Bills notebook
Bills' Peters invested in sweat equity
Buffalo Bills left tackle Jason Peters said he’s not worried about temperatures that could reach 94 degrees Sunday in Jacksonville.
“Not at all,” Peters said after the Bills’ practice Wednesday. “I just left Texas and it was like 105.”
Yes, but you weren’t playing football, Peters was told.
“No, but I was in the heat running,” he replied.
Peters practiced fully with the starting offense Wednesday, increasing the chances that he will make his return to the lineup this week. The Bills’ Pro Bowl lineman, who ended his contractual holdout from the team Saturday, said he took about 95 percent of the snaps with the starters and felt good.
The 6-foot-4 Peters looked like he was in great shape, as trim and muscular as a person with a 340-pound frame can look.
“I’m going to be mentally ready,” Peters said. “It’s [about] getting back into football shape. I haven’t put the pads on since the Giants game [last Dec. 23].”
Peters was on the field on the players’ day off, Tuesday, doing some extra work with a few of his teammates. Quarterback Trent Edwards, left guard Derrick Dockery and backup center Duke Preston were helping Peters get ready.
“We were just going over some plays,” Edwards said. “He was here with our O-line coach pretty late the other day, too, and that’s a sign of a guy who wants to get better and who wants to be on the field. That’s what we need to have happen.
“I was really impressed with him. The hard part of an O-lineman coming in is cadences and getting familiar with my cadence. And he wasn’t jumping offsides at all today.”
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The Jaguars might get top receiver Jerry Porter back. Porter underwent surgery on his hamstring in July. He practiced some last week. He practiced fully Wednesday. Porter, formerly of the Raiders, signed a six-year, $30 million contract with Jacksonville as a free agent in March.
Jacksonville is without its middle three starting offensive linemen. Left guard Vince Manuwai was lost for the season to a knee injury Sunday. Center Brad Meester and right guard Maurice Williams both are out with biceps injuries.
Guard Tutan Reyes, a ninth-year journeyman who spent the 2006 season with Buffalo, is expected to start at right guard. Second-year man Uche Nwaneri, a former fifth-round pick, will make his second career start at left guard. Eighth-year veteran Dennis Norman will make his 12th career start at center.
The Jaguars signed ninth-year veteran Todd Wade, a former Dolphin, on Wednesday. Nwaneri has a sore knee from Sunday’s game but participated fully in practice. Jags reserve receiver Troy Williamson (thigh) did not practice.
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Bills receiver Roscoe Parrish was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Seattle in which he returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown. Parrish said he heard from his college buddy, Chicago Bears star return man Devin Hester, after Sunday’s game.
“We’re always calling each other throughout the week,” Parrish said. “He actually called me because they had the night game. He texted me, saying, ‘Good play, good play, I play tonight so don’t forget about that.’ We just feed off of each other, and that’s a good thing. . . . I always enjoy watching him.”
Parrish sat out practice with sore ribs and a sore knee but is expected to play Sunday. Also sitting out practice was linebacker John DiGiorgio (back). Reserve tackle Matt Murphy, who injured his shoulder last month, returned to practice. The Bills worked out on the grass field behind the stadium. Jacksonville has a natural- grass field.
