Buffalo Bills Training Camp Report: 7/31/2012

[Michael82]

By Michael J. Thomas

<img class="aligncenter" src="http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/Mikey82_photos/Buffalo%20Bills%20Training%20Camp%202012/07-31-12%20Tuesday%20Afternoon/Photo060b.jpg" alt="" />
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/Mikey82_photos/Buffalo%20Bills%20Training%20Camp%202012/07-31-12%20Tuesday%20Afternoon/">Buffalo Bills Training Camp Gallery - Tuesday, July 31, 2012 </a></p>
After having a well deserved day off, the players were back on the field at St. John Fisher for Day 5 at Buffalo Bills Training Camp. The players practiced in shoulder pads and shorts, so there was some minor hitting, but nothing major. The team spent time working on a lot of fundamentals, spending extra time in the individual units. They also did special teams drills, 7-on-7 passing drills, which focused on the short/intermediate passing and the 11-on-11 full team drills.

For a change of pace, the offensive players practiced on the new grass field, while the defense worked on the Polisseni track and field complex in front of the fans. The players worked on their fundamentals for a while and then the team went to work on some special teams drills.

For special teams, the Bills worked on several different things. They had the players work on different blocking assignments and do it in a line. The coaches also had the punters practice kicking the ball to the three returners, CJ Spiller, Leodis McKelvin and Naaman Roosevelt. Following the punt team drills, the kickers got a chance to show their legs off to the crowd. Both Rian Lindell and John Potter tried field goals from 45 yards, 49 yards, 55 yards and 59 yards. Potter nailed them all and his 59-yard field goal sailed right thru the middle. Lindell hit the upright on the 55-yard field goal and appeared to be a bit short on the the 59-yard field goal.

Following the special teams work, the team went to work on 1-on-1. I watched some of the 1-on-1 work with the receivers and the cornerbacks. Both Tyler Thigpen and Vince Young spent time with the wide receivers, while Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brad Smith worked with the running backs and tight ends. Prince Miller and Isaiah Green both had pass breakups. On the offensive side, Vince Young had a beautiful 30-yard pass to Donald Jones, but he also overthrew Naaman Roosevelt on an earlier passing play......... http://www.billszone.com/?p=607

[OpIv37]

two more drops for Stevie? Really?

[OpIv37]

Also, Mikey, the comments are closed on the blog, which was an intentional decision by the staff to keep the discussion in the forum. However, there's no link. I would suggest adding the link to the discussion forum on this page to the end of each article. That way, if someone finds your articles by some method other than this website, they will still get directed here for discussion.

[Michael82]

That's a good idea. Thanks Op!

[The King]

I already added it Mikey.

[Night Train]

CJ Spiller continues to wow the fans with his speed and had done a good job making cuts and finding the holes. It’s still early, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see both Spiller and Fred Jackson having almost a 60-40 split or maybe even a 50-50 split. I have also noticed a lot of plays where both are on the field and Jackson goes out wide or Spiller does.


Outside of catching their breath for a play, they should be on the field together most of the time. SJ, Chandler & Nelson (slot), Graham for the occasional stretch the field play.

[ZAZusmc03]

Also, Mikey, the comments are closed on the blog, which was an intentional decision by the staff to keep the discussion in the forum. However, there's no link. I would suggest adding the link to the discussion forum on this page to the end of each article. That way, if someone finds your articles by some method other than this website, they will still get directed here for discussion.

Awesome idea Op!

[mysticsoto]

A couple of points to add to Mikey's wonderful recap:

- I too was impressed with TJ Graham. I have to admit that I didn't like the pick on draft day, but so far the kid looks fast and has very soft hands!!! If a corner hesitates for even a second with him, he blows right by them and burns them every time.

- Easley is looking good. Let's hope he can stay healthy. If he does, I see him as a lock for the #2.

- Donald Jones caught some good passes also and contorted his body for a few to make the catch that made the audience go "Ohhhh!". I think his concussion affected him last year. Let's hope he's shaken that off and comes back full force.

- I thought Vince Young looked better than how some writers are making him sound. Sure he's not perfect and needs to work on his short range stuff a bit, but overall, he threw very well and found a receiver open frequently in the mid/long range. I also like that if the middle opens up in front of him, he just takes off without hesitation!

