July 31, 2006

Takeo Spikes Afternoon Practice Quotes

On where his progression is leading him… You’ll know when I’m there when you see me in a preseason game, or if not then it may happen right after the preseason, but we really can’t put a timetable on it. We know for sure probably that at least the first week you’ll see me. I’m close, I’m right where I need to be and I like where I’m at right now.

Day Four Notes: Bills Pad Up, Ming Released

Monday's lone workout marked the first time the Bills were in full pads at training camp. Head coach Dick Jauron said with only one practice a day for the rest of the way through camp there will be more pad workouts.

Bills cut FB Ming

Rookie fullback Derrick Ming was released by the Buffalo Bills on Monday, the team's first cut since opening training camp last week.

Talks stalled between Bills, Whitner

Rookie safety Donte Whitner believes he's close to signing a contract with the Buffalo Bills. The team is not so sure, saying negotiations have stalled with their top draft pick.

Training Camp Underway

Tomorrow is August 1st and the smell of the NFL is in the air! While it’s not Pittsburgh vs. Seattle in the Super Bowl, Oakland travels to Philadelphia for the season’s first game in less than a week. The game is nationally televised and is the Hall of Fame game at 8 p.m. on Sunday evening. That’s the first bone thrown to fans suffering from withdrawals since about 6 months ago.

BillsZone Training Camp Report 7/31/2006

Just like before, the team did the usual individual drills. The quarterbacks worked with the receivers and both of them made some nice throws. JP Losman did a nice job with some downfield throws to the receivers. On the other side of the field, the lines worked against eachother. I specifically watched John McCargo and Kyle Williams. McCargo showed his speed when he got by Justin Geisinger on one drill by pulling him down and then getting around him. Kyle Williams made some nice moves on Melvin Fowler and on one play spun around to get at the quarterback dummy. Ryan Denney also did a nice job at getting around the tackle.

Special Teams was up next. Bobby April had the players work on running downfield to block the opponent. Some of the players made plays to spin around the guy that was blocking them. Others just knocked the guy over. Matt Bowen stood out to me. He did a nice job getting around his guy. Later in the day, Bobby April was explaining the different rules on kickoffs to the players. One of the things he said that I didn't know was that you could take a knee if you field a squib kick. He also was explaining all the different rules about fielding a kickoff that goes near the end zone. Very interesting.

The team then went onto some 7-on-7 drills. JP Losman was clearly the winner here. He started the drill out with a quick pass to Lee Evans, then he threw a beautiful 30-yarder to Willis McGahee. Losman then made two quick passes to Josh Reed and Daimon Shelton. (Yeah Daimon Shelton is still getting balls thrown to him.) Both passes were about 5-yards. Kelly Holcomb got his chance in 4 plays and did a nice job too. He first threw a screen to Willis McGahee for about 7-yards. Then he found Sam Aiken for 10-yards. Next was a quick pass to Andre Davis for 6-yards. Finally, he threw an 8-yard pass to Shaud Williams. Losman came back and wowed right away with a 50-yard bomb to Lee Evans. It was a beautiful looking play that could have gone all the way. JP then threw a quick bullet to Peerless Price for 7-yards. He finished this series off with a sideline pass to Andre Davis for 11-yards at the sideline and then a quick pass to Peerless Price for 6-yards. Kelly Holcomb came back and lost this round. He first threw a pass that was almost intercepted, but Eric Bassey dropped it. Then Holcomb threw right to Courtney Watson who also couldn't hold on. Losman came back for 2 plays and the first one was incomplete due to excellent coverage by the defense and then to Josh Reed for 9-yards. Holcomb finished the drill off with a dumpoff to Joe Burns for 6-yards and then an 11-yard pass to Martin Nance.

Next up was the 11-on-11 drills. The offensive line struggled a bit with the blitz, but did open up some holes for the running back. Kelly Holcomb probably won this round but not by a lot. He started out with an 8-yard pass to Lee Evans. He then would have been "sacked" by London Fletcher who got right thru the line with in a blitz. He then threw a short pass to Lee Evans for about 5-yards. Willis McGahee took the ball next and pounded up the middle for 4-yards. Then the defense made a great play when Ryan Denney sniffed the reverse with Josh Reed and stuffed him for a loss of 5-yards. Willis McGahee then had a nice 6-yard run around the Left tackle thanks to a nice block by Mike Gandy. JP Losman finally got a chance to pass, but he was pressured heavily. He stepped up in the pocket, instead of scrambling and threw a beauty to Peerless Price for 12-yards. Losman then threw a short pass to Lionel Gates for 5-yards. Kelly Holcomb came back in and felt the pressure that Losman felt, this time Josh Stamer got by in a blitz. Holcomb ended up throwing an incomplete pass. He then threw a pass that was a little high but, Jonathan Smith came down with it for 11-yards. Anthony Thomas came in at RB and pounded thru the middle of the defense for 5-yards. Next Kelly Holcomb threw a screen to Shaud Williams, who caught it at the line, then was leveled by London Fletcher. JP Losman came back in and struggled with the snaps from Justin Geisinger. He bobbled two of them in a row. He recovered with a screen to Roscoe Parrish who made the catch and then juked Eric King and ran for about 12-yards. JP then threw a nice pass to Peerless Price for 16-yards. Joe Burns then came in at running back and was stuffed by Josh Stamer. Next Losman threw a touch pass to George Wilson for 13-yards. He finished this drill with a coverage sack. Kelly Holcomb had one more chance and threw a short pass to Fred Jackson, who was hit very hard by Keith Ellison. Jackson then had a 5-yard running play to finish off the drill.

After the second special teams drill where Bobby April explains the do's and dont's of kickoff returns, the Bills did one more 11-on-11 drill. This was where JP Losman lost the day. He started off by throwing to the feet of Robert Royal and then threw another low pass to Josh Reed's feet. Kelly Holcomb threw a 12-yard pass near the sideline to Sam Aiken, who made a great catch with his hands and kept the ball away from the defender before he went out of bounds. Holcomb then hooked up with Sam Aiken downfield for over 30-yards with a beautiful touch pass. Losman came in and overthrew Daimon Shelton. He recovered with a nice screen to Lionel Gates and avoided the pressure. To finish the day off, Kelly Holcomb came in. First, he took a "sack" from the big pressure by the defense. He then threw a screen to Anthony Thomas for about 6-yards. Holcomb finished it out with by overthrowing Chris Denney.

Here's a couple tidbits that I noticed today:

1. JP Losman has the better arm and throws a nice long bomb, but he has to work on his short passes. He still struggled with those. One other thing about Losman is that he seems to have learned to quit running around when he's pressured. When he felt major pressure, he just stepped up in the pocket and threw a nice pass. Let's hope he keeps this up. However, I don't want to see him stop running. That's always a nice extra!

2. The competition for wide receiver is getting fierce. Everyone is doing a great job out there. Roscoe Parrish is getting more action as a wide-out as Peerless Price sees time in the slot. Josh Reed is getting the most reps at #2 receiver, but anyone is fair game. Sam Aiken is also doing a solid job and has impressed me with some nice catches and he showed his speed a few times too.

3. Chris Kelsay was back in the starting line, but I wonder if maybe he shouldn't be. He didn't do a bad job, but I have been very impressed with Ryan Denney. He's getting very good penetration.

4. This defense has the ability to force so many turnovers. The only problem is that they aren't capitalizing right now. I have counted about 5 INT's a day, that are dropped. Courtney Watson had a great chance to make a good play, but he dropped the ball.

5. Takeo Spikes isn't practicing full force yet, but he got his first hits in today. He faced tight end Brad Cieslak in a blocking drill and hit him a few times.

6. Donte Whitner needs to convince his agent to get a deal done soon. He is seeing his chance at starting float out the window more each day. Matt Bowen has done a good job at SS and has made a couple nice plays in camp so far.

Overall, it was another good day at St John Fisher. It was nice to see the players in pads and actually hitting. Hopefully we start to see that more often.

Bills Rookie Returns to Practice After Hospital Visit

Rookie defensive tackle John McCargo, a first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills, was back on the practice field Sunday after being hospitalized for dehydration the night before.

Vincent's mantra: Why not us?

At 35 years of age and entering his 15th NFL training camp, Buffalo Bills safety Troy Vincent doesn't have time for rebuilding plans.

