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Bills Owner Ralph Wilson, Jr. introduced first round draft pick running back Marshawn Lynch and second round draft pick linebacker Paul Posluszny to the Media on Monday. Wilson says he expects both players to start for the Bills this season.
You can't make comparisons between the Bills and Sabres in many areas, but I do see one similarity after the 2007 NFL Draft. The Sabres had a plan, and now the Bills actually seem to have one too. The Sabres began to become a team and organization to be taken seriously when they began focusing on young players they believed in, and had patience enough to let them grow together a bit.
"I've been waiting for this since day one. This is what I woke up every morning since Pop Warner. This is really my name on an NFL jersey, I accomplished something and it doesn't stop here," said Lynch.
Both loom as immediate starters, Lynch likely sharing time with veteran Anthony Thomas, and Posluszny, who can play inside or out, odds on to replace departed middle linebacker London Fletcher. If they’re the impact performers most expect, the Bills would get an A-minus on this draft, no matter what happens with the five later picks ... though it’s worth noting, last year on the second day, the Bills selected eventual starters (safety Ko Simpson, defensive tackle Kyle Williams, outside linebacker Keith Ellison and tackle Terrence Pennington).
While it may have been enough to land top pick Marshawn Lynch in this past weekend's draft to make Bills owner Ralph Wilson happy, he was borderline ecstatic when Buffalo was also able to land first-round talent Paul Posluszny at the top of round two. When Wilson walked into the facility at One Bills Drive Monday morning to introduce his top two draft picks to the media he saw both on his way through the door. He looked at both of them and smiled. "How lucky are we," asked the Bill owner enthusiastically.
The Buffalo Bills have used the 12th overall pick in today's NFL draft to take running back Marshawn Lynch . Lynch left school a year early after rushing for 1,356 yards and eleven touchdowns last season. He averaged 8.8 yards per run as a true freshman, when he gained 628 on just 71 carries. Lynch followed that with over 12-hundred yards and ten touchdowns as a sophomore, missing two games due to injury.
Lynch led the Pac-Ten in rushing last year despite playing with ankle and back injuries. He also caught 34 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns in 2006, one reason why he was the conference offensive player of the year.
The five-eleven, 215-pound Lynch is an agile back who will make defenders miss. He's not afraid to run inside and has shown good pass-catching skills. But Lynch doesn't possess breakaway speed and isn't the most fluid running back.
Lynch wore number 24 early in his Cal career, but knew it was taken. He chose jersey number 23. "That number was the most appealing," said Lynch. "Number 29 was nice too, but I went with 23." Buffalo's newest linebacker had a bit more to choose from and settled on 51. "Don't read anything into me picking 51," said the former Butkus award winner. "I just liked it best in terms of what was available."
Whether the California running back Buffalo selected with the 12th overall pick of last weekend's National Football League draft and the Penn State linebacker the Bills traded up to snag early in the second round live up to their scouting reports, those two names are going to become synonymous with Marv Levy's second go-round with the franchise. Lynch and Posluszny are positioned to become Buffalo's marquee players. A featured back gives an offense its identity and a middle linebacker does the same on the other side of the ball.
Lynch arrived at the gym at 10:12 a.m., 72 minutes after the draft began, trailed by his entourage, or posse, of a dozen pals. Smiling and loose, he hugged nearly everyone, posed for pictures, played with little kids, shot baskets, greeted guests at the door, and talked on his cell phone. "I'm cool," he said. "I'm just out here with my family, chillin', waiting for the moment. I'm not nervous at all. I'm just ready to get this over with, and get on."
According to The State newspaper in South Carolina, former Naples High star Duane Coleman has agreed to a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills. Coleman, a defensive back from Clemson, was not selected over the weekend in the NFL Draft. He was the 35th-rated corner according to one Web site.
Bills general manager Marv Levy, said he could've chosen either player with the twelfth overall pick, let alone get both in the first 34 spots. "We have grades on people and we finally determined that there were three players very closely grouped at that time," he said. "One of them was Marshawn, the other was Paul Posluszny, who we said we gotta take him now or he's gone."
The Bills made some curious choices on Day 2. They passed on cornerbacks even though they need help at the position and 20 were taken on the second day. The decision can only be viewed as an endorsement of Ashton Youboty, who was a third-round pick in 2006. RB Dwayne Wright was a bit of a luxury pick in the fourth round, though he has more upside than most of the team's other backs. The team had only three safeties on the roster, so taking John Wendling made sense. He also will help on special teams.
The Bills had three players targeted for the 12th choice, and all three were there for them. They chose Marshawn Lynch but still got Paul Posluszny -- one of the other players considered at 12 -- in the second round. "It was a little nerve-wracking waiting to see if he was going to get to us," coach Dick Jauron told Buffalo reporters.
The good news is that the Buffalo Bills are a better team than they were entering Saturday's 2007 NFL draft.
The bad news is that the AFC East's New England Patriots are a much better team since the end of last year and capped a terrific offseason with a productive weekend.
The Buffalo Bills youth movement is no longer a shadowy mirage in the middle of a hot stretch of desert highway. It's now officially a 500-pound gorilla in the room. Kindergarten is in session at One Bills Drive. Forget the white tape, these guys need diapers.
When general manager Marv Levy and coach Dick Jauron parted ways with 11 veterans, nine who started games for Buffalo during the past six seasons, you knew their rebuilding job got tougher.
After an undeniably successful first day in the NFL Draft when the Bills chose two players in running back Marshawn Lynch and linebacker Paul Posluszny who should become immediate starters, the Buffalo braintrust made some puzzling choices on Sunday.
Their first two picks didn’t turn many heads, but the Buffalo Bills did have some surprises in store as the NFL draft concluded Sunday. With their final pick of Day 1 late Saturday night, the Bills took Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards. With J.P. Losman set at starter, it seemed odd that the Bills would go with a quarterback on the first day. Bills coach Dick Jauron said the team simply had Edwards rated too high to pass on him.
“He’s just a tremendous talent. He’s very powerful, he’s a guy who can run inside and run outside, he has the speed to break the long one, he has unbelievable balance and he has tremendous acceleration,” Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. “He’s well-equipped to fit into any style of offense. Where he went, I think, is perfect. He’s going to have a great career at the next level and I’m real happy and proud of him.”
The draft didn't spell the end of the line for the Bills' front office, as Buffalo locked up five players to free agent contracts according to various sources. Two of the players, wide receiver Jemalle Cornelius and cornerback Reggie Lewis, played for the National Champion Florida Gators, and signed with the Bills according to the Tampa Tribune...South Carolina's The State is reporting that Buffalo gave a contract to Clemson corner Duane Coleman...According to the Houston Chronicle, the Bills signed Texas Southern safety Stacey Thomas...Louisiana's The Advocate reports that the Bills have landed Louisiana State kicker/punter Chris Jackson.
In just his second draft as the Bills' G.M., the 81-year-old Hall of Famer turned back the clock. Levy, head coach Dick Jauron and assistant G.M. Tom Modrak made waves with their first two choices this past Saturday, grabbing RB Marshawn Lynch (12th overall) and LB Paul Posluszny (No. 34) in the opening two rounds. To many, Lynch is a throwback to Thomas, and Posluszny is reminiscent of Conlan.
The Zone's resident draft expert grades the Buffalo Bills 2007 draft. Here are the grades for day one.
