May 17, 2008

Owners appear ready to opt out

NFL owners could opt out of their agreement with the players union next week, leaving open the possibility of a 2010 season without a salary cap.

Belichick: No deception

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick lashed out at the team’s former video assistant, saying in a televised interview that Matt Walsh was a low-level staffer who was fired for “poor job performance.”

May 16, 2008

Bills and JetBlue renew deal

The Buffalo Bills have renewed a partnership agreement with JetBlue Airways, the second-most-active air carrier at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Overlooked Johnson could make impact for Bills

Wide receiver Steve Johnson had a fantastic senior season at the University of Kentucky in 2007, piling up 60 receptions, 1,041 yards and 13 touchdowns. In the process, he emerged as the go-to guy for Wildcats quarterback Andre Woodson, who was viewed nationally as a Heisman candidate for most of the year.

May 15, 2008

Bills Assistant White Makes Hard Work Pay Off

When NFL Europa officially folded late last spring it may not have come as a surprise to many outsiders. But to the coaches who worked in the league it was borderline shock. Adrian White was one of those coaches.

Lately Bills are same as rest of NFL

Do you think it’s about time to bury the notion that the Bills have a higher standard when it comes to player character?

ESPN rates Pats No. 1, Giants No. 6 and Bills No. 19

ESPN must be trying to tick off New York Giants fans.

The network's first NFL Power Rankings for the 2008 season are out. The New England Patriots are No. 1, the Super Bowl champion Giants are No. 6 and the Buffalo Bills are No. 19.

May 14, 2008

Corner joins a loaded corner bunch

The Bills placed heavy emphasis on revamping their secondary during this off-season. Three of their 10 picks were for the cornerback position, one of them being Reggie Corner, out of Akron. Corner was picked during the fourth round, the 115th overall pick.

No end in sight for Bills’ weak tight end play

The Bills pretending they’re happy with their current batch of tight ends would be like being proud of a detention hall delinquent for not flunking all his Regents exams. Just like bringing home a D-plus average shouldn’t earn an underachieving punk a trip to Dave & Buster’s, parents are better off adopting newer, smarter kids than pretending their current brood is worthwhile. 

May 13, 2008

Upstart Lineman McCaskill Trying Center

As the Bills rookie minicamp was winding down, one of the three offensive linemen in attendance positioned himself over the ball and reached down with his left hand. A few seconds later Nevin McCaskill was snapping the ball to quarterback Matt Baker.

Bills Speak With Hardy

The Buffalo Bills released a statement Tuesday in response to a published report in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette that Bills second-round pick James Hardy was allegedly involved in a verbal altercation with his father last Sunday in which police were called to the scene.

Bills Heavy CB Investment By Design

When a team makes its way through an NFL draft there are obvious scenarios and positional needs that are mapped out beforehand. But when you're committed to the philosophy of taking the best prospect on the board when your team is on the clock, addressing all of your positional needs doesn't always come to fruition. When it came to the cornerback position however, the Bills got everything they wanted drafting a total of three including top pick Leodis McKelvin.

Positive press shouldn’t mean much to Bills

After the Buffalo Bills spent the meat of the offseason seemingly improving their major weak areas by means of free agency, trades and the NFL draft, it's become chic for big-time media outlets to view them as one of the league's up-and-coming franchises. Fox Sports' Adam Schein and ESPN's John Clayton have recently declared the Bills playoff contenders, joining an ever-growing list of pundits who greatly approve of the roster the team has assembled.

Bills releasing Everett

Tight end Kevin Everett, who suffered a career-ending cervical spinal cord injury last season, will be placed on the waived/failed physical list by the Buffalo Bills today.

Hardy allegedly pulls gun on father during altercation

James Hardy, the former IU wide receiver just drafted by the Buffalo Bills, reportedly pulled a gun on his father during an argument, according to a police report filed Sunday with the football star’s name edited out.

May 12, 2008

The Graduate: Bills' DiGiorgio breaks out of the 'Pac'

We interrupt the Matt Walsh hearings, the Michael Boley arrest and the Chris Henry inquiry to bring you a message from John DiGiorgio, linebacker of the Buffalo Bills.

Are Bills Fine at tight end?