- Mike Anderson looks very fast. He was a GREAT pickup. As if Mario wasn't enough, I think our Dline is going to be sick this year!

- Like Mikey, I too liked the kicker opposite Lindell. He was more accurate and apparently a bit stronger than Lindell. Lindell has been great for us mostly, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the new kid get the position at all.


On to the negative (aka the Op View):

- I was disappointed not to see Fitz working the long pass more. I felt like last year that was his weakness and that as soon as teams learned that, they played close up every time and took the short pass away. I feel like he should be working timing out w/TJ since he is a burner and will often be the one going long. I saw a few med throws from him but I would have liked to see him work the bombs more - what better time than now?

- As mentioned above, VY needs to do the opposite and work on his short range balls. I felt like his short throws were poorly executed.

- Cordy Glenn was blown by several times by several people. I know he's a rookie and will face growing pains as well as the fact that he's facing elite talent on the other side, but I still have to list it as a negative.

- I thought there were a couple of times when Gilmore seemed to be caught out of place. Again, he's a rookie, that is to be expected. I did like that he seemed aggressive in his play - just hope he doesn't get too aggressive and caught often...


Like Mikey said, practice was cut short due to a thunderstorm arriving and so there wasn't a full practice to have more material on...

[ddaryl]

ah yes the report I look forward to the mostest

the stretch over the weekend not getting Mikey reports was brutal, and I know you have a life outside these reports... but I do enjoy them



I was thinking TJ Graham would need a few seasons to be a full time participator on this team, but he's going to get on the field early IMO. The one thing that stood out for me in his college highlight videos was his hands... and he sure seems to have a nice pair


I think this year the BIlls keep Lindell and Potter,. Potter for kickoffs and LONG +50yd FG's. They'll let Potter finish his development and take over fully next year. If Potter puts 80% of his kickoffs into the endzone then the need for specialty players ot run kickoff coverages is reduced and it5 justifies having that extra roster spot... IMO

but if Potter shows he is undeterred during some preseason action that might be enough to chance it.


DIsappointed with Glenn as I surely hoped he would be doing better then he has.

[Skooby]

A couple of points to add to Mikey's wonderful recap:

- I too was impressed with TJ Graham. I have to admit that I didn't like the pick on draft day, but so far the kid looks fast and has very soft hands!!! If a corner hesitates for even a second with him, he blows right by them and burns them every time.

- Easley is looking good. Let's hope he can stay healthy. If he does, I see him as a lock for the #2.

- Donald Jones caught some good passes also and contorted his body for a few to make the catch that made the audience go "Ohhhh!". I think his concussion affected him last year. Let's hope he's shaken that off and comes back full force.

- I thought Vince Young looked better than how some writers are making him sound. Sure he's not perfect and needs to work on his short range stuff a bit, but overall, he threw very well and found a receiver open frequently in the mid/long range. I also like that if the middle opens up in front of him, he just takes off without hesitation!

- Mike Anderson looks very fast. He was a GREAT pickup. As if Mario wasn't enough, I think our Dline is going to be sick this year!

- Like Mikey, I too liked the kicker opposite Lindell. He was more accurate and apparently a bit stronger than Lindell. Lindell has been great for us mostly, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the new kid get the position at all.


On to the negative (aka the Op View):

- I was disappointed not to see Fitz working the long pass more. I felt like last year that was his weakness and that as soon as teams learned that, they played close up every time and took the short pass away. I feel like he should be working timing out w/TJ since he is a burner and will often be the one going long. I saw a few med throws from him but I would have liked to see him work the bombs more - what better time than now?

- As mentioned above, VY needs to do the opposite and work on his short range balls. I felt like his short throws were poorly executed.

- Cordy Glenn was blown by several times by several people. I know he's a rookie and will face growing pains as well as the fact that he's facing elite talent on the other side, but I still have to list it as a negative.

- I thought there were a couple of times when Gilmore seemed to be caught out of place. Again, he's a rookie, that is to be expected. I did like that he seemed aggressive in his play - just hope he doesn't get too aggressive and caught often...


Like Mikey said, practice was cut short due to a thunderstorm arriving and so there wasn't a full practice to have more material on...

Cordy has to play against one of the best D-lines in the league, so I can see how he's having troubles now. On the other hand, he might consider most other team's D-lines not as challenging after dealing with his own.

