Associated Press

Buffalo Bills rookie linebacker Reggie Ragland underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL he suffered during practice on Aug. 5, and he won't return to the field this year.

Continue for updates.

Ragland Placed on Injured Reserve

Tuesday, Aug. 30

The Bills announced that Ragland was placed on season-ending injured reserve after undergoing knee surgery.

Ragland Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

Wednesday, Aug. 17

On Aug. 10, Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com announced Ragland will not play during the 2016 season after undergoing surgery.

He continued: "Though there is a new injured reserve rule that would allow a team to bring a player on IR back to practice if healthy so long as they were on IR for at least six weeks, it does not appear that will be an option for the rookie linebacker."

Rookie Ragland Would've Been Key Talent for Bills Defense

The linebacker's absence will be a major blow to a Bills defense that's being counted on to have a bounce-back campaign. The unit ranked 16th in run defense last season, which is why the team targeted the hard-hitting defender out of Alabama in the second round.

Ragland was expected to step right into the starting lineup alongside Preston Brown at inside linebacker. Head coach Rex Ryan previously praised the rookie as a "complete player," according to the Buffalo News:

I really like the way he is. I think he's a complete player. That's what you saw in tape and that's what he is here. He can blitz, he can hit, he can stuff the run, and I think he's good pass defense. He understands it. I think everybody's question is when you see a guy's 40 time. But there's players in this league that…they just know how to play. It might not be the fastest guy, but somebody with speed that doesn't have the instincts and awareness of others. Sometime doesn't play as fast as maybe a guy that can't run a 40 but I said before, I think that was a negative about Reggie, his cover skills.

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The Bills were already preparing for the regular season without their first-round selection, defensive lineman Shaq Lawson. He's sidelined after undergoing shoulder surgery in May that could keep him out until November, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Furthermore, the defensive tackle Kyle Williams is working his way back from knee surgery, and linebacker Manny Lawson was recently injured, too. It's a troublesome situation for a group that underperformed in a major way one year ago.

Zach Brown figures to get the first crack with the first-team defense, though Ragland's absence could also lead to more playing time for Kevin Reddick.