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Field Goals: Bills defensive line set for drastic change

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The Buffalo Bills defensive front has undergone a massive transition this season. Both in scheme and regarding personnel. Training camp will provide fans, coaches and media the chance to see the new, deeper Bills defensive line.

When Dave Wannstedt decided to switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3, it ensured that the Bills two most dominant lineman would be on the field on nearly every down. While Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus each played a significant role in George Edwards’ porous 3-4 front, they will be able to anchor the defensive interior in an even front.

Think back to the dominance the Bills enjoyed with Pat Williams and Sam Adams or Ted Washington in the middle of their defense. That is what Wannstedt is toying with by allowing those two to line up side-by-side.

Obviously signing Mario Williams galvanized the rest of the front from a talent standpoint. With that one signing, the Bills went from having little pop in terms of pass rushing, to an elite, superstar talent rushing off the edge. Adding Mark Anderson and the speculation that Shawne Merriman has returned to full health provides even more talent on the edge.

In total, the Bills only added two new players. But they represent a 50% change for the defensive front. At the beginning of the year, the Bills were lining up Dwan Edwards, Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus with their hands in the dirt with a mix of either Alex Carrington, Spencer Johnson, Chris Kelsay or Merriman mixed in one way or another. Penciling in the 2012 starters would put Anderson, Kyle Williams, Dareus and Mario Williams down on the front four. Obviously, Kelsay will factor into that competition along with a few others. Regardless, that is an impressive turnover for a defense that struggled mightily in 2011.

Training camp is going to provide an interesting for a number of players, specifically those who aren’t penciled in as week one starters. A few – namely Danny Batten and Dwan Edwards – are facing an uphill battle after being specifically acquired to play in a 3-4 scheme. Others, like Torrel Troup, will simply be battling for a roster spot. Continue reading →

Field Goals: Backup quaterback battle

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Field Goals will be a feature on different Bills topics leading up to and through training camp. If all goes well, I’ll break down the topic before offering three points to the focal point of what I’ve written. Get it? Three points…field goal…

It is the position battle everyone is going to be watching. Ironically, the position battle between Tyler Thigpen and Vince Young could boil down to who ends up holding the clipboard in 2012.

There was no secret that Young was brought in to provide better competition for Thigpen and Ryan Fitzpatrick. He also represents a more viable option as a potential back up. Unlike Thigpen, Young has proven he is capable of winning at the NFL level. In fact, his play could eventually incite a quarterback controversy; that is a fact most came to accept once he was signed.

Considering that the entire team has only been playing in shorts and helmets to this point of the offseason, there isn’t much to be gleaned from how each performed during OTAs and mini-camps. The real battle will begin once the pads are on and the Bills are fully into their preseason schedule.

I’m anticipating that each will see significant time with the first, second and third-team units during the exhibition schedule. Each should get a fair shake with the second unit during practices with that performance having an impact on who has the edge entering preseason games. However, preseason games one, two and four should allow the pair to rotate through with each unit as the coaching staff makes their decision.

Young has to have the slight edge entering camp for a number of reasons. His resume all but speaks for itself , despite his struggles over the past few years. He is capable of winning games and has a versatile skillset that Thigpen just doesn’t possess.

One thing that should give Thigpen an edge is his familiarity with the offense. While Young is still learning most of the offense, this is year number two for Thigpen. While he isn’t as mobile as Young, Thigpen’s been a pupil of Chan Gailey for some time now which favors his ability to perform in this offense. Continue reading →

Few positions up for grabs as Bills prep for camp

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Training camp is just around the corner for the Buffalo Bills and this marks a camp that should provide a whole different look at the upcoming season.

Until this offseason, the past few years have been quite lean for Bills fans. Offseason signings were a bit more prudent and balanced rather than the type that were geared towards making strides in the win column. With so many names already inked into the starting lineup for 2012 (see: Williams, Mario), camp should serve as a tool to dig up quality depth players for the Bills. With depth being one of the main culprits for last year’s collapse; having the ability to dig up quality back-ups could go a long way for Buffalo’s success.

Training camp is a tool used to find sleepers and back-ups. No matter how strong or weak a team is expected to be, your starters are usually set by the time camp is set to open. What is different for the Bills this year is their starters are truly starters.

There is potential for a few starting spots to be taken away from the incumbent starter but, for the most part, the real battles will be for second-team roles.

Cornerback and wide receiver are the two positions with the most competition and the most room for movement. Figuring out who falls where with the linebacking corps will be an interesting competition to follow along with, along with left tackle.