[Ed]

CJ Spiller continues to wow the fans with his speed and had done a good job making cuts and finding the holes. It’s still early, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see both Spiller and Fred Jackson having almost a 60-40 split or maybe even a 50-50 split. I have also noticed a lot of plays where both are on the field and Jackson goes out wide or Spiller does.


Outside of catching their breath for a play, they should be on the field together most of the time. SJ, Chandler & Nelson (slot), Graham for the occasional stretch the field play.
I've heard Chan say a couple times that he doesn't want Jackson and Spiller on the field together most of the time because if one of them gets hurt they would have to change their base offense significantly. They'll have packages that have both guys on the field, but it won't be the majority of the time. I think that makes sense. Even if they're both on the field at the same time, only one of them can touch the ball on a play. So now you're asking the other guy to block on a regular basis, which adds more wear and exposes them to more injury potential.

[Michael82]

two more drops for Stevie? Really?

I will admit that it's starting to worry me. He seems to be dropping 2 or 3 passes every practice that he should make.


CJ Spiller continues to wow the fans with his speed and had done a good job making cuts and finding the holes. It’s still early, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see both Spiller and Fred Jackson having almost a 60-40 split or maybe even a 50-50 split. I have also noticed a lot of plays where both are on the field and Jackson goes out wide or Spiller does.


Outside of catching their breath for a play, they should be on the field together most of the time. SJ, Chandler & Nelson (slot), Graham for the occasional stretch the field play.

Agree with this. I love seeing them both in the backfield in the shot gun and love it even more when Spiller goes out wide.

[Michael82]

A couple of points to add to Mikey's wonderful recap:

- I too was impressed with TJ Graham. I have to admit that I didn't like the pick on draft day, but so far the kid looks fast and has very soft hands!!! If a corner hesitates for even a second with him, he blows right by them and burns them every time.

- Easley is looking good. Let's hope he can stay healthy. If he does, I see him as a lock for the #2.

- Donald Jones caught some good passes also and contorted his body for a few to make the catch that made the audience go "Ohhhh!". I think his concussion affected him last year. Let's hope he's shaken that off and comes back full force.

- I thought Vince Young looked better than how some writers are making him sound. Sure he's not perfect and needs to work on his short range stuff a bit, but overall, he threw very well and found a receiver open frequently in the mid/long range. I also like that if the middle opens up in front of him, he just takes off without hesitation!

- Mike Anderson looks very fast. He was a GREAT pickup. As if Mario wasn't enough, I think our Dline is going to be sick this year!

- Like Mikey, I too liked the kicker opposite Lindell. He was more accurate and apparently a bit stronger than Lindell. Lindell has been great for us mostly, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the new kid get the position at all.


On to the negative (aka the Op View):

- I was disappointed not to see Fitz working the long pass more. I felt like last year that was his weakness and that as soon as teams learned that, they played close up every time and took the short pass away. I feel like he should be working timing out w/TJ since he is a burner and will often be the one going long. I saw a few med throws from him but I would have liked to see him work the bombs more - what better time than now?

- As mentioned above, VY needs to do the opposite and work on his short range balls. I felt like his short throws were poorly executed.

- Cordy Glenn was blown by several times by several people. I know he's a rookie and will face growing pains as well as the fact that he's facing elite talent on the other side, but I still have to list it as a negative.

- I thought there were a couple of times when Gilmore seemed to be caught out of place. Again, he's a rookie, that is to be expected. I did like that he seemed aggressive in his play - just hope he doesn't get too aggressive and caught often...


Like Mikey said, practice was cut short due to a thunderstorm arriving and so there wasn't a full practice to have more material on...


Good points! Although, I think you meant Mark Anderson.

[The King]

I thought he was talking about the old Bronco's Running Back.

[Michael82]

ah yes the report I look forward to the mostest

the stretch over the weekend not getting Mikey reports was brutal, and I know you have a life outside these reports... but I do enjoy them



I was thinking TJ Graham would need a few seasons to be a full time participator on this team, but he's going to get on the field early IMO. The one thing that stood out for me in his college highlight videos was his hands... and he sure seems to have a nice pair


I think this year the BIlls keep Lindell and Potter,. Potter for kickoffs and LONG +50yd FG's. They'll let Potter finish his development and take over fully next year. If Potter puts 80% of his kickoffs into the endzone then the need for specialty players ot run kickoff coverages is reduced and it5 justifies having that extra roster spot... IMO

but if Potter shows he is undeterred during some preseason action that might be enough to chance it.