J.P. must be starting QB for Bills

They're doing the right thing, the politically prudent thing. The Bills are conducting a three-way quarterback tryout, a fair and open competition for the most important position on the team. Everyone gets an equal chance, and no one gets handed the job. Let the best man win.

Bills' McCargo hospitalized after hot practice

As a coach, Marv Levy always ran relatively easy training camps. He's doing the same as Buffalo's new general manager, although that didn't keep the Bills from having the first player of the NFL preseason to be hospitalized for heat-related problems.

One-a-days suit coach Jauron

Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher College under new coach Dick Jauron is just three days old but already two-a-day practices are over.

Bills report: Inside slant

Takeo Spikes, the Bills' undisputed best defensive player and emotional leader, is back after suffering an Achilles' tendon tear last Sept. 25 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Bills report: Strategy and personnel

SS Donte Whitner was the only player not in camp through three days of drills at St. John Fisher College. Whitner, the No. 8 overall pick in the draft and one of two first-round picks for the Bills, was expected in soon now that nearly all the Top 10 picks had signed deals. On Sunday, he remained the highest unsigned pick.

Bills report: Notes, quotes

DT John McCargo, one of Buffalo's two first-round picks, had an eventful start of camp. He signed a five-year, $8 million deal on Thursday and raced to campus to be on time for the team's second workout. On Saturday, he was taken to a nearby hospital around 6:30 p.m. as a precautionary measure after suffering apparent heat-related problems after practice. He returned a short time later and the report was that McCargo was hit with dehydration. "From all indications, he's fine and he's back with us," said team spokesman Scott Berchtold.

Nall the latest in recent camp injury problems for Bills

After two straight summers of dealing with injuries to key players J.P. Losman and Roscoe Parrish, the Bills were forced to watch this past weekend as potential starting quarterback Craig Nall succumbed to a hamstring setback that will reportedly keep him out indefinitely.

July 30, 2006

Bills QB Nall out indefinitely

Buffalo quarterback Craig Nall is out indefinitely after injuring his left hamstring two days ago, a potentially significant setback for a player who was expected to compete for the starting job

History Doesn't Bode Well for Bills if QB Situation Doesn't Clear Up

Even after two entire days of practice, it's still too early to declare a winner in the Buffalo Bills' quarterback derby. Even if Kelly Holcomb did throw the first interception at St. John Fisher College in beautiful suburban Rochester on Friday.

Dehydrated Bills DT McCargo hospitalized, released

Rookie defensive tackle John McCargo, a first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills, was treated and released from a Rochester-area hospital Saturday night because of dehydration.

Don't expect miracles from Bills

"We've got too many good players on this team to call it a rebuilding situation," Fletcher said Saturday. "When you say you're rebuilding, you're resigned to missing the playoffs. That's not our mind-set at all."

The billboard

Quarterback Craig Nall injured his hamstring late in Saturday afternoon's practice and probably will miss practice time this week.

Opportunity knocking for Crowell

Angelo Crowell is faster than Jeff Posey. The Buffalo Bills' new defense puts a high priority on speed. So ever since Bills coach Dick Jauron announced in January that he was going to run a Tampa-style 4-3 defense, conventional wisdom indicated that Crowell would move ahead of Posey as the starter at strong-side linebacker.

Bills' biggest challenge is off the field

Can Western New York, with its sluggish economy and declining population, hold onto its team in a National Football League that is preoccupied with maximizing revenues?

Ready to run again

Willis McGahee's timing couldn't have been much worse.

Prior to last year's mid-October game at Oakland, coming off a career-best 143-yard performance against the New York Jets the week before, McGahee proclaimed himself to be the best running back in the NFL.

Familiar task awaits Buffalo Bills line

Free agent guard Tutan Reyes, who started last season for a playoff team in Carolina, knows what a good offensive line in the NFL looks like.  That makes him a rare source for insight at the Buffalo Bills training camp, where fans and media — not to mention a lot of quarterbacks and running backs — haven't seen one for oh, about a decade.

McCargo Taken To Hospital

Rookie defensive tackle John McCargo was taken to the hopsital Saturday night, long after the Bills wrapped up their second practice of the day at St. John Fisher.

Nall pulls hamstring, severity of injury unknown

The three-man battle for the starting quarterback job of the Buffalo Bills may become a two-man competition.

But for how long remains to be seen.

Quarterback Craig Nall hurt his left hamstring in practice Saturday, and said it was too early to determine the severity of the injury because of potential swelling.

Wire ‘feels’ the new D

When asked what he thinks about his team’s new defense, Buffalo Bills safety Coy Wire tries to measure his words.

But the smile that comes across his face gives him away.

July 29, 2006

BillsZone Training Camp Report 7/29/2006

Bills Training Camp Gallery Saturday, July 29, 2006Here we go! Day 2 of Buffalo Bills Training camp. This was the last of the double sessions and it was another scorcher outside. So, the players definitely worked up a sweat. The Bills still haven't put on the pads and started hitting, but they are working pretty hard out there. The players worked on a lot of 11-on-11 drills and also some more special teams drills, along with the usual 7-on-7 and individual drills. Again, the reps remained pretty even between the three quarterbacks, but that may change depending on the severity of Nall's injury.

The day began where the players worked on some different special teams drills, trying to get set up in their right positions. Following that drill, the team did a pre-practice walk-thru without helmets. Next up was the stretching and then of course the individual drills. I watched a little bit of the Tight end drills and saw some nice blocking by Robert Royal on Kevin Everett. He really is doing a good job and is most likely going to be the starting tight end. I also paid some attention to the Quarterback drills with the Wide receivers. JP Losman looked the sharpest out of the three. He showed a lot of zip on his passes and got them out right away. The only negative I saw was that Josh Reed actually dropped a pass. He has been doing good up to this point, so I didn't make a big deal from it.

Next up was the Special Teams practice again. I have noticed that head coach Dick Jauron is giving Bobby April a lot of practice time each day. That is nice to see. They focused on punting and downing punts. Brian Moorman continued to wow the fans with his long, high and far punts. Seriously, every one of them had at least 6-7 seconds of hang time and went anywhere from 40-60 yards again.

After the special teams work, the team did some 7-on-7 drills. Kelly Holcomb got the first snaps with the starting unit and didn't do that well. His first pass was almost intercepted by Nate Clements. But then he dumped off to Lee Evans. Finally Roscoe Parrish saved Holcomb with a sweet fingertip grab. Next up was JP Losman, who completed 2 of 3, but should have had 3 of 3. His first pass was a dumpoff to Willis McGahee for about 8 yards. He then threw a beautiful pass to Jonathan Smith that could have gone for a touchdown, but it was dropped and then he threw a nice pass for about 11 yards to Chris Denney. Craig Nall was perfect in his 3 plays. First he threw an 18-yard pass to Jonathan Smith, who made a nice catch. Then he dumped it off to Anthony Thomas for 4 yards and finally threw a good looking pass to Robert Royal for about 16 yards.

In the second go around for the 7-on-7 drills, Kelly Holcomb did the worst. He completed no passes, but that was also due to some great play by the defense. First, London Fletcher almost intercepted Holcomb but didn't hang on. Then, Terrence McGee broke up two passes in a row intended for Josh Reed. JP Losman wasn't much better. His first pass to Peerless Price was caught for 9 yards, but then Lionel Gates dropped a dumpoff that was low. Losman finished this round by overthrowing Robert Royal. He later went back for one play and was almost intercepted by Ko Simpson. Craig Nall did the best job in this round. His first pass to Jonathan Smith was overthrown a bit. However, he did recover with a screen to Joe Burns and a nice pass to Sam Aiken for 12 yards.

After the horn was sounded, the two lines came over to assist and the team worked on some 11-on-11 drills. They started out with some running plays. Willis McGahee had a nice 8-yard run around the right tackle and showed some of that speed he had a couple years ago. He also had a sweet looking burst right through the middle for about 7-yards. Shaud Williams also showed some of his speed with a good looking run right up the middle for 7-yards. Anthony Thomas pushed through the line for a few yards. Joe Burns seemed to get stuffed when he ran.

