A Review of the 2009 Buffalo Bills Draft Class

After a weekend that saw some pretty bold moves by their division rival, the New York Jets, the Buffalo Bills lone first-day trade to move up to the second round to pick Andy Levitre seems a bit lackluster. Time will tell, of course, how the brazen moves by the Jets will pan out on the field, but with a glut of wide receivers, and nine picks heading into the weekend, it seemed the Bills might be a bit bigger wheelers and dealers.

Instead, the Bills were somewhat predictable, and their typical completely unpredictable selves.

Aaron Maybin's name had been thrown out there as a possible first round pick for the Bills. So that was not too much of a surprise. But most felt that OT was one of the more glaring, pressing needs for the team, and they didn't draft a single player who was primarily an offensive tackle.

On the other hand, the Bills have a core of four really solid CBs on their roster, yet they chose to spend their first pick in the second round, and their fifth round selections on more cornerbacks? Really?

They did address the TE position by landing a fairly highly rated player in Shawn Nelson, but must not have found who they were looking for at LB, as the only player they found at that position actually played safety in college.

Well, let's take a look at each guy the Bills added, and their potential fit with this roster.

1 - DE Aaron Maybin - Penn State

At the scouting combine, defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell, hinted that the Bills might not necessarily be looking for a starter at defensive end, but more likely a pass rushing specialist. He emphasized that the NFL game is very specialized nowadays, so you can afford to spend draft picks on specialty players.

And that is just what the Bills did.

The Bills anticipate Maybin being a third down/passing situation specialist, coming in to add some pressure on the quarterback—something the Bills have been pretty bad at for a few years now. They're hoping to get 10 sacks or so out of Maybin, plus having a healthy Aaron Schobel back (plus Stroud and Williams in the middle, as well as a healthy rotation of other players on the D-line). They see Maybin as a "piece of the puzzle."

They needed pass-rushing help on the defensive line, and they are hopeful they found it in Maybin, a player they had their eyes on at the top of the draft.

Read more on Aaron Maybin at BuffaloBills.com

1 - C Eric Wood - Louisville

This one was perplexing. OT Michael Oher—a great story, and most feel a great player, at a position the Bills really need—was still available only a few picks earlier. The Bills could have moved up to get him. OT Eben Britton was still available. Lots of tackles were still available. Instead, the Bills draft a player listed as a center, which is a position they already addressed (first signing, I believe?) in free agency with Geoff Hangartner. Very strange move indeed.

Can look at this a few ways. First, Eric Wood is a very good, solid lineman. He will be a good player. We could use more good offensive linemen, to be sure. So, perhaps he was just the best option available. The Bills were definitely looking to get some more help at guard, but not necessarily center. So, it's still perplexing.

Maybe Hangartner was not their first choice as a center? Competition is always good... maybe they just wanted to make sure they had two guys they could count on to push each other at the center position? Maybe.

If you take the Bills at their word, they just really liked Wood, and they like the fact that he's both a center and a guard. At 6'4" 310, he's a pretty big fella. They intend to play him at guard (presumably left guard, vacated by the released Derrick Dockery) but really like that they can use him at center if they need to.

OK, I buy it.

My favorite part about Eric Wood (besides the fact that he's from Cincinnati, land of my genealogical roots) is the following quote:

“It’s all about flipping the switch when you go out on the field,” said Wood. “You can do things on the football field that are severely illegal on the streets. I just kind of flip that switch and try to take it to people on the field. I’m a finisher. The fun part is knocking people down and punishing the guy you’re going against. That’s the joy of football to me.”

Read more on Eric Wood at BuffaloBills.com

2 - CB Jairus Byrd - Oregon

OK, I'll admit it. This one floored me. At least as much as when they chose Donte Whitner at the 8th spot overall. The jury is still out (at least a little) on our friend Donte. Perhaps most evident in the fact that they are moving him to a different position this year, to see if that's a better fit. I'll admit it turned out better than I thought, but a CB?? With their second round pick???

If you read my previous articles you'll see that CB was specifically one of the positions that I said would be a "shocking" choice should the Bills choose to go that way. Well, they did, and I was.

Upon reading further, I discovered that they intend to use this college cornerback as a safety on their roster. That put my mind a bit more at ease as the safety position is a bit more in flux. But still, what about the left tackle?

The thing I like so far is that he is a playmaker. Had 17 INTs in his college career. The Bills are looking for playmakers, and I guess they feel they found one in Byrd.

Read more on Jairus Byrd at BuffaloBills.com

2 - OL Andy Levitre - Oregon

In their most exciting move of the draft, the Bills traded their third round pick and one of their fourth round picks to move back into the second round at pick #51 and selected... an offensive lineman! Good move!

And, he's even listed as a G/T! (That is almost like drafting a tackle!)

