When the Buffalo Bills confirmed Jay Glazer’s report that the team had released DE/OLB Shawne Merriman, the immediate Twitter reaction ranged from frustration with a failed rehabilitation project to surprise over the move considering off-season hype.

Merriman, who collected a $1 million roster bonus March 20, was set to earn another $4 million with the Bills this season. Because his skill-set doesn’t fit snugly with defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt’s new 4-3 scheme, more stout ends like Chris Kelsay and Kyle Moore were preferred over Merriman, whose slow recovery from Achilles’ surgery—as well as serious knee, calf and foot injuries over the last five years—was troubling.

Still, it was only two months ago when Bills’ head coach Chan Gailey said the following about Merriman, the high-risk, high-reward signing from Nov. 2010:

“He works hard. He looks quick. He looks healthy,” Gailey said to the News’ Tim Graham. “That part of it has been refreshing for us, to see some what of I think we’re going to see is the old Shawne Merriman this year.”

Well, we won’t be seeing the old Shawne Merriman, the one that recorded 39.5 sacks in his first three seasons with the Chargers, in a Bills uniform any longer.

(Edit: According to Tim Graham’s Press Coverage blog, the Bills do not owe Merriman the $3 million that was guaranteed for the 2012 season. “Merriman would’ve been due a base salary of $4 million for this season, with $3 million of that guaranteed if he had been released before the season began because of injury or salary-cap reasons.”)

(Header photo from the Buffalo Bills’ Facebook page)