After the Buffalo Bills selected a tight end with middling 4.83 speed in the 40-yard dash and average numbers during his college career in the fourth round of last month's NFL draft, the team understandably caught the brunt of frustration from some fans. Pro tight ends have become more and more athletic over the years -- Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates and Vernon Davis, for example -- but the Bills have never acquired one capable of joining the game's elite. Instead, they've regularly chosen to put their faith in tight ends like the one they drafted recently, former Kansas Jayhawk Derek Fine, who aren't adept at making big plays or forcing opposing defensive coordinators to game plan around them.

Fans pay big Bills for small piece of NFL

Elsewhere in this newspaper lately it has been suggested that Ontario is faced with have-not status among the provinces and that we're all perilously close to plunging into a full-blown recession.

Reich has faith he’ll get NFL job

Frank Reich is not testing the seminary president free-agency market.

But that doesn’t mean he is in any way neglecting his faith.

May 11, 2008

Bills’ backers see better days on the horizon

What is it with you Buffalo people, anyway? The Bills haven’t made the playoffs since the 1999 season. They’ve teased you and tormented you. They’ve promised you the moon and lassoed misery instead. You have every reason to be wary and skeptical. So the question is, why?

Bills’ Wall clears a spot for Bruce

Bruce Smith will become the 25th member of the Buffalo Bills’ Wall of Fame at Ralph Wilson Stadium this fall.

May 10, 2008

USD grad, Little invited to tryout with Buffalo Bills

Brooks Little, the all-time leader in receptions at The University of South Dakota, has been invited to a tryout with the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, May 17

May 08, 2008

Graduation Day For DiGiorgio

This Saturday Bills linebacker John DiGiorgio will be crossing a stage to accept something he has worked very hard to earn. It's not an award for his football accomplishments. It's his college diploma as the soon-to-be Saginaw Valley State alum earned his degree in physical and health education, with a minor in psychology.

The Team The Bills Will Field - Part Two

After an overview of the Bills offense yesterday, we turn our attention to the revamped Bills defense. It was actually the defense that received the bulk of the attention in free agency, as well as the #1 selection in the 2008 draft. Bringing in a couple recognizable names, and one less recognizable name, the Bills bolstered their defense in all the right places.Let's take a look at the defensive unit the Buffalo Bills will (likely) field in 2008, position by position, starting up front.

The Team The Bills Will Field - Part One

I am just a fan. I only know the Bills from a distance, but I love Bills football, and enjoy following every little detail. Even when they really aren't that great, I root for them, and follow them. And I'm pretty certain I always will.I am also an optimist. I tend to look for the best side of everything in life, and can usually find it. Thus, many of my predictions (and on our show, my "reviews") regarding Buffalo Bills football tend to be a bit, shall we say, "rosy".

Recent second-round receiver history not on Hardy’s side

When the Buffalo Bills were on the clock in Round 2 of last month's NFL draft, they absolutely made the right decision in choosing former University of Indiana wide receiver James Hardy with the 41st overall pick. Measured anywhere from 6-foot-5 to 6-7 and weighing around 220 pounds, Hardy -- in terms of size -- is exactly what Buffalo's sputtering offense and frighteningly tiny receiving corps needs going forward. With that said, this decade's history says that fans expecting greatness from Hardy might ultimately be disappointed.

Karl Malone falls short, as a father

This is how Demetrius Bell, drafted a couple of weeks ago by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round, describes his relationship with his father:

Tickets for Bills games in Toronto hit stratosphere

The power of the Toronto marketplace was illustrated Wednesday as sky-high prices were announced for the Buffalo Bills’ series of games there.

May 07, 2008

Drone Hopes to Display Cool Hand with Bills

Luke Drone spent the weekend learning the Bills' offense with six other undrafted free agent quarterbacks. "Learning the offense was crazy, very sophisticated" said Drone "It was overwhelming as quarterback because you have to know what everybody is doing. Learning the lingo and terminology was what I was doing pretty much all weekend."

Former Bills Player Everett On Amazing Recovery

Former Buffalo Bills player Kevin Everett will never play football again. The fact that he's able to even walk is nothing short of a miracle. Thanks in part to cutting edge medical technology, he's made an amazing recovery. CBS 2's Megan Mawicke reports Everett is in Chicago this week sharing his story.

