Torell

Troup

Troup underwent Dec. 16 surgery to repair a small spinal fracture in his lower back and also clean up a disk problem that goes back to college. The 41st pick in the 2010 draft was a bit player in six games in 2011 after playing just 18 snaps per game as a rookie. He’ll be questionable for the start of training camp.

He’ll have surgery in late December. The Bills have now lost two nose tackles for the season in Troup and Kyle Williams (foot). Troup, a second-round pick last season, was playing in a rotational role thanks to consistent back troubles. He had just eight tackles in six games on the year.

Troup has appeared in just six games as a rotational player this year due to ongoing problems with his back. The 2010 second-round pick was expected to play a major role after the Bills lost Kyle Williams for the season. “Torell’s back acted up Saturday night and then it really locked up Sunday morning,” Gailey said Monday.

“We want to be ready for camp and maybe even a couple of weeks into camp,” said Troup. “We don’t want to rush anything and come back too soon.” Troup has encountered no setbacks thus far and hopes to increase his running during OTAs next week. He’ll play a reserve role in 2012.

“When he left here (in the spring) we watched him hitting the sled and doing all those things and it looked like he was ready to go,” Nix said. A second-round pick in 2010, Troup played just 94 snaps before landing on injured reserve in Week 11 last season. He’s ticketed for a rotational role.

The 2010 second-round pick had yet to see preseason action, as he was struggling to get through practices following offseason spinal fusion surgery. Coach Chan Gailey conceded earlier in the week that Troup isn’t “anywhere near 100 percent.” The Bills will go with Spencer Johnson and Dwan Edwards as backup defensive tackles.

“The doctors told me everything is all pretty much healed up, so I’m going to keep pushing forward and keep working out... I can just totally feel a difference from camp,” said Troup. The 326-pound behemoth is hoping to get a chance at nose tackle in new DC Mike Pettine’s attacking defense. Troup has appeared in just 21 games over his first three seasons and will be playing out the final year of his rookie contract in 2013.

Troup says he’s fully recovered now, but claimed it was the “same injury” that did in Knox. Troup is now “regularly” doing squats in the weight room and still has a chance to return as an effective NFL player. Specifically, the back injury has been called a “thoracic-lumbar junction fracture dislocation.”

The Bills did well to snag Troup, who can plug up the middle on early downs in place of the smallish Williams. At 6'1/306, Williams will likely rotate in on passing downs.

The No. 41 pick of the 2010 draft, Troup missed all of 2012 with a back injury he compared to Johnny Knox’s (not good). Injuries have limited him to just 21 career appearances.