They also worked on some passing plays in the 11-on-11 drills. Kelly Holcomb was the worst quarterback again. He started out good with a 10-yard pass to Jonathan Smith and a screen to Willis McGahee for about 6-yards. But then he threw an interception to Jason Jefferson who got his hand up there and grabbed the ball. When he came back in a few plays later, Holcomb threw a pass that Eric King should have intercepted. JP Losman started out getting the crowd excited by throwing a deep pass to Sam Aiken. But then once Sam Aiken couldn't hang onto it, the crowd groaned. It was a pretty pass though. When he came back on the field, Losman overthrew Lee Evans. He then threw a pass that was a little low to Anthony Thomas that was caught for about 6-yards. Craig Nall came in and underthrew Andre Davis. He then threw a quick pass to Josh Reed for 7-yards. When he came back in, Nall hit Kevin Everett for about 16-yards.

Next up was some more special teams work. This time they worked on faking punts and having Brian Moorman throw the ball. He had a nice spiral on the ball. Moorman threw to both sides of the field and completed passes to Jabari Greer, Rashad Baker, Coy Wire, Eric King, and Andre Davis. Moorman also ran with it once for about 10-yards.

Following the special teams work, the team went back to some more 11-on-11 drills. The defense seemed to put a lot more heat on the quarterbacks this time around. Craig Nall started it out with a pass to Peerless Price for about 8-yards. He then felt major pressure by Aaron Schobel and would have been sacked. Kelly Holcomb started out by throwing a short pass to Robert Royal, who dropped it. He then threw a nice 13-yarder to Sam Aiken. Holcomb ended it with a screen to Joe Burns and a nice short pass to Andre Davis that went for about 16-yards. JP Losman came in and threw a low pass to Josh Reed for 8-yards. He then had Anthony Thomas is motion and hit him for 7-yards. Losman finished the day by overthrowing Brad Cieslak. He recovered by finding George Wilson for about 12-yards. To finish the day off, the team went back to individual groups and worked on some drills. This was probably used as a cooling off period and then players only did light stuff and talked with the coaches.

Here's a couple tidbits that I noticed today:

1. The job is JP Losman's to lose, but he better step up or he may lose it. He has the best arm of the three and seems to have the best passes, but he needs to stop letting the mistakes get to him like he currently does.

2. Kelly Holcomb was the worst quarterback out there today. I counted 1 interception and 3 could have been interceptions that were dropped by the defensive players. The one that London Fletcher had a chance at, was right to him, but he couldn't hang on.

3. I hope that Craig Nall's leg heals up fast. I think it will be a two man race for the starting quarterback job and he might surprise some people. He was the best one out there today and didn't make many mistakes.

4. I love the defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell. He is really about forcing turnovers and then going at the ball. I have noticed that he is making the defensive players pick up every single ball that is on the ground, even a dropped pass, and making them run with it. He has a lot of energy and will make this defense more intense.

5. Terrence McGee was awesome today. He had excellent coverage and then was knocking balls down a few times.

6. The defensive players gotta get better at hanging onto the balls. I counted about 5 or 6 balls that could have been intercepted today. Nate Clements, London Fletcher, Ko Simpson, Jabari Greer, and Eric King all came very close to getting interceptions.

7. Ryan Denney was getting the starting nod at LDE today and seemed to do a good job. The defense got a lot of pressure on all 3 quarterbacks and he was a big part of it.

8. Props to the wide receivers who came to the fence today to sign autographs for the fans. A lot of people left camp happy. Even JP Losman came to the fence for a little while and signed some things.

Bills open camp looking for a top gun

He was speaking as a Bills' fan tired of the team's seemingly endless search to replace him in the nine seasons since he retired.

In that span, the Bills have used eight different starting quarterbacks with only Doug Flutie producing a playoff team and only Drew Bledsoe holding onto the job more than two seasons. Bledsoe lasted three.

The Bills kicked off training camp Friday at St. John Fisher College, launching the era of Marv Levy II. They also kicked off the painstaking process of finding a starting QB all over again.

Nall injures hamstring

Bills quarterback Craig Nall suffered a hamstring injury in practice Saturday afternoon. It happened during 11-on-11 team work. He rolled to his right found no one open, came back to the left and right when the play was going to be blown dead he pulled up and grabbed his left hamstring.

There for the taking

For those keeping score at home, Kelly Holcomb took the first snap of the Buffalo Bills' opening practice at training camp. Then came J.P. Losman, who took the first snap in the second practice, followed by Craig Nall's turn Saturday morning.

As promised, new head coach Dick Jauron is sticking with his plan to equally divide practice time between his three quarterbacks and allow the offseason-long competition to continue indefinitely.

Bills' 3-way QB competition continues through first days of camp

For those keeping score at home, Kelly Holcomb took the first snap of the Buffalo Bills' opening practice at training camp. Then came J.P. Losman, who took the first snap in the second practice, followed by Craig Nall's turn Saturday morning. As promised, new head coach Dick Jauron is sticking with his plan to equally divide practice time between his three quarterbacks and allow the offseason-long competition to continue indefinitely.

Dick Jauron Afternoon Practice

"Craig obviously did something to his hamstring; we’re not certain exactly what it is. He’s inside, we’ll check with our trainers. We probably won’t know that much more tomorrow and it won’t matter anyway because we’re just walking through tomorrow. We’ll certainly find out something on Monday because that’s when we practice again, it will be our first padded practice. We’re hoping it’s nothing significant, but we really won’t know for a couple of days."

Nall Injures Hamstring In Afternoon Practice

Buffalo Bills Quarterback Craig Nall injured his left hamstring while rolling out during afternoon practice at St. John Fisher College. Head coach Dick Jauron said that Nall tweaked his hamstring and his status will be updated either Sunday or Monday.

Top draft pick Whitner not yet in camp

Donte Whitner, the Buffalo Bills' top draft pick, is still not in training camp but no one with the team seems worried. With more than 10 other first-round picks still unsigned around the NFL, there's no reason to think that Whitner, a safety, will have a lengthy holdout. In fact, Bills coach Dick Jauron didn't address Whitner's absence on the second day of camp.

Dick Jauron Morning Practice

How is everyone doing? I don’t really have anything more from what we said about yesterday. We are still excited about getting here, it’s our third practice. Things are going fine and we practice once more today. We will get a bit of a break and have a hard lift now. We’ll meet in the walk through and then we will come out with pads on, on Monday. So far, so good.

First Day Impressions at Bills Camp

One of the first things I noticed, and admittedly I was looking for "it", and that's the difference in the atmosphere at Bills training camp. While I never had any personal difficulties with Tom Donahoe, it is fair to say his presence cast a long shadow over the team, the pr staff, and even the media. Much different now. Marv Levy joked when he saw me that he waved at me last night when I was on tv but I didn't wave back; heck, he probably told the other guys the same thing, but TD would be caught dead before joking with anybody in the media.

Gibson Tries Hand at Guard

Aaron Gibson has been a right tackle his entire NFL career, so imagine the surprise of the six-year veteran when on day one of Bills training camp he was lining up at right guard. "It was kind of a shock to me," said Gibson. "I kind of knew, but I didn't realize it was going to be that quick. I've never played guard so I want to see if I can."

Threesome drills on even terms

In J.P. Losman's perfect world, he would be entering the Buffalo Bills' training camp as a seasoned pro with a full year as a starting quarterback under his belt. There would be no questions about his ability to lead a NFL offense, and no second guessing the team's decision to draft him in the first round three years ago. But that perfect world does not exist. He wasn't able to hold on to the starting job that was handed to him last season. If he regains the position this season, he'll have to earn it. And that's fine with him.

The Billboard: A daily dose from Bills training camp

The weather was more suited for a duck than football players Friday as the Buffalo Bills kicked off the first day of training camp under a steady morning rain at St. John Fisher College. The team practiced on the FieldTurf at Growney Stadium before about 40 or 50 hearty souls who braved the elements for the 90-minute workout. The players had good traction on the field, but the conditions made the quarterback-center exchanges and catching passes a little adventurous, to say the least.

McCargo signs, takes first steps as a Bill

McCargo showed up in time for Friday's afternoon practice after signing a five-year contract. The deal is expected to pay him about $8.5 million, but could be worth up to $11.7 million if incentives are attained. "I'm happy it's out of the way, and I can play football," McCargo said after his first workout as a Bill. "I was anxious to get out here and be a part of this organization. We have great fans and I want to be part of the program."

Price happy to be back in Western New York

Peerless Price is back where it all began and he couldn’t be happier. The veteran wide receiver, who received a four-year, $10 million contract in the offseason to return to Buffalo, completed his first two practices of training camp Friday at St. John Fisher College. “It went good. It went real good,” he said. “I’m pleased with it. It’s just a start for us as a team and for myself.”