The Bills obviously like this guy as they gave up two picks to get him. He has decent size, 6'3" 305. (But more suited to playing guard in the NFL.)

And what I'm noticing even more is that they are really into this "two for one" concept. So far, the Bills have drafted a CB who is a S, a C who is a G, and now a T who is a G (and a T). (Perhaps they feel the more letters they can list next to a player's name, the better he will be?)

Read more on Andy Levitre at BuffaloBills.com


day TWO

4 - TE Shawn Nelson - Southern Miss

Most are rating this pick one of (if not the) best values of the 2009 draft class for the Bills. Nelson was projected to go in the second or third round, so the Bills being able to land him late in the 4th round was quite a good deal. Especially considering the vacancy they apparently had at TE by releasing last year's starter, Robert Royal.

Nelson is a pass-catching TE whom Bills scouts say should be able to help the passing game immediately. He's got good size at 6'5" 240, but needs work on his blocking. The Bills were really lacking a TE in the passing game, though, so Nelson seems like a pretty good fit. Good pick up at round four.

Read more on Shawn Nelson at BuffaloBills.com

5 - S Nic Harris - Oklahoma

And, here they go again. Now, as I said earlier, I expected the Bills would look to add a safety at some point in this draft. So, that part is not unexpected. BUT, adding their second S is pretty unexpected.

Until you remember this is the "Year of the Utility Player".

This college safety is projected to play linebacker in the NFL, and that's just what the Bills intend to do with him. Linebacker is a position of need for the Bills, so again, this seems to be a good fit for their needs. But why are they drafting these guys who have more experience at a different position than the Bills plan to use them in? Perplexing.

Harris has speed, smarts, and is a good tackler. The Bills are counting on him also being a quick study at his new position. Don't expect him to be the other starting LB opposite Kawika Mitchell, but he has enough upside to add some depth to the unit.

Read more on Nic Harris at BuffaloBills.com

6 - CB Cary Harris - Souther Cal

OK, this is getting weird. Not only are the Bills drafting players who are not experienced at their positions (hoping they'll "pick up" the position they want them to play) they are also STILL DRAFTING DEFENSIVE BACKS! I really don't understand this pick.

First of all, this Harris (unrelated to the previous Harris, as far as I know) is only 5'11" 187. Do we need another smurf on the team?? Second... he's a cornerback!!! He doesn't have great speed, there are questions about his "durability"... I honestly don't know what he has, or why we picked him when we already have Terrence McGee, Leodis McKelvin, Ashton Youboty, Reggie Corner, Drayton Florence, and now even Jairus Byrd from earlier in the draft.

“He’s an ultra competitive kid. He really paid his dues playing in a big time conference,” said Bills scout Rashaan Curry. “He started over 30 games and is a really competitive kid. He’s probably average size, but he’s of a tougher brand”

Ooohh... That's why.

Read more on Cary Harris at BuffaloBills.com

7 - DB Ellis Lankster - West Virginia

OK, at this point, it's either a really bad joke, or, the Bills staff knows something we don't know about the current group of DBs on our roster. Regardless, with their final pick of the draft, the Bills selected another defensive back. That makes four. (The Bills are calling it three, but that's because they are counting Nic Harris as a LB already. Even though he's not yet.)

Are they planning to not renew Terrence McGee's contract? Is McKelvin a bust? Youboty? I know Dick Jauron was a defensive back, but... enough already!

This selection is as baffling as the previous one in that Lankster is 5'9" 191 pounds, and they are going to ask him to cover guys like Randy Moss. Nice.

Read more on Ellis Lankster at BuffaloBills.com

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One thing that I did consistently see in all of the selections the Bills made (at least, their scouts' reports about the selections) is that they were looking for smart players, with good instincts who are also good tacklers. And, throw in a competitive mean streak as well. That seemed to be how they described most of the guys. They were not too concerned with the "measurables" as they call them. They just wanted good football players, whatever position.

If I had to grade this draft, just based on finding players to fill positions of need, I'd give it a C- at best. At best.

I hope I'm wrong, and these players turn out to be just what the Bills need. I like Wood. I didn't at first, since he's listed as a center, but I think he's a good fit. I think I like Maybin... will have to see him play at the NFL level. And I like Shawn Nelson. I think he'll help the offense right away from the sounds of it.

Overall, even though Trent Dilfer says the Bills were big draft winners, I don't see it. I don't like taking guys who didn't play the position, hoping they'll work into it. I don't like not getting another OT. I don't like taking four DBs (mostly CBs!) when you already have 5 on your roster, four who are pretty good (one unknown). Mostly, unfortunately, I don't like it.

Time will tell, of course. And, I can't wait to see it all actually play out on the field.

