When free agency begins, the Buffalo Bills have 14 pending unrestricted free agents and three restricted to deal with. Since I don’t feel much like writing a long lead-in to an already obvious topic, I’ll jump right into things with a forecast on how things may shake down, who’ll be back and who’s most likely to be playing elsewhere in 2012.
LOCK TO RETURN
Scott Chandler: It makes far too little sense for either side to want to part ways after the season Chandler just had. The Bills finally got solid production out of the tight end spot with Chandler, who caught 38 passes for 389 yards and six touchdowns as he became a go-to guy for Ryan Fitzpatrick. The offense is clearly better with him in the lineup, and I’d be shocked if Buddy Nix didn’t provide fair compensation for his services. Most people, including myself weren’t even sure he’d make the 2011 roster last summer.
Coming & Going: The Bills Free Agent Class – continue reading…
Entering the 2011 season, the Buffalo Bills biggest question mark, of which there were many, surrounded the offensive line and perceived talent playing on it, especially the depth. Surely that will be put to the test as the pleasantly surprising 3-1 Bills play host to the equally (for the wrong reasons) surprising 1-3 Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday.
If the Bills are to earn their fourth victory in five tries they’ll have to do it without starting left tackle Demetrius Bell. After 20 straight starts, Bell injured his shoulder during Sunday’s loss at Cincinnati and head coach Chan Gailey has already ruled him out for this week.
Fourth-round rookie Chris Hairston will get his first start in Bell’s place. Sam Young will back up both tackle positions.
Bills OL Depth To Be Tested vs. Eagles – continue reading…
Whoa.
I’m not going to lie. I thought the Buffalo Bills had a fighting chance in their season opener at Kansas City Sunday. At worst, the Bills were expected to be competitive based on last year’s overtime loss and the run defense seemingly vastly improved.
But truthfully speaking, I didn’t think the Bills would leave Arrowhead Stadium on the winning end, and certainly didn’t anticipate what became essentially a 41-7 pistol-whipping of the Chiefs in front of a frenzied crowd that saw them go 7-1 at home last season.
But that’s exactly what the Bills did. Buffalo jettisoned the uniforms that symbolized a decade of mediocrity this offseason and brought back an old school look. Sunday, the Bills looked an awful lot like the team that wore similar jerseys in the 1980’s and 90’s as they rolled the Chiefs from the opening kickoff in every aspect of the game.
Bills Pound Chiefs – Random Smatterings – continue reading…
Now that the dust of the 2011 Draft has settled, it’s time to analyze the current state of Buffalo’s roster. We’ll be taking a look at one position at a time. Today it’s offensive tackle.
Ugh. Offensive tackle. Has any position that’s not quarterback caused Bills fans more grief over the past decade? The Bills have trotted out a revolving door of guys that have been, well, revolving doors that have mostly stood around and watched as quarterback after quarterback has been smacked around.
Is there any hope for the future at this position? Do we have ANYONE who can protect Ryan Fitzpatrick? Let’s check out the contenders.
Buffalo Bills Post-Draft Roster Analysis: OT – continue reading…
Just days and perhaps even hours after the 2011 NFL draft came to its three-day conclusion, pundits all over commenced handing out grades to each of the 32 teams. While immediate reactions are always entertaining, I’ve long been under the assumption it’s borderline absurd to dispense grades to a team when not one of prospect has even picked up a NFL team playbook yet.
I learned the hard way about the humiliation that follows when you prematurely anoint or blast an organization based on 24 hours of digesting unknown draft picks. Back in 2006 while doing some contributing writing for Yahoo Sports and Scout.com, I instantaneously became a fanatic of the Bills’ 2006 under new general manger Marv Levy. I vividly remember stating in the days that followed that this would be the draft to turn Buffalo’s franchise around. I recall saying the trade-up with Chicago to land John McCargo was potentially a revolutionary move for the franchise. With the first five picks completely committed to defense, it was merely a matter of time before Buffalo would dominate the AFC East. I gave the Bills a Class-A grade and ranked the draft the best of all 32 teams.
Of course, turns out that class consisted of Donte Whitner, McCargo, Ashton Youboty and Ko Simpson being the first four selections. Only Kyle Williams going off the board in round five prevents that draft from being a massive fail.
Grading The Buffalo Bills Draft – Thee Years Later – continue reading…
For Buffalo Bills fans counting down the days until NFL free agency begins in hopes that Buddy Nix is going to do some serious window shopping, I have a piece of relatively sound advice for you…
Don’t hold your breath.
That’s not meant to beat the dead horse who’s critics portray Ralph Wilson as a cheapskate owner that doesn’t place winning as his top priority. Rather, there’s a series of mitigating factors that will most likely exclude the Bills from being a major player in free agency, regardless of how the new collective bargaining agreement eventually plays out.