DIsappointed with Glenn as I surely hoped he would be doing better then he has.

I'm glad you enjoy my reports. I will apologize right now and let you know that I went to practice on Saturday afternoon, but I came home really late after doing some other stuff and planned to get a report up Sunday morning. I even took notes, lots of them at practice on Saturday. However when I got home from work Sunday morning after the overnight, I was sitting at my computer typing them up and I passed out. So I set my alarm for work and caught up on my missed sleep for covering all 3 days. I'm sorry. :(

As for TJ Graham. I'll admit, I wasnt a huge fan of the pick either and didn't think he'd do anything this year. But his hands are very impressive and we already know he's the fastest WR on the team. Now I see why Buddy "reached" for him.

I have a feeling you got the Lindell/Potter scenario down pat. I could definitely see them keep both. Use Potter for kickoffs and long field goals and then let him develop and learn how to kick at the Ralph from Lindell. Then in 2013, he's the new starting kicker of the Buffalo Bills.

[Michael82]

I've heard Chan say a couple times that he doesn't want Jackson and Spiller on the field together most of the time because if one of them gets hurt they would have to change their base offense significantly. They'll have packages that have both guys on the field, but it won't be the majority of the time. I think that makes sense. Even if they're both on the field at the same time, only one of them can touch the ball on a play. So now you're asking the other guy to block on a regular basis, which adds more wear and exposes them to more injury potential.
I never thought of it that way. It makes sense. But I still think we'll see them on the field together quite a bit each game. That lineup is just sick when you have both out there. It gives you so many different options.

[TigerJ]

Great reporting again, Michael. I think with potter it will be very interesting to see how much of a chance he gets to kick field goals in preseason games. If he gets enough chances and shows that he's totally cool, then I would say Lindell's job might be in jeopardy. Sometimes kickers come in and they have a great leg in practice, but their nerves get the best of them in games. If that happens, then Lindell is safe.

[Michael82]

BTW, here's Alex Carrington .....

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/Mikey82_photos/Buffalo%20Bills%20Training%20Camp%202012/07-31-12%20Tuesday%20Afternoon/Photo001.jpg

[ddaryl]

I'm glad you enjoy my reports. I will apologize right now and let you know that I went to practice on Saturday afternoon, but I came home really late after doing some other stuff and planned to get a report up Sunday morning. I even took notes, lots of them at practice on Saturday. However when I got home from work Sunday morning after the overnight, I was sitting at my computer typing them up and I passed out. So I set my alarm for work and caught up on my missed sleep for covering all 3 days. I'm sorry. :(



I'd still would like to read the Saturday report...

[ZAZusmc03]

I'd still would like to read the Saturday report...

Seriously Mikey! No excuses, play like a champ. lol.

[X-Era]

On Potter, I want my kicker to be clutch... I don't care as much about hitting 60+ yarder's. And we really won't know that until he has a few games on the line.

On Stevie, I'm not concerned at all. Drops happen in TC. The guy is a proven starter.

On Cordy, as I said earlier, Hairston has a legit shot at this job this year. Glenn will likely be the starter at some point but it may not be day one of the season.

On Donald Jones, I think the upside with Graham and Easley may leave him on the outside looking in for the #2 spot.

Also, Carder seems to be making lot's plays... Mikey/Mystic, any thoughts on him? I still place LB as a real need. Thoughts on Bradham? If Carder continues to impress I'd like to see this kid make it to the 53... Over guys like White and McKillop.

[X-Era]

I'm glad you enjoy my reports. I will apologize right now and let you know that I went to practice on Saturday afternoon, but I came home really late after doing some other stuff and planned to get a report up Sunday morning. I even took notes, lots of them at practice on Saturday. However when I got home from work Sunday morning after the overnight, I was sitting at my computer typing them up and I passed out. So I set my alarm for work and caught up on my missed sleep for covering all 3 days. I'm sorry. :( Is that a classic Michael pass-out? I've seen pic's of at least one other... Never in person though.

Looking forward to hanging at the opener.

:up: