It's the last chance to make an impression for a healthy number of players on Buffalo's roster tonight against the Lions at Ford Field in the preseason finale. Final cuts must be made by 9 pm Friday to get the roster down from 75 to 53. Below are some of the players fighting for some of the final spots on the squad.
1 – Tank Carder (#45) – The Bills fifth-round pick has been a special teams contributor in the preseason. Now he needs to show he can step in at linebacker and make things happen on defense knowing he'll get a healthy dose of playing time against Detroit.
2 – Jarron Gilbert (#73) –He's turned the heads of the defensive staff since being kicked out to defensive end behind Mario Williams on the depth chart. Gilbert will need to have a giant performance to leapfrog Kyle Moore for the fourth and final defensive end spot on the final roster.* *
3 – Tarvaris Jackson (#7) – His playing time might be even less than that of the starters having had just two days of full practice since being acquired via trade on Monday. That doesn't mean the coaching staff won't be evaluating his every move to see if he can show he's a quick study and be ready for emergency duty early in the regular season.
4 – Nick Saenz (#30) – The undrafted rookie safety has made some plays in practice and been active in the games. He's battling fellow rookie Delano Howell for the fourth and final safety job. One of them will have to be exemplary for the coaching staff to keep a fourth safety along with Byrd, Searcy and Wilson.
5 – Sam Young (#71) – The tall offensive tackle has shown marked improvement in his technique, but he's got to shine against Detroit to convince the Bills to carry four edge protectors on the 53-man roster.
