FINE HAS SERIOUS THUMB INJURY: Last season the tight end position was hit hard as Kevin Everett suffered a career ending injury in week one and then rookie Derek Schouman suffered a high ankle sprain and wound up on injured reserve as well.

Fast forward to this year and the Bills have yet to get out of the preseason and Derek Schouman is still a bit away from returning to action and now Derek Fine has what Dick Jauron called a "fairly serious thumb injury."

Though Jauron did not confirm whether it's broke he did say he would be out "a while."

That takes both of Buffalo's top move tight ends off the field, so lining up in the backfield pre-snap and things of that nature are not an option.

The remaining tight ends on the roster are Royal, Courtney Anderson and Tim Massaquoi.

Schouman and Fine's injuries could also complicate the staff's decision making on final roster spots. You often dress at least two tight ends on game day and keep three as a minimum on the roster. But with Fine likely out for the opener and Schouman questionable it could make for some unconventional decisions.

FINE HAS SERIOUS THUMB INJURY: Last season the tight end position was hit hard as Kevin Everett suffered a career ending injury in week one and then rookie Derek Schouman suffered a high ankle sprain and wound up on injured reserve as well.

Fast forward to this year and the Bills have yet to get out of the preseason and Derek Schouman is still a bit away from returning to action and now Derek Fine has what Dick Jauron called a "fairly serious thumb injury."

Though Jauron did not confirm whether it's broke he did say he would be out "a while."

That takes both of Buffalo's top move tight ends off the field, so lining up in the backfield pre-snap and things of that nature are not an option.

The remaining tight ends on the roster are Royal, Courtney Anderson and Tim Massaquoi.

Schouman and Fine's injuries could also complicate the staff's decision making on final roster spots. You often dress at least two tight ends on game day and keep three as a minimum on the roster. But with Fine likely out for the opener and Schouman questionable it could make for some unconventional decisions.

could ya at least credit the link ya pulled this from

I heard no commentary, but I hope you're kidding

Damn, I really like Fine. He held my 1-year-old at camp.

Well, if you heard the commentators Sunday night, Royal is one of the league's best tight ends.

I heard no commentary, but I hope you're kidding

could ya at least credit the link ya pulled this from

You have a point. And for me, it's not even about checking to see if the poster copied and pasted it over accurately. It is about giving the author credit. If this was Chris Brown's work, his bosses aren't going to know about all the readers who read it here because we never have to go to the Bills' site to see it. So his bosses have to estimate how many see it. These things add up for reporters.

IR = End of Season for a player... it's not like the disabled lists in Baseball... etc. So they can't store them on IR. The process of getting a player back is insane - you have to reach an injury settlement and cut them, then resign them... Unless your the Pats*... then you use 'em like practice squad players until you get caught.

If Peters is a no show by cut-down day - you have an extra roster spot for an extra TE... then as it gets closer - or if Peters reports they'll have to make another move.... My hope is one of them will be ready soon enough it won't much matter... 1 week isn't going to kill you.

One of them did actually say it when they were announcing the lineups vs the Colts (or Coats). They said something like "Robert Royal, one of the finest TE's in the game."

Schouman's injury is still "weeks," I presume? Wonder who that knocks off the bottom of the roster ... or if Schouman ends up on IR because of it?

Already without Derek Schouman, who could miss another week, Buffalo will likely have only three tight ends for the preseason finale and some difficult roster decisions could be looming if Schouman and Fine are not healthy options for the season opener.

I believe that the in season IR is different from the pre-season IR.

According to Chris Brown today:

Sounds like Schouman might be back a little earlier than expected. Hopefully.

That's absolutely unsurprising given that the game was called by three of the biggest idiots in sports.

Nope. Whether it's now or in November, IR means, "Seeya in 2009."

Nope. Whether it's now or in November, IR means, "Seeya in 2009."


Good news.

Aye, the 4 week rule was lifted; it's as Lori says.

Maybe on some plays we can plug in Demetrius Bell at tight end, the man is an athlete. Imagine how this can play out on double tight end packages with Peters back at LT.

According to Chris Brown today:



Sounds like Schouman might be back a little earlier than expected. Hopefully.