Published: June 11, 2009 10:23 pm      

BILLS: Jauron ends minicamp early

NOTEBOOK

ORCHARD PARK — No wonder the Buffalo Bills like playing for coach Dick Jauron so much.

Jauron continued his tradition of giving an early summer vacation on Thursday, shortening the final practice of the offseason to a 35-minute walk-through session.

The players now have off until July 25, when the Bills will celebrate their 10th season of training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford. The offseason program began with voluntary weightlifting sessions in April, continued with 12 organized team activities, and concluded with this week’s mandatory minicamp.

“Our offseason program goes very well. Our guys are committed to it,” Jauron said. “They’ve worked awfully hard and they need to get away. They need some rest, they need some relaxation.

“... But you also have to stay fit, stay in your books, you have to know what’s going on and you have to come back ready to go. We’ve made a lot of progress, but we certainly have a long way to go.”

The Bills had upwards of 90 percent participation in the offseason program. Some veterans elected to skip part of the voluntary program, but all showed up for the mandatory portion.

Second-round draft choice Jairus Byrd could not attend because the defensive back’s college, Oregon, has yet to complete final exams. Last year’s second-round pick, receiver James Hardy, and veteran linebacker John DiGiorgio were both rehabilitating after knee surgeries, and the possibility remains that they will be placed on the physically unable to perform list to start the season, Jauron said.

Starting tailback Marshawn Lynch did not practice the last three days because of a sore foot. X-rays were negative, Jauron said.

Ailing cornerbacks Terrence McGee (shoulder), Leodis McKelvin (finger) and Ashton Youboty (foot) all returned to action by the end of minicamp.

Receiver CJ Hawthorne had surgery on his left foot, but is expected to take part in training camp. Jauron was less optimistic about offensive lineman Nick Hennessey, an undrafted free agent who hurt his right leg this week.

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Linebacker Blake Costanzo was one of five players waived Wednesday. Costanzo played in all 16 games last season, mostly on special teams. He forced two fumbles in a 54-31 win over Kansas City, but was displaced on the depth chart by rookies Nic Harris and Ashlee Palmer, 2008 pick Alvin Bowen, and free agent acquisition Pat Thomas.

The Bills also waived offensive tackle Joel Bell, defensive linemen John Faletoese and Gerald Washington, and defensive back Kyle Ward.

Buffalo now has 75 players on its roster, not including draft choices. The offseason roster limit is 80.

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Tickets will be required for the Bills two open practices on the first two days of training camp.

“By ticketing these practices we can have a firm grasp on the attendance numbers,” general manager Russ Brandon said in a statement. “Normally, our first set of practices is on a Friday and we see spiked attendance on Saturday. This year, our first practices are on Saturday (July 25) and Sunday (July 26) and we want to be proactive with the possibility of attendance at those sessions reaching a point that could pose a safety issue.”

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McKelvin will hold a football camp for the clients of Kids Escaping Drugs Renaissance Campus and athletes from the Cleve-Hill School District on Saturday. He will be joined by teammates Bruce Hall, CJ Hawthorne, Felton Huggins, Demetrius Bell, Chris Ellis, Chris Kelsay, Jon Corto and coaches from Buffalo State, Cleve-Hill, Tonawanda, and St. Joe’s.

E-mail reporter Jonah Bronstein at jonah.bronstein@niagara-gazette.com