SB Nation - Dustin Fox

Veterans rest as Bills complete first week of camp

Brian Galliford — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:15:08 -0000

If you traveled to St. John Fisher College on Friday afternoon to get your first glimpse of the 2009 Buffalo Bills and their biggest stars, you likely left Growney Stadium sorely disappointed. After nearly a full week of practice, select veterans were padless spectators; QB Trent Edwards, WR Lee Evans, WR Terrell Owens and CB Terrence McGee were all "healthy scratches," for lack of a better term.

Even with some of the big names resting, there were some interesting notes we jotted down that are worth mentioning - mostly to do with lineup shifting. Our day seven recap is after the jump.

Keeping track of the O-Line
Not an awful lot to report here. Most of the veterans saw lighter workloads, so some of the Bills' younger players were able to get more significant reps. Eric Wood and Andy Levitre, for example, saw an increased amount of reps with the first unit offensive line at right and left guard, respectively. Demetrius Bell also took reps with the first team at right tackle.

We don't suggest reading too much into Bell's apparent ascent up the depth chart, but it's worth noting. The guy gets better and better every day. The Bills may have serious questions along the line, but don't be surprised if Bell answers one of those questions sooner rather than later.

The Bills once again worked on some screen plays, and Eric Wood was asked to be out in front as a lead blocker. As our de facto camp reporter, MattRichWarren, aptly put it, that's a scary proposition for a defensive back.

More Wildcat action
For what we believe was the first time, the Bills worked out of a Wildcat offensive set that featured all three of the team's capable running backs on the field at the same time - Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson and Dominic Rhodes. Jackson was the "quarterback" in those situations. When Rhodes was signed earlier this off-season, we openly wondered how the team would keep him happy with his touches once Lynch returned to the lineup. This may be a (small) part of the answer.

Lineup notes
With so much emphasis on situational work and on looking at younger, less proven players, it was a pretty uneventful practice. Rather than bore you with the "Ashlee Palmer tipped a pass" updates, we focused more on where players were lining up.

Obviously, Ryan Fitzpatrick filled in for Edwards with the first unit offense. Peter King's claim that Fitzpatrick has a cannon for an arm is confirmed; he doesn't throw a great ball, but when one flies right, it flies for a while. He had a better day than he normally does. The same can be said for Gibran Hamdan, who took Fitzpatrick's usual spot.

With Owens and Evans on the sideline (along with Steve Johnson and James Hardy), Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish were the first-team receivers. Reed recorded a pretty touchdown reception on the day. Derek Schouman also had a nice touchdown catch in traffic.

Ryan Denney filled in for Aaron Schobel with the first unit defensive ends; color us disappointed - it would have been quite intriguing indeed to see Chris Ellis get a few snaps there. Ellis worked with Jermaine McGhee - the only other end healthy on the day - with the second unit.

At linebacker, the second unit was once again shaken up. Marcus Buggs held down the fort at middle linebacker, with Ashlee Palmer on the weak side and Nic Harris on the strong side. Pat Thomas, Alvin Bowen and Jon Corto were the third-unit 'backers. Nowhere else on the team is competition more wide open than at linebacker behind the starting trio of Paul Posluszny, Kawika Mitchell and Keith Ellison. Pick any three names, and we will show you an utter lack of surprise if they make the team.

Cary Harris update
Much has been made about the success that seventh-round pick Ellis Lankster has had early in his first NFL training camp. Another corner was selected a round prior to Lankster, and he comes with a USC pedigree - Cary Harris. Noting that we'd heard virtually nothing about him up until today, we watched dejectedly as street free agent receiver Shaine Smith torched Harris for a scoring play in 7-on-7 work. Harris is one of the last corners to rotate through in every drill. His chances of making the roster are virtually naught, though it's likely that if he doesn't, he'll be stashed on the practice squad.

Injury Update
Joining the resting veterans on the sidelines were WR Steve Johnson, WR James Hardy, TE Shawn Nelson, DE Copeland Bryan, DT John McCargo, DT Marcus Smith, DT Ventrell Jenkins and DB Dustin Fox. WR C.J. Hawthorne was elevated from the Active PUP and practiced for the first time today.

The Bills have a morning practice on Saturday; the practice starts at 10 AM. Once it's completed, the Bills will have a long weekend, as they have Sunday off. Then "preparations" begin for next weekend's opening pre-season game, the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio against the Tennessee Titans.

Bills OG Wood has strong training camp debut

Brian Galliford — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:11:16 -0000

Thursday's evening practice at St. John Fisher College was an eventful one for the Buffalo Bills, rookie guard Eric Wood, and the fans on hand to witness the unveiling of the team's (GORGEOUS) new throwback uniforms.

