Buffalo
Bills

News: Wood, who suffered a torn right ACL in November, is progressing well, but won't be doing any real on-field, football-related activities until training camp, according to BuffaloBills.com.
Impact: The Bills don't seem too worried about his regular season status, though it'd be nice to see him get regular participation in during the summer schedule. Wood will be the starting center for what's expected to be a decent offensive line for the Bills, especially if one of their young players develops as a left tackle.

News: Troup, who had surgery in December to repair a minor fracture in his spine as well as another pre-existing condition, continues to progress and hopes he can be ready for full participation in training camp, BuffaloBills.com reports.
Impact: It's been a long first two years for the defensive tackle, and with Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus the clear starters in the middle of Buffalo's defensive line, the best Troup is probably hoping for this season is to be at full health come Week 1 and contribute as a reserve player who effectively spells the main guys.

News: While McGee's recovery from a season-ending knee surgery (torn patellar tendon) in November continues to move along, he still has a ways to go before being ready for training camp, BuffaloBills.com reports. Said McGee: "I'm not as limited as I was, but I'm sure I'm not where I need to be to go out there and compete and keep a job or anything. I've still got a ways to go."
Impact: The Bills are going with more youth at the cornerback spot, so signs are starting to point to McGee being more of a nickel guy or strategically placed on the field in certain packages. That would allow the Bills to get Stephon Gilmore and Aaron Williams on the field more, while still having the experienced and valuable McGee in the mix in a job that may not subject him as much to his many injury issues. While that's our best guess, his injury situation has him slotted in a wide range, anywhere from possible starter to preseason cut.

News: Williams is lining up at the starting left cornerback position in preparation for OTAs in a week and a half, the BuffaloBills.com reports.
Impact: We're not certain he's been told he's going to be a starter in his second season, or to be prepared to fully compete for an open spot. As it stands right now, it looks like four guys are capable of landing the two starting CB spots - Williams, No. 10 overall pick Stephen Gilmore, veteran Terrance McGee, and Leodis McKelvin. Given that McKelvin wasn't drafted by the current regime and has been a disappointment in his career to date, and the Bills may want to figure out a way to keep McGee healthy all season, the signs are starting to point to Williams and Gilmore getting every chance to earn the two starting jobs.

News: Glenn signed his four-year rookie contract Friday, according to BuffaloBills.com.
Impact: Some thought the Bills were actually considering the monstrous Glenn (6-5, 345) with the No. 10 overall pick, so the team had to be ecstatic to get him in the second round. He's expected to compete with Chris Hairston for the starting left tackle spot.

News: The Buffalo Bills have signed their top draft pick, Gilmore, to a four-year contract that's worth about $12 million.
Impact: The deal was announced by the team Thursday morning, less than a week after Gilmore took part in the Bills rookie minicamp. Selected 10th overall in the NFL draft last month, Gilmore was a three-year starter at South Carolina and is expected to step in and compete for a starting job in Buffalo.

News: Gilmore signed his rookie contract with the Bills on Thursday, The Buffalo News reports.
Impact: Rookie holdouts are going to be a lot less common under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which really helps a team like the Bills that has traditionally watched their spending closely. Gilmore was said to have a good rookie camp. While he needs to get more physical as he adjusts to the pro game, he stands a chance at starting right away.

News: Merriman says he feels the best he's felt in three years after finally having full surgery for his lingering Achilles' issues, BuffaloBills.com reports. "I was just talking with coach about this, it's probably the best I have felt in three years," Merriman said. "The first time I got the chance to have full surgery on my Achilles' and have a real offseason. I am looking for a big year."
Impact: We don't expect Merriman to say, "Yeah, I still pretty feel lousy and find it hard to believe I'll have an injury-free season" ... and this is also the type of positive story we're looking to see in September, not May. That said, we will agree this seems to be the first time in a few years Merriman had more than just patchwork/rehab medical treatment. While he's still a major injury threat in the IDP world, he's also relatively young and has a fantastic front seven he'll be a part of. There are sacks to be had here if he can get a full offseason and stay on the field, even though the odds of both of those things happening often seem like a longshot with Merriman.

News: Fitzpatrick is guaranteed the starting QB spot, regardless of the addition of Vince Young, according to The Buffalo News' Tim Graham.
Impact: Tyler Thigpen and Young will compete for the backup spot. In the 2011 season, Fitzpatrick played in all 16 games, finishing with 3,832 yards, 24 touchdowns and 23 interceptions for a QB rating of 79.1.

News: The Bills have reached a deal to sign Young, providing them an established backup and a bona fide threat in their wildcat formations.
Impact: Young, who turns 29 later this month, has been biding his time to determine the next step of his career after he completed his one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles last season. He struggled as Michael Vick's backup last season, finishing with four touchdowns and nine interceptions in six games, including three starts.

News: Jackson has signed a two-year contract extension with Buffalo, potentially worth $9 million.
Impact: For Jackson, the extension is a reward after he's led the team in rushing in each of the past three seasons. And it also eases any lingering hard feelings Jackson might have had toward the Bills after expressing concerns last year that he was underpaid under his previous four-year, $7.5 million contract.