2 Cuts, 1 Trade, No Big Loss

With the season around the corner The Bills have made their final roster cuts and are now ready to start their season.  As reported earlier, the Bills first started by releasing offensive coordinator Turk Schonert.  Although several players were released, there were really only three players of significance that are no longer Buffalo Bills.  

Buffalo traded away safety Ko Simpson to the Detroit Lions for an undisclosed draft pick.  This is good news for Ko Simpson as he desperately needs a change of scenery to try and get back to the way he was playing prior to last season.  Ko Simpson still has talent but has been passed on the depth chart time and time again and was not going to see any significant playing time.  He made my list of top players that needed to be cut.  Buffalo can now focus all of their attention on Jarius Byrd as he transitions to the speed of the NFL game.

Cut by the Bills were two veterans, one a running back and the other a offensive lineman.  Released this past week were Dominic Rhodes and Kirk Chambers.  It was believed that Rhodes would assist in the running attack while Marshawn Lynch is serving his three game suspension.  With the continued growth of Fred Jackson and the impending platoon that he will be sharing with Marshawn Lynch once the suspension is served, Rhodes never did fit into the Bills plans.  Rhodes should catch on with a team but will never be a featured back again, although stranger things have happened like Antoine Smith winning a Super Bowl?!?!  Rhodes has enough talent and veteran presence to help any team, just not the Bills.  This may also mean that Buffalo may show Fred Jackson some commitment by allowing him the full three games to truly show what he can do as an NFL starter.  

Kirk Chambers has been a serviceable lineman while with the Buffalo Bills.  The only reason he was cut was because of numbers.  Demetrius Bell has emerged and with such an importance on developing younger players with yet to be realised ceilings, Kirk Chambers did not figure into the mix.  Chambers has hit his peak and although he is serviceable, he is by no means the anchor that will ever hold this line together.  The Chambers cut does not really affect the Bills as their line is already going under a major overhaul anyway.  Chambers was a good backup but nothing more.  

The one cut I did not see which I am again disappointed in was Chris Kelsay.  This cat has 9 lives.  Kelsay was one player who did not stand out in preseason as making improvements.  He has not shown any form of a second level to his skill set either.  Chris Kelsay has survived for another year, and for another year it is on Aaron Schobel to generate the pass rush.

Tags: Aaron Schobel, Antoine Smith, Buffalo Bills, Chris Kelsay, Demetrius Bell, Detroit Lions, Dominic Rhodes, Fred Jackson, Jairus Byrd, Kirk Chambers, Ko Simpson, Marshawn Lynch, Turk Schonert