While the new jerseys are, rightfully so, the big news of the day, some solid back-and-forth playmaking between the offense and defense tonight was the big story on the field - aside from Wood's debut, of course. MattRichWarren took a night off from camp coverage, but thatguy34 pulled his best Frank Reich impression and filled Matt's large shoes rather comfortably.

Highlights, trends, stories and injury updates from tonight's practice are after the jump.

Keeping track of the O-Line
Eric Wood donned his No. 70 jersey for the first time at training camp on Thursday night, and as expected, he was immediately thrown into the fray at right guard, splitting first-team reps with veteran Seth McKinney. He had a solid night - much like fellow rookie Andy Levitre, he was a little rough around the edges, but he also teamed up with right tackle Brad Butler to open some gaping holes in the run game. If that's the launching point for Wood's career, he's off to a great start.

We're all pretty much fully aware that the left tackle (Langston Walker), center (Geoff Hangartner) and right tackle (Butler) positions are locked and loaded. Four guards are currently fighting for starting jobs, and all of them are seeing relatively equal first-team reps. Expect that to continue for a little while - but the sooner a starting line is decided upon, the better.

Offense and defense making plays
We described tonight's on-field action as back-and-forth; if the offense made a play, the defense came right back and made one of their own (or vice versa) pretty much all night. Some examples:

- Terrell Owens dropped three straight passes in one-on-one drills. He then promptly caught a long touchdown pass from Trent Edwards in 7-on-7 work. On the next play, Edwards threw a poor pass that was broken up by Leodis McKelvin - who'd been beaten on the previous scoring play by Owens.

- Roscoe Parrish ran the Wildcat set several times, but the run defense stuffed those plays rather easily. Not to be outdone, the line opened up a big running lane for Fred Jackson soon thereafter; as Jackson hit the secondary, he was popped by safety John Wendling. Bryan Scott intercepted a tipped pass and returned it for a score.

- In one-on-one blitz pickup drills, Xavier Omon was schooled by Kawika Mitchell. Paul Posluszny and Marshawn Lynch battled to a draw. Omon later redeemed himself with several solid blocks against various linebackers. Derek Fine was beaten cleanly by Aaron Schobel and Ryan Denney, but later stonewalled each player. Derek Schouman and Jonathan Stupar also performed admirably in blocking drills.

In all, plays were made by both sides. That's not the least encouraging thing you can hear this time of year.

Lineup tweaking continues
Buffalo's coaching staff continues to rotate players in an effort to look at various personnel groupings. We've discussed that trend at guard; the other spot it's happening is at linebacker.

The second-unit linebacker corps consisted of Pat Thomas on the inside, flanked by Alvin Bowen (weak side) and Jon Corto (strong side). If you recall, on the first day of camp, it was Marcus Buggs flanked by Ashlee Palmer and Nic Harris. Clearly, Matt Sheldon and Perry Fewell are trying to work these guys everywhere in an effort to get a firm grasp of their skill sets; expect a lot more lineup shuffling at this position.

Some curious notes to keep in mind in the secondary as well: in nickel packages, the first unit consists of Terrence McGee, Leodis McKelvin and Drayton Florence, with Florence manning the slot position. The second unit consists of Reggie Corner, Ellis Lankster and Ashton Youboty, with Youboty taking slot duties. This changes seemingly every night as well. Corner, Youboty, Florence and Lankster all have the ability to play the slot. Clearly, Lankster is still the sixth corner, but he's getting second-unit work, which speaks to the impression he's made thus far. Right now, however, it appears pretty certain that Florence will open the season as the nickel corner.

Injury Update
Eight players sat out practice: WR Steve Johnson, TE Shawn Nelson, DE Copeland Bryan, DT John McCargo, DT Marcus Smith, DT Ventrell Jenkins, S Dustin Fox and S Jairus Byrd. Two more - receivers James Hardy and C.J. Hawthorne - remain sidelined and on the PUP list.

The Bills hit the field tomorrow at 2:15 for a mid-afternoon workout. Be sure to give big ups to thatguy34 for tonight's camp updates, because his time is up - MattRichWarren will be back at Fisher tomorrow covering camp live in the afternoon.

Bills' secondary shines in Wednesday's rainy practice

Brian Galliford — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:45:08 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

Browse more photos »

The Buffalo Bills practiced between light showers on Wednesday, yet despite the fact that major downpours were avoided, the rain still had an effect on practice. Bobby April's special teams units struggled to catch punts, and the offensive attack was reeled in a bit, as the team focused on the running game and short-to-intermediate passing routes.

The day was highlighted by the official signing of OG Eric Wood to a reported five-year, $13 million deal. He will hit the practice field for the first time on Thursday after missing the first seven practices of training camp (as well as several meetings and walk-throughs). Expected to start at right guard, Wood's got some catching up to do - and veteran Seth McKinney to beat out.

Buffalo tinkered with its various lineups on the day, including giving some reps to surprise individuals at cornerback and on the offensive line. We've got some good news to report on the backup quarterback front as well. Head on in past the jump for today's notes, all courtesy our de facto camp reporter, MattRichWarren. He's awesome.

Keeping track of the O-Line
Langston Walker is obviously still seeing the lion's share of reps at left tackle, but the coaching staff gave Demetrius Bell a few snaps there with the first team at the end of practice on Wednesday. This is a necessary thing to do; as inexperienced as Bell is, and as prominent a role he'll be playing as a backup tackle, he needs to practice against our team's best players as often as possible. (Just don't let him do that in pre-season games unless Trent Edwards is out of the game.)

Andy Levitre started the practice off at left guard while the team worked on run fronts; he looked good, holding his own against Kyle Williams on more than one occasion today. When full-team work started, however, Kirk Chambers stepped in with the first unit, so the competition rages on in full force. Chambers was his usual solid, unspectacular self.

The rest of the line stayed the same, with Geoff Hangartner, Seth McKinney and Brad Butler taking first-team reps. That's going to change at right guard on Thursday with Wood in camp; you can expect him to see roughly half of the first-team snaps, similar to how Levitre is being worked in. In general, the line blocked well today, particularly in pass protection, where Trent Edwards and company had plenty of time to deliver the ball. Things are looking a bit more inconsistent in the run game.

Defensive Backs have a good day
Helped out by the fact that Buffalo's offense didn't throw deep as often as they have over the first week of practices, Buffalo's defensive backfield made some nicely contested plays today. Terrence McGee registered two beautiful pass break-ups while defending Terrell Owens. Leodis McKelvin hauled in an excellent interception on a deep throw for Lee Evans; he did, however, strain his quad on the play and left practice, according to BuffaloBills.com. Drayton Florence had some excellent reps in one-on-one CB/WR drills.

The lineup tweaking continued in this area, as well, as Perry Fewell began implementing his three-safety look. Joining Donte Whitner and Bryan Scott on the field was Ko Simpson as the third safety; it's worth mentioning here that the Bills are "close" to signing rookie S Jairus Byrd, and if he's going to contribute as a rookie, it will likely be in a three-safety scheme. To expect him to lock down a starting job at this point would merely be wishful thinking.

Also worth noting: Florence was the first-team nickel corner; when McKelvin left, Florence moved outside to replace him, with Reggie Corner filling in at nickel. On a far scarier level, you can tell these guys were competing hard today after Donte Whitner and Terrell Owens both went to the turf hard while competing for a jump ball. Both were OK, though Whitner got up rather slowly. Needless to say, there were a few sighs of relief.

Backup quarterbacks fare better
Perhaps because of the different types of routes being thrown, backup quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Gibran Hamdan both had more consistent efforts today. Fitzpatrick still threw an interception, but you can't expect instant dramatic improvement, can you? As long as we're hearing that these two are getting a little bit better each day, we don't have to pull our hair out with worry.

It was a pretty uneventful practice, with very few big plays, through the air or on the ground. There was, however, some good hitting - rookie LB Nic Harris had a big stick on Marshawn Lynch, for example. As far as quarterback play, however, all was mostly quiet on the western front today, even with every snap coming from a no-huddle formation.

Soccer balls
Special Teams coordinator Bobby April had a neat take on a field goal blocking drill: rather than kicking actual field goals, his block units would line up and attempt to block soccer balls kicked by undrafted rookie kicker Danny Urrego. Gotta love our special teams coach.

Injury Update
With the rain causing some less-than-desirable field conditions (though in no way was it particularly dangerous or nerve-wracking), eight players sat out Wednesday's practice: wide receivers Steve Johnson and P.K. Sam, tight end Shawn Nelson, defensive end Copeland Bryan, defensive tackles John McCargo, Marcus Smith and Ventrell Jenkins, and defensive back Dustin Fox. As we mentioned, McKelvin left early, but McKelvin (via BuffaloBills.com) does not believe the injury is serious.

Buffalo has another night practice tomorrow (Thursday), taking the Growney Stadium field by storm at 7:00 PM. Matt will not be in attendance, but we have full confidence that thatguy34, a faithful Rumbler, will keep us up-to-date on tomorrow evening's activities live from camp. (You're on the spot, thatguy!) Matt will return to camp on Friday.