The rest of the positions are going to see more competition for the second unit, with the ultimate goal of finding some diamonds in the rough for the upcoming season.

Thanks to the acquisition of Mario Williams and Mark Anderson, the Bills have the ability to keep an extremely talented group of players on the first and second team. Even the third men through on the defensive line are going to be capable of being contributors for the Bills, this is not a bad problem to have.

The interior offensive line and offensive backfield fall under the same umbrella as the defensive line. There are set starters and talented back-ups who will be vying for playing time. I expect that the players the Bills have brought in to compete to provide the Bills with plenty of options as training camp moves along. Continue reading →

Emerging from the basement

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Every now and then there will be some sort of comment or insult tossed out by a member of a traditional media outlet with regard to how they think of those who run blogs.

While I haven’t kept a running tally, I believe there has been two or three references printed by The News and two or three other instances in which a comment was made on Twitter. I would imagine that some of Buffalo’s radio hosts have had a few choice words for blogs, but I have XM so it doesn’t even matter.

In addition, Chris Smith made a suggestion in a recent Artvoice story that the blogging community consolidate their combined efforts into a singular entity that could potentially give mainstream media a true run for their money. This is interesting simply because it was a thought that had crossed my mind previously and is an idea currently being championed by Joe at Buffalo Wins.

Perhaps Chris decided to focus his energy on blogs because any chances of consolidation in Erie County are about as likely as building a Bass Pro at Canalside. I do want to point out that Chris’ opinion was more constructive and thought building that just criticizing or insulting. What has become common practice is to mock those who write blogs for living in their parent’s basement or having tiny readership. These comments don’t register much with me, however. My goal isn’t to attempt to mimic or compete with John Vogl or Mike Harrington. In fact, I’m not even trying to be Bucky Gleason.

Chris Smith is very correct in one aspect. What is the point of piling on with a million versions of the same information with regards to game recaps? If there isn’t a unique spin given to what you’re writing or covering, it all just becomes white noise. Continue reading →

Five more years for the Bills in Toronto? Bring it on.

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News broke today that the Bills Toronto Series will be extended for another five years. That means there will be one home game played on foreign soil until at least 2017.

The Toronto Series has been surrounded with varying levels of criticism and success. Quite often the main complaint is that the game isn’t even close to a home game for the Bills, particularly because of the varying fan affiliations in Toronto. Ticket prices were also criticized at times during the series.

There are obviously going to be steps made to attempt to bring in more Bills fans for the next five years worth of games in this series. At least I hope so. Based on the generally negative reviews that fans (even some players) have had, this will likely remain as a poorly accepted and generally bad ideas the franchise has ever had. It is also looking like it could be the best idea as well.

From 2000-2010 you might say the Bills operated as a small-market, cash-strapped franchise primarily concerned with the bottom line. So many moves that were made seemed to be geared towards trimming cash in various spots in order to make the ownership more money. Even the Toronto Series was practically cash in the pocket for Ralph Wilson.

However, after a year with varied success, the Bills have suddenly become players in the free agent market. Management made a commitment towards building a winning team this offseason and signed new faces and has also kept their best players in town. This appears to be a pledge from management that they want the Bills to be a viable, successful franchise on, and off the field. This pledge was accompanied by a fairly significant investment by Ralph Wilson. I have to wonder, were funds made with the Toronto Series allocated for some of these recent signings? Continue reading →

Exploring the future of Buffalo’s football stadium

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Let’s be real, the city of Buffalo will never host a Super Bowl. Even if Cowboys Stadium was airlifted up from Arlington, it just isn’t going to happen. So when a $975 million figure comes down for the proposed stadium in Minneapolis, Buffalonians shouldn’t be concerned about the future of the Ralph or the idea of a new stadium in the city.

Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, 67,000 seats. Would this be so hard to put on the waterfront?

The elephant in the room is the glimmering new stadium proposition in Los Angeles. It seems likely that Farmers Field will be built and that the second step will be to relocate a team to Los Angeles. Among the teams whispered about on an annual basis, the Bills, Vikings and Jaguars are three of the most popular. The Vikings are all but removed from the list of potentials with the announcement on their stadium.

I have to think that Jacksonville would be the odds-on favorite for a move. After all, the Jags tarp over a ridiculous number of seats every season and haven’t taken a firm grip in the Sunshine State. Of course, Buffalo’s aged stadium, poor economy and the looming specter of Ralph Wilson’s estate makes the ground the Bills stand on rocky – at best. However, there are ways to ensure the Bills remain in Buffalo forever, and they don’t all require a brand new stadium.

