Despite mounting growing sentiment, especially among the media for Brian Brohm winning the Buffalo Bills starting quarterback job during training camp, I’m told by a pair of current players it will be Trent Edwards who enters camp as the number one guy, and the job will be his to lose.
“Anything can happen once camp opens, but it’s my understanding Trent will be the top guy in the rotation to begin the competition.” said a current player on the condition of anonymity.
Edwards, entering his fourth season with the team in the league, has been the opening day starter for the past two seasons. During that time he has struggled, particularly last year. He threw just six touchdowns and averaged 6.4 yards per pass attempt in eight games last year. He was injured and eventually benched in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick because interim head coach Perry Fewell concluded Fitzpatrick gave the team a better chance to win.
Expect Edwards To Get First Crack At Bills QB Job – continue reading…
We’re counting down our list of the best 20 Buffalo Bills draft picks of all-time. Take note- this is not a rundown of the best 20 players. Where the player was drafted is often a major factor in determining his value and ranking. Today is number two on our list, Thurman Thomas)
Thurman Thomas, Running Back (2nd round pick, 40th overall in 1988 NFL draft)
There have been a few names throughout this countdown when we’ve admittedly had to go back and do plenty of research to recall facts and stats.
This isn’t one of them.
Anyone who’s a Bills fan and around during the Super Bowl era will never forget the 1988 draft, Thurman Thomas, and how he waited… and waited… and waited to find a NFL home.
Top 20 Bills All-Time Draft Picks: Thurman Thomas (#2) – continue reading…
In 1991 Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas was third in the NFL with 1,408 rushing yards and led the league with a 4.9 yards per carry average. He’d go on to win numerous individual awards that year, including the AP Player of the Year and AP Offensive Player of the Year. But he didn’t have the longest run by a Bills running back that season.
Did you know that backup Kenneth Davis had the NFL’s longest run in ’91? Davis took a handoff on October 13, 1991 against the Indianapolis Colts at Rich Stadium and rumbled 78 yards for a touchdown.
He’d finish the game with 108 yards on nine carries as the Bills improved to 6-1 with a 42-6 thrashing of the Colts and would go on to finish the regular season 13-3 and make the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season.
The Buffalo Bills have had 27 instances when a running back has rushed for 1,000 or more yards in a season.
Did you know that five of them have been by running backs that have only achieved the feat just once: Antowain Smith (1,124 in 1998), Greg Bell (1,100 in 1984), Cookie Gilchrist (1,096 in 1962), Fred Jackson (1,062 in 2009) and Terry Miller (1,060 in 1978).
The guys who have done it multiple times: Thurman Thomas (eight times), O.J. Simpson (five), Joe Cribbs (three times), Travis Henry (twice), Marshawn Lynch (twice) and Willis McGahee (twice).
Inside the Buffalo Bills organization, one of the poorer-kept secrets is a mutual aversion between current running back Marshawn Lynch and Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas. Simply put, you’re unlikely to see the duo sharing a meal at Lynch’s Applebees or Dave and Buster’s hot spots anytime soon.
Several current and former players I’ve spoken to confirm the two aren’t fond of each other. Word is Thomas doesn’t think Lynch is very deserving of being part of the Bills organization and Western New York community.
Evidence of Lynch’s contempt for Thomas rests in his locker. Billszone.com photographer Michael Thomas captured a photocopied image of a Mark Gaughan Buffalo News blog entry from March 2009 Lynch has taped inside his stall. In the short column, Thomas said at the time he’d get rid of Lynch, who had previously been arrested a month earlier on a gun possession charge in California.
Lynch & Thomas: Opposites Don’t Attract – continue reading…
I’ve been saving this one for a few days, because this story hasn’t gotten a ton of attention, and because I wanted to take a day or two to sink my teeth into the idea and formulate an opinion in that fashion.
This past Monday – the day after the Buffalo Bills’ 17-10 loss to the New England Patriots – Bills Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas did his “Extra Point” show on WGR 550, just as he’s done every week this season. This past week’s edition, however, was quite easily his most interesting version yet. Why? Because Thurman mentioned his desire to play a part in Buffalo’s upcoming re-building process, and his having already talked to COO Russ Brandon about it. WGR has the full details here (as well as the audio), but these Thomas quotes are particularly noteworthy:
Does Thurman Thomas want into Buffalo’s front office? – continue reading…
Thurman Thomas is a Buffalo icon. The Hall of Fame running back still lives, breathes and sleeps Buffalo Bills Football. When he’s not talking about goats and trash with former teammate Darryl Talley on his twitter, he’s heavily engaged in the happenings of the team he once helped build into a NFL powerhouse.
Thomas appeared this morning on his weekly WGR-550 radio talk show alongside host Mike Schoop, and was less than enthusiastic about this year’s version of the Bills. He minced no opinion when it comes to their current seemingly hopeless state.
Thurman Thomas: “I hope T.O. goes off” – continue reading…