Rookie mini-camp this weekend, then some more OTAs... training camp will be here before you know it!

Bring it on!

The T.O. Buzz Continues...

A few days after the Bills dropped the T.O. bomb on the NFL, it's all anyone can talk about. We figured that at least the Bills would get that out of the deal, right? I'm still wondering if eventually the small market-ness of Buffalo will help the buzz to subside, but at the moment, ALL of the top stories on the front page of NFL.com are about T.O. and/or the Bills. Fascinating.

Here are a few links to videos and articles worth checking out:

• VIDEO Dolphins play-by-play guy talks about Evans/Owns and Moss/Welker in the same division. (NFL.com)
  
• VIDEO NFL Network guys discuss the Bills signing of Terrell Owens. (NFL.com)
  
• VIDEO NFL.com interviews Trent Edwards re: the Bills signing of T.O. (NFL.com)
  
• ARTICLE Jerry Sullivan's take on the whole T.O. thing. (Buffalo News)

Terrell Owens: First Reactions to Buffalo's Big News

The Buffalo Sabres - Buffalo's other pro sports franchise - are very happy with their trade deadline acquisitions. This past week they added a goalie and a promising young forward. They also signed one of their star players to a well-earned contract extension. They kept the buzz going with two straight 5-1 victories since the roster moves.

But all that pales in comparison to what the Bills announced today.

We here at the Buffalo Bills Review were hopeful that the Bills might fill some needs with some recognizable name players like C Jeff Saturday or Matt Birk, or backup QB Jeff Garcia, even RB Fred Taylor. Based on their history, that was wishful thinking of course, but people - and organizations - can change, so there was always a chance.

The Bills lost out on most of those guys, and strangely went with a very Losman-like QB in Ryan Fitzpatrick from Cincinnati. They have had a parade of free agent visitors through the doors at One Bills Drive, but have only managed to sign those you might expect them to. G/C Geoff Hangartner and CB Drayton Florence have both signed with the Bills. They seem to be hole-filler, role players, replacing the released G Derrick Dockery (now back with the Redskins) and recently departed CB Jabari Greer, who will don the New Orleans Saints uniform in 2009.

And the parade has continued. Names like Lavarenues Coles, Joey Galloway, Cato June, DeShaun Foster, Freddie Keiaho... all players with some name recognition. To this point, I have been giving the Bills an "A" for effort. They're definitely not satisfied with their roster as-is.

But honestly, I never saw this coming. Even when I saw the idea posted to the Buffalo Bills Message Boards. Even when a Cowboys-fan friend of the show suggested the possibility.

Not even in my Madden franchise.

But we have said repeatedly on the Buffalo Bills Review that Russ Brandon has done an excellent job marketing this team. He may not be a football guy, so to speak. He may not have years of NFL experience. He may not be the best candidate for General Manager of the Buffalo Bills. But he sure knows how to market his team.

You can't argue with TO's numbers. While his off (and on) field antics may draw the attention of the press, his production on the field has been stellar. Nine straight 1,000 yard seasons. Double-digit TD receptions three of his last four seasons. He's a deep threat, he's a possession receiver, and he's just a play maker. Owens presence in Orchard Park should even land the Bills at least two more nationally televised games in 2009.

Still, you have to wonder what Marv Levy thinks of this deal.

What I really do like about the signing is that it is just a one year deal. Owens often has a good first season for his new team. Perhaps that will hold true in Buffalo.

Still, questions abound - especially from the nation media who has something of a TO soap opera fetish. How will TO mesh with young QB Trent Edwards. (When will he first complain about not getting the ball enough?) Can a team already dealing with the distraction of RB Marshawn Lynch's second brush with the law in the past year handle the walking time bomb that is TO?

For the moment, the Bills are happy to have the chance to roll the dice.

If they do indeed get on a roll, and TO produces on the field as he has been, the Bills will not be the 25th ranked offense in the league next year. With Evans, Owens, Lynch, Jackson, Edwards and even Parrish and Reed... opposing teams will have their work cut out for them.

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BuffaloBills.com has some great coverage of the signing. Check out Chris Brown's article, and coming up tonight, one-to-one interviews with Russ Brandon and Terrell Owens at the multimedia page.

Free Agent Wishlist

Now that New England has drawn RB Fred Taylor away from the Bills with only the promise of a potential championship ring... (Hmmmph!) the Bills continue to schedule visits with free agent players of interest. We mentioned a few of these guys on last night's show, but if I were the GM, the list of free agents I'd like to sign would looks something like this:

• C Matt Birk
  
• QB Jeff Garcia
  
• WR Amani Toomer (or a similar proven vet)
  
• RB Fred Taylor (he could have been Marshawn's dad!)
  
