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PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Former Buffalo Bills running back Karlos Williams was already suspended for the first four games of the regular season, so his abrupt release Saturday did little to shake up the pecking order of the Bills' offensive backfield in the short term. However, the Bills' decision to jettison Williams, the Bills' No. 2 runner last season, sparked a fresh set of questions from a fantasy-football perspective about who will receive touches behind LeSean McCoy this season. The natural starting point to the discussion was veteran Reggie Bush, whom the Bills signed Aug. 1 and who has impressed as both a runner and receiver in training camp and limited preseason action. In practice, Bush has either split time with McCoy with the first-team offense or has taken reps with the second-team group. In Saturday's preseason game, Bush was the first back to replace McCoy. All signs were pointing to Bush -- who at 31 doesn't seem to have lost much explosiveness or ability -- sliding into the Bills' No. 2 running back role, and Mike Gillislee retaining the No. 3 job. Much to fantasy players' chagrin, coach Rex Ryan muddled that picture Monday. "I think Reggie Bush is somebody that we know that we want to keep fresh, but he's still got a lot of juice left," Ryan said. "Gillislee, I think, is probably the No. 2 back right now. And then [there's] the young kid, [Jonathan] Williams." Ryan labeling Gillislee who, unlike Bush, hasn't seen much first-team action in training camp as the No. 2 back, was slightly surprising. But Ryan explained the team is trying to keep Bush healthy. "We're going to be smart with him," Ryan said of Bush. "We don't want to just run his legs off as the No. 2 back. But make no mistake: He's going to play for us, and contribute not just as a returner but on offense as well." Gillislee remained out of practice Monday after leaving Saturday's game with a suspected concussion. Bush continued to see practice time Monday with the first-team group, even running a one-minute drill behind Tyrod Taylor. Which, of course, leaves potential fantasy owners with little certainty about how the Bills' backfield will shake out.
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