Buffalo Bills

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 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 →

Was the safe pick the right pick?

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I’m going out on a limb and saying that the reports that Buffalo wanted to trade up to the third spot in the draft had some legs. I think it is also safe to assume that the Bills draft board probably had Matt Kalil, Mark Barron and Luke Kuechly all in the top three.

Of course, by the time the Bills ended up on the clock, all three of those players were gone. Buffalo chose cornerback, Stephon Gilmore with the tenth overall selection. Gilmore was described as a “clean pick” by The Buffalo News. As for if he was the right pick? That remains to be seen.

Based on Buffalo’s needs, I would think that Gilmore was little more than a safety blanket for the Bills in the event that their two most coveted picks had been taken. In this event, both Barron and Kuechly were off the board and the Browns likely offered more for the third pick than the Bills were willing to give up.

I’m ok with the idea that Gilmore makes the Bills a better team. Terrence McGee continues to struggle to stay healthy, Leodis McKelvin continues to prove his IQ is lower than that of most players coming out of Miami and securing another cornerstone for the defensive backfield is a beneficial choice.

Yet, when you consider the positions the Bills desperately need help at, I wonder how they feel about sticking with their guns and taking “the best player available”. Perhaps there wasn’t an offensive tackle worthy of the tenth pick, same with linebacker. However, Michael Floyd would have been a fine fit as would have a player like Melvin Ingram. The Giants have proven that you can never have enough elite pass rushers and I do fee that Ingram could stand up in the right scheme. Plus, he would’ve been wearing a Bills hat while doing this.

There is no shame in sticking to your guns. This is particularly true when not wanting to reach for a certain player in the top-10 ahemDolphinsahem. However, the Bills took a corner in the second round last season after having few options at other positions and they seem to have taken the same course of action this season. Continue reading →

Bills draft strategy a mystery

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As the NFL draft creeps closer by the day, Bills fans are beginning to buzz as to what direction their team may take with their selections in New York.

Could Luke Kuechly be the man for the Bills?

 

By signing Mario Williams, the Bills have opened themselves up to possibly go for talent over necessity with their first round pick. There are some obvious deficiencies that do need to be addressed through the draft, but the talent available when the Bills are on the board may push Buddy Nix to take the best player, rather than the player who best meets the needs of the team.

Most draft experts are saying one of two names for the Bills in the first round. Either Riley Reiff or Michael Floyd. I think Luke Kuechly’s name should probably be mentioned in the conversation, along with Melvin Ingram. Why? Buffalo’s depth at linebacker is terribly thin.

I don’t think that Ingram would be very well suited to play linebacker at the NFL level. However, he does have some very impressive pass rushing characteristics which could make him an enticing option as a stand-up pass rusher. Kuechly, while incredibly talented, would be just another middle linebacker being lined up by the Bills. Currently, Kelvin Sheppard is penciled in to play the middle with Nick Barnett and Kirk Morrison (two inside backers) to play on the strong and weak sides. Add Kuechly to the mix would certainly add elite talent, but not necessarily a traditional outside linebacker.

Given that information, you probably end up back at square one with the first round pick. Simply take a look at the draft board and determine the best player listed and select him. Outside of picking a quarterback, running back or defensive lineman, nearly every other position could use an upgrade. Considering the Bills have so many needs, they will likely hit one of them with their choice.

If I’m making the pick, I’m either trading down or selecting the best tackle on my draft board. Reiff or Jonathon Martin are bound to be available when the Bills are on the clock. Either one of these guys would give the Bills a massive upgrade at tackle. When I look at the Bills roster, tackle is probably the biggest position of need, in my opinion. Figuring out if Buddy Nix values the tackles available as a first round talent is a whole different question.

As of now, I would say that Martin is probably the best fit for the needs the Bills have. Based on that assessment, that is why I would make Martin my selection, that is if he still carries a top-10 grade. There is just something about Martin I like better than Reiff. However, if they’re truly going to take the best player available, I could see them going in a number of different directions.

I can see Ingram as a viable choice, if he is deemed as the most talented.  He would make even more sense if they feel confident that he can play outside linebacker in a 4-3. Drafting Ingram would give the Bills one more pass rushing monster along with Williams, Mark Anderson and Shawne Merriman (assuming they keep him). Think along the lines of the talent the Giants are able to roll out at any given time, that is basically what you’re looking at by drafting Ingram.