• LB Cato June (the Bills might actually opt to go with OLB depth in the draft, but June would be a good veteran add)
  
• G Brandon Moore (going on BuffaloBills.com's Chris Brown on this one... says he's good, and could be cheap)

It's a pretty short list. I'm sure we'll get totally different guys, and one of them might be useful. If we could even just get one of those guys on the list above... well, I'd be a happy Bills fan.

Buffalo Bills 50th Anniversary Team

www.channel1media.com/billsvoting/

Perhaps you have already heard that BuffaloBills.com is accepting your nominations for the greatest Buffalo Bills players of all time. Position by position. You name your players for the 50th anniversary of the Buffalo Bills. Above are my picks for the offense. Some tough choices actually. (Notice that not many from this current team are in that line-up...)

Maybe we'll even do an off-season show discussing who we think would make the all-time team from the first 50 seasons? We'll see.

For now you can play along here. Pretty cool website the buffalobills.com boys have put together. Have fun voting!

Lynch Shines (A Little) In Pro Bowl

Perhaps next year, Marshawn Lynch will be invited for real. In 2008, serving as an injury replacement for Tennessee's Chris Johnson, Lynch ended up leading all rushers in the game. Lynch had 48 yards on 6 carries (some were pure "Beast Mode"!) which tied Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, who had 48 yards on 8 carries. Lynch wasn't on the field very much, but almost every time he was, he made something happen.

His first appearance was a long run off the left side. Later on that drive, the AFC offense stalled on third down and short, with the RB unable to pick up the necessary yardage. Offensive Coordinator, Cam Cameron (of the Ravens) sent in Marshawn to pick up the yard, knowing that is what he is good at. The TV crew had him mic-ed, and we heard him say, "Marshawn better get this..." (Perhaps Lynch did a little begging to get in there?)

He did indeed, being stopped two yards short of the mark, he fought and fought until he had it. Beast Mode!

Lynch also had a run on a third down where he carried the pile of players - offense and defense - about six or seven yards for the first down.

It was great to see our Buffalo Bills represented well - in play, if not in number - in this year's Pro Bowl. Hope to see many more there in the years to come!

Marshawn Lynch is Hawaii Bound!

It's probably not the way he wanted to get there, but Marshawn Lynch will be attending his first (of many?) NFL Pro Bowls in a couple weeks. Thanks to an injury to Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans, Lynch will be participating as an injury replacement. Had the Bills not completely self-destructed in the final 10 games of the season, I believe Lynch would have easily been selected as one of the three RBs to represent the AFC. He continued to improve as the season progressed, and it definitely one of the top backs in the conference, and perhaps the league.

Good for you, Marshawn! Now I'm looking forward to watching the game! No Peters, and lotsa Lynch!

Check out the full article at BuffaloBills.com.

Peters to End Holdout?

According to Adam Schefter of the NFL Network Jason Peters is set to end his hold out. Chris Brown passed along this news on his BuffaloBills.com blog, and I'm sure updates will be posted there.

What do you think? How do the Bills move forward with Peters? What gives? Can you really not talk to anyone on your team for most of a year (and not show up for any scheduled work during that time) and just move ahead like nothing happened?

The report is he may play as early as next Sunday (Sep 14, Jags) but he can't be in great football shape, and there have to be some rifts that his holdout created. It shows lack of commitment to the team, and his teammates. Unacceptable. I believe he is only returning so he doesn't pay $200K per missed game or whatever it was going to be. Obviously he is talented... we'll see if that talent can smooth over this very poorly handled situation.

UPDATE: Peters will report to Bills Saturday morning.

J-E-T-S! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE!

When I first heard the possibility of Brett Favre being traded to the Jets, I actually thought that was a very good fit. The team is similar in a lot of ways to the Green Bay team he played with last season. Very young, unproven talent... good potential. Maybe now that he really has been traded to NY, he can take the Jets to the next level?

Wouldn't it be interesting if all of a sudden, the up-and-coming Bills and the Favre-powered Jets were not only competing with the dominant division leader, New England, but actually ended up 1-2 in the standings at the end of 2008? If Favre can play like he did last year, I don't think it's that far fetched. The games against the Jets are just a bit harder for the Bills now.

Will be interesting to see how Brett does in another jersey. (Best headline, from NFL.com: New Jersey For Favre. Ha! ... the "NY" Jets play in the state of New Jersey...) :-) It won't feel right at first, but will definitely add to the competition in the AFC East. Jets face the Bills first in 2008 on Nov 2nd, in Buffalo. I've mentally circled the date.

Welcome to the AFC East, Brett!

Regarding Marshawn: Let's Move On

Well, it's finally over. The Buffalo News is reporting that Marshawn Lynch pled guilty to a minor traffic violation today (read his complete statement here) and now - hopefully - we can get back to Bills football.