Bills' tickets cost more in Toronto than Buffalo

In Toronto, seats in the lower bowl between the end zones and the 20-yard lines will be $295 (Canadian) each, with pricing for roughly 9,000 VIP seats between the 20-yard lines and throughout the second deck still to be announced. In Buffalo, prime seats between the 20-yard lines go for $77 (U.S.), while seats between the end zones and 20-yard lines go for $66.

Prices for Bills' games in Toronto will be pricey

Those who buy the eight-game package get a discount. Those $295 seats near the corners of the lower deck cost $270 per game for the eight-game package. The lower half of the upper deck along the sidelines will cost $235 for the three-game package and $215 for eight games. The upper half of the upper deck along the sidelines will cost $185 for three games, $170 for eight games. The upper-deck seats in the end zones all are priced under $100.

Bills Toronto ticket prices more than three times the average

More than 180,000 ticket requests have been registered for the Buffalo Bills’ package of eight games at Toronto’s Rogers Centre over the next five years, it was announced today. Ticket prices will range from $55 to $295, an average of $183, and there will be no price difference in the five regular-season games or the three preseason games.

Bills in Toronto: Top ticket $295

Organizers of upcoming Buffalo Bills' games in Toronto Wednesday released ticket costs, which will range from $55 to $295 per seat. The pricing was part of a news release that said 180,000 ticket requests have been registered for the package to be played at Rogers Centre, which will have a seating capacity of approximately 54,000.

Toronto Series Tickets To Be Offered Week of May 19

Bills Toronto Series organizers announced Wednesday that the first group of tickets will be offered for sale to randomly selected www.billsintoronto.com registrants during the week of May 19. Approximately 180,000 ticket requests have been registered for the upcoming Bills Toronto Series games at Rogers Centre.

Bills Release LB Brockington

Two days after completing their rookie minicamp the Bills made a roster move. Linebacker Joe Brockington was released by the club Tuesday. The undrafted rookie free agent agreed to terms with Buffalo following the close of the draft and signed with the team last Thursday.

Big Brother Bowen

Just like any other college student, Bills fifth-round pick Alvin Bowen had a roommate while attending Iowa State. As an incoming freshman or junior college transfer, as was the case with Bowen, you rarely have the choice of who your roommate will be. As a senior Bowen did choose a roommate, but he was probably the only member of the Iowa State student body living with a 12-year old

Bills season-ticket sales show fans keeping faith

The Buffalo Bills haven’t been in the playoffs since 1999. And many Bills fans fear the franchise has one foot out the door — possibly moving to Toronto — once owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr. passes from the scene. But those twin developments haven’t seemed to hurt the Bills at the turnstiles.

NFL Finalizes Preseason Schedule

Indianapolis and Washington will open the preseason at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Aug. 3. The game will be televised nationally on NBC. Six days later, the Colts will travel to Carolina to take on the Panthers at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Aug. 9, then will play again the next Saturday at Atlanta in another 7:30 p.m. start Aug. 16.

NFL notebook

The Bengals acquired Travis Brown, a rookie wide receiver out of New Mexico, on waivers from Seattle on Tuesday. Brown, 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, has 182 career receptions, putting him third in Lobos program history, and his 2,196 receiving yards rank fifth. He was a first-team all-Mountain West Conference selection his junior and senior seasons.

May 06, 2008

Undrafted rookies face long odds

Robert Felton comes to the Buffalo Bills humbled, but not discouraged. “Obviously the draft didn’t go the way I wanted it, but in a way it did because I’m where I wanted to be — in the NFL,” Felton said during the Bills’ weekend rookie minicamp. “This is my chance. I’m here and I’m trying to make the best of it.”

McKelvin gives back to Troy community

More than 150 Troy faithful went out to support the No. 11 NFL Draft pick of the Buffalo Bills, otherwise known as Leodis McKelvin, Monday night. McKelvin was at the Santa Fe Cattle Co. signing autographs from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. and he said it was all he could do to support a town that has been so good to him.

Temple cut by Browns, picked up by Bills

Former Missouri running back Tony Temple did not make the Cleveland Browns roster after last weekend’s tryout. The Browns kept just seven of the 54 players brought to last weekend’s camp, and only one of those was a running back. But Temple didn’t stay on the market long. The Buffalo Bills invited him to their rookie camp for another tryout later this month.

