It was a combination of play and circumstance that led to head coach Chan Gailey naming rookie second-round pick Cordy Glenn the team's starting left tackle following practice late Monday afternoon.
"Cordy Glenn will be our starting left tackle," said Gailey. "It's just worked out with Erik Pears not getting reps, we couldn't have enough reps for both guys and Hairston has had to go play right tackle and Cordy has gotten most of the reps at left and has done a good job. So he'll be the starting left tackle."
With Pears in and out of the lineup with a groin problem, Hairston has been pressed into duty at the starting right tackle spot, taking him away from the chance to compete day in and day out at left tackle. As a result Glenn was the beneficiary getting the lion's share of the first team reps on the blind side through the second half of training camp and again in Monday's practice.
For the mild-mannered Glenn he took being awarded the starting job in stride.
"I'm just here trying to get better," said Glenn. "I'm just working hard really. I'm not reading anything into it, I'm just trying to get better. I know what I'm trying to do, so I'll just keep working. It doesn't mean taking a day off and just keep doing what I've been doing."
Pears back on the shelf
Pears, who did not practice Monday, participated in 10 plays in last Friday night's game at Minnesota. Gailey already ruled Pears out for Saturday's preseason game against Pittsburgh.
"They did some more tests on him and it was nothing major," said Gailey. "So we're going to hold him this week and let him get well and hopefully he'll be back the next week."
When asked if Pears is still expected to be ready for the season opener in New York, Gailey couldn't commit to it.
"I expect him to be around," said Gailey. "Whether he gets enough reps to start I don't know, but I expect him to be around."
With Pears sidelined, second-year man Chris Hairston is the starting right tackle. Hairston has been forced to flip flop back and forth between the left and right tackle positions to spell Pears on the right side while also trying to compete at left tackle through camp.
Hairston will start at right tackle Saturday against Pittsburgh.
Vince the frontrunner for the #2 jobHis collective performance this preseason was the main reason Vince Young was acknowledged as the quarterback with the edge in the battle for the number two job behind Ryan Fitzpatrick.
"Vince Young has performed well enough in the last two games to warrant more work," said Gailey. "He'll get the majority of the work with the twos this week. He'll get most of the reps with the second group when they go in on Saturday night. We need to see how he can handle more game plan, more playing time, more everything. It's not an indictment on Tyler it's just Vince has done some good things and we know where Tyler is. We've got to evalute Vince more."
Young has looked more confident of late and it was on display at the end of practice as he completed a two-minute drive with a lofted pass in the end zone for Derek Hagan, who jumped high to beat his defender to the ball and score along the left sideline of the end zone to finish practice Monday.
The beneficiaries from Merriman's exitHead coach Chan Gailey wouldn't name the two young defensive ends that will benefit most by the release of Shawne Merriman Monday, but practice reps made it obvious. Fourth-year defensive linemen Kyle Moore and Jarron Gilbert were lined up at defensive end with the second unit Monday.
Moore had already been getting time at end through training camp, primarily on the left side, but he's excited that his odds of making the 53-man roster improved considerably.
"With Shawne playing end and us playing the same position, I didn't know how many ends they were going to hold," said Moore. "My whole goal was just to make the top two groups and like I said I was coming out here every day trying to do that."
For Gilbert the situation was a bit different. He had been lining up almost exclusively at defensive tackle with the third unit since spring practices. Over the past week however, he's been shifted to end a position he's played for most of his career.
"I'm happy to have the opportunity," he said. "I showed them I could play inside a little bit and then played outside. So hopefully that versatility helps me out."
Two minute drillYoung wasn't the only quarterback to cap a two-minute drive. Ryan Fitzpatrick during the first team's two minute drill got the ball in the end zone as well. After a pair of incompletions brought up 4th-and-6, Fitzpatrick hit Scott Chandler for a first down just shy of the goal line.
Then with time running out, Fitzpatrick gunned a quick hitter into Stevie Johnson's stomach in the front right corner of the end zone for the touchdown.
For all the highlights just watch our daily Bills Roundup report in the Media Center at Buffalobills.com.
Lineup notesWith Mark Anderson sidelined today, Kyle Moore not only got second team reps at defensive end, but first team reps as well. With the first unit he worked at left defensive end, then flipped over to the right side with the second group.
Jarron Gilbert manned the left defensive end position with the second unit Monday all but confirming that he and Moore are the two young prospects the coaches want to see more of between now and final cuts Aug. 31st.
On the second offensive line Zebrie Sanders saw some of his first work at left tackle since the spring and appeared to hold his own. Sam Young manned the right tackle spot.
Not participating were Johnny White, Cris Hill, Dorin Dickerson, Josh Nesbitt, the aforementioned Pears and Anderson.
ScheduleThe Bills have an afternoon practice on Tuesday scheduled for 3:30 pm.