1st Round: 12th overall RB Marshawn Lynch, California 5’11, 215lbs Analysis: Marshawn lynch was a solid pick here, and will likely be the Buffalo Bills opening day starter. After the joy was killed by Minnesota of actually thinking that Adrian Peterson was going to fall Buffalo took focus of three players and reportedly highly coveted LB Patrick Willis was not one of them. Lynch possesses a great blend of size and speed. He runs the 40 in the 4.4 range and will lower his shoulder and deliver a hit to any would be tackler. You will also always see Lynch moving his legs and never give up and not go for the extra yards. Lynch has the speed to turn the corner and is a tough open field tackler as he has the agility to make a move around you and the power to run through you. Marshawn also is more than willing to play through a lingering injury as he showed in 06 by playing through an ankle injury. Still unknown is the ability of Lynch to catch the ball out of the backfield and also to block. Neither of which he was asked to do much of at Cal, but will be asked to do in Buffalo. The only real concern of Marshawn Lynch is his propensity for not showing up for big games. He must prove to the Bills brass and the fans that he can be the man to get the ball in a big game and march the team down the field. Grade: B
2nd Round: 34th overall LB Paul Posluszny, Penn State 6’1, 238lbs Analysis: Paul Posluszny was a beast at Penn State in the 2005 season, he helped to catapult the Nitany Lions to a near perfect season that year. Pos however did struggle to some degree this past season at both a new injury and recovering from a season ending injury last year. As the year went along, Pos both adapted to the new system and got over his injury. Where Pos really struggled was in the different pass coverage responsibilities moving over there from the outside to the inside. Pos’s biggest strength is his ability to read and diagnose running plays. He is very good and spotting he holes in the line that the RB is likely to pop through and plugging them and shooting them into the backfield and hitting the RB for a loss. One of the biggest unknowns about Pos is his speed. Last year outside he looked quick, fluid, and able to chase down from behind but this year he looked slow, sluggish and struggled. Some of that may be attributed to his injury, and also that in the middle you are subject to deal with a lot more traffic than on the outside. In Round 2 Buffalo lands a guy who some scouts considered to be the top OLB prospect in the draft. Grade: A
3rd Round: 92nd overall QB Trent Edwards, Stanford 6’4, 231lbs Analysis: Edwards was flying up experts draft boards to be an late 1st Round pick, however it appears as though teams do not share the same love for Edwards as the experts did. Edwards has a good zip on his throws along with good accuracy. He displays very good vision which allows him to read blitz and also to read coverage and pick it apart. Edwards also has a lightning quick release and holds the ball high when dropping back. He needs to work on his footwork when moving around inside the pocket, and really needs to step into his throws. He also has to learn not to force the ball thinking he can zip it in between defenders. Edwards is similar to the Losman is one key way. That is that both display the athletic ability to be good starting QB’s in the NFL, yet both were extremely inconsistent when it came to their college careers. At this point in the draft Marv was strictly going for BPA and Edwards could be an ideal Matt Schaub type backup for this team and insurance in case Losman goes down with an injury. Grade: B-
When draft weekend concluded Buffalo effectively satisfied their two most pressing needs with their top two selections of running back Marshawn Lynch and linebacker Paul Posluszny. The rest of the draft was comprised mostly of value choices with quarterback Trent Edwards and running back Dwayne Wright proving to be two of the more notable bargains.
Derek Schouman exemplifies the Boise State football team. Hard-working, humble, and extremely talented. He stared adversity in the face and beat it back. Today, Schouman is a Buffalo Bill, chosen by the team in the seventh round of the NFL Draft.
John Wendling, co-captain of the University of Wyoming Cowboys, has been drafted by the Buffalo Bills. Wendling, a 6-1, 222-pound safety, was picked Sunday in the sixth round as number 184 in the draft. He was a three-year starter and standout special teams player for the Cowboys.
The Bills continued to shore up their backfield when they selected Fresno State running back Dwayne Wright with their opening pick of the second day of the 2007 NFL draft Sunday. A day after snagging running back Marshawn Lynch in the first round (12th overall), the Bills took Wright in Round 4 (111th overall).
"It has been our plan right along and continues to be and will be, probably tomorrow(Monday) - that we're going to sit down with Tom about the situation, Levy said after the draft on Sunday. He's done a great job. He's done a great job. Hopefully - it will get worked out favorably." said Levy.
After a sizeable wait between picks, the Bills chose a safety from Wyoming with a freakish skill in the sixth and a tight end from Boise State with their first pick in the seventh. Buffalo chose safety John Wendling, a 6'1", 222-pound safety with the 184th overall pick in the draft.
With their first pick on day two of the NFL Draft the Buffalo Bills selected Fresno State RB Dwayne Wright (fourth round, 111th overall). Wright rushed for 1,462 yards and 11 touchdowns last year. He averaged 121.8 yards per game which was sixth best in Division 1.
"We ran a screen out to him and Haloti Ngata had him, grabbed him over the top and was actually on his back," said Merz. "And Marshawn was almost down on one knee and it barely hovered above the ground before he just shrugged Ngata off of his back. I was running out and I watched his knee just miss the ground and I stopped and was staring. Ngata was an All-American, he wasn't just some fat guy running around. I got caught watching him and got a minus on that play. Marshawn got eight more yards."
It was the beginning of Paul Posluszny's sophomore campaign at Penn State and a situation arose where he had to change his number. After pulling some old film out of the Nittany Lion archives for inspiration deciding on a new number became an easy choice.
The Bills effectively addressed their most pressing needs on day one of the draft grabbing a top flight running back in Marshawn Lynch from Cal, and trading up to the top of round two to land highly touted linebacker Paul Posluszny out of Penn State. They also got a good value near the bottom of round three with Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards. Below is a run down of the events and comments from day one.
Day two preview The Bills have four picks on day two of the NFL draft. Buffalo has the 12th pick on day two in round four, followed by a sixth round pick (#184) and two picks in round seven (#222, #239).
The Buffalo Bills added pizzazz to their offense Saturday by taking a home-run hitting running back in the first round of the NFL Draft. Then they traded up to the top of the second round to select a player they hope is the second coming of Shane Conlan.
ORCHARD PARK — General manager Marv Levy said the three players the Bills had targeted as worthy of their No. 12 overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft on Saturday were all there for the taking. Of those three, they deemed running back Marshawn Lynch of California as the most valuable, and gladly tapped him to replace departed Willis McGahee in their empty backfield.
California running back Marshawn Lynch has such a tight relationship with his mother, Delisa, he came up with a special Mother’s Day present to express his affections. Emblazoned across his both of his shoulder blades are the tattooed words, “Mamma’s boy.” Some might consider the term an insult, but Lynch considers it a badge of honor because of how hard his mother worked to raise him and his three siblings.
Penn State has produced a lot of great linebackers. But Paul Posluszny is the best. At least that’s what Jack Ham says. That’s the same Jack Ham who was an All-American linebacker at Penn State, who went to eight Pro Bowls, won four Super Bowls and was a first-ballot Hall of Famer as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After addressing positions of need with their first two picks in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills offered a surprise by selecting Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards with their third round pick, the 92nd overall player taken...."We like competition at the quarterback position particularly at the backup position," Jauron said. "J.P. is our guy. We need some competition for Craig. We're really happy with Craig and what he's done and what we think he's going to do, but we couldn't pass this guy up."
The Buffalo Bills have found a linebacker to fill of their vacant spots, trading picks with the Detroit Lions to pick up Paul Posluszny with the second pick of the second round. The Bills sent their second round pick, 43rd overall, and a third round pick, 74th overall, to the Lions. "We anticipated his name being called at any moment, which is why we moved up," Levy said.
The Buffalo Bills addressed a position of need with their first selection in the 2007 NFL draft, selecting tailback Marshawn Lynch from California with the twelfth pick of the first round. "Good size for a running back," Bills general manager Marv Levy said. "Superb receiver. Great balance, superb power, durability. He's the complete running back, and we're very happy about that."
Of all the clubs slotted above the Buffalo Bills in today’s NFL draft, only the Atlanta Falcons seem capable of wasting their pick on running back Adrian Peterson. The Falcons have a new coach, Bobby Petrino, who comes from the college game where a dynamic playmaker like Peterson can have a championship impact. They also have an owner, Arthur Blank, who seems to value marketing over winning.
When former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly built a home in Ellicottville, he wanted to find a way to contribute to the community. He found a way in the Ellicottville Memorial Library, where he took part Thursday in a private dedication ceremony of its Kelly for Kids Children’s Center. “I’m proud to be a part of this,” Mr. Kelly proclaimed.
Tennessee and Buffalo are the leading candidates to land Turner. Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith has said six teams have expressed interest in Turner. Bus Cook, Turner's agent, said yesterday he is not actively discussing a contract with any teams. A team trading for Turner would want to know it could sign him to a long-term deal before giving the Chargers draft picks. Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt told the Tennessean newspaper he and Cook were close enough on their numbers that the team could confidently trade for Turner.
The Tennessee Titans are one of the teams interesting in acquiring the running back, and could even be the front-runner, though the Buffalo Bills are still believed to be in the running for Turner as well. Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt was asked about making a trade for Turner during Thursday’s meeting with the local media to discuss the draft. “Before a player can be traded he actually needs to be signed,” Reinfeldt said. “With Turner he will need to sign a contract as a restricted free agent (with San Diego). … But you cannot trade a player who’s not signed.”
Bruce Smith, the Buffalo Bills first pick — and the first pick overall — in 1985 will announce the Bills first-round selection in Saturday’s NFL Draft. Smith, a former standout at Virginia Tech, will declare the Bills first pick (scheduled to be 12th overall), at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
"We will be at this year's draft to honor the victims of this tragedy and to the whole Virginia Tech family," Smith said. "It's just a sad occasion, one in which we're still searching for answers and reasons for why this took place. All of us in 'The Hokie Nation' are heartbroken. As far as the league asking me to announce the Bills pick, I consider it to be an honor."
I think if Posluszny hadn't hurt his knee, there's a good chance he would have left school early and been the Buffalo Bills' first-round pick (eighth overall) in last year's draft. Instead, that knee injury forced him to return to Penn State. But now there's a report that Bills general manager Marv Levy wants to draft Posluszny this year.
One year after a successful two days of selections, the Bills are going into this weekend's draft with, once again, plenty of needs. The most prominent of which are linebacker, running back and cornerback. Frankly, those can be placed in any order; it's really in the eye of the beholder which one Buffalo should address first. Here's a look at what Buffalo should do with each of its eight picks. First round (No. 12 overall): Jon Beason, LB, Miami...
Bruce Smith will announce the Bills first-round selection in Saturday's NFL Draft. The league informed the Bills organization that the all-time leader in sacks has agreed to make the announcement at the podium after the team makes its first pick. Smith was invited to this year's Draft, along with Virginia Tech Head Coach Frank Beamer and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and cornerback DeAngelo Hall. The league invited the four as part of its "Salute to Virginia Tech."
The scholar athletes made the short drive over to Orchard Park, from the college's downtown Buffalo campus to meet the Bills founder face to face and thanked him for his contributions to the school. "He does this every year," said Canisius director of principal gifts Pat Greenwald. "He always takes the time to see those who benefit from his generosity and I know it means an awful lot to the students."
Over this spring and summer the Buffalo Bills will be offering the Junior Player Development (J.P.D.) program to nine different sites in the area. This is the fifth year the Bills have offered J.P.D. to the community. J.P.D. is a 12-session football program that is free for up to 200 participants, at each site, between the ages 12-14 yrs. old.
If Willis is gone, could the Bills have another option at linebacker? The Bills are among the teams contacted by Chicago to gauge their interest in Pro Bowler Lance Briggs, who demanded a trade shortly after the Bears designated him as their franchise player in February. However, any deal for Briggs would cause the Bills to blow up their “cash to cap” philosophy because he is seeking a huge contract that wouldn’t fit in the team’s budget.
It was part of Losman’s “Get Educated, Stay Educated” program, which he started in 2005 with the Buffalo schools. For each Bills home game, about 10 students from a Buffalo school get to use Losman’s luxury box at Ralph Wilson Stadium, eat free food and visit with the quarterback after the game. The students are involved in athletics but are chosen based on academics and leadership. Wednesday’s event was the annual year-end party Losman holds for all the students who came to the games.
An arbitrator handed Buffalo Bills cornerback Terrence McGee a setback in his ongoing dispute with former agent Terry Bolar. Roger P. Kaplan of Alexandria, Va., ruled that McGee must pay Bolar a 3 percent fee for negotiating the contract he signed in 2005.
Assuming Willis is off the board when it's the Bills' turn to make a selection -- and they don't trade up for him -- the organization will perhaps settle for a lesser linebacker who still has plenty of skill. Remember, Buffalo lost out on safety Michael Huff at No. 7 last year to the Raiders, grabbing Donte Whitner with the next pick. As it turned out, Whitner ended up making the NFL All-Rookie team and having a better first year than the more highly touted Huff.
Buffalobills.com: A lot of Bills fans seem interested in your former teammate Antonio Pittman to address the running back position for Buffalo in round two. What would you say if you had to sell the Bills coaching staff on Antonio?
DW: Antonio is going to work hard on and off the field. As far as learning the game he knows the game. He's faster than a lot of people think. I think he ran in the low 4.4 range at the combine. He's not the biggest guy because he's only 205 pounds, but he runs like he's 230 or 235. He's tough, he never missed any games at Ohio State and he has good hands out of the backfield. So hopefully we get a chance to pick up a back like him.
Armed with a detailed description of the kinds of players the offensive and defensive coaches covet, Buffalo's scouts can more effectively peg prospects that fit the criteria. "One of the things when you're out there looking at prospects is you want them to fit your system," said Bills scout Joe Haering. "And (the coaches) have given us pictures of what they want at each position. So as we're evaluating a position we'll ask (ourselves) if the player fits in."
“THE NFL will change the rules of the game every single year to give the fans what they want,” Tasker said. “This also means they’ll pursue partnerships with every media outlet to promote their product ... making it mandatory for players and coaches be available to the media, even at crucial moments before, during and after games. “In fact, what a normal person would feel is very private information, the National Football League mandates that it be put in the newspaper ... the injury report.”
The Amherst Chamber of Commerce is looking for new corporate partners to help keep the Buffalo Bills in town. The Chamber huddled Tuesday at the Park Country Club with treasurer Jeffrey Littman and the Bills marketing team. Chamber CEO Colleen DiPirro wants to recruit new business boosters for the team.
Fans no doubt will be watching the Bills’ draft with nervous anticipation and apprehension as to whether the Bills braintrust will once again try to prove themselves too smart by half in selecting another reach player not deemed worthy of the 12th overall selection. Frankly, if Patrick Willis is on the board then, the Bills will take a world heap of criticism if they do not select him regardless of which other player(s) may be there "for the taking." No position selected will help the Bills as much either this season or moving forward than MLB.
There were no exact details on what the Chiefs would look for in return, but you can bet the price is mighty steep. Regardless of the cost, it may still be hard for the Bills to pass up. It's not often you get a young, 1,700 yard Pro Bowl running back offered to you. While no deal seems imminent, things could change with the drop of a hat.
Most draft projections have Buffalo selecting Mississippi inside linebacker Patrick Willis in the first round. But with all those needs, don’t rule out the Bills taking a cornerback - say, Michigan’s Leon Hall or even California running back Marshawn Lynch if he is still on the board. And a trade to move up or add picks isn’t out of the question.
The Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills are considering QB Cullen Finnerty. Justin VanFulpen, Finnerty's agent, said the Bills appeared to be the most serious. "They've graded him out as a sixth-round pick," VanFulpen said. "They continue to want more film." The Bills have interviewed Finnerty over the phone and placed calls to his college coaches and Steve DeBerg, the former NFL QB who tutored Finnerty in Florida recently.
Thus, with the Bills and most NFL teams, if two players’ grades are very close, the nod will go to the one in a position of need. “You can’t jump out of value.” Modrak emphasized, “(but) you have to look at (position of need). But we don’t want to overvalue people just because there’s a need.” Yet Levy admitted, “If there’s a fraction of a difference ... we might take the guy who’s a fraction lower if it’s a position of need.”
Buffalo was described by Sports Illustrated recently as the "losingest city in sports." That makes for quite a snappy headline. But is it accurate? The claim that Buffalo has never won a major professional team championship is hazy at best. The Bills won consecutive American Football League titles in 1964 and 1965. Bills' statistics from those seasons are considered major enough to be included in the NFL record book.
The Kansas City Chiefs are dangling Johnson out there, seeing if they can entice teams to trade for the 27-year-old running back that has run for 3,539 yards and 37 touchdowns the past two seasons. The Chiefs have spoken with the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and possibly others, but have not found anything close to a taker.
Buffalo -- which has another major need at the linebacker position -- can ill afford to simply surrender its first-rounder (12th overall) straight up this year for Larry Johnson. However, what G.M. Marv Levy could do is send the Bills' 12th pick (where the Chiefs could draft ex-Cal RB Marshawn Lynch), one of the team's two third-round choices (either No. 74 overall or the 92nd selection), and a conditional first-day pick in '08 to Kansas City for its first-rounder this year (No. 23) and Johnson.
On the defensive side of the ball, more often than not scouts feel more comfortable projecting players to new positions that put them closer to the ball instead of further away from it. Tampa Bay's Cato June is an example of that having played safety at the college level before making a successful transition to linebacker in the pros.
Luckily for the Bills, unlike past years the O-line doesn't seem to be a major priority entering the draft. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if the team completely bypasses its offensive front on the festivities' first day. This offseason, Buffalo has spent a collective $75 million on offensive linemen.
The Bills along with CSC security and Sportservice will again host their job fair this spring on April 25 and on May 5 from 11 am - 7 pm in the Van Miller Club at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Willis wouldn't mind playing in a 'Tampa-2' scheme on defense. "The 'Tampa-2' is sort of like what I played in the last three years," said Willis. "So I feel I could play that defense well." Widely considered the top inside linebacker in this year's draft class Willis only enhanced his draft stock with an impressive on campus workout at the Ole Miss pro day in which he ran a blistering 4.37 40-time.
A day after 2006’s draft, most of the national media gave Buffalo a grudging ‘C’ for its grade. But the season told a different story. Top draft choice, Donte Whitner immediately replaced the departed Lawyer Milloy as starter at strong safety while Buffalo’s other first-rounder, John McCargo, had worked his way into the defensive tackle rotation before breaking his foot and going on injured reserve after the fifth game.
They do need a RB, but given their laundry list of needs, it’s not a 1 rounder this year and Peterson is too risky regarding his injury history for a team like the Bills to take a gamble on him. The Bills took their gamble there on McGahee in ’03 and choked big time! Lynch has other issues that do not jibe with Levy’s philosophy. After that, the Bills may be better suited to waiting until next season. Thomas will provide what McGahee has and is relatively durable.
One possible Saturday draft scenario for the Bills: Select Michigan cornerback Leon Hall or Mississippi middle linebacker Patrick Willis to immediately fill the starting spot of the departed Nate Clements or London Fletcher, respectively, and hope Irons and/or Pittman is available in the second round (No. 43). If they aren't, Bush would be a worthy gamble in the third round (Buffalo has the No. 74 and No. 92 picks). He's coming off a broken leg but has the size and speed to be a steal if he returns 100 percent healthy.
In this year's draft, if the Bills decide to trade higher up in Round 1, the player they have in mind may very well be the draft's consensus top running back, Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson. Like Reggie Bush in the 2006 draft, Peterson is the cream of the crop in the backfield this year. He's a special runner who would not only solidify a major need for the Bills, he'd also provide star power, too.
If recent history tells us anything about the future, next weekend’s event in New York will have Bills fans shocked and potentially disappointed. Perhaps its too much Mel Kiper worship, but most fans feel if the draft gurus like the helmet-haired ESPN analyst predict a guy as a top 20 pick, the guy should be a top 20 pick.
Ashton Youboty is using this offseason to make up for lost time. He has impressed because of how hard he has worked to get stronger and gain a greater knowledge of the Bills' defensive schemes. The team believes he has enough talent to be an outstanding cornerback because he is quick, athletic and has good ball skills.
"I think I can handle that," said Beason of playing middle linebacker. "I'm a smart guy and I pick up on schemes pretty well. My preference is the 'will' (weak side) linebacker spot just because I've been doing it. They're pretty much interchangeable, but 'will' allows me to run and make plays and I love chasing down the football."
What Levy did seem to suggest is that the Bills’ offensive hierarchy is comfortable with Losman, that his progress is coming along well and that, despite some holes in a few other positions, Buffalo could make a run at the playoffs with him if he keeps on improving. For Losman’s teammates I think something that happened in the final game of the 2006 season, a loss to the Ravens in Baltimore, might have cemented the players’ own comfort with their quarterback.
The Bills have three selections on day-one of the draft this year. After that they have the 12th overall selection on day-two followed by a 73-pick gap prior to their next selection in the 6th round. Players that they select there cannot reasonably be expected to make any kind of impact at all let alone this season. So the Bills must make the most of day-one this go-‘round. Results similar to past drafts will leave this team contending for the worst record in the league this fall given the hefty vacuum that needs to be filled due to talent losses on an already poor team fundamentally speaking.
The Buffalo Bills had two veteran special teamers in for visits this week — Josh Scobey and Alex Bannister. Both are free agents. Scobey is a 6-foot, 220-pound running back with five years experience. He saw spot duty as a kickoff returner for Seattle and was a regular on coverage units.
Levy began this offseason by similarly overvaluing free agents. He retained Chris Kelsay -- a good, but certainly not great, defensive end -- with a deal worth almost $6 million per year and then chose to let some of the team's best defenders go and instead overpay two average linemen. In a money-mad dash in early March, the San Francisco 49ers lured away cornerback Nate Clements with $22 million in guaranteed cash, while the Bills preferred to join the ill-advised guard giveaway by paying $18.5 million in bonuses to Derrick Dockery and giving tackle Langston Walker $5 million a year.
There is a lot of preliminary hype about the Bills attempting to select another DT in this year’s draft. The "carrot on the end of the stick" this year is young sensation Amobi Okoye. Granted, the 19-year old looks to be spectacular. What doesn’t look so spectacular is the Bills’ personnel office’s track record with DTs that they’ve drafted since 2000. If it were an investment analyst’s mutual fund track record that analyst would likely be standing at some intersection with a cup and a "will work for food" sign.
"I reviewed an X-ray (Wednesday) and it looks like it is 99 percent healed," Andrews stated in the letter. "It certainly looks much better than it did some weeks ago. I would estimate that Michael Bush will pick up in the NFL where he left off in college." Bush also reportedly worked out on campus earlier this week and a tape of the workout was sent to all 32 NFL clubs as well. Buffalo received their copy late this morning.
While Lynch would be a good fit for the Bills, they aren’t married to taking a running back first. Levy believes you can get a quality player after Round One. He proved that in 1988 when the Bills took Thurman Thomas in the second round. He also pointed to Pittsburgh’s undrafted starter Willie Parker and former Denver sixth-rounder Terrell Davis as examples of unheralded college backs who emerged quickly in the pros. Ohio State’s Antonio Pittman would be a solid choice for the Bills in the second round.
In a perfect world, Levy would like to get Turner in a trade that presents better terms than giving up a first- and third-round pick. It's clear, however, that San Diego general manager A.J. Smith, an old friend, has high value for Turner as a valuable piece of a Super Bowl contending team and won't give him away. Levy wouldn't say if he'd be willing to part with the No. 12 pick straight up for Turner. "We wouldn't disclose what our strategy would be or what would happen," he said. "But it's more complex on just what we would offer now."
Turner visited with the Bills earlier this month. The Chargers placed the high tender on Turner, meaning teams have to give the Chargers two draft picks -- a first-rounder and a third -- if they opt to sign Turner to an offer sheet. Levy declined comment when asked if Buffalo would be willing to give up its first-round pick, the 12th overall selection, in a trade for Turner.
Don’t expect the Buffalo Bills to select a fullback in the first round of the NFL Draft. As far as concrete information goes, that’s about all that could be taken from the Buffalo Bills’ annual pre-draft luncheon Wednesday afternoon. General Manager Marv Levy and assistant GM Tom Modrak spent more than 40 minutes fielding a variety of questions from about 30 media members, choosing, as usual at these types of events, to answer largely in generalities.
It's no surprise McGahee didn't fit in Buffalo, seeing as how the city doesn't seem infested with total phonies. For all the occasions the 25-year-old ran off his mouth about how super he was, when it came to game-day proof, he went to San Diego in 2005 for his defining moment as a Bill and got to see the true best back in the league -- LaDainian Tomlinson -- at work. McGahee's 39 yards on 10 carries in a 48-10 loss didn't quite propel him into L.T. territory; he barely got into Michael Turner's stratosphere, actually.
It appears the Buffalo Bills are out of the running for San Diego running back Michael Turner. While trade talks are ongoing, Bills General Manager Marv Levy said today it's doubtful a deal will get done before the draft.
Levy: "The phones are ringing all the time and sometimes you get a call three minutes before it's your choice and you sometimes have to think about what is being offered. I'm not much for going out and making a deal, but if a deal comes and it sounds good then we might make one. We're not looking to be dealmakers, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't make one if a good one is proposed."
Linebacker: An "obvious need" said Levy. He mentioned the need for a linebacker who can stuff the run, and not just one who can run. Both Modrak and Levy agree with all the experts: Mississippi's Patrick Willis is the top linebacker, who brings speed, talent and good character. The team's current depth chart has Angelo Crowell moving to the middle linebacker spot, with Keith Ellison manning the weakside outside spot. If the team drafts Willis, he would play the middle position, with Crowell moving back outside.
Bills general manager Marv Levy on Wednesday all but ruled out the team's chances of offering Turner a contract or swinging a deal with San Diego to land the player, whose rights have been retained by the Chargers.
Bills General Manager Marv Levy said today that while trade discussions involving San Diego Chargers running back Michael Turner are ongoing, complexities of the proposed deal are such that he seriously doubts a deal will get done. “There’s nothing new to report right now,” Levy said during a luncheon with reporters at Ralph Wilson Stadium discussing next weekend’s NFL draft.
"There's nothing new to report right now," said Levy Wednesday. "There are so many complexities to the deal that if it's done I've got to tell you it'd be a surprise." Levy is no doubt referring to the fact that not only would the Bills and Chargers have to agree on compensation to orchestrate the trade of Turner, but Buffalo would also presumably need to have a long term contract agreement in place with Turner's agent for a trade to be completed.
As for draftable running backs, Levy and Modrak mentioned several. "Marshawn's a candidate to be a three-down guy because he's a strong runner and he has movement with it," Modrak said. "He can hit big plays for you. He catches the ball very well, and like almost every back in college, they don't ask guys to pass block, so he'll need some refinement in that area....Perhaps the most glowing praise came for Ohio State back Antonio Pittman. "We like him," Modrak said. "A strong runner. great tackle runner. He ran 4.4 at the combine, which is a little surprising for a 230-pound guy. He catches the ball, gives you a little bit of everything."
There's a current defensive void at the defensive front, and the good news for John McCargo is that he'll have every chance to contribute. Fans have to be hopeful that, if nothing else, McCargo will be effective as at least a cog in the rotation. The key to stopping the turnstile will be a revolving door.
Buffalo's two restricted free agent defensive linemen have officially re-signed for the 2007 season. Defensive tackle Tim Anderson and defensive end Anthony Hargrove have both signed their qualifying offers. Anderson and Hargrove were tendered by the Bills back in late February effectively giving the club the right of first refusal if either of them were signed to an offer sheet by another NFL team.
Defensive end Anthony Hargrove and defensive tackle Tim Anderson will be back with the Bills for the 2007 season. Anderson is a former third-round pick back in 2003. He appeared in 15 games last season with five starts. Hargrove was acquired from St. Louis in an October trade. Hargrove finished last year with 25 tackles and a sack, playing in the final 10 games with the Bills.
Who they will have to settle for: "Settle" being a relative term, the Bills could find themselves sitting at the No. 12 spot with Paul Posluszny available. With Posluszny's experience at playing both outside and inside linebacker, he could replace Fletcher-Baker as the heart of the defense and keep Crowell outside, where the Bills are better off.
The question, particularly for the Bills, is where precisely is the team going. They never seem to make any moves to lift themselves out of the morass of mediocrity, or worse, that they are in. Then and only then can fans know whether that’s a good thing or not. The reality of it is usually that player-X likes the payday. As well, a host of past players including Takeo Spikes who left the Bengals to win, also "liked the direction that the team was going." Just curious how they liked it after they experienced it and now.
Turner Gill, who says he'll be more "deeply involved" in his team's offense as the play caller sat down with Bills offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild for an exchange of ideas on formulating a weekly offensive plan. "I wanted to meet personally with coach Fairchild as a coordinator and just talk through some of the things that he has learned in his experience of being a coordinator over the years," Gill said. "I just wanted to bounce some things off of him whether it was philosophy, plays, handling the staff all the different things that goes into being a coordinator."
The Bills would like to address their need at running back before the draft. They have shown serious interest in restricted free agent Michael Turner but have been unwilling to meet the Chargers' asking price. One of their draft goals will be to find defensive players who fit their scheme. They want linebackers who are fast and attack the line and cornerbacks who can play man and zone coverage.
Steve Tasker will talk about his religious journey as the keynote speaker for an upcoming fundraiser for Young Life, a faith-based organization for teens. Created in 1941 with chapters established worldwide, Young Life isn't affiliated with any particular church or denomination; rather the group typically partners with a respective high school or community organization.
Despite the recent string of poor prime-time showings, this game is an opportunity for the Bills to demonstrate that they've actually built on last year's progress. This season will hopefully be one where they exit perpetual reconstruction mode and finally improve, and the nation can share in that. Unfortunately, fans won't get to see the benched/released/retired Drew Bledsoe get outplayed by J.P. Losman. However, they will get to see a team the NFL has enough faith in that it's willing to put them in a showcase game.
Though not possessing the experience at the end position that both Adams and Carriker bring to the table, Arkansas' Jamaal Anderson (6'6" 288) likely makes up for it in upside. And after an on campus workout which was very respectable (4.75 and 4.8 in the 40) with a longer broad jump, faster three cone drill and short shuttle times than Adams and Carriker, it's no wonder why coaches and scouts are salivating at the potential of the 21-year old.
Davis leaving doesn't create a void, but the problem is that he didn't fill one while he was in Buffalo, either, and it's a hole that still needs to be plugged. Peerless Price wasn't nearly as prolific as hoped last season; nobody was overly optimistic about Josh Reed and he barely delivered on those negligible expectations; Roscoe Parrish is a different sort of threat than Davis but still needs to do more of what he's good at; finally, Sam Aiken may never top that halcyon season of 2004 when he caught 11 of his career 18 passes.
With the NFL schedule having been released yesterday, NFL fans now have a positive distraction until the annually awaited third most popular day on the NFL calendar behind the Super Bowl and opening day, namely draft day. So what has the schedule brought for the Bills in this way?
At first glance it seems as if the schedule is worse than last season’s schedule. Taking a closer look however that really is not the case.
Last season the Bills ended up playing 8 games vs. playoff teams.This season they also face 8 of last season’s playoff teams.Of those 8 playoff teams last season, 5 remain the same, namely the Pats twice, the Jets twice, and Baltimore.Granted, that’s a formidable lineup, however they represent five of the same games that the Bills played last season reflecting no difference in that regard excepting changes in the teams from last season to this one.
In addition, last season the Bills also added the two Super Bowl participants to their schedule along with San Diego whom many regarded as the league’s strongest team overall.This season those are replaced with the three NFC East teams that made the playoffs.None of those teams was exceptional last season with all three having taken hits in the offseason.In fact it is difficult to imagine either the Cowboys or the Giants making the playoffs again.The relatively weak NFC perhaps increases those chances however.The Eagles, while good, are far from great.
The Bills last season played eight games vs. teams with final non-winning records and five teams with losing records.This season, they have on their schedule eight games vs. teams with final non-winning records last year and four teams with losing records.So little has changed in this way using last season’s standings as the baseline.As well, it is against such competition that the Bills logged six of their seven wins having defeated a team finishing with a winning record only once, namely the Jets.
Predicated on that, there is little difference in schedules or any less reason why, all things being equal, that the team should post any fewer wins than last season.Additionally, it seems that all three NFC East playoff teams will hit the field in the fall not as good as they were last season.The AFC North in the Bills schedule this season appears to be very comparable to the AFC South on it last season, and the odd teams out are also easier with Jacksonville and Denver replacing San Diego and Baltimore although Baltimore stays on the schedule by virtue of being in the AFCN.Indianapolis, the Super Bowl winners, drops off however.
So what are Bills fans to think?
My first thought was that the season may be over for the Bills by the time that the fist eight games are wrapped up.Their last 8 games are where all of the easier games lie; yet five of those 8 are on the road.Yet again, it was only against such competition that the Bills could post wins.Factor in some injuries on an already talent challenged team, and the Bills may be in deep kimchi.
Opening up vs. Denver is not a favorable matchup for the Bills and a Travis Henry with an attitude in the Broncos system is a recipe for disaster for a defense that cannot stop the run.The Bills then have a pair of road games vs. two teams better than they are in Pittsburgh and New England.They then return home to face the Jets, who appear to have improved even if only marginally and are also better, then followed by the Cowboys who will have their own issues likely resulting in a regression of sorts.The Cowboys game is a Monday Nighter whether that national exposure will be good for the Bills or not.
The Bills then have a very untimely and ill placed bye week in week six.Following that the host the Ravens, travel to NY to face the Jets, and host Cincy.By that point, midseason, the Bills may very well be 2-6 or worse.So while the second half offers hope, the Bills may be all but out of anything significant by then.
As mentioned, the second half of the schedule features only one tough team at present and that team is the Pats whom the Bills simply cannot beat having lost 11 of the last 12 and the last 7 straight.
So why was it then that when I glanced at the schedule my first thought was, “Yikes, what a horrendous schedule?”Because quite frankly, if the Bills were a legitimate 10-6 team, then every game but the pair vs. New England and perhaps the game against Baltimore I would have considered winnable.Yet, my thoughts are that the only “gimme” games are the pair vs. Miami coupled with the two games vs. Cleveland and Washington.
Yet, all of those games are among the last eight games and three of the four are among the last five when the Bills’ season may very well already be long over.Also, three of those four games are on the road making them anything but “gimme” games for a losing team having only gotten worse.So in essence, when one thinks about it objectively for a moment, a good chunk of the reason why the schedule seems so bad is because the team is really not all that good.
This schedule, if the team were that of the early and mid-90s, would not be all that daunting quite frankly.Otherwise, as I see it, the only teams on this season’s schedule that truly appear to be playoff caliber teams are divisional rivals the Pats and Jets along with the Ravens and perhaps the Eagles, but that’s about it.
So before Bills fans shed another tear or raise another fist, this schedule is really not as bad as it seems.In the end, using this upcoming season’s final records, my prediction is that in the end analysis it will have proven to have been easier than last season’s schedule mathematically and regarding the number of playoff teams on it.
The Bills problem is that they are not as good a team as they were last season, again, pending the draft, which in every likelihood will not alter that.Last season they achieved their best-case scenario at the hands of the weak and feeble, just as has been the case for years.In other words, even last season they were not a good fundamental team at all which has been fully documented by the Wysman ad nauseam.
This season the schedule is comparable, the team is worse, and I’ll let readers do the math there.
Even though Spikes is gone, he’ll never forget how the Bills fans embraced him. "From the day I came in for that first meeting with the Bills to the first game against New England in 2003 all the way to that last game in Baltimore last year, I enjoyed every minute of my time in Buffalo, the good, the bad and the ugly," Spikes said by phone from his home in Atlanta. "I appreciate all of the support I’ve received from all the fans in Western New York. Because of them, a piece of me will always be up there."
Middle linebacker: Linebacker London Fletcher, who led the Bills in tackles five consecutive seasons, was free to leave as an unrestricted free agent and he quickly jumped to the Redskins. Fletcher was a warrior, but at age 32, is in danger of hitting the wall and handing him a $25 million contract -- as Washington did -- would not have been wise.
