free agent Dorin Dickerson, likely making him part of the team in 2013. Though rarely used last season (he caught nine passes), the official team website speculates he could receive a larger role in the Bills' offense this season.

Bills NT Torell Troup (lower back) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. DL Lionel Dotson was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster to take Troup's spot.

The Sports Xchange notes Bills rookie Kelvin Sheppard is close to officially taking over one of the team's inside linebacker sports alongside Nick Barnett, replacing veteran Andra Davis. Sheppard, who battled injuries in training camp, is healthy and making an impact. He took most of the snaps in the loss to the Giants. "He's sitting right there ready to take over that role," coach Chan Gailey said. "Whether he starts or not (vs. Washington on Oct. 30), I don't know. But he's going to get the majority of the snaps."

The Bills have claimed tight end Mickey Shuler off waivers from the Raiders.

The Chiefs announced Sunday the release of fullback Shane Bannon, tight end Tim Briere, linebacker Caleb Campbell, defensive back Dominique Ellis, defensive back Jean Fanor, linebacker Dexter Heyman, wide receiver Jeremy Horne, defensive end Ethan Johnson, wide receiver Brandon Kinnie, wide receiver Zeke Markshausen, kicker Matt Szymanski and wide receiver Aaron Weaver.

The Bills official team website reports that Kevin Kolb took the first snaps under center Tuesday at minicamp. E.J. Manuel was after Kolb, and the Bills also released Tarvaris Jackson on Monday.

Buffalo kicker Rian Lindell missed both of his field-goal attempts and tallied four extra points during the Bills' 28-9 victory over the Jets in Week 17. Lindell was unable to convert on attempts of 50 and 46 yards -- both in the third quarter -- as the swirling wind sent both kicks wide left.

The Bills re-signed linebacker Kirk Morrison Thursday.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the Steelers added defensive lineman Corbin Bryant to the 53-man roster Tuesday.

On Monday the Bills announced the release of veteran safety George Wilson and linebacker Nick Barnett. Wilson had over 100 total tackles in each of the last two seasons with 11 passes defensed over that span. Barnett actually led the team in tackles each of the last two seasons with 112 this year and 130 in 2011.

CBSSports.com NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reports the Bills have signed defensive tackle Alan Branch to a one-year deal.

The Bill selected tight end Chris Gragg in the seventh round of the NFL Draft out of Arkansas. Gragg caught 72 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in four years for the Razorbacks. He is more of a receiver than a blocker, and he led all tight ends at the Combine with a 4.50 40-yard dash.

The Bills have claimed linebacker Marcus Dowtin off waivers from the Eagles.

Buffalo placed veteran K Dave Rayner on injured reserve Wednesday with a shoulder injury. Rayner is the second Bills kicker to be sidelined for the season after K Rian Lindell also went down with a shoulder injury. Buffalo signed K Brandon Coutu to replace Rayner.

The Bills promoted wide receiver Chris Hogan and linebacker Greg Lloyd from the practice squad to the active roster Tuesday.

The Bills have put rookie linebacker Kiko Alonso with the first-team defense in OTA workouts. He's been working as the middle linebacker and also is calling plays for the defense according to the official team website.

The Bills promoted defensive back Mana Silva to the active roster from their practice squad Friday. Silva was signed by Buffalo in early October after being released by Dallas. The Bills waived fellow defensive back Delano Howell to create a roster spot for Silva.

Bills RB Corey McIntyre ran once for 1 yard against the Lions in Week 10. The carry was only his fourth of the season.

Bills CB Justin Rogers left practice with an ankle injury, coach Chan Gailey said. "They took him in to make sure it was all right, and it wasn't anything bad," Gailey said. "They think he's just fine." Rogers was a seventh-round pick of the team in April's NFL Draft.

Bills NT Torell Troup (lower back) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. DL Lionel Dotson was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster to take Troup's spot.

Following their April minicamp the Bills signed kicker Chris Koepplin, fullback Frank Summers, punter Brian Stahovich and defensive ends Kourtnei Brown and Jamie Blatnick.

The Bills promoted wide receiver Chris Hogan and linebacker Greg Lloyd from the practice squad to the active roster Tuesday.

