Here's the news of note for Oct. 27th.
1 - Woods working his way back
He was limited in practice Wednesday, and he's still got some tests to pass, but Robert Woods hopes he can be an effective player and return to the lineup Sunday against the Patriots.
"I'm still trying to work my way back in," Woods said following practice Wednesday. "Just trying to get the feel of it and get ready to go."
Woods said not practicing last week and playing in Buffalo's Week 7 game at Miami has his foot feeling better. There hasn't been any swelling. Pain is another thing completely. But Woods proved he can play with pain last season when he played most of the season with a torn groin.
"It feels pretty good," he said of his foot. "I'm still trying to get it right, but I've got to go out there and put it through some things and get out there and play."
Woods knows Sunday is a critical division matchup and that Buffalo needs AFC conference wins. The Bills record against AFC opponents is 1-3 so far this season.
The good news is that Woods is out of the immobilizer boot he wore all last week. He's got his fingers crossed that his foot will respond and let him be a contributor much like he was in the Bills first meeting with the Patriots when he had seven catches for 89 yards.
"Still taking it day by day," he said. "Just trying to get every rep I can just to be focused and locked in for Sunday."
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2 - New WR Eagan wanted to sign with the BillsBills new WR Ed Eagan had two teams he was hoping to land with as an undrafted rookie out of Northwestern State (LA).
"This is the team I wanted to go from the beginning," said Eagan after his first practice as a member of the 53-man roster.
The other team was Dallas. Eagan felt both of those clubs expressed the most interest in him leading up to the draft. He signed as an undrafted rookie with Dallas in May and also spent some time in the offseason with Cleveland before Buffalo signed him to their practice squad in late September.
With a similar build to that of former NFL receiver Wes Welker, he's been described as a 'Welker type' as he gets in and out of his breaks quickly and shows promise in gaining separation from a defender quickly.
"He looks a lot like Wes Welker," said head coach Rex Ryan. "We'll see if he plays like Wes Welker. I can't promise you that, but he looks like him."
Eagan has heard those comparisons before.
"A little bit in the slot I guess," said Eagan. "People like to put me there, but I still have a lot to improve on. I feel like that's my game and they label me as a 'Wes Welker guy,' but I feel like I have my own game."
In the month that he's been practicing with the team on the practice squad, Eagan has caught a lot more passes from EJ Manuel than Tyrod Taylor. On field chemistry is a work in progress.
"Not a lot of time, so still working on it," Eagan said. "But it's coming along."
"Ed is definitely a talented guy and puts in the extra work," said Taylor. "Just seeing him on the off days coming in here and always asking questions trying to get better. I definitely admire the way he works. Glad to get him on the field. Hopefully we can get him some footballs."
With a couple of Bills receivers still on the mend from injuries, Eagan figures to be active for Sunday's game.
3 - Practice window closing for Easley, ListenbeeThe Bills could certainly use more depth at wide receiver, but it might not come from the Reserve list. Marcus Easley (Reserve/PUP) and Kolby Listenbee (Reserve/Non-Football Injury) are eligible to begin practicing with the team up until the end of Week 10 (Nov. 14th). The problem is according to head coach Rex Ryan, neither are physically ready to do so.
"I think they're a long ways out," said Ryan when asked about the status of the two receivers.
Easley fractured his knee cap in three places in Week 16 last season and has had a long and arduous rehabilitation. Listenbee has had lingering effects from his double sports hernia surgery.
Knowing they only have two more weeks in which to try to begin practicing there's a chance that neither will play this season.
"I just think the timing is going to be tough," Easley told Buffalobills.com. "It's a situation where I'm making good progress, but I'm probably going to be ready about two weeks after the end of the Reserve window in Week 10. So it's just bad timing."
When asked if both Easley and Listenbee could miss out on the 2016 season Ryan admitted that it is a possibility.