Whitner Remains Missing

“It’s not much different than what it was (Thursday),” Levy said. “Jim (Overdorf) is still in contact with the agent. I haven’t talked with Jim since this morning. I don’t know if he’s spoken with him (Friday) or not. I hope it’s close. I think it’s close.”

Linebacker Crowell penciled in as starter

Bills coach Dick Jauron confirmed Friday morning after the team's first training camp practice at St. John Fisher College that, for now, Angelo Crowell is the starter at strong side (Sam) linebacker instead of three-year starter Posey.

Contract gets McCargo on field

With the arrival of defensive lineman John McCargo to the Bills training camp at St. John Fisher College on Friday afternoon, the only player still absent is safety Donte Whitner.

Losman has plans to move the offense

The safe move would have been to rent rather than buy, given his job insecurity as an unproven NFL quarterback. But J.P. Losman decided to throw caution to the wind and plunk down several hundred thousand dollars to purchase a house in Buffalo.

Pittsford holds pep rally today to welcome Bills

Since the 2000 National Football League season, the Buffalo Bills have had three different general managers, four different head coaches and six different starting quarterbacks. The one constant? The team's training camp being held at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford.

Hunter's Hope Comes to Rochester

It was a somber night for former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly. He hosted the 4th annual Hunter Hope's Candlelight Ball in the Rochester area at the RIT Inn and Conference Center.

July 28, 2006

BillsZone Training Camp Report 7/28/2006

Bills Training Camp Gallery Friday, July 28, 2006 Well, it's finally here! The Buffalo Bills began the 2006 Training Camp at St. John Fisher College with 2 practice sessions. There was one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I was at the afternoon practice. The tempo was pretty slow as the players were just in their jerseys and shorts, no pads. So there wasn't much hitting. They worked on some individual drills, 7-on-7 drills, and a few 11-on-11 drills. The Quarterbacks split reps evenly for the day.

The day started out with the players running a walk-thru without helmets. Then the players warmed up and split into their individual units. I was watching Takeo Spikes and the linebackers work with LB Coach Matt Sheldon. He was having the players practice getting around the linemen and he used garbage cans as the linemen. He even stood in there a few times and tried to block them. It was nice to see his energy. Coach Sheldon was talking to Takeo a few times and helping him work out so he didn't overdo it. On the other side of the field, the defensive lineman were doing some footwork and agility drills.

Following the individual drills, the players worked on special teams drills, specifically punting. Brian Moorman was booming everything he kicked anywhere from 45-60+ yards. A few of them were kicked out of bounds too. Not much was done with returning though, because they weren't in pads and weren't hitting. However, they still had 5 players practice catching. Roscoe Parrish, Nate Clements, Jim Leonhard, Shaud Williams, and Fast Freddie Smith were the main ones I saw. Every one did a pretty good job hauling them in, except Nate Clements. He dropped one. The special teams drills lasted for about 10 minutes or so and then they were to 7-on-7 drills.

In the 7-on-7 drills, JP Losman did the best. His receivers caught everything he threw and his passes had a lot of zip on them. He can thank Josh Reed and Sam Aiken though. They both made some great catches. Reed had a sweet diving grab, while Aiken made a nice leap in the air and hauled it in. Kelly Holcomb struggled a bit. He threw a bunch of incompletions and got lucky on a pass that should have been intercepted by Keith Ellison, but was dropped. Holcomb also lacks the zip on his passes that both Losman and Nall showed. However, he did thread the needle on a pass to George Wilson, who caught it between two defenders. Craig Nall did a pretty good job in the 7-on-7. He seemed to focus more of the short passes and dumped off a few times too.

Following the 7-on-7 drills, the team worked on some 11-on-11 drills. In the first series of plays, Losman looked the best. He again showed good velocity on the ball and got them out very quickly. He also threw some nice screens and sideline passes, including a nice sideline pass to Robert Royal. Kelly Holcomb started where he left off in the 7-on-7 and struggled some more. This time he had a pass tipped by Ryan Denney and was almost sacked. He did better in the second series of 11-on-11 drills. Craig Nall didn't do much but make a few short passes. However he did much better the next series.

In the final series of 11-on-11 drills, Kelly Holcomb woke up. He was completing everything and rebounded. Josh Reed make a nice leaping grab of a pass from Holcomb. JP Losman seemed to go backwards a bit. He had a horrible series. First there was some miscommunication with the receiver and Losman threw a interception that was right to Wendell Hunter. Then his pass to Jonathan "Fast Freddie" Smith was batted down by Jabari Greer. Finally, the last play was whistled dead as he couldn't find an open receiver. Craig Nall started out by overthrowing Lee Evans. Then he had the play of the day when he found Roscoe Parrish downfield with lots of room to run. Parrish caught the ball and then turned on his jets with only 2 men to beat. It probably would have ended up as a touchdown. Nall also connected on his other short passes.

Here's a couple tidbits that I noticed today:

1. JP Losman has the best arm on this team by far and it shows. He was zipping everything he threw and has a very quick release. He also seems to be a bit more confident out there. His interception threw him off a bit though and he didn't recover. We'll have to see how he does tomorrow.

2. Kelly Holcomb is the weakest quarterback out there and seems to dump it off or throw the short passes too much. I really don't see him in the competition for that long. Losman and Nall both have much stronger arms and that will be needed for this offense.

3. Josh Reed and Sam Aiken made quite a few nice catches. Reed made a sweet diving catch that drew a round of applause and Aiken made a beautiful catch in the middle of traffic. Lee Evans made a few leaping catches too.

4. John McCargo must have done something to tick off DL Coach Bill Kollar, because I heard him get yelled at and then he was running a couple sprints.

5. Ashton Youboty made a couple nice plays today and batted down a few passes. Jabari Greer also covered his receivers nicely. It's going to be an interesting battle for the nickel job. Both players looked pretty good out there and Eric King did well too.

6. Props to JP Losman. He was the last player to stay out on the field and sign autographs at the fence. He was there for almost an hour and signed until he got everybody. Even after he got done signing on one side of the field, he still came by the other side to sign for a family who didn't want to walk all the way around the field.

Overall, I thought it was a slow day. It didn't help that it was very hot outside and all the players were sweating up a storm and were probably tired out. But it still seemed slower than normal. Hopefully they will have the pads on tomorrow. Those are the best practices to watch. I'll be back tomorrow evening with the latest from St. John Fisher College when I check out the afternoon practice.

Day One Practice Notes; Whitner Update

The first day of Bills training camp is in the books and there was a lot that happened on Friday. We begin with the latest on the contract talks between the team and the representatives for Donte Whitner.

Bills agree on 5-year deal with McCargo

The Buffalo Bills agreed on a five-year contract Friday with defensive tackle John McCargo, the second of the team's two first-round draft picks.

McCargo Contract Complete, Will Practice Friday

After working through most of the night from Thursday into Friday Bills Vice President of Football Administration, Jim Overdorf was able to complete a deal for Bills rookie defensive tackle John McCargo.

Day One Practice Notes

There was a lot to take in on the first rain-soaked practice of the Bills 2006 training camp. Below is a snapshot of several areas of interest concerning the team.

McCargo signs, takes the field at Bills camp

Defensive tackle John McCargo, the second of Buffalo’s two first-round draft picks, today signed a five-year contract with the Bills. McCargo was on the field this afternoon for the team’s second practice at its St. John Fisher training camp.

Notes From Training Camp Friday Morning

Bills LB Takeo Spikes, fresh off an Achilles injury, took part in individual drills at today’s first day of training camp.

Spikes returns, but not for preseason games

Takeo Spikes says he's back - but he's going to ease into training camp workouts. The Buffalo Bills' star linebacker said Thursday he probably will not be playing in any preseason games this summer.

Bills' camp missing top rookies

The Buffalo Bills' defense will have to wait for the two rookie reinforcements it so desperately needs.

Who Will Be the Starting Quarterback?

It's a question that no Bills fan can patiently wait to have answered. The reason is due partly to the fact that the Buffalo Bills have been searching for a bona fide starting quarterback that can man the position consistently year after year since 1997.

Bills to play despite rain

The series of heavy thunderstorms expected to pass through Rochester this morning is not expected to affect the opening of the Buffalo Bills training camp.