While Ralph Wilson’s estate will not be something that is addressed for a few more years, it is certainly at the crux of many Bills-related discussions. There are plenty of rumors of varying legitimacy swirling about ownership groups led by Jim Kelly, Tom Golisano (please no), Jeremy Jacobs and even Terry Pegula coming in to purchase the team. However, these are indeed rumors and there is no clear heir apparent to Wilson as owner of the Bills. Knowing that there is going to be a group – or one person – that will keep the Bills in Buffalo indefinitely is something that needs to be established in the coming years.

If an ownership group can be hammered out, there will be more clarity towards the future of the team and what direction can be taken regarding a permanent stadium project. The current plan on the table makes plenty of sense. The team, city and fans are not in a position to build a sparkling shrine to the game of football and a balanced renovation project will provide the footing necessary to stave off those sniffing at relocation.

However, there will come a day when a new stadium will be necessary. Whether that is five, ten or twenty years from now, the Buffalo Bills will eventually need a new stadium. What is unfortunate is the team (and city) aren’t in the position to remedy that situation. The proposed renovation project appears to be a broad sweeping plan that will help bring the Ralph closer to its newer, shinier cousins around the league. It is a perfect stop-gap to ensure a number of safe years in Buffalo before a permanent stadium plan can be determined. Continue reading →

Bills take a flier on Young

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On the heels of signing six of their nine draft picks, the Buffalo Bills agreed to terms with Vince Young on a one-year contract. According to reports, it is a one-year deal worth $2 million with an additional $1 million in bonuses.

The signing is almost without risk due to the short term and low hit for the deal. Young will likely compete with Tyler Thigpen for the back-up quarterback position through OTAs and training camp. I’d say he has the inside track for the number two spot thanks to his versatility.

Many have already linked Young’s athleticism and mobility to the system that Chan Gailey runs. The assumption is that his natural talent as a running quarterback will lend itself well to the offense run by the Bills. Obviously he will need to find his way into the offense, but the train of thought is quite accurate. Think of Young as a consolation prize to the “Mike Vick is at the airport” rumors from a few summers ago.

Young’s signing could have a number of implications to players throughout the roster based on the different roles he is capable of filling. First, he has proven himself as a starter in the league and has the raw skills to be very effective under Gailey. Second, those raw skills and his track record certainly makes him a more attractive option (on paper) as compared to Tyler Thigpen. Third, that mobility and speed could make him a viable run/pass option in a Wildcat scheme.

The two players who are most likely to be affected by this signing are Thigpen and Brad Smith. Thigpen is a viable backup, but isn’t necessarily the type of quarterback you would want to rely on for long stretches of play. This is particularly important to consider if Ryan Fitzpatrick is injured or if his game goes to hell. On paper, Young is the better option as a backup. His mobility and history of running a read option offense at Texas also makes him an effective Wildcat quarterback. Brad Smith is a luxury because he can function as your third quarterback, a wide receiver and as a kick returner. However, if you save his roster spot but keep the Wildcat threat, your team is no worse for wear.

Determining whether or not Young is a viable Wildcat option is something that will be up to the coaching staff. But his inclusion in training camp, plus the potential return of Marcus Easley and drafting T.J. Graham could potentially leave Smith on the outside looking in.

If Young ends up being a training camp casualty, the Bills aren’t any worse off than they were prior to this signing. If he earns the backup quarterback job and proves to be a viable threat for the Bills offense, they will have improved without breaking the bank. Signing Young gives the Bills two of the top three picks from the 2006 draft and further assembles raw talent and depth on both sides of the football.

Jackson earns his extension

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A raise worth $3 million for Bills running back Fred Jackson was long overdue. Buffalo’s favorite underdog finally got his contract extension and will be with the team through 2014.

Jackson’s story is well documented. His journey to the top of the Bills depth chart was capped last season when he amassed enormous chunks of yardage before a broken leg sidelined him late in the year. His low salary put Jackson on the potential line of backs to be ushered out of Buffalo by young talent. In fact, Jackson’s emergence was a big part of Marshawn Lynch’s trade.

However, Jackson’s value to the Bills offense far exceeds what Lynch ever did for the team and management recognized that. Maybe he should have gotten his dough during the season, but the Bills made sure not to mistreat him for too long. The contract raises his salary to $4.5M per year and locks up the team’s three best weapons (Jackson, Stevie Johnson and FitzMagic) long-term.