From Lynch's statement, he was unaware that anything actually happened. I'm not sure if this is all lawyer finagling or what (and I still don't know why this took so long!) but I am really ready to just move on. This is certainly a warning to Lynch and all the other Bills to not do stupid stuff, and maybe just not be out and about at 3:30 in the morning! But, finally, thankfully... it's over.

Will the team apply any further discipline? Will the league? For a minor traffic violation? I think not. Will Lynch be sued by the victim of the minor traffic violation? Perhaps. (Has he already been? Not sure...) But hopefully this is the end of this off-season saga.

Now, the final business of the off-season is offering Jason Peters a deal that will get him in camp, and offering Lee Evans a contract extension that will keep him in Buffalo beyond this year. Both of those things (in my opinion) must happen.

We are less than a month away from players reporting for training camp! We are only 43 days or so away from the Bills first pre-season game. Only 72 from the first regular season game. The season is fast approaching!

Thanks to today's plea, hopefully the turmoil is also fast leaving.

2008 Training Camp Schedule Posted

The Buffalo Bills have posted their 2008 training camp schedule. There are seven of the popular night practices. Practices begin July 25th and run through August 20th. They'll be held in the BBR Other Guy's former back yard, Pittsford, NY. It's quite an experience, and worth the trip to Rochester to be sure!

Here's the link with the full schedule and details. Football is almost here!!
buffalobills.com/team/TrainingCamp.jsp

On The Horizon for Buffalo

Thanks to nearly perfect attendance, and excellent performance in the practices, the OTAs (Optional Team Activities) and the mandatory minicamp have come to a close one day early. Coach Jauron decided to forego the final day of the minicamp, stating both of those reasons.

And indeed, the Bills have had some excellent attendance and performance on the field. The offense has been implementing lots of new looks, and working a lot on red-zone plays. The defense has also been making some stellar plays and trying to keep in "football shape".

Things are very promising at One Bills Drive!

But then there are the dark clouds.

In the past couple weeks, legal troubles and contract squabbles have darkened the otherwise very positive vibe emanating from the Bills headquarters. You've read it here, the Bills have a lot of pieces in place for a very good season in 2008. Unfortunately, at least two players (probably more) have been in the news in the wrong way lately.

Lynch is still being somewhat evasive in his dealings with the authorities regarding the hit-and-run incident involving his vehicle. A grand jury is being assembled. Players are being subpoenaed. It's just not what a team wants to be in the news for. Not at all.

Jason Peters, the Bills Pro Bowl LT, wants more money. Apparently, though there are 3 years left on his contract, he'd rather make more money right now... so he did not attend any of the OTAs or the mandatory minicamp. He will be fined at least $10,000 by the NFL. Obviously the Bills would like Peters to have joined the team for the OTAs and the minicamp, but most of the players feel he will be fine once he reports to training camp. QB Trent Edwards thinks Peters can just show up for week one of the regular season and pick up where he left off. That might be a stretch.

Not too long ago, rookie WR James Hardy was also in the news in a negative light. He was rumored to have brandished a handgun in an argument with his father. Both deny the incident occurred as alleged. But, the message boards were buzzing, and the "reputation" Hardy already brings to the Bills as a bit of "trouble" was perpetuated, whether the claims were well-founded or not.

All this obviously brings up the question of character. People are beginning to wonder if this Bills team is a squeaky clean as your typical Dick Jauron team. From some appearances, it is not. Lynch and Hardy are expected to be big contributors to the Bills this season, but how can they if they are in trouble with the law? Peters and Evans, two Pro Bowl players, and critical pieces of the Bills offense, are working on re-negotiating contracts. (Evans is doing so much more peaceably, and with some more apparent progress.)

The waters are a bit troubled at One Bills Drive.

Overall, coming off the off-season workouts... the Bills are in good shape. Personally, I believe the Marshawn Lynch event (which is rumored to also involve rookies James Hardy and Steve Johnson, and second year player Christian Gaddis) will eventually go away. The alleged infraction is a misdemeanor, and for first time offenders generally does not carry stiff penalties. Peters will be signed. Evans will be signed.

But are these incidents "signs" of things to come? We can hope not.

Football starts in earnest at the end of next month. We're only a handful of weeks away now. The pads will be on, football will be in the air. Hopefully it will be a bit "cleaner", more peaceful air.

MUST READ FOR ALL BILLS FANS

This is a great article and a must read for all Bills fans...

click here for article from Buffalo News

Bills Announce 2008 Schedule

The Bills released their 2008 schedule today, and it includes another home game on Monday Night Football! The game against the Cowboys last season went over quite well, so that is no surprise that we would get another chance at the national stage (at The Ralph). And the game against Cleveland is one of the most anticipated of the season.

