ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills expect to promote James Hardy to their active roster because the second-year receiver has shown he's fully recovered 10 months after having left knee surgery.
Barring "something unexpected," coach Dick Jauron said Monday he's leaning toward promoting Hardy, who spent the first six weeks on the physically-unable-to-perform list. The 2008 second-round draft pick out of Indiana began practicing two weeks ago.
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The Bills (3-5) are off this week and have until the start of next week to activate Hardy or place him on season-ending injured reserve.
Promoting Hardy would require the Bills to drop a player, potentially one of the six receivers currently on their roster.
The Bills are banged-up entering the break after four starters went down during a 31-10 loss to Houston on Sunday.
Rookie safety Jairus Byrd aggravated a groin injury, and traveled to Philadelphia to see a specialist. Jauron said the trip had already been planned as a checkup to determine how the player has healed after having surgery to repair a sports hernia last summer.
Before leaving the game against Houston late in the fourth quarter, Byrd had two interceptions to become the first NFL player since San Francisco's Dave Baker in 1960 to have at least two in three straight games.
Byrd also extended his interception streak to four games to match a team record held by seven players. He has seven interceptions to lead the NFL, one ahead of the Saints' Darren Sharper, who plays against Atlanta on Monday night.
Right tackle Jamon Meredith is expected to miss a few weeks after spraining his right knee. Meredith was starting in place of Jonathan Scott, who could return next week after missing three games with a sprained ankle.
Jauron had no update on the status of defensive end Aaron Schobel (groin) and linebacker Keith Ellison (quadriceps).
Jauron said quarterback Trent Edwards is expected to practice fully after missing two games since sustaining a concussion in a 16-13 overtime win at the New York Jets. While Jauron said it's too early to determine whether Edwards will start Buffalo's next game at Tennessee on Nov. 15, sources have told NFL Network's Jason La Canfora Edwards is expected back after the bye week.
The number of injuries have led Jauron to hold only two days of practice before giving his players a four-day weekend, starting on Thursday.
"We'll struggle to get enough guys out there," Jauron said, noting he expects to rest many of his veterans.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
