Uncertainty led Bills to put Crowell on injured reserve list!

By Mark Gaughan -- News Sports Reporter-->
Story tools:Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron said today the potential for a lengthy absence from the lineup was a big factor in the team's decision to put linebacker Angelo Crowell on the injured reserve list.
Asked why the Bills did not leave Crowell … who still has not had surgery … on the roster and wait for his injured knee to heal, Jauron said, "It's just a question of what we need now, to try to win a football game and also a question of recovery time. There's just no way to predict that kind of thing. We talked to our medical staff about it, and it's not very predictable."
Asked if the injury could have stretched into the eight-week range, Jauron said, "Yeah absolutely, bad-case (scenario). And that's where we are. We're in a situation at this time 72 hours prior to game time that we needed a spot. So we took the spot."
It seems clear the Bills were not happy about Crowell's decision to have surgery on the knee, which had bothered him during training camp. Crowell's locker already was moved out of its normal spot, next to veteran Kawika Mitchell, and placed near a corner of the room, next to practice-squad player Jonathan Stupar.
Linebacker Blake Costanzo, who was signed by the team to the 53-man roster, took over the locker stall that Crowell had used.
Jauron said Thursday that Crowell was scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery on the knee performed by Bills team doctors. Speaking after practice today, however, Jauron said the surgery had not taken place and that Crowell was going to seek a second opinion.
"My understanding is he's opting now for a second opinion," Jauron said.
"It was a disappointment," Jauron said. "I'm sure it was a disappointment for Angelo. It certainly was for us, too. As we talked about yesterday, it kind of came out of nowhere. It came out of the blue, at least to the extent that the situation is now."
The Bills did not expect Crowell to decide he needed surgery this week. Why he made that decision remained unclear.
Crowell, a sixth-year veteran who has started 41 games for Buffalo, almost surely has played his last game as a Bill. He is entering the last year of his contract. The Bills were not engaged in any talks to extend his contract. Their extension negotiations have been focused on receiver Lee Evans.
However, it's known that Crowell was not planning on sitting out the season, which probably will not help his market value next March.