May 05, 2008

Whitner On Hardy: "He's Going To Make A Lot Of Noise"

On a roster blessed with more than its share of top flight athletes, most of the time the coaching staff would leave the secondary in man-to-man coverage knowing their cornerbacks could handle it. In his three seasons playing for the Buckeyes Donte Whitner can only remember one exception, Indiana receiver James Hardy. "The only guy we ever based our defensive coverages around was him," said Whitner of Hardy. "We didn't game plan for a lot of receivers, but we did game plan for him."

Bills WR Hardy Faces Lofty Year One Expectations

Score. The Buffalo Bills could not do enough it of last year, but as a junior wide receiver at Indiana University, James Hardy did plenty of it. In 2007, Bills quarterbacks (helped out once by running back Marshawn Lynch) threw 12 touchdown passes. In 2007, Hardy notched 16 receiving touchdowns by himself. So, naturally, Hardy's rookie season in Buffalo comes with lofty expectations.

Bills hope Omon's production carries over into NFL

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Having scored 98 touchdowns -- that's right, two short of 100 -- in four years at college, Xavier Omon has a knack for finding the end zone. "Let's hope it stays that way," the running back said, cracking a smile. The Buffalo Bills hope so, too, after getting their first glimpse of the sixth-round draft pick out of Northwest Missouri State during a three-day rookie minicamp this weekend.

Basics prep rookies for when vets report

Jauron said McKelvin and wide receiver James Hardy made a favorable impression on the coaching staff. "They don't disappoint you athletically," Jauron said. "Leodis is very quick, explosive in his movements. He has a nice feel for things that occur on the field. And he's aggressive. James, you can't hide the fact that he's over 6-foot-5 and he's got real good hands and catches the ball well. The rest of it is going to be technique and familiarizing themselves with the game at this level because it's just a lot better. It's faster and tougher and a lot better. But we're very confident in their skills."

Fine-tuning of new role is rookie tight end’s focus

Derek Fine’s receiving numbers at the University of Kansas weren’t jaw-dropping last season. But his 46 catches for 394 yards and four touchdowns weren’t that bad for a tight end playing in a spread offense that used multiple wide receivers and moved him all over the field.

Bills' retooled defence still has plenty to prove

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Despite all the attention the Buffalo Bills spent on retooling their defence this offseason, Perry Fewell thinks it's way too early to get overly excited or start speaking in absolutes.

May 04, 2008

Rookie Minicamp Day Three Notes

Defensively, Leodis McKelvin spent most of the weekend on the left side of the formation with Reggie Corner on the right. Overall McKelvin felt comfortable with how things went for him. "I feel I can compete against anybody," said McKelvin. "Just me coming along and learning the defense and get it in my brain a little more and get better every practice, every day. So it's felt real good."

Bills are counting on Hardy for impact

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- When James Hardy says he'd like to be fellow Buffalo Bills receiver Lee Evans' little brother, he's referring to age, not size. The distinction is apparent because, at 6 feet 6, there's nothing small about Hardy, the Bills' rookie second-round pick out of Indiana University.

Toronto Argonauts should have as much right to play football in Buffalo, as the Buffalo Bills in Toronto

The National Football League (NFL) has demonstrated its own version of American neo-colonialism. The New York Sun specifically reports that Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson has "struck a deal". This Deal allows him to play one regular season game annually in Toronto through 2012, along with three pre-season games in 2008, 2010, and 2012.

Matthews: Here's hoping Bell can move on now

Maybe now, with a potential professional football career ahead of him, Demetrius Bell can move past it all. Move past the unwanted spectre that in some ways always hung over his athletic career at Northwestern State.

Steelers sign WR after Purdue's Bryant fails physical

PITTSBURGH -- Rookie free-agent wide receiver Kevin Marion signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday after another receiver failed his physical. The 5-foot 10-inch Marion caught 44 passes for 485 yards and one touchdown during his career at Wake Forest, making 18 catches for 192 yards as a senior in 2007.

Army's Viti thankful for chance with Bills

ORCHARD PARK — When Mike Viti arrived at the United States Military Academy four years ago, the idea of him or any of his classmates playing in the National Football League immediately after graduation seemed about as preposterous as male Cadets being allowed to stroll across campus in tie-dye shirts and shoulder-length hair.