2009 Schedule Preview: Week 3 @ the Buffalo Bills

Saintsational — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:00:21 -0000

The Saints follow up their game in Philadelphia with another trip to the Northeast to take on Buffalo in a week three late game. The Bills finished 2008 with a less-than-mediocre 7-9 record and hope to get over that .500 hump this season. It's been a while, four years to be precise, since these two teams last met in the regular season. The Saints have the misfortune of playing in frigid Buffalo but the fortune to have it scheduled during the mild-weather month of September when it shouldn't be an issue. Let's take a look at what fans can expect against the Saints first AFC East opponent of the year.

Bills Offense

Buffalo has had a pretty action-packed off-season this year and much of that excitement has been on the offensive side of the ball. Obviously, the signing of wide receiver Terrell Owens has contributed most to that excitement. Owens is a game changer and inevitable Hall of Famer who always seems to play well in his first year with a new team. T.O. will play opposite wideout Lee Evans, teaming up to create a formidable aerial threat. With former Tulane quarterback J.P. Losman now out of the picture, it will be the responsibility of Trent Edwards to get Evans and Owens the ball, making sure to keep the latter happy on the field. Ryan Fitzpatrick was brought in this year to provide a little competition in camp but the job is Edwards' to lose.

The other big story of the Bills off-season was the trade of offensive tackle Jason Peters to the Eagles. It is that loss of Peters as well as guard Derrick Dockery combined with a lot of other offensive line tinkering that has Bills fans worried about the state of their quarterback protection. Last years team ranked poorly in sacks per pass attempt and this year, things could get worse before they get better.

On the ground the Bills remain strong. Marshawn Lynch continues his duties as the number one back with Fred Jackson and newly acquired Dominic Rhodes taking on backup roles.

This could be a good, early test. If Gregg Williams does suceed in building that blitzing, attack-style defense we've all been promised then they should have no problem exploiting Buffalo's weak offensive line and rattling unproven quarterback Edwards. Allowing him time to throw to Owens and Evans could be damaging to our secondary. Advantage: Saints.

Bills Defense

First round draft pick Aaron Maybin has been tapped to hopefully play alongside veteran Aaron Schobel and be the defensive end of the future, adding talent and depth to a pass rush that has been lacking. Getting the most out of this unit will be a deciding factor in the overall success of the Bills defense for 2009. In the linebacking department, Keith Ellison, Pat Thomas and John DiGiorgio were all signed in the off-season with the hopes of shoring up the middle of the field and offsetting the loss of several players.

One of the bigger hits to the Bills defense this off-season was the loss of cornerback Jabari Greer to our very own New Orleans Saints. Decent against the pass last year, the Bills should still have a solid secondary with Terrence McGee, Leodis McKelvin and Drayton Florence as well as newly drafted and versatile Jairus Byrd. The secondary is rounded out by aptly named Reggie Corner.

Though the Bills may match up well against Saints receivers, their lack of a pass rush should give Brees time to find the right guy. This will also be a good game to establish a ground attack.

Bills 2008 Season

7-9 Record

Last Meeting

October 2, 2005

Week 4	1	2	3	4	OT	Final
Bills	7	0	0	0	--	7
Saints	0	13	0	6	--	19

Why the Saints Can Win

Brees should have all day to do his damage.

Why the Saints Can Lose

T.O. or Evans could have a great game.

Prediction

Saints 27 - Bills 17

Newly Acquired

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

RB Dominic Rhodes

WR Terrell Owens

G Seth McKinney

C Geoff Hangartner

ILB Pat Thomas

CB Drayton Florence

CB Ellis Lankster

CB Cary Harris

RB Bruce Hall

LB Keith Ellison

OL Kirk Chambers

FB Corey McIntyre

CB Dustin Fox

DE Marcus Smith

LB John DiGiorgio

WR Justin Jenkins

WR Felton Higgins

OL Chris Denman

WR C.J. Hawthorne

2009 Draft Picks

DE Aaron Maybin

C Eric Wood

CB/S Jairus Byrd

G Andy Levitre

TE Shawn Nelson

SS/OLB Nic Harris

CB Cary Harris

CB Ellis Lankster

Key Losses

QB J.P. Losman

TE Robert Royal

G Derrick Dockery

G Jason Whittle

C Duke Preston

C Melvin Fowler

OLB Angelo Crowell

OLB Blake Costanzo

ILB Teddy Lehman

CB Jabari Greer

OT Jason Peters

Linkage

Buffalo Rumblings

SB Nation Bills Coverage

Saints @ Bills Coverage

Buffalo Bills Roster

Buffalo Bills Depth Chart

Buffalo Bills Transactions

Poll

Do you consider the Saints game against the Bills to be an easy victory?

Sure thing.

34 votes

There's no such thing as an easy victory.

167 votes

I do but I would never admit it.

20 votes

The Bills definitely present a challenge.

97 votes

318 votes | Poll has closed

State of the Bills Roster: Cornerback

Brian Galliford — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:15:08 -0000

CB McKelvin is defense's biggest wild card (photo source)

Now that the 2009 NFL Draft is in the books and off-season player acquisition will crawl at a snail's pace, Buffalo Rumblings has begun re-examining the Buffalo Bills' revamped roster. We wrap up our 'State of the Roster' series this afternoon with a look at the cornerback position. Previous installments: QB, RB, WR, TE, OT, G/C, DE, DT, LB, S.

If there is one position that the current decision-making regime of the Buffalo Bills strongly believes is in constant need of additional depth, it's cornerback. As the saying goes, "you can't have enough cornerbacks" - and the Bills certainly ascribe to that belief. In the past two seasons alone, they have drafted five cornerbacks, attempted to re-sign one more (Jabari Greer), and successfully signed another (Drayton Florence).

There aren't any superstars at this position in Buffalo (though hopes are clearly high that second-year man Leodis McKelvin can eventually reach that status). But with five players that are deserving of serious amounts of playing time, the Bills clearly aren't lacking at the position. Preparing to face several strong aerial attacks this season, the guys on the roster had better be ready to play - and, perhaps far more importantly, stay healthy.

STARTER: Terrence McGee
Entering the final year of a four-year deal he signed in 2005, McGee is not only playing to hold off some upstarts at the position, he's playing to potentially finish his career as a Bill. He'll never be considered a top-flight corner in this league, but as Kurupt pointed out yesterday, he's consistent to the point of under appreciation. McGee is a good football player, and clearly the team's top starter at cornerback. Hopefully, his being relieved of kick return duties for a full year will lead to him staying healthy and avoid getting banged up; McGee hasn't played a full 16 games since 2004 (though he's hardly injury-prone).

STARTER: Leodis McKelvin
Pressed into the starting lineup last season thanks to injuries to the departed Greer and nickel corner Ashton Youboty, McKelvin played about as you would expect a first-year player from Troy to play - he flashed brilliance (see: two INT and a TD in a win over Kansas City), but he also made a lot of mistakes (see: misdiagnosing a play so badly that he allowed now-retired Jets QB Brett Favre to pick up 30 yards on a bootleg scramble). There is undeniable star power with McKelvin. But there are also major concerns, including stamina, as he'll be involved in the kick and punt return departments as well. Don't be floored if he's not a full-time starter at cornerback, folks. But the Bills clearly need McKelvin to be the playmaker of this group.

Reggie Corner
The second-year man out of Akron has been given an opportunity to win the nickel job, and he hasn't come close to disappointing to date, making plenty of big plays in the team's OTA practice sessions. He's small, but he's also quick, which should help him match up with slot receivers as he gets further acclimated with Perry Fewell's defensive system. Don't get over-excited yet, but the Bills may just have unearthed a nice player in the fourth round last year.

Drayton Florence
Signed to replace the departed Greer (New Orleans), Florence has a strong chance to lock up the nickel role if Corner can't, and he can also play outside as well. His value will come as a reserve, but don't take that to mean that he's just an injury replacement - Florence has been productive at the NFL level (not counting his disastrous 2008 season in Jacksonville), and that experience makes him a valuable asset in a very young Bills secondary.

Ashton Youboty
Entering his fourth season, the only hindrance to Youboty's development has been his frail health. Through three NFL seasons, Youboty has been active for just 19 games - but when he's been on the field, he's proven to be a smart player, a sound tackler and has showcased a flair for the dramatic (1 INT, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 defended passes). It's a safe bet that if Youboty can stay healthy, he'll find his way onto the field - but it's clearly not a safe bet that he can stay healthy. Youboty is currently rehabbing from a foot injury and hopes to be ready by the starting of July training camp.

Cary Harris
A rookie sixth-round pick out of USC, where Harris lacks in measurables (such as timed speed) he makes up for with big-game experience and a solid skill set for the Cover 2. He's got a future in this league; the real question is whether or not the Bills will be able to find a spot for him on their final roster.

Ellis Lankster
Like Harris, Lankster is a rookie looking for any way to stick with the team. His best chance is to do so on the practice squad, and with a strong OTA under his belt to this point, he's got a strong chance at that. Buffalo's coaching staff likes Lankster's mental make-up and thinks he has a shot to play in the league.

Kyle Ward
I won't pretend to know anything about him. As pretty much everyone on the roster has a shot at the practice squad at this point, we'll leave it at that for Ward's synopsis.

Dustin Fox
He's found a way to stick on Buffalo's roster for the past two seasons only because of the sheer amount of injuries the position has incurred. He's also worked at safety some in Buffalo, but he's a longshot.

Lydell Sargeant
See: Ward, Kyle.

Contract situations: McGee and Youboty are in contract years. Florence signed a two-year deal in March. The only corners that are locked up for three years or longer are McKelvin (4), Corner (3), and eventually the Harris/Lankster duo. In a position that seems to be in a constant state of flux (almost out of necessity), re-signing McGee very well could become Buffalo's top priority from a personnel standpoint.

Bottom Line
There's a lot to like about this position, particularly in terms of its excellent depth and potential. But it's also a position that has failed to stay healthy in recent seasons; the fact that McKelvin played in all sixteen games last season was something of a godsend. There are other question marks as well. Who will be the playmaker? Can McKelvin avoid a sophomore slump? Will the winner of the nickel job actually be a difference-maker? This is one of Buffalo's strongest personnel areas, but there is still a substantial amount that this group needs to prove. Practicing against Lee Evans, Terrell Owens and Josh Reed on a daily basis will hopefully help their cause.

Where We Talk About Draft Grades and Their Uselessness

Gonzo — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:39:25 -0000

"The Vikings targeted speed on their board and they definitely got it with wide receiver Troy Williamson, who wowed Minnesota enough that the Vikings passed on Mike Williams. Defensive end Erasmus James gives them much-needed help up front, guard-tackle Marcus Johnson will solidify the offensive line and running back Ciatrick Fason has the potential to be a terrific steal in the fourth round. Dustin Fox is a good cornerback and defensive tackle C.J. Mosley is a motivated overachiever.”

That was Mel Kiper's assessment of the Minnesota Vikings' 2005 Draft the day after said draft had taken place. Kiper and his hair gave the Vikings a B+ "grade" for their draft.

As any Viking fan knows, Minnesota's 2005 draft class is on the short list of worst drafts in NFL history. To review. . .

Troy Williamson - Everything that can be said about Williamson has already been said. Although it could probably be said with fewer expletives. Or more expletives, depending on what makes you happier.

Erasmus James - When he was on the field, he wasn't awful or anything. It's just that he could never get on the field. He was eventually traded for a seventh-round pick. . .the Vikings sent that pick back to the Redskins in the trade to move up in the fifth round this year and select South Carolina LB Jasper Brinkley.

Marcus Johnson - Played a couple of positions on the offensive line, and was relatively horrible at all of them, save one surprising performance at left tackle in the 2008 season opener against Green Bay. Actually lasted longer on the roster than any other member of this class. . .which, considering that this draft saw two first-round picks for the Vikings, is embarrassing and sad.

Dustin Fox - Who? Yeah, that sums it up.

Ciatrick Fason - Was briefly used as a goal-line back. . .which was, apparently, the ideal role for him, as his 3.2 ypc average in two years indicates that was really all the further he could get.

C.J. Mosley - Probably the best performer from the Vikings' 2005 draft class. Showed some promise as a backup DT as a rookie, and was eventually traded to the New York Jets as part of the trade that brought Brooks Bollinger to Minnesota.

Adrian Ward - Didn't even make the roster.

Grading a draft less than 24 hours after it occurs is a ludicrous practice, and one that I haven't engaged in as long as I've been running this site. After I get home from work this afternoon, I'll have my impressions on the Vikings' 2009 draft and how I feel the Vikings fared, but we don't know anything about how successful this draft is for the Vikings at this point in time.

The same thing goes for pretty much everyone other team, too. Sure, the Raiders were roundly ripped for selecting Darrius Heyward-Bey at #7. . .but what if he turns out to be a better WR than Michael Crabtree, the "consensus" best wide receiver in this year's draft? What if Matthew Stafford turns out to be more like Tim Couch than Peyton Manning in terms of QBs drafted #1 overall? Heck, what if. . .God forbid. . .Percy Harvin decides his love for pot is greater than his love for football and gets repeatedly nailed by the league's substance abuse policy?

We all have our impressions of how each team did this weekend at Radio City Music Hall. But the fact of the matter is that nobody. . .not you, not me, not Mike Mayock, not Mel Kiper. . .has any idea how any team in this year's draft did at this moment in time. I'm not saying that the draft "grades" aren't fun to read and provide a nice little distraction, but it's pretty much impossible to put any real stock into them at this point in time.

With that said, you can feel free to discuss the draft grades from the "experts," as well as your own personal thoughts and impressions of this year's draft here. I'll have my impressions of Minnesota's draft and the draft in general later this afternoon. Thanks to everyone that visited the site this weekend to make it a success, and if you're here for the first time, go on and sign up for an account so you can join the party!

Free Agency by Buffalo's Book: Team Free Agents

Brian Galliford — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:00:10 -0000

CB Greer headlines Bills' FA class (Associated Press)

With the NFL's free agent signing period set to begin in just under two weeks' time, each NFL franchise is going through similar preparations for the league's annual spending spree. Luckily for us, the Buffalo Bills have been vaguely specific about their process - currently in progress - of addressing their roster holes. In a recent article from Chris Brown (the team journalist, not the allegedly violent R&B artist), several members of the Bills' pro personnel department lent some insight into the team's strategy in determining the best course of action in fixing their team.

In the days leading up to the start of free agency, I'll be running through each step of this process in an effort to put together my own, personal game plan which, if things go swimmingly, will be infinitely worse than the Bills' own plan. Still, it's an opportunity to outline just how difficult strengthening your team via free agency really is, and it's also an opportunity for the rest of you fine, intelligent folks to string together your own game plans as well. We'll kick the process off right now by ticking off steps one and two in Buffalo's process.

From the horse's mouth
What's the first thing that VP of Pro Personnel John Guy and his staff do during their free agency process? Well, they kind of told us, so rather than guess, let's just regurgitate fact.

"We'll start with our team and where our needs are and where our free agents are. So we finish our team first..."

Perfect! We've already painstakingly taken care of the first area of concern by putting together our Buffalo Rumblings Community Needs List. The article specifically mentions identifying three to four positions of need on each side of the ball, and again, we've already done that. (Take note, One Bills Drive.) Since this is my game plan, I'm prioritizing the needs as I see fit. Why? Because I'm now appointing myself General Manager of the Buffalo Bills. You're more than welcome to do the same. Here goes nothing...

Offense: TE, C, QB, FB
Defense: DE, SLB, DT, S

Feel free to disagree with my priorities. I don't care. I'm the GM of the Buffalo Bills. And since you're apparently also the GM of the Buffalo Bills (I think it's probably more like Assistant to the GM), do whatever you like. Just don't screw up - the fan base can be pretty brutal. Wink!

Next up on Buffalo's list - taking care of our own free agents. With our needs in mind, here's how I'm addressing the twenty players whose contracts have expired.

Players to re-sign (or tender)
QB Gibran Hamdan - Hamdan gets an RFA tender from me to remain as the team's third quarterback. Why? He's cheap, smart, and a good influence on my starter, Trent Edwards.

RB Fred Jackson - The plan here is to give Jackson a moderate contract extension of at least four years. He's one of our most valuable performers, and deserves the financial security after being one of the team's lowest-paid players over the past two seasons.

TE Derek Schouman - As an ERFA, he gets the lowest tender and sticks around as my third tight end and my safety fullback.

OT Kirk Chambers - He's a solid, dependable veteran that surprised with some good play and versatility in 2008. He's a high-quality backup, and he's just obscure enough where he won't be getting offers to start elsewhere. Plus, he gives us more flexibility if a certain two-time Pro Bowler becomes difficult. (And if you click that there link, you'll have your answer as to how I'm handling him.)

OLB Keith Ellison - He gets a tender. Smart, versatile backup that is a key cog on the league's best special teams unit.

OLB Blake Costanzo - He gets a tender, but he's certainly not guaranteed a roster spot. The one thing he's got going for him - he's an outstanding special teams player. That's the only reason I'm bringing him back.

MLB John DiGiorgio - See Ellison.

FS George Wilson - I consider safety a weak point on the team, but that doesn't stop me from giving Wilson a tender. He's a special teams captain and has shown that he can make plays when he's on the field as a defender.

LS Ryan Neill - He's becoming more consistent as a long snapper, and he's still a young player. Well worth a tender.

Players I'm letting walk
QB J.P. Losman - No explanation needed.

CB Jabari Greer - No, he probably wouldn't be too expensive to re-sign, but as much as I like the guy, cornerback is a team strength. There are bigger fish to fry, so while I'm obviously not averse to Greer returning, I'm not spending energy on getting him back. Some team will give him a good deal, and he'll probably deserve every penny.