For starters, Buffalo has the inevitable task of doing something only two other teams in the league will find pricier; signing their top draft pick. Whether a new CBA will contain a rookie wage scale or not, it’s going to cost Wilson more than a few meals at Denny’s to ink whomever they draft third overall, assuming of course they even keep the pick.
Trio Of Important Bills Head to Final Years Of Deals – continue reading…
The Buffalo Bills returned to the practice field Wednesday as they began physical preparations to take on the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday. Miami is hanging on to their playoff lives at 7-6 and several Bills players said that’s not lost on their minds.
“That’s our goal,” defensive end Chris Kelsay said. ”We’ve got three big games to finish out the season. We’re not going to play spoiler to the Patriots they’re going to playoffs, but we can the next couple of weeks, Miami and potentially the last game of the season against New York.”
Five players didn’t participate at practice Wednesday; offensive linemen Geoff Hangartner, Demetrius Bell and Andy Levitre as well as Kelsay and Drayton Florence. Of course, Lee Evans is out for the season after being placed on Injured Reserve earlier this week with an ankle injury.
Buffalo Bills News & Quotes – continue reading…
Things haven’t went quite the way for the Buffalo Bills in 2010 as most anticipated. Don’t get me wrong… the 2-9 record is barely shocking. The reasons, however, the Bills are going to miss the playoffs for the 11th straight season are not what you would label as predictable for this organization months ago.
If you were playing Family Feud this past April and 100 people were asked “What position will be the Bills greatest offseason priority?” quarterback and left tackle would’ve battled intensely for the number one answer.
That’s no longer the case. In fact, quarterback and left tackle have actually grown into Buffalo strengths. Who would’ve thought that?
Identifying The Buffalo Bills Biggest Needs – continue reading…
Three starters for the offensive line were back practicing for the Buffalo Bills on Thursday after sitting out yesterday’s practice. Demetrius Bell (knee), Eric Wood (knee) and Cordaro Howard (shoulder) were all back on the field Thursday during the portion of practice the media is allowed to watch. All three suffered bumps and bruises from last Sunday’s game in Kansas City.
Linebacker Andra Davis was not on the field for practice. He’s still battling a shoulder injury.
Howard is likely the permanent starting right tackle for the rest of the season after the team placed Cornell Green on injured reserve yesterday with a knee injury to free up a roster spot for Shawne Merriman.
Merriman will not be in uniform Sunday when the Bills try to end a seven-game slide against the Chicago Bears in Toronto. The game is sold out and will shown on television locally.
The Buffalo Bills were back at practice Wednesday early afternoon without the services of three of their starters: safety Jairus Byrd and offensive tackles Cornell Green and Demetrius Bell.
Bills head coach Chan Gailey hasn’t disclosed the type of injuries Byrd and Bell have, though he did say that Byrd would likely be back on the field in the next couple of days.
Green has been out with an injured knee. Rookie Cordaro Howard started in his place against Baltimore last Sunday and will likely get another start when the Bills take on the Kansas City Chiefs. Like Byrd, Gailey has yet to provide more information about Bell. If he’s out, Mansfield Wrotto will likely take his place in the lineup.
Three Bills Starters Miss Practice Wednesday – continue reading…
The headline of this article is misleading, perhaps intentionally so. The Buffalo Bills are currently in the nascent months of yet another roster overhaul; GM Buddy Nix and head coach Chan Gailey have put together a roster that’s long on question marks and short on experience. Still, the team has competition across the entire team, and in a throw-away year meant for building a foundation, the team’s plan appears to be to try to develop some of the young talent already on the roster.
Not all of that talent is created equally, nor are any two players in exactly the same situation. As such, “boom or bust” and its typical connotations doesn’t apply to every player that appears on this list (and the list could be much, much longer, as well). Therefore, we urge you not to equate “boom or bust” to “make or break” – for the majority of these players, the 2010 season will not be the sole deciding factor regarding their future inclusion in the team’s re-building plans.
Five Bills entering a boom-or-bust ‘10 season – continue reading…
To the surprise of roughly no one, the first thing the Buffalo Bills did organizationally when free agency started was set out to upgrade their offensive line. The philosophy was astute as the Bills offensive line was anemic in 2009 and did themselves no favors with the rash of injuries the unit suffered.
Wade Smith was brought in on day two and although the team reported positive conversations the former Chief left the team last Saturday without a deal and has since visited Houston. He’s also reported to be headed to Arizona for a visit out west on Tuesday.
The Bills then quickly struck on Monday to land Oakland Raiders tackle Cornell Green. The team met with him in the morning and by the afternoon signed him to a three-year deal worth a reported $9 million.
The 12-year veteran said on a conference call Monday night that he had the chance to visit other teams, but the Bills presented him with the best opportunity.