Bills return to their past, to build for the future

This year, as the Bills return to Rochester for a seventh summer of training, it's Levy who is doing the meeting and greeting while casting a watchful eye over the proceedings as the club's new general manager of football operations.

Camp could help team answer key questions

Will the decision to have J.P. Losman, Kelly Holcomb and Craig Nall compete for the starting quarterback job produce the best man or just create chaos throughout the summer?

Price is eager to cash in on his second chance

Marv Levy knew exactly where Peerless Price was coming from. When asked how he'd feel about re-joining the Buffalo Bills, where his first four years in the NFL were his most successful, Price reacted like a teenager just offered the keys to his dad's red convertible.

Losman, Holcomb, Nall all have shot to start

Rather than designate someone this off-season, Levy, the team's Hall of Fame coach turned general manager, and new coach Dick Jauron, elected to throw the job open for competition between incumbents J.P. Losman and Kelly Holcomb and newcomer Craig Nall.

Right here, right now

Marv Levy is sitting in Section 134 of Ralph Wilson Stadium on a sunny spring day, clutching a roster of the Buffalo Bills, tugging occasionally on a wide-brimmed straw hat. The perch is an unfamiliar one for the Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Miami trio knows how to bring the heat

Fair or not, the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., is not known to many for its excellence in higher education. To most, it's a football factory.

A bigger, stronger, faster Spikes is back

Spikes won't be in full pads at the Bills training camp at St. John Fisher, which kicks off today, and he isn't likely to play in any preseason games.

Team's plan will need some time to grow

After Levy and Jauron wisely purged the roster of Donahoe's aging free-agent stars, Buffalo figures to need at least one more draft and free agency period before it can realistically start thinking about the postseason again.

Players excited to have Jauron in charge

Shortly after hearing that Dick Jauron had been hired as the Bills head coach, Troy Vincent did what many employees do when they discover they're getting a new boss: He did some detective work. The Bills veteran defensive back called virtually everyone he knew who had either played or coached with Jauron.

Bills hoping newcomers will make a contribution

The Buffalo Bills roster definitely became younger this off-season. But did it get any better? "We hope it's better. You find that out later, but it was done in mind of making it better, yes," said general manager Marv Levy on the eve of the Bills' 47th training camp, which kicks off at 8:30 this morning at St. John Fisher College.

Some of the Bills camp in comfort

The Buffalo Bills will leave a lot of sweat on the practice fields during training camp at St.John Fisher College during the next month. On Thursday when players and coaches checked into their dorm rooms, however, the hardest working people were the Rent-A-Center deliverymen.

Bills Will Open Camp Minus Two Top Picks

The new-look Buffalo Bills are prepared to open training camp minus two of their newest faces: first-round draft picks Donte Whitner and John McCargo.

July 27, 2006

Bills Report to Training Camp

Training Camp gets underway Friday morning for the Buffalo Bills. The team will hold two practices at St. John Fisher College. This is the Bills seventh season of preseason drills in Rochester.

Ex-Bills QB Fights Cancer

Looking back, Joe Ferguson's success as a quarterback in Buffalo isn't measured by wins and losses, it's measured by his passion for football.

Youboty Signed, Only McCargo, Whitner Remain

The Bills are inching closer to having all of their draft picks at training camp on time as third-round pick Ashton Youboty signed his first NFL contract with the club Thursday afternoon.

What Players Are Poised To Emerge In 2006?

The Bills made a concerted effort this offseason to fortify their roster with veterans who had some experience in the league, but had yet to reach the prime of their careers. Not far behind free agent acquisitions like Melvin Fowler, Robert Royal, Larry Tripplett are younger players who have been groomed by the Bills for the past year or so.

Bills still negotiating deals with top three draft picks

The Buffalo Bills are counting on strong safety Donte Whitner, defensive tackle John McCargo and cornerback Ashton Youboty, their top three draft picks, to bolster their sagging defense. But first comes business.

Bills return to St. John Fisher

The Buffalo Bills return for the seventh year to their training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford on Friday for 23 practice sessions during the next four weeks.

Six high-profile Bills with plenty to lose in camp

The Buffalo Bills will open their training camp this Friday, and there are plenty of question marks on the roster. Some are wondering about the quarterbacks, while others ponder about the team's new coaching staff.

Training camp guide 2006

1. If it rains, the Bills will move indoors, and those practices are closed to the public. The interactive areas will also close. The best way to make sure camp is going on as scheduled is to call the hotline at 800-441-5942 or visit the team’s Web site at www.buffalobills.com.

10 things to know about Pittsford

About the only thing that hasn’t changed for the Buffalo Bills this offseason is the location of their training camp. For the seventh straight year, the Bills will train at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford.

July 26, 2006

Former NFL, New Mexico player sentenced

A former NFL and University of New Mexico football player convicted of federal drug charges has been sentenced to eight years in prison. U.S. District Judge Robert Junell on Tuesday also ordered Lennox Constantine Gordon, 27, aka James Nails, to be placed under supervised release for five years after completing his 97-month prison term.

Taking a Bills Inventory Heading into Training Camp Part III: Special Teams & Coaching

The Bills return what is perhaps the NFL’s best return man not only today, but depending upon longetivity, perhaps ever! Terrence McGee is a superlative kickoff returner indisputably. His average abilities at CB, as opposed to below or well-below average talent elsewhere on this team, make him perhaps the player with the most impact on the entire team.

What you need to know about Bills training camp

There is no public parking on the St. John Fisher College campus. Fans can use public parking lots at either East Rochester High School or Nazareth College. The lot at East Rochester High School will be closed Friday and Saturday.

Marv Levy Joins The Howard Simon Show

With the Buffalo Bills checking into St. John Fisher College tomorrow and training camp beginning on Friday, Marv Levy joined the Howard Simon show on Wednesday to talk about some major issues facing the team.

What Players Must Excel On Defense?

The defense, much like the offense has a lot of improvements to make to get back to the top-two league ranking it enjoyed in 2003 and 2004. Every defense with a ranking that high has playmakers. The main men in Buffalo's defense that have been playmakers before have to rise up and be playmakers again in defensive coordinator Perry Fewell's new scheme if the Bills are to stay in games this season.

Jauron single-minded about practice

New Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron is following Marv Levy's approach to training camp. Jauron has just two two-a-day sessions scheduled at St. John Fisher College, which is the lowest number of two-a-days in the NFL this summer.

Out Loud with Dick Jauron

The situation in Buffalo is, first of all, I love coaching, and it's an opportunity to be a head coach again. And it's with people I know a little bit, not a lot. I knew Mr. Wilson (1) a little bit. I had interviewed with him once before and hadn't gotten the job. I knew Marv (2) hardly at all.

Buffalo Bills will host youth day for special kids

The Buffalo Bills and the town of Pittsford will co-host Pittsford Youth Day for those in the community with special needs on Aug. 7 at the team's training camp at St. John Fisher College.

July 25, 2006

Taking a Bills Inventory Heading into Training Camp Part II: Defense

Defensive Line: Sam Adams and injury-puppy Pat Williams, two wide-bodies in the middle of the DL will be missed from the perspective of rushing defense. The problem is that the Bills finished 2nd-to-last in rushing defense last season ahead of only Houston and their no-name front-7, now a name front-7 with the additions of "names" Mario Williams (DE) and DeMeco Ryans (LB) early in the draft, and Anthony Weaver (DE) in free agency for an instantaneous and significant upgrade of half of their front-7.

What Players Must Excel On Offense?

As Bills head coach Dick Jauron has said several times already, 'We're going to need everybody to be successful.' And for a Bills team that's looking to claw its way back to respectability it may take all 53 men on their roster. But for an offense to be successful their marquee players have to make big plays.

Bills sign more picks with three more to go

The Buffalo Bills brought two more draft picks into the fold Monday, coming to terms with fifth-round selection Brad Butler and seventh-round pick Aaron Merz. Terms were not disclosed.

D-line's size may blow Bills' cover

After ranking second in the NFL for two straight seasons, the Buffalo Bills' defense plummeted to 29th overall last year. They are hoping a new system will lead to better results in 2006.

