Tailback Thomas among four Bills released

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Veteran running back Anthony Thomas was one of three Buffalo Bills players to have their contracts terminated by the team on Wednesday.

A seven-year NFL veteran and the league's rookie of the year in 2001, Thomas' numbers dwindled this season. Used mostly as a backup behind rookie first-round draft pick Marshawn Lynch, Thomas finished with career-lows in carries (36) and yards rushing (89).

He also missed the final five games after tearing a calf muscle in a 36-14 loss at Jacksonville on Nov. 25. In his second year with the Bills, Thomas did have 15 catches for 95 yards and a touchdown, his first receiving in his NFL career.

The move did not come as a surprise, because the Bills are stocked at running back. Fred Jackson had a strong finish after Thomas was hurt, while the Bills also selected Dwayne Wright in the fourth round of last year's draft.

Linebacker Coy Wire and cornerback Jerametrius Butler also had their contracts terminated. The Bills also waived offensive guard Aaron Merz, a 2006 second-round draft pick, who missed the entire season because of a shoulder injury.

The moves came prior to the start of the NFL free-agency period, which opens Friday.

Wire, selected in the third-round of the 2002 draft, had a solid jack-of-all trades tenure in Buffalo, playing both safety and linebacker positions. He was also used on special teams. He had an injury-plagued season last year, and missed the final five games after sustaining a neck injury, which limited the feeling in his fingers.

Wire also missed four games early in the season because of a sprained knee.

Butler signed with the Bills on Sept. 25 to bolster the team's injury-depleted ranks. He finished with 13 tackles and three passes defended in seven games before missing five of the final six games with a calf injury.