The same can be said of Kuechly as I just said of Ingram. If the Bills are comfortable with transitioning him to the outside, he would be a perfect fit. However, if he – or Kelvin Sheppard, for that matter – doesn’t have the skillset to transition to the outside in the NFL, taking Kuechly would be a waste.

If the Bills decide that none of the players above are truly the best available, then I would put my money on Floyd. He is a great prospect who would provide a true compliment to Stevie Johnson. Truthfully, he probably best fits the “best available” tag. If Floyd is the choice the Bills make, so be it. I’m not sure if I would totally agree with using the number 10 pick on a wide receiver, especially considering the other needs the team has. However, Floyd certainly would fill the hole opposite Johnson that has been previously filled by undrafted free agents.

What decision will need to be made is what the best approach for the Bills will be. Enough significant upgrades have been made to continue inserting talent into positions of need. However, the Bills don’t have the luxury of choosing which ever player they think is the best. There are spots that need to be filled and the first round pick needs to be used as such.

Early road games punctuate Bills 2012 schedule

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The Buffalo Bills will play host to a national audience for a home night game in addition to playing four home games for the 2012 season.

With the Bills 2012 schedule released this evening, fans get a look at who and where the Bills will play this season. Buffalo will see the NFC West and AFC South, along with games against Cleveland and Kansas City this year, in addition to their usual slate of AFC East games.

The highlight of the season comes on November 15 when the Miami Dolphins come to town for a Thursday night contest in what will hopefully be cold, blustery weather. There is nothing better than putting a beating on the Dolphins while snow is flying. We will see if mother nature cooperates. Continue reading →

Bills take a step in the right direction with Johnson contract

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It has been a rough go for Bills fans over the last 13 seasons. The team has floundered in mediocrity, draft picks have busted and it would appear that free agents would rather go anywhere else.

However, Buddy Nix appears to be making strides to change the culture of this team. After a torrid start, the Bills came crashing down last year and ended up closer to Suck for Luck rather than a wild card berth. The hot start led to an extension for Ryan Fitzpatrick and this week’s contract for Stevie Johnson. The organization is obviously taking strides to build a winner, now it is time to take the next one.

Signing Johnson was necessary. He is the most consistent (drops or not) receiver on the roster and is becoming a viable star talent for the Bills. If the Bills were to have let him walk would have been nothing short of a resignation that the organization was there to make money, not to win games. But they signed him, he is here for the foreseeable future, as is his quarterback.

Fitzpatrick and Johnson now become the cornerstones of the offense with Fred Jackson being the next player who needs to get paid. Beyond that, the Bills are in a situation where they need to show a proper commitment to building a successful franchise. While their recent drafts have produced some serviceable talent, it seems clear that there needs to be time taken to buy talent through free agency.

I don’t necessarily think Vincent Jackson or Mario Williams are the players the Bills need to chase – although that would be nice – they just need to find impact players in places other than the draft.

For the record, Jackson and Williams would be major additions to Buffalo’s roster. I’m hoping to see Melvin Ingram picked in the first round, but adding veteran talent via free agency will push the Buffalo defense to a higher level than they’ve previously been. The same can be said for Jackson and how he would bring benefits to the offense. Continue reading →

Based on Super Bowl, Bills still have a ways to go

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Another NFL season is in the books and the Super Bowl participants have shown the city of Buffalo exactly how far away from relevance the Bills are.

A season that started so promising ended in a nosedive for the Bills. There were countless questions surrounding the team in training camp that came to a head during the season-ending losing streak. Even worse, after spanking Tom Brady early in the year, the Bills were shredded by the NFL’s most metro-sexual gunslinger to end the year. Then they got to see him prance around Super Bowl media day trashing the city’s hotels.

Of course, Tommy lost his second-straight Super Bowl to Eli Manning. Boo frickity hoo, Boston has enjoyed more success than the ugliest members of any late ‘90s boy band these last few years. Get over it.

The point of this post is to highlight where the Bills are headed, not to rail against the Patriots. But I do feel the need to sidetrack for a moment. For starters, Brady wasn’t that far off on Buffalo’s hotels. There are some real holes throughout WNY (see: Adam’s Mark). But he was also comparing apples and oranges to an extent since none of Buffalo’s hotels would compare to all-inclusive resorts he stays at while dancing and watersliding like a girl on his summer vacations.