Buffalo has precedent to strike a deal with Whitner

The Oakland Raiders and their first-round pick, safety Michael Huff, came to an agreement on Monday. The seventh overall selection signed a five-year deal worth between $22.5 and $26.5 million with $15 million in guarantees. Huff's contract also includes incentives that would make the former University of Texas star up to $43 million. Naturally, the Buffalo Bills paid very close attention to Huff's contract, since they, too, took a safety in the top 10.

Ruston product signs with Bills

Fifth-round NFL draft pick Kyle Williams, an LSU product from Ruston, has came to terms on a four-year deal with the Buffalo Bills.

July 24, 2006

Taking a Bills Inventory Heading into Training Camp Part I: Offense

Quarterbacks: It’s musical chairs in Buffalo regarding their QBs. Fans and media know what Holcomb brings, but do Jauron and Fairchild? Nearly two-thirds, 62%, of Holcomb’s completions to the "big three" went to Eric Moulds. Next on Holcomb’s priority list was Evans at 21%. Moulds averaged 10.6 yards-per-catch from Holcomb, not exactly "stretching the field." Is this what we want, what we need, from Evans? Losman was far more efficient at spreading the ball around hitting Moulds, Evans, and Reed for 35, 41, and 24% respectively.

Bills sign four draft picks

The Buffalo Bills signed draft picks Ko Simpson, Kyle Williams, Brad Butler and Aaron Merz on Monday. Simpson, a fourth-round selection out of South Carolina, led the Gamecocks in tackles in 2005 with 103.

Bills Sign Four Draft Picks

Over the weekend the contract negotiators for the Bills closed some deals with four Buffalo draft picks. Fourth-round pick Ko Simpson, fifth-round picks Kyle Williams and Brad Butler and seventh-round pick Aaron Merz all signed on the dotted line Monday at One Bills Drive.

What Veterans Face the Greatest Competition?

They either hold a starting role from the season before or have been one of the first players off the bench when injury strikes. And they've held such a role on the team for at least two seasons and they intend to keep it. But set to push them in training camp is an influx of new young talent or talent on the rise.

Fairchild has a big job ahead of him

It was a rough 2005 for the Buffalo Bills' offense. It couldn't run or throw with any consistency and struggled to sustain drives. New offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild's job is to inject life into an unit that ranked 28th in total yards, 29th in passing, 23rd in rushing yards per attempt, 30th in red zone efficiency and 24th in scoring last season.

Bills' top two special teamers may need a miracle

Over the last two seasons, the Buffalo Bills have dealt with plenty of troubles. However, the one aspect on their team that has remained steadfast in its consistency is the special teams unit, which has finished No. 1 in each of the last two years. With roster spots hard to come by, that unit faces the possibility of breaking up during training camp and preseason.

July 23, 2006

Bills Team Report

By signing RT Jason Peters to a five-year contract extension, the Bills have solidified their right tackle position for the foreseeable future. The new deal also reaffirms the Bills' belief that he is one of their rising stars. Peters, 24, has made a remarkable transition to offensive tackle after joining the team as an undrafted rookie tight end in 2004.

A look ahead to the AFC East

Buffalo: What's going to help: The leadership and vision of new general manager Marv Levy. Forget that he is an octogenarian; he still brings a thorough understanding of what it takes to build a winner from his days of coaching the team to four straight Super Bowls.

Early schedule gives Bills a shot at respectable start

We keep hearing predictions of impending doom concerning the Bills, mostly because teams that say they have two or three potential starting quarterbacks at this juncture usually have none at all. I may have contributed to the doom-season talk myself. But it might have been Abe Lincoln - or was it Sam Walton? - who said, "The customer may not always be right but he's as clairvoyant as the next guy."

Bills sign draft picks Simpson, Williams

The Buffalo Bills have reached contract agreements with two more of their draft choices. Fourth-round pick Ko Simpson and fifth-round pick Kyle Williams both came to terms on four-year deals with the Bills.

JUST ASKING: 20 questions with Dick Jauron

Hobbies: Golf, reading. Last book read: "A People's History of the United States," by Howard Zinn.

The Family Guy

Dick Jauron is a bona fide legend in his hometown of Swampscott, Mass., a community of 14,000 just 17 miles north of Boston. The old-timers there still like to reminisce about Jauron leading the high school to state titles in football and basketball.

July 22, 2006

Security guard sues Bills over injury

A security guard who was watching the crowd at Ralph Wilson Stadium when two players bowled him over last season said he is suing the Buffalo Bills because of a knee injury he suffered in the accident.

Bills report: Inside slant

Tackle Jason Peters has started just 11 NFL games but the Bills know a good player when they see one. The team recently locked up the Arkansas product, an undrafted free agent in 2004, with a five-year contract extension believed to be worth more than $4 million per year.

Bills report: Strategy and personnel

The Bills have signed just two of their nine draft picks, sixth-round LB Keith Ellison and seventh-round pick Terrance Pennington, leaving a lot of work to do in the final week before training camp is scheduled to open.

Bills report: Notes, quotes

Coach Dick Jauron's revised camp schedule has the Bills taking part in just two double-session days and eight night practices. "I'm seeing and hearing things that you're not accustomed to hearing," said 15-year veteran Troy Vincent.

July 21, 2006

Night Practice Tickes Available at Verizon Wireless Locations

The Bills announced that tickets for the Wednesday, August 16th night practice at Buffalo Bills Bausch & Lomb Training Camp will be distributed at three Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in Rochester. Verizon Wireless is the official wireless service provider of the Buffalo Bills.

Who Are the Training Camp Sleepers?

They are the players that fly under the radar heading into training camp, but by the time the preseason is wrapping up they've put together a solid body of work, and given themselves a genuine chance to make the 53-man roster.

July 20, 2006

Bills tickets going fast

The first four Bills home games for next season are already virtual sell-outs, despite the fact the Bills are coming off a 5-11 season in which they finished out of the playoffs for a sixth straight year.

Pep rally to welcome Bills to camp

There's no longer a parade down Main Street, but the Town of Pittsford will welcome the Buffalo Bills back to training camp with a pep rally on Saturday, July 29. The pep rally is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. in front of the Town Hall at 11 South Main Street

Will the Defense Be Better Against the Run?

Last year was a forgettable one for Buffalo when it came to defending the run. They finished 31st in the league in yards allowed on the ground. No other team in the NFL gave up more first downs rushing (146) than the Bills. They tied for a league worst 22 rushing touchdowns allowed. In a word it was ugly.

Q & A: Bills special teams ace Coy Wire

One of the finest special teams performers and humanitarians in the NFL, Buffalo Bills safety Coy Wire has captained the franchise's special teams unit to two consecutive No. 1 rankings in the league. The 27-year-old was nice enough to answer some of my questions on his role, the coaching staff, and a few other interesting topics.

July 19, 2006

What Will Be the Positions of Most Competition?

By now everyone is aware of the three-way quarterback competition that will commence at St. John Fisher July 28. It will be the most popular daily topic of camp without question. But there will be some other heated battles for jobs at some very loaded positions.

Don't expect Bills to give Clements long-term deal

In the wake of right tackle Jason Peters' recent contract extension, many Buffalo Bills fans have been calling for the team's No. 1 cornerback, Nate Clements, to receive a new deal. Earlier in the offseason, the former Pro Bowler was given the franchise tag, which will pay him $7.2 million in the upcoming year.

July 18, 2006

Beebe Becomes Speed And Football Coach Following Redemptive Win

Don Beebe put his hands on his knees and gazed skyward as the final 10 seconds ticked off the clock in the Packers' 35-21 Super Bowl XXXI victory. He crouched 10 yards behind Brett Favre as the quarterback hiked the ball for the final kneeldown. Favre then turned and gave Beebe that game ball, a reward for reaching the top after coming so close four times before.

Who Will Back Up Willis?

The Bills know who their self-proclaimed 'horse' is, Willis McGahee. And though McGahee's role is expected to be expanded on third downs and in the passing game, even the horse needs a breather every so often.

Sixth-round pick signs with Bills

The Buffalo Bills signed rookie linebacker Keith Ellison on Monday. Ellison was Buffalo's sixth-round pick in the April draft.

Bills big at box office: 4 games near sellouts

The Buffalo Bills are proving you don't need to sign big-name free agents, draft high-profile players or even pick a starting quarterback to sell tickets. Creative marketing and the return of a Hall of Fame coach can do the trick.

Buffalo must find starting spot for Crowell

After two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Takeo Spikes tore his Achilles in a Week 3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last September, the inexperienced Angelo Crowell stepped in for him as the Buffalo Bills' starting Will 'backer. Many worried that Crowell was a special teamer at best, but the former third-round pick did more than enough to demonstrate that he can be an outstanding pro defender.

July 17, 2006

Single Seats Remain for Four Home Games

The Bills Monday announced that only single seats remain for Bills home dates against the NY Jets (9/24), Minnesota Vikings (10/1), New England Patriots (10/22) and Green Bay Packers (11/5) after the team opened its sale of individual game tickets over the weekend.

Bills in Spin Cycle as Training Camp Nears

Upon his hire Marv Levy came a chargin’ into the room and announced that "the future is now." What exactly that meant or means I suppose there is a little wiggle room on, but one thing that it likely did not mean was that this team, the Bills, were in a state of rebuilding.

Ellison Becomes Second Bills Draft Pick to Sign

The Bills added another of their draft picks to the fold when they signed linebacker Keith Ellison on Monday. Buffalo's sixth-round pick was pleased to get a deal done with the club knowing now that he won't miss another minute of practice time.

What Draft Picks Will Make An Impact As Rookies?

Sure there are draft picks that see playing time on special teams or hold down sub-package roles on offense or defense in their rookies seasons. But with Buffalo's alarming lack of depth on the defensive side of the ball prior to the NFL Draft, the Bills had to plug some holes in their lineup.

Please, Bills: Anybody but Kelly

Unless Losman's performance in the springtime mini-camps (sorry, I can't bring myself to use the phrase "organized team activities," and never will again) and the summer sessions to come is so dismal that it convinces Jauron, offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild, quarterback coach Turk Schonert and general manager Marv Levy that he's hopeless, he's the guy. And if Buffalo's offensive thinkers ultimately decide trading up to take Losman was the biggest blunder of the many made by deposed overlord Tom Donahoe, then they should look right past Holcomb and hand the ball to Nall.

Bills' extension of Peters may signal move to LT by '07

The Buffalo Bills made a noteworthy decision on Friday, giving starting right tackle Jason Peters a five-year contract extension. Last season was the former Arkansas standout tight end's first as a starting lineman, and he was quite impressive. In 10 starts the 6-4, 328-pounder was charged with three penalties and allowed just 1 ½ sacks.

July 16, 2006

30 Seconds With Bruce Smith

For 19 seasons, Bruce Smith was the prototypical N.F.L. pass-rushing defensive end, with the Buffalo Bills (1985 to 1999) and the Washington Redskins (2000 to 2003). He retired as the career sacks leader with 200. (Sacks became an official N.F.L. statistic in 1982.)

Bills 28th in NFL quarterback rankings

The most important position in any team sport is football quarterback. A great QB can make an ordinary team a playoff contender and a below-average QB can doom an otherwise good team.

July 15, 2006

Peters gets five years from Bills

The Buffalo Bills locked up one of the key members of their offensive line Friday, signing right tackle Jason Peters to a five-year contract extension. Peters, who was entering the final year of his current contract, will now be in a Bills uniform through 2011

Question marks aplenty before Bills open camp

With training camp opening in less than two weeks, football is once again in the air around Buffalo. Now is our chance to see if Levy can work his magic touch and finally bring the city a championship if not at least a competitive club.

Bills report: Inside slant

Pick a starting quarterback: For the first time since 1999 when the Rob Johnson-Doug Flutie feud was in full bloom, the Bills truly don't know their starting quarterback. Incumbents J.P. Losman and Kelly Holcomb, who split the starts equally a year ago, and free agent Craig Nall, who groomed under Brett Favre the past four seasons in Green Bay, were scrutinized plenty during spring drills.

Bills report: Strategy and personnel

Free agent Melvin Fowler, who enters training camp as the club's No. 1 center, is listed at 295 pounds, which is five pounds lighter than the departed Trey Teague.

Bills report: Notes, quotes

The Bills, who drafted three defensive backs, waived free agent corner LaShaun Ward. The move gives them a more manageable number in their secondary for training camp.

July 14, 2006

Bills Extend Peters

Offensive lineman-turned-tight end-turned-offensive lineman Jason Peters signed a contract extention with the Buffalo Bills.

Coach's tenure beats NFL odds

Katie Lester entered the ninth grade three years ago with a gutsy pledge from her father. Chuck Lester promised his daughter she would be able to graduate high school in Orchard Park. Dad is about to deliver. This fall, Katie will begin her senior year in Orchard Park.

Bills Lock Up Peters With Contract Extension

From rookie free agent, to practice squad member, to special teams performer, to full-time starter, Jason Peters has made quite the transformation. Now the Bills third-year player can add 'anchor at tackle' to his list of titles as he signed a long term contract extension with Buffalo Monday.

Will Spikes Be 100%?

It's a question that Bills fans want answered perhaps more desperately than any other. Will their two-time Pro Bowl linebacker who suffered a catastrophic rupture of his Achilles tendon last Sept. 25th be 100 percent ready to go come Sept. 10?

Bills have no shortage of slot WR competitors

Outside of No. 1 receiver Lee Evans, the opening-day arrangement of the Buffalo Bills' wideout depth chart is anyone's guess. At the moment, veteran free agent pickup Peerless Price has the inside track on taking the starting job opposite Evans. Assuming the 28-year-old maintains the spot throughout training camp and preseason, the Bills will have a three-way fight on their hands for the No. 3 spot.

Marv Levy: Age Is Just A Number

When the Bills open training camp at the end of the month, it will be Marv Levy's first as General Manager. Make that the Bills 80 year old General Manager.

July 13, 2006

Dick Jauron on the Western New York Sports Zone

DICK JAURON: "I feel really comfortable with our team with their work ethic that they showed us this offseason. With their confidence you know that's something that as a group we are going to need to grow, we are going to need to believe we can win, before we'll ever be able to win and we'll have to start working on that as we did in the offseason and continue right through training camp."

Can Special Teams Three-Peat?

Finishing first in the league as a special teams unit is no easy task, but the Bills have made it look easy of late. Following a 2004 season that saw them earn the top ranking, in 2005 Buffalo became the first team in league history to finish tops in the league in back-to-back seasons.

Bills' fans: Send us your pictures

If you have a head shot of a Bills' fan - face-painted, hat-wearing, beer-swilling, whatever - e-mail it to designdesk@buffnews.com (100dpi resolution or higher) and you may appear in the NFL Preview section set to run Sept. 7.

Tickets for Bills on sale Saturday

Individual game tickets for the Buffalo Bills will go on sale to the general public at 9 a.m. Saturday. However, fans who are registered with the Bills Backers club will get the chance to buy tickets one day before the general public - starting at 9 a.m. Friday.

Smith to be inducted in Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame

His playing days over, Bruce Smith is racking up something other than sacks these days. Now it's hall of fame inductions. Add the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame to the list, which announced Wednesday that Smith, the NFL's all-time sacks leader, will be one of 11 area sports figures to be honored as part of this year's class. The formal induction will take place Oct. 26.

AFC East training-camp preview

Watch the Marv Levy experiment in Buffalo. You want to give the Bills' Hall of Fame former head coach the benefit of the doubt in his new role as the team's general manager, but so far he has inspired mostly doubts.

July 12, 2006

Smith, Jacobs highlight sports hall class

The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame roster will grow by another 11 later this year. The Class of 2007 was announced Wednesday with former Buffalo Bills defensive end Bruce Smith and businessman Jeremy Jacobs headlining the group.

Will Tim Anderson Be Challenged for NT Job?

Since the release of veteran defensive tackle Sam Adams, Tim Anderson has been sitting at the top of the Bills depth chart at the nose tackle position. He got there partly by default since at the time the only other defensive tackles on the roster were LaWaylon Brown, Jason Jefferson and Lauvale Sape. Anderson was the only one with a respectable amount of playing experience.

'Skinny kid' from MTSU finds success on and off the field

There are plenty of high school quarterbacks that never realize their dream of playing in the NFL. For Kelly Holcomb, playing for Middle Tennessee State was thrilling, but he wasn't satisfied. Holcomb wanted to prove that he could be the starting quarterback for a pro franchise.

NFL stars come from far and wide to help Holcomb

Detroit Lions tight end Marcus Pollard wanted to help out a friend. Therefore, he was willing to travel a long distance in a short period of time. Helping his friend, former MTSU standout and current Buffalo Bills quarterback Kelly Holcomb, required him to fly from New York to Atlanta Monday and then catch a flight from Atlanta to Middle Tennessee Tuesday morning.