The Bills will open at home again this year, against the Seattle Seahawks on September 7th. That's a 1:00pm game. There are four games scheduled for the 4:00 time slot. Three are road games, and the fourth is the "home" game at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Miami will be the opponent for the Bills first ever regular season game north of the border. A bit of a surprise, as most thought the league would schedule one of the non-conference home games for the Toronto game. (I thought I remembered Ralph Wilson saying as much.) That game will be Sunday December 7th, and takes all the fun out of a Miami home game in December! (Isn't the Rogers Centre a dome??)

Interestingly, the Bills will finish the season at home on December 28th against the New England Patriots. The first meeting between the two teams (in Foxboro, MA) doesn't happen until November 9th. With three of the final four games being against division opponents, that last game against New England could potentially have a big impact on the playoff picture.

A Bills fan can dream... :-)

The bye week comes after week five, so a tad on the early side. Three of the first five games are against NFC opponents: Seattle, St. Louis, and Arizona. The first division game will be October 26th, at Miami. That is the beginning of a three game stretch against the AFC East: home against New York, then at the Patriots.

The final six weeks of the NFL season are subject to the flex scheduling, so any of those games could be flexed to the Sunday night game. That includes the game against Miami in Toronto. Depending on the competitiveness of the game at that point in the season, that's certainly a possibility.

It looks like a well laid out schedule at first glance. I always love this day... and hate it. Love seeing the schedule. It's exciting. HATE that it's still five months away!

But this time will pass quickly, and before you know it, we'll be at The Ralph, cheering on our BUFFALO BILLS!!

Get your tickets now, and GO BILLS!!

[read Chris Brown's article at buffalobills.com]

Over 100,000

According to Chris Brown, and his Toronto sources, interest in the upcoming Buffalo Bills games in Toronto is over 100,000 people! Wow! So hopefully this is a great move for the Bills, not only to get a larger fan base (who presumably will trek across the border to enjoy some (CHEAPER!) games at The Ralph, as well as buy lots of Bills merchandise, and other support like that... but it seems the Bills could stand to get some good revenue from these 8 games in Toronto.

If initial interest is any indication, I'd say we'll be seeing Bills games in Toronto well beyond the current five-year deal with the Rogers Centre. :-)

The Toronto Initiative

Emotions are all over the map in Western New York these days. A few are excited by the five-year plan that will have the Buffalo Bills playing three pre-season and five regular season games in Toronto, Canada. More seem to be near paranoid that this signals the end of the nearly fifty years of Bills football in Western New York.

And who can blame them? The Buffalo Bills message boards are replete with frustrated fans following not only each move of the plan named the "Toronto Initiative", but all of the comments made by the aging Bills' owner, Ralph Wilson.

"I can't speculate what's going to happen in the future. But don't worry. Don't worry right now," Wilson said at last week's press conference in Toronto. This comment, among others, (including Wilson referring to this "Initiative" as a "trial basis") has led many Bills fans and media pundits to speculate on the Bills future.

With the end of the current 15-year lease of Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY coinciding with the end of this "trial" in Toronto, there are many reasons to speculate that the team could well end up north of the Border by 2013. Or even sooner, if Wilson were to die before that time is up, as he has publicly stated that the team will be sold to the highest bidder following his death.

But a closer look at who is saying what reveals that there is much more to be hopeful about for Western New Yorkers. More positive than negative regarding this Toronto Initiative.

First there are comments from the Buffalo Bills themselves. Wilson has repeatedly said - including most of his comments from last week's press conference - that his intention all along has been to keep this team in Buffalo. "We've always been on record saying we were going to try to regionalize our brand north of the border," said Bills new Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon. "We think this is another step in keeping our franchise financially viable in the Buffalo marketplace."

The Bills have already begun to regionalize the team by moving their annual training camp to St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY. This has been a big success according to the team. Toronto is merely the "next step" as Brandon says.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (a native Western New Yorker) was asked about the Toronto Initiative in a press conference and responded by saying the Bills "very thoughtfully" put this plan together, and carried it out. He has said the NFL is not looking to expand right now, and said the Bills would play a "limited number of games" in Toronto over the next five years. Granted, five years is a long way off, but his words have to be reassuring to Bills fans. (And it can't hurt that he is a native of the area, and so, a Bills fan!)

Add to these voices the somewhat public rumors that former Bills Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly has designs on buying the Bills when they become available. Kelly is rumored to be building a team of people - including perhaps former Buffalo Bills Thurman Thomas and Steve Tasker, among others - to purchase the Bills following Wilson's passing.

Western New York billionaire, and current Buffalo Sabres' owner, Tom Golisano is one potential investor in Jim Kelly's plan. This past week Golisano was interviewed during a Sabres' game and said, "If the situation arises, I would do what I can to try to keep the team in the area.'' This again buoyed Buffalo fans hopes that this talk of losing the Buffalo Bills was just that. Talk.