Seeing Brady lose the game gave plenty of redemption for his comments. Considering I wasn’t all that hung up on them to begin with, it wasn’t that big of a deal. If as much energy was put into developing downtown as it is barking at these guys, Buffalo would be a terrific city. Consider the loss karma for his comments and for being generally douchey all the time.

There is plenty of solace in seeing the Patriots lose the Super Bowl. Not because I have a deep seeded jealousy of their success. Rather, my team is still so many steps away from being a contender that I have found many other teams to take interest in since they’re contenders. The Bills had a nice run early on, but have so many glaring weaknesses, you wonder if this draft will do enough to remedy the maladies. Continue reading →

Could a Buffalo-centric sports station work?

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Remember the glory days? The Empire Sports Network broadcast Sabres games, had a handful of talk shows and a nightly highlight show that was centered around Western New York sports.

At one point Empire was truly thriving. It was the perfect outlet to serve WNY in terms of Sabres and Bills coverage in addition to high school, college and other professional sports. Unfortunately the Adelphia scandal all but killed Empire and it died off prior to the 2005-06 NHL season.

The recent MSG/Time Warner spat has blacked out a vast majority of Sabres fans and has left many questioning what the next step will be in this regard. the contract dispute is nothing more than the final straw for many. The lack of respect MSG has shown the WNY market is pathetic. Aside from Sabres games, there is little acknowledgement for the region. That includes commercials. Unfortunately the Sabres; contract with MSG runs for the next few seasons, ending in 2016-17. If the contract must run its course, then so be it. But is there a chance that a different entity could step in?

There is no secret that Ted Black comes from television. All the reports about him during the Pegula sweepstakes pointed to the success he had in building FSN-Pittsburgh. Between Pegula’s deep pockets, Black’s prowess with a sports television station and the obvious market demand in Buffalo; it would seem a regional sports network would do well here.

The first point that should be made is that there has been mo mention of anything along these lines happening. Who knows if Pegula would even be interested in forking over more dough to bankroll this type of venture? In addition, there is the current MSG contract to consider as well.

But just thinking outside the box certainly paints a picture that this type of channel would not only have plenty of content, but the potential for a strong, successful lineup. The Sabres, Bandits and Bills would obviously be the cornerstones of this channel, but UB, Niagara, Canisius and additional high school and college sports would provide ample filler. Building around some of the staples which Empire succeeded with, there is a foundation that can be augmented by additional coverage and programming. Continue reading →

Deskchair Quarterback: Lack of depth, talent leads to another beating

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Last week the Bills were blacked out on local TV. As a result, 2ITB Deskchair Quarterback was blacked out.

I really hate the NFL blackout rule, it would seem silly that a league with such a massive television contract would need to restrict viewers just because of ticket sales. There are some fans who would rather stay home and watch the game but have the means to buy tickets. But there are also fans who don’t have that luxury and I don’t think it is a fair approach to rob those fans of watching the games.

I can imagine that some of these fans aren’t interested in watching the Bills anyway, after they suffered another ugly loss at the hands of the Chargers. The worst part of this losing streak is that it would seem to have no end.  Injuries have certainly taken a terrible toll on the roster and the lack of depth is magnified because of this.

Defensively the Bills have taken a major step back and those struggles are even beginning to reflect on the offense, which hasn’t been able to recapture their early success.

Since the Bills were blacked out, I won’t offer a breakdown of the game. I didn’t see it, so I can offer much of an opinion.

Deskchair Quarterback: Another embarrassment for the team lacking talent

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Chalk up 2011 as another season without the playoffs for the Buffalo Bills. A promising start as spiraled out of control, now the Bills look no better than the 4-12 team they fielded last season.

Their recently extended quarterback is showcasing all of his flaws as the Bills offense has been solved by the rest of the league. Injuries are piling up, on both sides of the ball, and there are few players available to serve as adequate replacements. Defensively the Bills are completely lost as their coordinator doesn’t seem capable of altering his game plan once the opponent exploits the scheme.

Frankly, some fans may have seen this coming. Despite the quick start there were plenty of question marks surrounding the team. The lack of depth, lack of drafted players, too many undrafted fill-ins, too much unproven “talent” to succeed.

Yesterday’s game was supposed to be a bounce back. In fact, three weeks ago it was a game that was supposed to be a gimmie as the Bills continued to build their playoff resume. Funny how those things changed and an assumed victory against a bottom feeder turned into an ugly loss devoid of any success on either side of the ball for the Bills. Continue reading →