I do expect Jackson’s touches to go down some next season as C.J. Spiller has also earned the right to see some actual playing time. While Spiller’s strong finish may take carries away from Jackson, it gives the Bills the opportunity to build a proper thunder and lightning duo with their backs. Spiller’s waterbug tendencies and recent effectivness on the ground paired with Jackson’s tenacious running style gives Buffalo a terrific backfield combo.

Even with diminished carries, Jackson’s role in the offense will not change. He was the main reason that the lack of a deep passing game wasn’t an issue for nearly seven weeks. Jackson was far and away the team’s MVP and proved it on a near weekly basis. Pairing him with Spiller makes the Bills’ running game far more dangerous as the 2012 season approaches. Continue reading →

Bills approach with specialists shows their hands

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One particularly interesting approach the Bills have taken over the past two seasons has been in the kicking game.

While Buffalo is more than set with Rian Lindell and Brian Moorman as their incumbent punter and kicker, it would appear as if the Bills are opening their eyes to a few different options at each position. After seeing a few new faces at kicker late last season and a quality punter in training camp, perhaps the Bills are preparing for life after Lindell and Moorman.

It won't be for a couple of years, but the Bills are preparing to replace Brian Moorman and Rian Lindell.

In past seasons, the Bills have brought in a pair of extra legs in order to relieve their two stalwart specialists. However, it would appear that drafting John Potter and bringing in Shawn Powell would be the first indication of the change in philosophy.

One of Buffalo’s extra legs for training camp in 2011 was Reid Forrest, a well respected punter from Washginton State who even displayed some similar talents to Moorman in the fake kick department. While Forrest didn’t stick beyond camp, he was a slightly more established projected than some of the training camp kickers the Bills had used in the past.

Obviously Lindell’s injury gave Bills fans a chance to see life on the other side of the fence – and it was an ugly life – but it also made many wonder who will take over for Lindell and Moorman one day. Neither are getting any younger and there will come a time that the Bills need to move in a different direction. While 2012 may not be the season this happens, these two new prospects show that the time may be approaching.

Shawn Powell is a pretty serious prospect given his career at Florida State. It is a shame that he may not ever end up in a Bills uniform. He has a massive leg and enjoyed quite a bit of success during his time at FSU. I wonder what his prospects may be over the next few seasons given the skill he does possess. Not to assume that Moorman is going anywhere soon, but Powell would certainly be an adequate replacement.

Potter is touted as a kickoff specialist, a talent that Lindell sorely lacks. It would appear the Bills may be seriously considering giving this kid a spot on the final 53 as an extra weapon on Sundays. To be honest, there may actually be room for him. Continue reading →

Bills 2012 Draft recap

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Stephon Gilmore was a safe, but wise decision.

With the 2012 Draft wrapped up and rookie minicamp beginning in ten days, the Bills have rounded out their 90-man roster with nine draft picks and ten undrafted free agents.

Looking at the entire rookie class, it would appear as if the Bills took another step forward in solidifying the deficiencies they have had over the past few seasons. Buddy Nix has taken a clear path towards shoring up a porous defense and has been doing a fine job. A vast majority of his three draft classes have been defensive players and 2012 was no exception. Considering the 2010 draftees haven’t even reached full potential, it is difficult to say whether this is truly an adequate draft class or not. On the surface, it would seem like a win for the Bills.

While the Stephon Gilmore pick appears to have been made out of necessity rather than choice, Gilmore should be a fine starter for the Bills in no time. There is some fear surrounding him because he rose on many draft boards late in the process – all things being equal, there is probably just as much mystery surrounding late risers as there is for those who drop to later rounds. Regardless, the Bills were approaching critical mass with some of their corners, Gilmore immediately wipes cornerback out as a position with questionable depth.

The later rounds were far more friendly in terms of manageable depth and talent at multiple positions. Cordy Glenn meets the immediate need of a solid left tackle and is likely penciled in as the week one starter at this point. A one-time first round prospect, Glenn will have a battle with Chris Hairston on the left side, but should provide the Bills stability at tackle that has been lacking since Jason Peters departed.

Nix further solidified his tackle depth in the fifth round by taking Zebrie Sanders out of Florida State. This may turn out to be a better value pick than Glenn simply because of where the Bills got Sanders. Most draftniks pegged him as a right tackle who would go between the second or third rounds, but Buffalo managed to steal him in the fifth. Obviously there is some questions as to why he fell, but Buddy Nix answered those with Chris Brown recently.

Looking at Glenn as a left tackle and Sanders as a swing guy, the Bills tackle depth was immediately bolstered between Friday and Saturday. The two rookies join Hairston, Erik Pears and Sam Young as Buffalo’s bookends. Continue reading →