National Football League

Merriman placed on injured reserve

Published Nov. 27, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Buffalo Bills claimed outside linebacker Shawne Merriman off waivers from the San Diego Chargers on Nov. 3 thinking they would evaluate him for the rest of the season. As it turned out, they never got that chance.

Merriman wound up never playing for Buffalo and was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. Merriman has been dealing with Achilles' and calf injuries for several weeks.

The Bills, who claimed him during Week 9, will be responsible for the remainder of his $3.269 million base salary for this season, which comes to $1.73 million for the final nine weeks.

In addition, the Bills placed inside linebacker Keith Ellison (knee) on injured reserve.

The team signed wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt and linebacker Thomas Williams off the practice squad to replace Merriman and Ellison on the 53-man roster.

Roosevelt (6-foot, 189 pounds) has spent the first 11 weeks of the season on the team’s practice squad after joining the Bills as an undrafted free agent in April. The Buffalo native started 41 of 49 games at the University at Buffalo, where he holds school records in receptions (268), receiving yards (3,551), touchdown catches (28) and all-purpose yards (5,345). In 2008, Roosevelt set the school’s single-season receiving records with 104 catches for 1,402 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Williams (6-1, 240) was signed to the team’s practice squad on Oct. 12 after being released by the New England Patriots on Sept. 4. The USC product entered the NFL as a fifth-round (155th overall) draft choice of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2008. With Jacksonville in 2008, Williams appeared in six games on special teams, totaling three tackles and one forced fumble. Williams spent portions of the 2009 season on the practice squads of Seattle and New England before joining the Patriots’ 53-man roster on Jan. 6.