Justin

Rogers

Aaron Williams and rookie Stephon Gilmore are the favorites to start. Terrence McGee is likely to return in a nickel corner capacity. Drayton Florence is due $4 million this season, so it’s fair to wonder if the 31-year-old’s roster spot is in jeopardy. No. 124 pick Ron Brooks is considered a lock to make the team, which means Leodis McKelvin and Justin Rogers currently sit sixth and seventh on the depth chart. Our guess is that McKelvin is the odd man out.

McKelvin had been coming on in nickel situations since losing his starting job five weeks ago. When Terrence McGee (knee) went down last week, though, Williams and Rogers played ahead of McKelvin. Williams will start Sunday with Rogers in the slot, leaving McKelvin without a role.

McGee was expected to kick inside in the nickel last season, but missed significant action due to hamstring and knee injuries. McKelvin barely played the slot last season, but has been used there “a good deal” in spring practices. Rogers and Brooks have impressed this offseason and are heavily in the mix. The four-man competition figures to run well into the preseason.

Spiller led the team in 2011 punt returns (13), but McKelvin was close behind with eight. With Fred Jackson around, Spiller still won’t need to carry a full offensive workload, so he figures to be the favorite for the job.

Rogers appeared in 12 games as a rookie and is expected to see significant playing time in sub-defenses, with Aaron Williams and Stephon Gilmore on the outside. Lead journalist Chris Brown notes that Rogers was “among the more impressive” players in OTAs, and has more slot experience than Leodis McKelvin, Terrence McGee, and fourth-round CB Ron Brooks.

It’s a surprise in that most expected Brad Smith to be listed in the initial release. Rogers averaged 28.7 yards per return over a small sample-size last season. In addition to special teams, he’s competing with Leodis McKelvin for the Bills’ starting nickel corner job.

Rogers suffered a preseason hamstring injury, and it lingered into Week 1. Leodis McKelvin won the job out of training camp, but after the Bills were torched by Mark Sanchez and the Jets last week, coach Chan Gailey is re-opening the competition. They will see a lot of the Chiefs’ Dexter McCluster on Sunday.

With Stephon Gilmore (wrist) sidelined, Rogers is set to start opposite Leodis McKelvin for the first six weeks. The Bills will use a rotation of undrafted rookie Nickell Robey and Ron Brooks as their slot corners.

Rogers, 25, was just claimed off waivers from the Bills last Wednesday. The Texans promoted G Alex Kupper from the practice squad to take Rogers’ spot.

Rogers will provide depth in the secondary after the Dolphins sent Dimitri Patterson and R.J. Stanford to injured reserve. Rogers should see most of his time on special teams, however.