NFL AFC East: 5 Players the Buffalo Bills Will Regret Cutting

Every year, NFL teams have to make incredibly tough decisions regarding who makes the final 53-man roster.

Most of the time, the players cut end up bouncing around the league or practice squads without ever making a mark. Sometimes though, these players come back to haunt the team that let them go.

Seriously.

Sometimes, although rarely, it’s because these players become a stud for another team. Often times, it’s simply because the team turned out to really need whatever skills that player could provide.

This year, the Buffalo Bills made (mostly) prudent decisions on who to get rid of. However, there are a few cuts that made even the most devout Bills fan ask themselves just what Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey were thinking.

Here are five players that the Bills could end up wishing they had kept around.

#5: Vince Young

Don't get me wrong. Vince Young did not have a great preseason. In fact, his preseason numbers (25 of 52 passing for 276 yards and 2 INTs) were dismal.

But let's be honest. Is Tarvaris Jackson going to be any better?

Jackson hardly saw the field in the preseason with 3 for 6 passing and an INT, lost his starting job to an unproven Matt Flynn and the rookie Russell Wilson in Seattle and still cost the Bills either a 6th or 7th round pick. 

Vince Young was already on the roster and wasn't going to cost the Bills any draft picks to keep. Considering Tarvaris Jackson is at best the backup QB in Buffalo, giving up a draft pick to swap backups is basically senseless.

#4: Mark Asper

Mark Asper is an immensely versatile offensive lineman. In college at Oregon he played both guard and tackle. 

Last year the Bills offensive line was injury-riddled, with a collection of spare parts being shuffled around the line like a deck of cards. Having a versatile lineman like Asper could help ease the pain of an injury to the front line.

In fact, the versatility was so important to the Vikings that they already picked up Asper on waivers. 

#3: Tank Carder

Why am I showing you this video instead of having a picture of Tank Carder in a Bills uniform?

Well, mostly because Carder was unimpressive in a deep pool of linebackers during training camp and the preseason. But, the Bills have lacked a defensive playmaker at the linebacker position since...well, London Fletcher.

Well, this play against Wisconsin is about as big as a big play gets. In fact, the Browns have already picked up Carder from the waiver wire and he may be their Week 1 starter.

#2: Derek Hagan

Derek Hagan was never a favorite to make the roster coming out of training camp, but Hagan in his 4 games with the Bills in 2011 came up with 13 catches with a TD and 7 of these catches leading to first downs. 

The Bills WRs are built as big-play guys with speedsters like T.J. Graham and Donald Jones next to deep threat Stevie Johnson. David Nelson is being used in the slot, but was terrible in his stint as an outside receiver.

Hagan, although no better than a fourth WR on the Bills roster, has the ability to be a possession guy who keeps the chains moving.

#1: Naaman Roosevelt

It's hard to find a player in the NFL who best represented his hometown as much as Roosevelt.

Roosevelt was born in Buffalo, went to high school at St. Joseph's in Buffalo, went to college at the University of Buffalo and was picked up as an undrafted free agent by Buffalo.

Roosevelt had a stupefying 268 catches with UB, and showed that when given a chance in the NFL, he still had the great hands with 25 catches in 16 games. The Bills, who run four-WR sets kept six receivers on the roster (including Brad Smith who is still getting looks as a QB) including Ruvell Martin who is basically only good as a gunner. Of all the Bills cuts, this one hurt to see for so many reasons.