The Bills would prefer to swing a trade for Turner that wouldn't involve giving up their first-round pick. But Chargers GM A.J. Smith -- who mentored under Marv Levy -- is reportedly more inclined to keep Turner as solid insurance on a Super Bowl contending team than give him away to his old boss.
Bottom line: the schedule doesn't sell, a winning team sells and it's up to the Bills -- who haven't made the playoffs in seven seasons -- to put a better product on the field. Why Buffalo playing five of its last eight games on the road is a good thing from a competitive standpoint isn't being advertised. Coaches and players don't like it but this appears to be the new tradeoff when playing for a small-revenue team like the Bills.
He's the consensus choice as the best center in the 2007 draft pool. And USC's Ryan Kalil solidified that ranking with an impressive combine workout. The pivot man posted the fastest 40-time for any interior lineman (4.96), showed impressive strength and endurance with 34 reps on the bench press and displayed good change of direction skills with the fastest 20-yard shuttle time among centers. But it's his solid play on tape that makes him such an attractive prospect.
The 6-foot-1, 242-pound Willis is not only fast, he’s a big-time playmaker with toughness, instincts and range. He excels at fighting through blocks and delivering big hits on the ball carrier. He’s also versatile with the size to play the middle and the speed to play outside. “The first two years in college I played outside linebacker, covered some slot receivers,” Willis said at the combine. “I’d say I’m confident in my abilities, but anything I need to do I’ll work on and do my best to get the job done.”
While most analysts regard Mississippi’s Patrick Willis as the top linebacking prospect in this year’s draft, Mike Mayock, a contributor to the NFL Network and NFL.com who’s draftnik stock rises each spring, has Miami (Fla.) linebacker Jon Beason ranked higher than Willis in his latest player rankings.
Thursday, the Bruceton, Tenn., native reportedly paid a visit to Buffalo. The move either means the Bills are seriously interested in Willis, or they're simply bluffing. For, you see, Bills General Manager Marv Levy threw off fans and draft experts by speaking with the likes of Brodrick Bunkley and Michael Huff a year ago. In reality, though, Levy, assistant G.M. Tom Modrak and Buffalo's scouts had their eyes mainly on one player, strong safety Donte Whitner, whom they never even spoke with.
Charles Schumer might have gotten results — and the Buffalo Bills’ 2007 schedule says as much — but it doesn’t change his laughable appeal to the National Football League. After the Bills, who had sold out 23 of their previous 24 home games, failed to do so in their final four Ralph Wilson Stadium starts last year, the New York state Democratic senator appealed to the NFL for a more friendly late-season schedule.
Adam Beilman can hardly believe he’s walking on the turf just before kickoff at Ralph Wilson Stadium. He is directing VIP guests of the Buffalo Bills down the tunnel entrance and into a special guest area. While this experience would be exciting for a person of any age, it is especially thrilling for a high school senior.
Thanks to a return to prime time, games against former players and coaches and several appealing home contests, the Buffalo Bills’ 2007 schedule is one of their most interesting in years.
Ready for some football? For the first time since 2000, the Buffalo Bills will play on Monday Night Football when they host the Dallas Cowboys Oct. 8 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The NFL released its 2007 schedule Wednesday and that game, Buffalo's first Monday nighter at home since September 1994, when it played Denver, is clearly the highlight.
It won't take long for the Buffalo Bills to have reunions with former head coach Wade Phillips and discarded running back Willis McGahee. The 2007 NFL schedule was released Wednesday. On Monday, Oct. 8, Phillips and his Dallas Cowboys will be the opponent for Buffalo's first Monday Night Football home game since 1994. Phillips was Buffalo's head coach from 1998 to 2000 and is Bill Parcells' successor in Dallas. On Oct. 21, the Bills will host McGahee and the rest of the Baltimore Ravens.
The Buffalo Bills were saddled with a brutal schedule in 2006. Their 16-game slate was the hardest in the NFL, to be exact. Still, the team didn't embarrass itself; instead, the Bills finished 7-9 and took some strides toward future relevance.
For the seventh time in eight years, the Bills will open the season in Ralph Wilson Stadium when the team hosts the Denver Broncos on Sunday, September 9th at 1:00 pm. It’ll mark the first time since 1970, the Buffalo Bills will open at home against the Denver Broncos. Buffalo has an 18-14-1 overall record against Denver. The 2007 schedule will feature Buffalo’s first home Monday Night Football Game since 1994. The Bills will host the Dallas Cowboys on October 8th at 8:30 pm on ESPN. It marks the first home Monday Night Football Game since September 26, 1994 when Buffalo defeated Denver 27-20. The Bills have an overall 17-20 record on Monday nights.
Sunday, Sept. 9 vs. Denver 1:00 PM CBS Sunday, Sept. 16 at Pittsburgh 1:00 PM CBS Sunday, Sept. 23 at New England 1:00 PM CBS Sunday, Sept. 30 vs. New York (AFC) 1:00 PM CBS Monday, Oct. 8 vs. Dallas 8:30 PM ESPN Sunday, Oct. 14 BYE Sunday, Oct. 21 vs. Baltimore 1:00 PM CBS Sunday, Oct. 28 at New York 4:05 PM CBS Sunday, Nov. 4 vs. Cincinnati 1:00 PM CBS Sunday, Nov. 11 at Miami 1:00 PM CBS Sunday, Nov. 18 vs. New England 1:00 PM* CBS Sunday, Nov. 25 at Jacksonville 1:00 PM* CBS Sunday, Dec. 2 at Washington 1:00 PM* CBS Sunday, Dec. 9 vs. Miami 1:00 PM* CBS Sunday, Dec. 16 at Cleveland 1:00 PM* CBS Sunday, Dec. 23 vs. New York (NFC) 1:00 PM* FOX Sunday, Dec. 30 at Philadelphia 1:00 PM* CBS
* - Game times subject to change due to NFL Flexible Scheduling Policy
The problem Buffalo has now is that if it trades for Turner pre-draft, the team could be kicking itself should Peterson be available at No. 12 overall on April 28. Turner, as mentioned earlier, is a great prospect, but nine out of 10 NFL general managers would take Peterson, who has all the tools to be an elite pro back in the very near future. For those concerned about the 22-year-old's past injury issues, don't be. They were freak occurrences, for the most part.
Zach Miller has heard the comparisons and tries to take advantage of it by challenging himself. "I think it motivates me to be a player like he is, a stand up guy as well as an excellent player, a great receiver," said Miller of Heap. "He does a great job for the Ravens. To be compared to someone like that only motivates me and makes me want to achieve that kind of status."
When glancing at the Buffalo Bills
' current roster, it's clear that the team has lost four of its most
known contributors from past years. Names like Takeo Spikes, London
Fletcher, Nate Clements and Willis McGahee are all out of Buffalo, and
that has led to the Bills taking vast criticism this offseason for
supposedly worsening themselves from a 7-9 campaign in 2006.
By the time David Ball had finished his Wildcats career he had become the most prolific scorer in the classification's history. He broke Rice's career touchdown reception record (50) with 58 scores, including an incomprehensible 24 touchdowns as a junior in just 13 games. Ball also tied Rice's mark for most 100-yard receiving games with 23 and came within 38 receiving yards of Rice's national record (4,693).
As to Losman, both he and Evans in their second seasons together can be expected to step it up quite a bit. There is no reason why fans should not expect the chemistry between these two players to produce 1 to 1 ½ TDs per game on average thereby propelling the tandem to 16 to 24 TDs between them. Should that happen, and there is no reason to expect it not to, then the Bills can easily win 10+ games this fall and make the playoffs.
Veteran reporter Chris Mortensen speculated that Buffalo’s decisions to part with running back Willis McGahee, cornerback Nate Clements and linebackers London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes are part of owner Ralph Wilson’s plan to slash payroll and eventually sell the franchise. Former Coyboys safety Darren Woodson joined in the Bills bashing, claming the team shouldn't have given up on a mega-talent like McGahee.
Buffalo Bills defensive end Anthony "Homegrown" Hargrove will be the guest of the Bills Backers of SW Florida at their Annual Spring Picnic on April 22 at Centennial Park.
Buffalo Bills linebacker Angelo Crowell is among 116 players who have enrolled in the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program. Players apply to be accepted into the program, which is taught at some of the top business schools in the country. Crowell attended classes Feb. 25-28 at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and concluded his session April 1-4. Joining him was teammate Matt Murphy.
One reason for the team is considering moving Angelo Crowell to middle linebacker is it wants to get Keith Ellison on the field full time. Ellison proved to be a diamond in the rough at weak side linebacker, starting seven games and playing better than expected as a rookie sixth-round draft pick. The 6-foot, 228-pound Ellison is a perfect illustration of the Bills' defensive philosophy that emphasizes speed and athleticism over size.
