The second week of the preseason is officially underway as starters will get more time on the field and bubble players work to prove themselves with the first round of roster cuts getting closer. The Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills are two teams that spent the offseason rebuilding their rosters though some wonder just how big of an impact the free agent signings actually had. While the Browns continue to work out issues in their run game, the Buffalo Bills will try and figure out a starting quarterback amongst offensive injuries.
The Bills have a three-headed quarterback rotation that is offering little confidence for the upcoming year. EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor continue to battle it out for the starting job. Cassel appears to be the best option heading into the year, but the coaching staff is high on Taylor and his skillset. The odd man out could be Manuel who told ESPN.com earlier this week that he knows he needs to play much better. The second preseason game could be a major deciding factor in his future.
Outside of the quarterback battle, the Bills are dealing with a number of injuries. They have four injured running backs at the moment. LeSean McCoy is expected to be back by Week 1 while Karlos Williams is out for the next two weeks with an undisclosed issue. Percy Harvin will be out of this game as he deals with hip injuries. Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods were also held out of practice this week, stalling the Buffalo offense.
The Cleveland Browns are also dealing with their share of issues. The team is making it clear that regardless of how well Johnny Manziel looks in the preseason, Josh McCown will be the starter for the team. The wide receiver group has been raving about the arm of the veteran. He did not overly impress in the first preseason game while Manziel recorded a touchdown, but the Browns feel much better going with McCown into 2015.
The biggest question mark for the Browns is the development of the run game. Both Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell failed to impress in the first game. They have their futures on the line. If both players struggle once again, head coach Mike Pettine told the media that he will consider free options to add to the roster.