The Bills continued trimming their roster Friday in preparation for the regular season and released the following players: wide receivers Derek Hagan, Naaman Roosevelt, Ruvell Martin, Kamar Aiken and Marcus Easley; tight end Kevin Brock; running backs Johnny White and Zach Brown; linebackers Tank Carder and Scott McKillop; defensive linemen Robert Eddins, Jarron Gilbert and Kellen Heard; and defensive backs Nick Saenz and Isaiah Green.

Bills defensive lineman Alex Carrington, who hadn't recorded a sack since Week 2 against the Chiefs, came through with 1 1/2 Week 13 against the Jaguars. He also had four tackles, including three solo, in the contest.

The Bills continued trimming their roster Friday in preparation for the regular season and released the following players: wide receivers Derek Hagan, Naaman Roosevelt, Ruvell Martin, Kamar Aiken and Marcus Easley; tight end Kevin Brock; running backs Johnny White and Zach Brown; linebackers Tank Carder and Scott McKillop; defensive linemen Robert Eddins, Jarron Gilbert and Kellen Heard; and defensive backs Nick Saenz and Isaiah Green.

Buffalo wide receiver Brad Smith racked up 46 total yards from scrimmage and a touchdown during the Bills' 28-9 victory over the Jets in Week 17. While lining up in the wildcat formation, Smith darted into the end zone on a 4-yard run during the fourth quarter for his first touchdown of the season and first score against his former team. He posted two receptions for 26 yards on six targets from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The Bills official team website singled out rookie Robert Woods for his performance in practice Monday. In his first workout with the team Woods still had some timing issues with the quarterbacks but proved his route running is not amateurish. "I was really impressed with was a move that a lot of young guys make a mistake on and he didn't make it," Kevin Kolb said. "He beat the guy off the line and he continued to run his route and continued to push and was patient with it. He understood the timing of the offense and my footwork and we were able to hit a big play and keep the integrity of the pocket. That was good to see and I complemented him on it. A lot of young guys don’t do that. He’s somewhat complex in his route running ability."

Bills general manager Buddy Nix named Nigel Bradham as a "three-down defender" and likely starting weak-side linebacker in 2013.

According to his representatives, the Bills have re-signed running back Tashard Choice.

The Bills official team website reports that Kevin Kolb took the first snaps under center Tuesday at minicamp. E.J. Manuel was after Kolb, and the Bills also released Tarvaris Jackson on Monday.

The Bills drafted kicker Dustin Hopkins in the sixth round of the NFL Draft out of Florida State. Hopkins will compete with veteran Rian Lindell for the starting job.

Buffalo promoted wide receiver Kevin Elliott to the active roster Friday, giving the team some flexibility at the position for Week 17 against the Jets. Elliott took the roster spot vacated by tight end Scott Chandler, who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week.

The Bills placed LB Reggie Torbor on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, coach Chan Gailey said on Thursday. The eighth-year pro was one of the leaders in the locker room and he was a key contributor on obvious passing downs. "Reggie Torbor was a strong person on our football team and we're going to miss him," Gailey added.

The Bills have signed outside linebacker Manny Lawson after falling out of favor in Cincinnati. The veteran started 10 games last season but only racked up 39 total tackles, the lowest since an injury-shortened 2007.

The Bills released running back Chris Douglas the team announced Friday. Douglas was placed on injured reserve last Tuesday with an undisclosed injury.

FOXSports.com reports Saturday that the Bills have signed defensive back Leodis McKelvin to a four-year deal worth $20 million. McKelvin totaled 20 tackles and picked off just one pass in 2012 before landing on injured reserve with a groin injury late in the season.

Notable players let go of by the Bills include: WR Kamar Aiken, QB Levi Brown, FB Jehuu Caulcrick, TE Mike Caussin, OLB Antonio Coleman, CB Reggie Corner, WR Buster Davis, DT Lionel Dotson, DB Sidney Glover, ILB Brandon Hicks, DT Michael Jasper, DE T.J. Langley, CB Doyle Miller, TE Shawn Nelson, QB Josh Nesbitt and WR Naaman Roosevelt. Additionally the team waived/injured FS Jon Corto, WR Felton Huggins and OLB Jammie Kirlew. RB Bruce Hall was placed on injured reserve.

Though Bills defensive lineman Spencer Johnson was active for Week 13 against the Jaguars, he was unable to return to the lineup. He's been plagued by a hamstring injury for the last three games.