May 03, 2008

Bills hope Omon’s production carries over into NFL

Having scored 98 touchdowns—that’s right, two short of 100—in four years at college, Xavier Omon has a knack for finding the end zone.

Rookie Minicamp Day Two Notes

When the offense was working on their own with the quarterbacks throwing to the back and receivers, tight end Derek Fine made the catch of the day. The fourth-round pick snared a pass behind his body with one hand and pulled it while running across the middle. Fine has performed pretty admirably thus far and is getting a ton of work. But one thing he does not want is to be labeled a pass catching or blocking tight end.

For Bills fans, an icy rage

If I'm a Buffalo Bills fan, I'm fuming right about now. Steam is rising off me like Thurman Thomas' shaved head in sub-zero weather. I'm angrier than Cornelius Bennett each time he checks his birth certificate to make sure his parents really named him "Cornelius."

Buffalo Bills: Quarterback Controversy?

This is the first of 11 articles targeting all position situations for the Buffalo Bills entering the 2008 season. The first entry will deal with the quarterback position.

It has been a while since the Buffalo Bills had any security at the quarterback position.

Hardy ready to jump right in

Receiver James Hardy found the end zone in each of his first six games as a freshman at Indiana University. In his first-ever Big Ten Conference game, he burned Wisconsin with seven catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns.

Undrafted free agents make debut

University of Arkansas guard Robert Felton was a first-team All- Southeastern Conference player and an Associated Press second-team All-American.

Nevertheless, he did not get drafted last weekend.

Rookie Corner confident he can play in Buffalo

Every player who is eligible for the NFL draft would like to say that in the weeks leading up to those two massively over-hyped days in April he ignores the endless analysis emanating from reporters, so-called draft experts and fans.

May 02, 2008

Rookie Minicamp Underway

At wideout Hardy did a nice job of adjusting to passes that were outside his body frame to make some catches. There were a couple of crossing routes where he successfully reached behind his body to make catches on the run. Hardy was lined up mostly at flanker on day one. Steve Johnson was praised by Turk Schonert for running a sharply executed out route. He looked real good on the quick slants.

Youboty in jeopardy on CB-heavy Bills

After the Buffalo Bills signed cornerback Will James earlier in the offseason, it became apparent that two-year veteran Ashton Youboty was in jeopardy of making the roster in 2008. Sadly for the 2006 third-round pick, things only got worse last weekend.

A Look At Buffalo’s 2008 Undrafteds

The Bills filled in some positional needs with nine undrafted free agents Friday. The position most heavily addressed was linebacker as Buffalo signed three. The offensive backfield also had three additions with a quarterback, running back and fullback brought into the fold.

Bills look for Ellis to provide pass rush

Among the many reasons the Buffalo Bills' defense struggled so much in 2007 was its glaring lack of a productive pass rush.

The Bills were 31st in total yards allowed including 29th against the pass, and you can't lay it all on injuries, or the play of the defensive backs.

May 01, 2008

Bills Claim QB Baker

The Buffalo Bills have added a quarterback to the roster as the club claimed Matt Baker off waivers. Baker had been with the Dolphins up until early this week.

Nation Weighs In On Bills Draft

We thought we would provide a comprehensive listing of what the rest of the media pundits across the country thought of Buffalo's 2008 draft class. Appearing in alphabetical order by affiliation, here are the draft grades from coast to coast.

The more DEs, the merrier: Ellis was smart pick by Bills

Depending on which Buffalo Bills follower you asked before last weekend's NFL draft, the defensive end position either was or wasn't a glaring need for the roster.

Bills' Special teams reload

Special teams coach Bobby April could not have been happier about the Buffalo Bills’ draft.

Most of the 10 draft picks will likely have little impact on offense and defense. However, they will have a chance to contribute right away in the return game and coverage units.

Losman not the solution, even as No. 2

All right, so J. P. Losman was so unhappy at the end of last season, he asked to be traded. He felt the Bills had pulled the rug out from under him by giving the starting job to Trent Edwards. Losman and his agent, Gary Wichard, made it clear that J. P. had zero interest in re-signing here when his contract expired after the 2008 season.