With a better understanding of Buffalo's scheme and more on-field maturity, there's a chance Youboty could make a big impact on the Bills' defense next year. Undoubtedly, he has enough talent to be a force in the secondary; it just comes down to the team's coaching staff developing him correctly. Right now, the potential is there for Youboty to move into the Bills' starting defensive lineup, and that could lead Levy, assistant Tom Modrak and head coach Dick Jauron to shy away from selecting a corner in the first round this year.
None of us knows what will come of the Michael Turner trade talks, but one thing is certain: If a deal does happen with Buffalo or Tennessee, it will be on the Chargers' terms. The Bills and Titans assured as much when they jettisoned their leading rushers from last season without having a capable replacement on the roster. They ostensibly put all their cards on the table, leaving them no room to bluff down the asking price on Turner.
Even though the Bills have lost a lot of talented players this offseason, they've gotten younger and saved valuable cap space. Buffalo's primary focus is the draft, but look for the Bills to make a big splash in free agency next season if they feel they are on the verge of being a contender in the AFC. QB J.P. Losman really started to flourish last season. He and WR Lee Evans have grown together in this offense and will look to form one of the more lethal combinations in the NFL this season.
Craig Nall, who signed as a free agent last year after four seasons in Green Bay, outperformed Holcomb in training camp but was relegated to third QB each game. That was more out of respect to the well-liked Holcomb. Had Losman suffered a season-ending injury last year, it wouldn't have surprised team insiders if Nall, not Holcomb, became Losman's replacement in the starting lineup.
The Bills are dealing with a serious leadership drain after parting ways with players like Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher. Those departures mean young players like J.P. Losman, Lee Evans and Angelo Crowell will have to assume those roles, along with some new veterans. New LG Derrick Dockery, who played for Joe Gibbs in Washington and has played 64 NFL games, is ready to take on more responsibility, he said.
The line upgrades can't be overstated, Losman said. He was sacked 47 times last year. "It makes a quarterback happy, of course," he said. "It's also a sad time, because you see some friends go. You know they are not going to be here, playing with them after you built some relationships, but it is time to move on. We have some new guys and they'll bring some new excitement here. They're going to help things out and get things rolling on the offense and help all phases of it."
Still his senior campaign was good enough to make Hill the Cougars' all-time leader in receiving yardage (2,704) and touchdowns (32) in a career. That combined with the second fastest 40-time among receivers (4.32) at the combine could move him up the board a bit before all is said and done. But Hill doesn't take as much pride in his 40-time as what he has already accomplished in the classroom. "I've done a lot of things that a lot of guys haven't," said Hill in reference to the healthy number of junior eligible receivers in the draft.
After hours of watching workouts, conducting interviews and studying game film of prospects, the Buffalo Bills are winding down their preparations for the April draft.
"We have had dialogue over the possibility of Michael Turner joining the Buffalo Bills and we have exchanged thoughts on compensation," Smith said. "Right now, like I've said before, it's a one and a three, but we will continue to be flexible. We're very open to any package."
At last, though, the belle of the ball, so to speak, sits among these two less-than-attractive options. His name is Michael Turner, as mentioned earlier. The 24-year-old, a restricted free agent of the Chargers, is being courted by two teams - Buffalo and Tennessee. He visited with the Titans earlier this week, then ventured to bitter-cold Western New York for a powwow with Bills brass yesterday.
San Diego Chargers running back Michael Turner made it to Buffalo today. Turner, the backup to All-Pro LaDanian Tomlinson, is visiting the Buffalo Bills, a day after missing his trip into town due to airline travel problems, the team revealed.
Walker is only projected to be a late day one selection after posting 40-times in the high 4.5s. But he does have some burst and athleticism as evidenced by his 10' 3" broad jump and 40 ½" vertical leap which ranked fourth and first among the backs at the NFL combine. What Walker feels puts him ahead of the other top prospects is the offensive scheme in which he played at Notre Dame. "The system that I come from only makes me better," said Walker.
San Diego Chargers running back Michael Turner, a restricted free agent who has drawn the interest of the Titans, is visiting the Buffalo Bills today. Turner visited the Titans on Monday and was scheduled to visit the Bills on Wednesday, but it was postponed. The Titans remain interested in Turner and have had preliminary contract discussions with the running back's agent, Bus Cook.
Making their interest in the best available running back left on the free agent market official, the Buffalo Bills hosted San Diego restricted free agent running back Michael Turner Thursday at One Bills Drive.
The big question with Turner is, can he handle a heavier work load. But people who follow the Chargers believe the former fifth-round pick out of Northern Illinois is worth a first-round pick. His best playing days are ahead of them, and the Bills are fond of players on the rise. Landing Turner means the Bills could narrow their focus in the draft and look to fill holes at linebacker, cornerback and wide receiver.
The Titans met with Chargers running back Michael Turner and will soon meet with former Patriots running back Corey Dillon. Then it's decision time. "We are interested in both of them,'' Titans Coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday....Turner was scheduled to visit the Bills on Wednesday, but the trip was postponed due to problems with his flight out of Chicago.
The tragic tale was told in a feature aired by ESPN, prompting a phone call to the Dobler home from Gary Cohen, the agent for reigning Masters champion Phil Mickelson. Mickelson had seen the story. He wanted to help. He was pledging $20,000 a year for Holli’s college, plus annual increases for inflation. “I’ve never met Phil Mickelson,” Dobler said. “I asked, ‘Why?’ Gary said, ‘Because he can.’ ”
To aid in stopping the run (the Bills finished 28th last year), soon-to-be second-year tackle John McCargo has beefed up. As a 295-pound rookie in 2006, the first-round pick from North Carolina State missed 11 games and wasn't an important factor as a run stuffer when healthy. Now, though, the highly talented 23-year-old weighs a solid 307, which means he's an ideal size for stymieing opposing offenses' ground games in the Bills' Tampa 2 defense. McCargo's current weight is actually just 10 pounds fewer than the game's preeminent run defender, former Bill and current 317-pound Viking Pat Williams.
The Buffalo Bills were scheduled to entertain free-agent running back Michael Turner of the San Diego Chargers today at One Bills Drive. However, Turner encountered airline travel problems and was forced to postpone his visit to Buffalo...Turner is expected to reschedule his trip to Buffalo sometime in the next week or so, but the exact date was not known.
So assuming that Evans, as the Wysman suggests is entirely possible, becomes a top-5 WR this season. It is difficult if not impossible to imagine that he would command any less than Clements did, likely with equal to or greater guaranteed money. Certainly given Evans status as being better than Dockery, and worlds better than either Kelsay or Langston Walker who also both got obscene deals for the value provided by them, Evans deserves much more. No? The Wysman certainly thinks so. Therein lies the problem. If, and when, Evans and his agent decide to attempt to extend with the Bills, the absolute minimum contract that Evans should even consider is what Dockery just got, which is ~ $49 million with nearly $19 million guaranteed.
Chargers Running Back Michael Turner will pay a visit to One Bills Drive today. Turner is a potential trade option for Buffalo. He is a quality back-up Running Back sitting behind MVP LaDainian Tomlinson on the depth chart.
Somehow, I think we're going to see the Bills draft a middle linebacker, and I think that player will be Mississippi's Patrick Willis. I'm not a London Fletcher basher like some, but Willis is bigger and just as fast or faster. He also attacks the ball, which the Bills felt Fletcher didn't always do to their liking. Yes, he made a lot of tackles, but many of them were downfield.
NFL teams in need of a featured running back are likely hoping Lynch can be their superman. Playing in a pro style offense and considered a versatile talent, he believes he can deliver. "I catch the ball well, I can run inside and out," said Lynch. "I can get to the edge, catch out of the backfield, line up at receiver in the slot. I can throw about a 70-yard pass. And if so, I'll throw that 70-yard pass downfield."
I lost all respect for McGahee the day I read those comments. He snubbed a city and a team that took a chance on him in the draft, that gave him so much, and threw all their support behind him. I used to think Willis McGahee was different. I used to think he actually cared for his team and about a town that loved their football. I was wrong.
The good news for the Bills is that Evans is currently under contract through 2009. However, the 2004 first-round pick (13th overall) from the University of Wisconsin is grossly underpaid for the production he's put up. Despite dealing with average QB play from three different passers over as many years, Evans -- who is scheduled to make $773,750 in 2007, $1.05 million in '08 and $1.23 million in '09 -- has still racked up 178 receptions (16.2 yards per catch) and 24 touchdowns.
Now able to focus on his future career Brian Leonard dropped the weight he gained to play fullback. Down to 226 pounds from 238, Leonard ran a very respectable 4.52 40-time. More important than his speed is the vast array of skills Leonard brings to the field. Put simply he's far more than just a blocking fullback. "If a team needs me to be a straight-ahead blocking fullback, then that's what I'll do," said Leonard.
Buffalo Bills General Manager Marv Levy will address the Canisius College Class of 2007 during undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 19 at 11:00 a.m. in Alumni Arena at the State University of New York at Buffalo (Amherst campus). Levy will be presented with an honorary degree during commencement ceremonies.
The Buffalo Bills have secured two partnership pacts -- one that aids the team's players and another that assists area students. Enlyten Inc., a division of HealthSport Inc., has signed a multi-year deal with the Bills that will supply the team with sportstrips designed to replace electrolytes that athletes lose while exercising. The Bills are the first National Football League to sign a sponsorship deal with Enlyten. The Bills also formed a partnership with Time Warner Cable to help sponsor the Buffalo Bills Students Leadership program.
The Packers are still looking for a running back to replace the departed Ahman Green and apparently, Michael Turner is not the answer. Turner's agent, Bus Cook, says Green Bay is not among the teams that have expressed an interest in the restricted free agent from San Diego.
It seems they've also kept an eye on Chris Brown — Morgan said he has had a number of discussions with members of the Packers' personnel department, most recently last week — who continues to draw interest from the Buffalo Bills and two other teams Morgan wouldn't name. Buffalo and the New York Jets reportedly are interested in Turner as well.
Time Warner Cable, the nation’s second-largest cable television operator, today announced a new partnership with the Buffalo Bills to help sponsor the Buffalo Bills Students Leaders program. The Bills Student Leaders program was designed four years ago to provide students with unique experiences that develop leadership skills to prepare them for continuing education throughout high school and college.
“We are excited to be working with the Buffalo Bills,” said Dan Kelly, president of Enlyten, Inc. and brother of former Bills quarterback, Jim Kelly. “The Bills make perfect sense as our first partnership with a professional sports team. With Enlyten’s headquarters located here in Buffalo, we felt it was very important to establish local ties within our community. As a national company, partnering with Buffalo’s biggest brand will also help us reach the outside market. As part of the NFL, the Bills brand resonates with consumers everywhere,” said Kelly.
Tickets for the induction of Buffalo Bills great Thurman Thomas will go on sale on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 at 11:00 AM ET. Tickets may be purchased online by visiting the Hall’s website at Profootballhof.com or by calling 1-800-913-9788. He, along with fellow Class of 2007 members – Gene Hickerson, Michael Irvin, Bruce Matthews, Charlie Sanders, and Roger Wehrli – will be formally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 4, 2007 at 6:00 PM ET.
The NFL has set the weekends but not the exact dates for the other Bills preseason games. The Buffalo Bills will host Atlanta on the second preseason weekend, Aug 16-20. Tennessee will visit Ralph Wilson Stadium on the third weekend, Aug. 23-27. The Bills will close the preseason at Detroit, probably on Aug. 30 or 31. The regular season schedule will be announced later this month.
The Arizona Cardinals helped fill a big hole on the offensive line on Monday by signing free agent Mike Gandy to a three-year contract. Terms were not disclosed. Gandy started all 16 games for the Buffalo Bills last season, nine at left guard and seven at left tackle. The seven-year pro started 16 games at left tackle for the Bills in 2005.
Turner reportedly visited the Tennessee Titans Monday. If a team signs Turner to an offer sheet, the Chargers could either match it or receive that team's first- and third-round picks in the draft April 28-29. The Bills have the No. 12 overall pick and an extra No. 3. San Diego would want a similar package in trade. Turner can become an unrestricted free agent after this season, so the Chargers are listening to offers. If Buffalo isn't among the teams considering a deal for Turner, it should be. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry last season (80 carries for 502 yards) in relief of LaDainian Tomlinson.
The first Buffalo Bills preseason game will be a modified homecoming for quarterback J.P. Losman. The Bills will play their first exhibition game in New Orleans, where Losman starred at Tulane, on Friday, Aug. 10. The game will be televised nationally by CBS. The Bills will have home games against the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans in the second and third weeks of the preseason before closing their four-game schedule in Detroit.
Despite all the positives that Turner brings, including intelligence (he scored a 35 on the pre-2004 draft Wonderlic test), he'd still be a big-time risk. With that in mind, it probably wouldn't be a wise move for the Bills, who have plenty of important needs, to give up their first-rounder (12th overall) for the ball carrier. However, if San Diego lowers its demands and requests, say, a second-rounder in 2007 and a third in next year's draft, Buffalo should jump all over it.
At least one of those holes will probably filled prior to the draft, with a possible trade for San Diego backup running back Michael Turner being speculated about at present. Buffalo sought to bolster the offensive line during the free agency period, but since it ended up with serviceable guard Derrick Dockery and a bunch of second-tier talents, some help will be required via the draft.
John Beck, who is projected to go anywhere between the third and fifth rounds says Young has been most helpful in helping him adjust to the NFL from college. But Beck seemed to do an admirable job taking the first step with an effective combine workout. The 6'2" 215-pound signal caller had the second fastest pass in terms of ball speed at 61.1 miles per hour. He ran a respectable 4.75 40-time and put together a solid set of passing drills, including accuracy on deep balls, something for which he was criticized coming out of BYU.
The Bills will open the preseason Friday, August 10th on national television when the team travels to New Orleans to face the Saints at 8 pm on CBS. Bills fourth-year QB JP Losman will make his first professional trip to the Superdome where he played his college football for the Tulane Green Wave from 2000-03. Buffalo will host Atlanta and Tennessee in the second and third preseason weeks. The preseason schedule concludes with a trip to Detroit to face the Lions in week four.
The Wysman originally chose to take up public analysis in this way due to the floundering of the team under new GM hire and media oriented Tom Donahoe who proved to be a horrible GM in hindsight. Actually, for readers at the time it was entirely in foresight right here. Levy and the Bills during his era appear to be absolutely no different at the forefront of his tenure as well. Understandably, among certain fan subsets the Wysman is th
Analysis: Marshawn lynch was a solid pick here, and will likely be the Buffalo Bills opening day starter. After the joy was killed by Minnesota of actually thinking that Adrian Peterson was going to fall Buffalo took focus of three players and reportedly highly coveted LB Patrick Willis was not one of them. Lynch possesses a great blend of size and speed. He runs the 40 in the 4.4 range and will lower his shoulder and deliver a hit to any would be tackler. You will also always see Lynch moving his legs and never give up and not go for the extra yards. Lynch has the speed to turn the corner and is a tough open field tackler as he has the agility to make a move around you and the power to run through you. Marshawn also is more than willing to play through a lingering injury as he showed in 06 by playing through an ankle injury. Still unknown is the ability of Lynch to catch the ball out of the backfield and also to block. Neither of which he was asked to do much of at Cal, but will be asked to do in Buffalo. The only real concern of Marshawn Lynch is his propensity for not showing up for big games. He must prove to the Bills brass and the fans that he can be the man to get the ball in a big game and march the team down the field.
Analysis: Paul Posluszny was a beast at Penn State in the 2005 season, he helped to catapult the Nitany Lions to a near perfect season that year. Pos however did struggle to some degree this past season at both a new injury and recovering from a season ending injury last year. As the year went along, Pos both adapted to the new system and got over his injury. Where Pos really struggled was in the different pass coverage responsibilities moving over there from the outside to the inside. Pos’s biggest strength is his ability to read and diagnose running plays. He is very good and spotting he holes in the line that the RB is likely to pop through and plugging them and shooting them into the backfield and hitting the RB for a loss. One of the biggest unknowns about Pos is his speed. Last year outside he looked quick, fluid, and able to chase down from behind but this year he looked slow, sluggish and struggled. Some of that may be attributed to his injury, and also that in the middle you are subject to deal with a lot more traffic than on the outside. In Round 2 Buffalo lands a guy who some scouts considered to be the top OLB prospect in the draft.
Analysis: Edwards was flying up experts draft boards to be an late 1st Round pick, however it appears as though teams do not share the same love for Edwards as the experts did. Edwards has a good zip on his throws along with good accuracy. He displays very good vision which allows him to read blitz and also to read coverage and pick it apart. Edwards also has a lightning quick release and holds the ball high when dropping back. He needs to work on his footwork when moving around inside the pocket, and really needs to step into his throws. He also has to learn not to force the ball thinking he can zip it in between defenders. Edwards is similar to the Losman is one key way. That is that both display the athletic ability to be good starting QB’s in the NFL, yet both were extremely inconsistent when it came to their college careers. At this point in the draft Marv was strictly going for BPA and Edwards could be an ideal Matt Schaub type backup for this team and insurance in case Losman goes down with an injury.
's sophomore campaign at Penn State and a situation arose where he had to change his number. After pulling some old film out of the Nittany Lion archives for inspiration deciding on a new number became an easy choice.
With the NFL schedule having been released yesterday, NFL fans now have a positive distraction until the annually awaited third most popular day on the NFL calendar behind the Super Bowl and opening day, namely draft day. So what has the schedule brought for the Bills in this way?
At first glance it seems as if the schedule is worse than last season’s schedule. Taking a closer look however that really is not the case. 