"Shawne Merriman's stall in the Buffalo Bills' locker room was full of new team-issued apparel with tags still on them. His helmet was hanging just below his name plate.

The only thing missing was Merriman himself.

The Bills' new linebacker was still a no-show Thursday, but is tentatively scheduled to arrive on Friday.

The Bills claimed Merriman off waivers Wednesday with the hope he can reclaim the form that once made him one of the NFL's most dominant defensive players. The three-time Pro Bowler recorded 39 1/2 sacks in his first three seasons in San Diego, but has been slowed the past 2 1/2 years by physical ailments. He missed most of the 2008 season with a major knee injury and more nagging injuries the following year limited him to only four sacks. He appeared in just four games this season before being sidelined by Achilles and calf injuries.

The Chargers placed him on the injured reserve list for the injured calf, but because the injury was designated as minor, they had to release him once he was healthy.

"What I knew about him when he played, he was obviously one of the best in the league at his position," Bills coach Chan Gailey said Thursday after practice. "If he comes in here healthy, and I think he is supposed to be, and he decides to play the way he's capable of playing, he can really help our football team. He can make a difference for us. He's one of the best players in the league.

"Any time you can pick up a quality player, doesn't matter which position it is, it helps your football team. We're fortunate that this guy has a lot of tools. It's not just a few things."

Merriman is not going to play Sunday against Chicago in Toronto, but could be ready for the Detroit game next week at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

"Mentally it won't be that hard because he's used to the 3-4 defense and what we're doing," Gailey said. "I don't think the terminology will be that foreign to him. So it depends on what kind of shape he's in, and that will determine how much, if any, he plays."

If Merriman has something left, he could upgrade the NFL's 29th-ranked defense, particularly the pass rush, which has suffered from the departure of Aaron Schobel. The current outside linebackers are supposed to generate most of the pressure in the 3-4, but they have just one of the team's 11 sacks."