ORCHARD PARK - There was some good news, and some not so good news Wednesday afternoon regarding the Buffalo Bills injury situation .
Coach Sean McDermott announced that safety Taylor Rapp has cleared concussion protocol, meaning he returned to practice and should be able to play Monday night when the Bills take on the Jets .
And while McDermott didn’t get specific, nickel cornerback Taron Johnson seems ready to get back on the field. McDermott said that both Johnson and defensive tackle Austin Johnson were limited in practice, but after the workout, Johnson painted a more definitive picture.
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“After a week not playing and then again today, I'm feeling good, feeling better, feeling like I'm about ready to go,” Johnson said. “We're gonna take it a day at a time.”
Johnson was injured in the first quarter of the first game against Arizona and never went on injured reserve which would have meant missing a minimum of four games, so the feeling was that he’d be able to return inside that time frame. Instead, he has missed four games.
“I knew it was gonna be around like we're just estimating, right around four weeks, five weeks,” he said. “So it just was a toss-up at that point. It's tough, it's definitely tough (sitting and watching). You want to be out there; I've been wanting to be out there for a while now. I'm happy I'm on that road.”
As for the broken forearm’s limitations, he said the issue that has been delaying his return isn’t so much wrapping up and tackling, but being able to get off blocks because his arm wasn’t strong enough to win leverage.
Obviously, the absence of Johnson is becoming more of a problem as the games go by and the Bills’ defense needs him back sooner rather than later.
As for the not so good news, defensive tackle Ed Oliver and wide receiver Khalil Shakir were not able to practice. Oliver hurt his hamstring last Thursday and missed the loss to the Texans, while Shakir suffered an ankle injury in the loss to the Ravens and also sat out in Houston.
James Cook, Curtis Samuel added to Bills injury report
Additionally, running back James Cook and wide receiver Curtis Samuel both suffered foot/toe injuries in Houston and they missed practice, too.
Regarding Cook and Samuel, McDermott said, “We’ll see where it goes. We’ll know a little bit more coming off of today and into tomorrow.”
Cook is off to a strong start in his third NFL season. He ranks 14th in yards gained from scrimmage with 432 and his successful rushing rate of 52.9% on first down - meaning he gained at least four yards - ranks 21st and his 11.2 yards per pass reception is second-best among running backs.
He has been a huge part of the early-season attack and if he can’t play, that’s a big loss as the Bills would have to turn to the combination of Ty Johnson/Ray Davis.
And if Cook and the team’s most productive receiver, Shakir, are both out - again, it’s way too early to make that proclamation - the Bills’ offense would be in big trouble against a New York defense that remains one of the best in the NFL.
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades including 35 years as the full-time beat writer for the D&C, and he has written numerous books about the history of the team. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana. https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: McDermott reveals two surprise additions to Bills injury report update
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