In the end, Wilson is right, we can not know what will happen in the future. But it's also true that worrying about the future doesn't change anything either. Bills fans can worry that the team will move (I think that has been a fear of Bills fans since I moved to Buffalo back in 1986!) or listen to the voices of the people who really matter. Sports writers can say what they want, and fearful fans can say what they want, but the people who make the decisions are saying the Bills are staying in Western New York.

And, for now, that's who I'm going to listen to.

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Related Article: 10/25/07 (BBR)

Thoughts From Week Seven: QBs, Willis, Toronto

I have been meaning to write many articles this week. A thorough recap of the game this past Sunday against Baltimore, highlighting some of the pretty amazing things I see in our rookie quarterback, Trent Edwards. Another article breaking down the stats on how the Bills truly did shut down Willis McGahee on his first visit to his old stomping grounds—on his birthday no less. And, I have wanted to weigh in on the whole Bills-games-in-Toronto issue.

But I haven't. And, I won't.

(Quite) Unfortunately, I do not get paid to write about the Bills, and my work load at the moment seems insurmountable. Tack on the fact that we leave for California in less than 24 hours, and yeah... I'm feeling the pressure!

For that reason, here are a few quick thoughts on all of the above topics.

QB Trent Edwards
It is now official. Trent Edwards is the starting QB for the Buffalo Bills. Not just for this week. For good. Dick Jauron said, "Hopefully we won't have to make a change there," in his press conference yesterday. The Bills like what they see in Edwards, and for good reason.

Not only does Trent have a good arm, is very accurate, and can put some zip on the ball, he's also a very quick learner and very confident in the pocket. His abilities to handle the offensive schemes were showcased when the Bills ran the no-huddle offense for most of the game against Baltimore. The QB has to read the defense, and make the call from some pre-set plays in that situation. And he did a great job with it! His confidence and poise in the pocket are demonstrated by the number of sacks he has taken. Some of the credit goes to the offensive line, but much of it goes to Trent for knowing when to release the ball, and where to put it.

One of the more amazing things from Sunday's game was the FIVE offsides penalties Edwards was able to pull the Ravens into! It could have been six, but the call went against the Bills when Michael Gaines jumped at the same time as the Ravens defender. His cadence was excellent, keeping the Baltimore defense either moving backward by penalty, or at least a little hesitant to jump at the snap.

Add to his very good play for a rookie the fact that the team is now 2-1 when he starts (and could, almost should be 3-0, barring the miracle finish by Dallas) and you have a no-brainer decision. Edwards gives the team the best chance to win now, and most likely in the future.

Good decision by the Bills.

Willis Held In Check
When Willis came out on the Ravens' first drive of the second half and just started getting huge chunks of yards, I was definitely worried. I thought maybe he or the Ravens had figured out something, and it was going to be a long day. That was every Bills fan's worst nightmare... Willis running wild on us, leaving with the win.

But he didn't.

Really, the Bills did a great job stopping McGahee all day. An amazing job, actually. I knew what I saw, and what I saw was a great performance by the Bills defense, and a completely shut down performance by Willis. Well, almost completely.

So late that night I broke down the stats. I wanted to see if I had just imagined that we did shut him down. I did not.

On that one drive to open the third quarter, Willis had 4 carries for 72 yards, including the one TD run of 46 yards where the Bills only had ten guys on the field (but I don't think the eleventh would have mattered). Willis finished the day with 19 carries for 114 yards. Take away 46 and he has 18 for 68 yards. That's 3.7 yards/carry. Take away that drive (were the Bills still in the lockeroom or something?) and he has 14 carries for 42 yards! OUCH! That's 3 YPC.

More stats? The Bills held Willis to 1 yard on 2 receptions (and he also dropped one, that was thrown behind him). The Bills also held him to zero or negative yards on 4 carries. 9 of his remaining 15 carries were for 4 yards or less. Mostly less.

The Bills came into the game having done very well against the Jets runningbacks and the Cowboys runningbacks. They wanted to do the same against Baltimore, who are a run-oriented team. And, they wanted to shut down Willis.

They did.

The Move To Toronto
First of all, the Bills are not moving to Toronto. They are merely playing a game or two in Toronto—where many Bills fans reside. All of this speculation is definitely premature, and completely unnecessary. In my opinion, of course.

Here's what we know. The NFL decided that up to two regular season games per year would be played outside of the US through the 2011 season. Their hope is that each team would be able to participate in that. The Bills stated that they would like to be proactive in that experiment by suggesting that they play a game in very nearby Toronto, which is currently a major region that they draw from.

The Bills have played there before. In 1995 and 1997, the Bills played two preseason games in the Skydome. (They won both!) So they are no strangers to Toronto, and those games did not precipitate a move to Canada. They broaden the region that the Bills cover.

