Five Buffalo Bills to watch: Preseason Week 3

In the NFL, the third week of the preseason is when starters usually receive their longest in-game action until the regular season begins. With less than two weeks until the final roster cut-down day, here are five Buffalo Bills players to keep an eye on in their preseason tilt against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday:

1) Da'Rick Rogers
Rogers has been underwhelming in both practices and games to this point of the preseason. He has the physical tools to be an asset to the team, but has struggled to make plays while some of his competition (namely Marcus Easley and Chris Hogan) has stood out on tape. How much playing time Rogers receives this week will likely give people a good idea as to whether head coach Doug Marrone believes Rogers is a better fit on the practice squad or the 53-man roster.

2) Kevin Kolb
The "boo-birds" were out in force in the his debut at Ralph Wilson Stadium, as Kolb struggled in the early-going. With first round pick E.J. Manuel sidelined the rest of the preseason, Kolb will have an opportunity to regain some confidence by getting some extended run against Washington. With Stevie Johnson expected to play this week, there is no reason people shouldn't expect a better performance from him this week.

3) Justin Rogers
Rogers missed a good portion of training camp due to an ankle injury, and has seen players like Crezdon Butler play well in his absence. With three cornerback spots already locked up (Stephon Gilmore, Leodis McKelvin, Ron Brooks and Butler), Rogers will need to make up his lost ground to hold off players like T.J. Heath and Nickell Robey for a spot on the final roster.

4) Da'Norris Searcy
Searcy is solid defending the run, but has struggled mightily in coverage throughout the preseason. Converted cornerback Aaron Williams seemingly has the starting strong safety spot locked up with a very strong camp, and with two mid-round draft picks at safety on the roster (Duke Williams, Jonathan Meeks), Searcy needs to perform better in coverage to avoid being placed on the chopping block.

5) Alan Branch
The team signed Branch away from the Seahawks to add depth to the defensive line rotation. Throughout training camp, he has struggled to make plays, and appears to have been passed up on the depth chart by Jay Ross. While it's unlikely Branch gets cut due to his positional versatility, he'll need to make more of an impact if he wants to see the field regularly.

Bills face difficult decision with Da'Rick Rogers

It may puzzle some that there's even discussion on how an undrafted player who has clearly been out-performed by at least six receivers currently on the Buffalo Bills' roster is even in the conversation for a roster spot. The problem facing Buffalo's coaching staff and front office is that Da'Rick Rogers hardly fits the looks the part of any normal UDFA, and has the physical profile to become a very good NFL receiver.
Despite making the All-SEC second team as a sophomore, Rogers was dismissed for Tennessee due to repeated signs of immaturity and off-field issues (failed drug tests, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest). Rogers dominated the FCS in his lone season at Tennessee Tech, and also excelled at the NFL's Scouting Combine, as he was one of the top performers in several events (high jump, broad jump, 20 and 60-yard shuttles and 3-cone drill). In spite of his production and athletic profile, Rogers' baggage was enough to have him go undrafted. Shortly after the draft's conclusion, Rogers was signed by the Bills to compete for a roster spot. Along with a host of others, I believed that the physical talent Buffalo was able to acquire without spending a draft pick was worth the risk. To this point in training camp, he's failed to live up to his pre-camp hype, while players like Chris Hogan and Marcus Easley have given credence to the notion that Rogers' spot on the 53-man roster is hardly a guaranteed deal.
Buffalo will likely carry a maximum of six receivers entering this season, and four of them (Stevie Johnson, T.J. Graham, Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin) are locks. If the Bills release Rogers prior to the season, the odds he clears waivers (which is necessary for Buffalo to sign him to their practice squad) are slim, as teams which are thin at receiver wouldn't hesitate to claim him.
Should the Bills keep Rogers on the roster, it'd largely be based on his untapped potential. The team has received some significant value out of keeping a developmental guy on the roster (All-Pro tackle Jason Peters was a tight end in college and hardly saw the field his rookie season while he developed), but could be passing up on someone who would contribute more to the team right away.
My gut feeling says that Rogers will make the team, and a more deserving player (based on production) like Easley, Hogan, Brandon Kaufman or even Brad Smith hits the unemployment line. Ultimately, for a team that's still rebuilding, gambling on Rogers is the right (if risky) choice.