Green brings experience, baggage to Buffalo – continue reading…
Regime change in the National Football League is many things to many different people. For fans, seeing their favorite team begin anew is both cathartic and challenging to one’s patience. To ownership, it’s pretty similar. With coaches, it’s all about the opportunity to not only build a team from scratch and try to build a consistent winner, but about making a name for yourself as well.
It’s very different for players. Take the current Buffalo Bills, for instance. Buddy Nix is the new GM, while Chan Gailey is the new head coach. The team will be making massive changes on both sides of the ball, particularly defensively, where they’re switching to the 3-4 alignment. With those changes, many players could quickly be out of jobs. Bills players such as Chris Kelsay, Kyle Williams, John McCargo and others may be released or see their roles change drastically under the new regime. Many more players are in the same boat.
Regime change brings opportunity for young Bills – continue reading…
(We’re running a series profiling players that could fit into the Buffalo Bills’ plans leading up to the start of free agency on March 5. Today we look at Green Bay Packers left tackle Chad Clifton)
Like many other positions, the pickings at offensive tackle in free agency appear to be slender. More so than other spots, the lack of a collective bargaining agreement hinders the talent pool, which would’ve included Jammal Brown and Marcus McNeil among others.
One intriguing veteran for the Buffalo Bills when the shopping spree commences could be Green Bay Packers tackle Chad Clifton. Let’s not kid ourselves here; Clifton’s best days are long behind him and he’s no lock to stay healthy for a full season at 34 years old. But when he’s on the field he’s one of the more steadfast tackles in the game and could be a quality short term asset for the club.
Free Agent Files: Chad Clifton – continue reading…
Just a week before the start of the 2009 NFL season, Demetrius Bell was handed the starting left tackle job after then-head coach Dick Jauron cut incumbent tackle Langston Walker. The hope was that Bell would mesh in well with a young but heavily invested offensive line that would form cohesiveness and chemistry.
We’ll have to wait until next year to see what Bell has, because he’s just been placed on the season ending injured reserve list with an ailing knee.
Bell, who also missed a large portion of training camp was only able to play in eight games this season. He was charged with allowing five sacks and committed eight accepted penalties.
Bills place Demetrius Bell on IR – continue reading…
The Buffalo Bills, led by interim head coach Perry Fewell, will be looking for a win in Jacksonville without the services of three key starters.
Marcus Stroud did not practice all week with a knee injury and has been ruled out, potentially leaving the Bills with just two healthy defensive tackles on Sunday. Also ruled out were tackle Demetrius Bell (knee), linebacker Keith Ellison (thigh) and cornerback Ashton Youboty (ankle).
Stroud’s absence is of critical importance. The Bills have the NFL’s worst run defense, and they’re about to take on the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher in Maurice Jones-Drew without their most proven run defender. Exacerbating that issue is the fact that fellow defensive tackle Kyle Williams is on the injury report as well, listed as questionable with a knee injury that has caused him to miss Buffalo’s last two games.
Stroud one of three Bills starters out for Sunday – continue reading…
Dick Jauron met with the media this afternoon, a day after the Buffalo Bills 41-17 fiasco in Tennessee that saw them give up 24 unanswered fourth quarter points.
On the injury front, Demetrius Bell suffered a knee injury yesterday and Ashton Youboty left with a high ankle sprain.
Bell will see a doctor again today after seeing the team’s physician yesterday, but Jauron sounded anything but assured he‘d back soon.
“We’re not optimistic about that at this point.” Jauron said., who also indicated they’ll bring in some free agents to work out this week.
Jauron Hints At Changes In Presser – continue reading…
In a way, it’s fitting that 2009 is the Buffalo Bills’ 50th anniversary of existence. I say that because if you’ve been around for all or even most those years, you’d be hard pressed to find more than a small handful of seasons more exasperating than this one.
Despite having sufficient talent, this is a team and an organization clearly stuck in the mud. With the exception of a certain rookie who has the same amount of interceptions as our two quarterbacks have touchdown passes, combined, nobody has played closed to their expectations.
For that, we’ve compiled our midseason list of the five Least Valuable Players (LVP). It wasn’t as easy as you think, as there were many candidates to choose from.
The Bills’ Midseason Five Least Valuable Players – continue reading…
When the Buffalo Bills embarked on their 2009 campaign some six weeks ago, they did so with Brad Butler starting at right tackle. Butler had previously started 29 games in the NFL, but all came at right guard. Concern lingered about his lack of experience.
About a month later, at least in the eyes of the Bills organization, Butler’s experience would rival Brett Favre.
There will be yet another switcheroo in the Bills offensive line this week when they travel to East Rutherford to take on the New York Jets. It’ll be the fourth different line combination the Bills have started just six games into the season. This time, with Jonathan Scott injured and Kirk Chambers completely ineffective, Jamon Meredith will get his first NFL start at right tackle. Coincidentally, his first snap Sunday will also be the first of his career.
Bills Hope Meredith Can Stop The Bleeding – continue reading…