Seven years ago, the Bills made a similar move when they shifted their annual training camp to St. John Fisher College in Rochester. There are many Bills fans in the stadium on Sundays who make the drive from Rochester, and moving training camp to their city only made sense. It gave the Bills more of a presence in Rochester, and likely has won them some more fans.

That is precisely what the Bills are hoping would happen with a regular season game in Toronto each year.

This is not without NFL precedent, either. The Green Bay packers played several games a year in Madison, WI several years ago now. They are also a small-market, regional team, and wanted to have a more regional appeal. It worked just fine, as far as I know.

The Bills are not moving to Toronto. The NFL will not allow that. Ralph Wilson certainly won't. And I would say, as much as they are able, NY State will not allow it either. But one game in Toronto, even annually, makes a lot of sense for expanding the reach of this small-market team. Bring in more fans, more corporate luxury box buyers... and the Bills remain in Western New York.

The Bills will likely play a pre-season game in 2008 in Toronto. It remains to be seen what the NFL will decide as far as regular season games there. The Bills have crossed a few hurdles, getting approval on the first stages of this plan. Next is the NFL.

Seems like a great plan to me, and I hope they can make it happen. I'd love for them to play a game over here in Rochester, closer to where I live, but we don't have a facility like the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

So north of the border we go!

(But just for one game.) :-)

Bills Game in Toronto?

If my memory serves me correctly, the Bills played a pre-season game in Toronto during the Super Bowl years. But that was pre-season.

The Bills posted a press release this week, stating that they would like to play a regular season game in Toronto, maybe even next year (2008)! Is this a good thing? Is this a precursor to moving the team to Toronto?

Actually, I think this wouldn't be a bad thing. The team is trying to be a "regional" team, focusing on Buffalo, Rochester, and Toronto, Canada. It's a good marketing strategy in a small market. There are already many Canadian fans who travel to Orchard Park to attend Bills games. And from Rochester and Syracuse send their share of attendees as well.

Not sure where the NFL is on this request, but it will be interesting to see if the Bills get their wish.

LINKS:
Bills Want a Home Game in Toronto to Expand Ontario Fan Base (Buffalo News)

Kevin Everett Update - Sep 21

There is good news regarding Kevin Everett today! Not only is he making great progress, with doctors saying he could walk - even within the next couple weeks! - he was well enough to be moved home to a hospital in Houston, where he can be near family and friends. There are so many good reports, it's incredible. Wanted to share those links here. What an amazingly cool story!

Everett Transferred to Houston Hospital (BuffaloBills.com)
Everett’s Mother Confident In Son’s Determination
Everett Shirts Hit Store Shelves

Kevin Everett Update: Thu Sep 13

The rumors were true. Kevin does have movement in his legs and arms. It's minimal, but pretty encouraging. The doctors won't say that he will walk again, but it's not impossible. This is such good news. Better than I thought we'd hear.

You can read and watch more at the following links:
Everett's Improved Condition (BuffaloBills.com)
VIDEO: Everett Update (BuffaloBills.com)

NFL Network [[[FREE]]] on iTunes

OK, not the whole network, but I found out tonight that the NFL Network is offering their team previews for each NFL team for FREE on iTunes this week. Don't know how long this is going to last, so go download! They are only seven minutes long, but hey... they're FREE. :-)

EDITOR'S NOTE: I should have known that this was too good to be true. After downloading about EIGHT team previews... I discovered that they are all the same!!! Lousy NFL. It's a fun seven minute video, but ... come on. Why you gotta test the market like that. Get my hopes up and all. Oh well. Let's all download the via the Bills link and let them know the BILLS are the most popular team out there! (At least on iTunes...)

Bills Player Arrested in Fracas

I've always wanted to use the word "Fracas". :-)

Unfortunately, I did not want to use it in conjunction with the Buffalo Bills. It seems Mr. Hargrove (pictured above to the right) did not use his best discretion when choosing to be part of a gathering of 300-400 people on a sidewalk in downtown Rochester at 2:00am on a Saturday night.

Once police arrived, things happened... and Hargrove found himself in jail. Not good. Not like the Bills. It will be interesting to see what the Bills do with this.

Any thoughts? Comments? Leave them below.

McGahee Welcomed to Baltimore

On Willis' first carry down at Ravens' training camp, a ROOKIE LB (6th rounder, no less) hit him so hard that he knocked the ball loose. Nice!

Check out the full article at Ohio.com. (Not sure where Ohio plays into this...)

Also, see Chris Brown's blog at BuffaloBills.com for more fuel on the McGahee fire that will be raging me thinks by Oct 21 when he makes his return to Buffalo. Should be very interesting...