BY DAN BEGNOCHE
When cornerback Stephon Gilmore was announced as a scratch in Chicago last Sunday, a collective groan rolled through the fanbase of the Buffalo Bills.
A first-round draft pick, Gilmore put forth an impressive rookie season in 2012 before heading into the 2013 regular season with a wrist fracture. The injury restricted Gilmore to only 11 games last year and forced him to play bandaged and without the use of his hand for a portion of that time.
The soon-to-be 24-year-old seems to be rehabbing well from his most recent groin injury, however, telling reporters Wednesday he felt good after fully participating at practice, and that his limitations at this point are not of the physical nature.
"This week I feel a lot better. I was just running around and having fun," he said after practice. "I felt a big improvement today.
"It’s not pain, it’s more having mentally being there and mentally trusting it."
Veteran Corey Graham stepped in and played superbly against the Bears in Gilmore's absence, notching three tackles and knocking down three passes in the overtime win.
If Gilmore returns for the team's home opener against the Dolphins, there's a chance Graham may still play a big part in Sunday's game, as safety Aaron Williams was still going through concussion protocols Wednesday and did not practice.