Bills fans, don't hold your breath for Brady Quinn

A potential superstar quarterback like Quinn may be exactly what this team needs. But with a sound defense and running game, a coach players like playing for, and what has been the best special teams in the league, the Bills are just too good to get him.

The five greatest moments in Buffalo Bills history

Although the Bills' history has been filled with plenty of devastating moments, there has also been a good deal of triumph. Winning two American Football League titles in the mid 1960s certainly stands near the top, as does going to four straight Super Bowls a decade and a half ago. The Bills tasted bitter defeat in all of those games, but being the AFC's best team between 1990-1993 is a special accomplishment in its own right.

July 11, 2006

Where Should the Bills be Ranked Heading into the Season?

It is conventional wisdom in the NFL that a team’s lines dictate how good the individual offensive and defensive units are. My past recent pieces have even gone so far as to delineate the most clear and obvious correlations between line play and how stopping the run (defense) and generating a run (offense) determine a team’s passing rankings in terms of yardage, read "quantity."

And that’s what matters statistically in the NFL, quantity, right! Teams’ offenses are measured by yards first, scoring and other efficiency measures second. After all, Drew Bledsoe made a career out of "quantity" for as utterly devoid of quality his play has been. Just get it down to the red zone regardless of what happens there has been Bledsoe’s perennial rallying cry as he has been among the worst red zone QBs in the history of the game. Some take thoughts of Bledsoe ever making the Hall-of-Fame seriously citing his yardage achievements. But the moment that one steps away from those to more efficiency minded figures, the petals on Bledsoe’s Hall-of-Fame bid rose wilt as if they were sitting freshly cut in the desert sun.

 

I use Bledsoe as a single example and one that Bills fans can relate too. But there are a host of other players and teams to which the same priniciple applies.

 

Regardless, in a constant state of evaluating the effectiveness of teams, I have wondered what the best measure of offensive and defensive lines were. The logic there is that lines are good if they can open holes for the running game and protect their QBs on passing plays. How would this manifest itself?

 

Presumably in some sort of average measure of production in terms of running the ball is appropriate, and in terms of passing some measure of production as well perhaps, but also a measure of how often a QB is pressured.

 

Defensively, the opposites would then hold. In other words, how a DL can limit average rushing production, passing production, and generate pressure of its own.

 

The stats that I opted to look at were team yards-per-carry, attempts per sack, and yards-per-attempt in passing. I then took a gander at the average for all of them both collectively as well as broken up by offense and defense. While limited in scope, this is not to suggest that the Bills ranked any better in other stats that might be used. For example, offensively the Bills still ranked 28th in yards-per-drive and thereabouts in other "per drive" efficiency measures.

 

Defensively they ranked 31st and ahead of only Houston in yards-per-drive efficiency measures and thereabouts in terms of other "per drive" efficiency measures again.

 

While yards-per-carry sometimes have much to do with the particular running back, few teams possess such a RB that makes that kind of a difference all by himself and in cases where it is the case, one or two spots likely wouldn’t impact any particlar team much if at all regardless. Especially to the Bills since they appear to be on the opposite end of the spectrum from which teams with such RBs would typically rank. As well, otherwise Edgerin James should be just as productive in Arizona as he’s been in Indianapolis for example. A show-of-hands as to how many are truly expecting that!

 

In the passing game, a strategy employing primarily a high-percentage [read "short"] passing game or an agile/mobile QB can help mask sack/pressure indicators. As well, if anything this worked favorably for the Bills last season who tailored an entire offense to Holcomb in this way and who had an above average for mobility Losman otherwise.

 

As I began this analysis I once again had no specific idea, although I did have a general one just as most Bills fans do, as to how things would shake out. I was indeed somewhat surprised although not positively surprised at the results.

 

Offensively:

 

The Bills ranked 27th in attempts-per-sack yielding one sack every 10.7 attempts.

 

The Bills ranked 27th in yards-per-attempt with a figure of 6.21.

 

The Bills ranked 23rd in yards-per-carry at 3.8 yards-per-carry generated.

 

With all three scores taken at an average, the Bills produced an average ranking of 25.7 in the three categories, which was good for an overall placement of 30th ahead of only San Francisco and the Jets who had average rankings of 26.0 and 27.0 respectively coming in at 31st and 32nd to bring up the rear.

 

Defensively:

 

The Bills ranked 15th in attempts-per-sack generating one sack every 13.2 attempts.

 

The Bills ranked 24th in yards-per-attempt with a figure of 7.08.

 

The Bills ranked 29th in yards-per-carry at 4.5 yards-per-carry allowed.

 

With all three scores taken at an average, the Bills produced an average ranking of 22.7 in the three categories, which was good for an overall placement of 27th ahead of only Kansas City, Houston, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Cincinnati. From a rankings perspective Kansas City and Cincinnati can be eliminated from this discussion due to their high-powered offenses.

 

Thus far then, using averages for this group of indicators, the Bills generally speaking fare ahead of only San Francisco, the Jets, New Orleans, and Houston as being comparably miserable in both offense and defense, again, as these indicators reveal. Then again, other indicators as suggested do little to boost the Bills in other relevant efficiency categories in this way.

 

Total Offense and Defense:

 

Using all six categories, the Bills produce an aggregate average ranking of 24.2, which is good for 31st ahead of only San Francisco who brings up the rear with an aggregate average ranking of 25.3.

 

There has been an awful lot of discussion amongst fans as to how come the Bills are not rated highly on preseason power polls and the like. Perhaps that offers some insight as to why. This is one of the primary reasons whether it has heretofore been presented as such or not. The indicators producing such an analysis often go into the basis for such rankings in one form or another.

 

Using all six rankings as a collective, the Bills ranked worse in more than half of them than all but six teams. Of those six teams, four of them split with the Bills finishing better in three yet worse in the other three.

 

Only two teams finished worse than the Bills in more than half, in this case four, of the six rankings. Those two teams were Houston and San Francisco.

 

After conducting that analysis, I began to consider that perhaps yards-per-attempt were not nearly as relevant as pass protection (attempts-per-sack) and run blocking (yards-per-carry). So I stripped those YPA stats out of the mix leaving only four categories.

 

Using all four of those rankings as a collective, the Bills ranked worse in more than half of them than all but eight teams. Of those eight teams, six of them split with the Bills finishing better in two yet worse in the other two.

 

Again, only two teams finished worse than the Bills in more than half, in this case three, of the four rankings. Those two teams were Dallas and the Jets.

 

So for those fans wondering why the Bills are not out of the bottom tiers of power polls and rankings, this should help clear things up. It should also provide a basis for fans believing that many teams are actually worse than the Bills this season despite records from last season.

 

The indicators from last season to the overall health of the Bills’ lines are not good to state things kindly. Whether changes, as the word "improvements" may not exactly be appropriate, in line talent actually produce better results in line play certainly remains to be seen. However, given the "more of the same" approach in addressing line needs this offseason, fans would be best served to keep their money in their wallets regarding wagering on that one. Please refer to my Bills Fans Once Again Being Asked to "Trust" Regarding the OL piece for the details on that.

 

Whether the Bills actually improve upon this for the upcoming season remains to be seen. But critics, fans or otherwise, have good reason to doubt that they will given the Bills lack of addressing the factors that go into compiling these rankings. Whether other teams "slip behind" the Bills in this way remains to be seen. But suffice it to say that hoping for the demise of other teams for one reason or another certainly isn’t any way to improve one’s own team.

 

Some other indications as to why the Bills may not be ranked highly are:

 

1.       New GM with no experience who will be 81 by the time his first game in week one rolls around;

2.       New HC not exactly in the Parcells/Belichick mode to be polite and one that’s light on experience as a HC relatively speaking;

3.       New OC light on experience;

4.       A new offensive system;

5.       New DC no experience;

6.       A new defensive system;

7.       Questionable changes on a pathetic DL;

8.       Same old, same old changes on a pathetic OL;

9.       Two, possibly three new offensive linemen;

10.   Not one proven reliable depth player on either line;

11.   The 2nd-worst rushing defense in the league not having added one player with even average skill a stopping the run;

12.   Huge question marks in a media circus at QB likely spawning a new starting QB;

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