Others that I'm straight up ignoring once free agency starts - FB Corey McIntyre, WR Justin Jenkins, OT Jonathan Scott, OG Jason Whittle, C Melvin Fowler, DE Copeland Bryan, CB Dustin Fox

Players for the back of my mind
C Duke Preston - There's not a snowball's chance in hell that I'm keeping this guy around to start in any capacity. I'm not even fully interested in re-signing him. But he does offer some versatility and familiarity in the pivot, so if he isn't signed with a new club after a week or two of free agency, I'll make his cell ring.

OLB Angelo Crowell - If things go well, I'm filling Crowell's strong-side linebacker spot with a new player. That player is going to be a veteran. If, however, things don't go well, I'm going to make an effort to bring Crowell back on a short-term deal as opposed to starting a rookie - provided he doesn't have a new team by that point, that is.

***

So that takes care of steps one and two of Buffalo's free agency process. I've identified a handful of needs on both sides of the ball. I've identified our own free agents that I'm quickly and efficiently bringing back. I encourage everyone here to do the same if you want in on this GM game, because next up in "Free Agency by Buffalo's Book" is identifying preliminary free agent targets. Get those GM hats on, folks. It's time for each of us to start ironing out our very own free agency plans. Go!

State of the Bills Roster: Cornerbacks

Brian Galliford — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:00:10 -0000

McKelvin has a bright future in Buffalo (Associated Press)

The "State of the Bills Roster" series trucks on! If you're new around these parts within the past nine months or so, this series is an off-season progression of posts in which we'll break down Buffalo's roster in-depth. From these discussions, we'll put together a "Community Needs List" in priority order, then begin researching potential free agent and draft acquisitions that will satisfy all of the Bills' needs as we perceive them.

We continue our foray into heavy-duty off-season work at Buffalo Rumblings right now. It's our "State of the Roster" series, off-season mode, and we'll continue the discussions by breaking down the Bills' situation at cornerback..
Previous installments: QB :: RB :: TE :: WR :: OT :: G/C :: DE :: DT :: MLB :: OLB
New: Prioritized Offensive Needs List

Opening statement
I'm a bit dazed and confused here, folks. Why? Well, we've finally reached a position on the Buffalo Bills roster to analyze that, for all intents and purposes, is set for 2009. How bizarre is that? Not that bizarre, actually, considering the Bills spent the majority of their time last April addressing the position. Even with Jabari Greer being the Bills' biggest-name free agent, his future with the team doesn't leave much question that this position is the strength of Buffalo's defense.

#24 Terrence McGee (starter)
5'9", 198 pounds
Age: 29 in October 2009
Contract status: 1 year remaining (UFA after 2009); owed $3M in base salary.
- With Buffalo's top cornerback, we have now reached the eye of the storm in terms of how the Bills will approach this position in the upcoming months. The coaching staff likes McGee, and with one poor showing in Miami aside, he had a solid (yet highly unspectacular) season in 2008. But after this coming season - his last under his current deal - he'll be entering a season in which he'll turn 30, and he's had some injury issues to deal with over the past couple of seasons. Long story short: he's only border-line reliable as a top cornerback in this league. In deciding what to do with other corners on their roster, the Bills need to first make a decision on McGee's future with the franchise.

#28 Leodis McKelvin (starter)
5'11", 190 pounds
Age: 24 in September 2009
Contract status: Entering second year of 5-year, $19.4M deal.
- Looking at the cornerback position realistically, three items of interest quickly become obvious: McGee will start in 2009, Greer's status is uncertain, and McKelvin has a ton of upside. He established himself as a playmaker at the end of his rookie season, and though he's still green in terms of technique at the corner position, he was able to make up for those shortcomings with phenomenal athleticism. Regardless of what the coaching staff decides in terms of McGee and Greer, McKelvin is the future at this position. There's no way he's not one of the two starters in 2009.

#33 Jabari Greer
5'11", 180 pounds
Age: 27 in February 2009
Contract status: Unrestricted Free Agent.
- It's tough to envision a scenario in which Greer returns to Buffalo in 2009. In the prime of his career, Greer is coming off of his best season as a pro, and as an unrestricted free agent that hasn't made a ton of money in his time in Buffalo, he's got some catching up to do. The Bills have McGee and three young cornerbacks forming the nucleus of the position, so Greer is largely a short-term luxury for the Bills. That will likely cool their interest this off-season, making it more likely that Greer gets a lucrative deal from another team. That's not a bad thing, Bills fans.

The rest of the cornerbacks are after the jump, including breakdowns.

#26 Ashton Youboty
5'11", 189 pounds
Age: 25 in July 2009
Contract status: 1 year remaining (UFA after 2009); owed $530K in base salary.
- Youboty beat out veteran Will James for the nickel corner role last year in training camp, and during the early stretches of the season, Youboty was Buffalo's best defensive back. Then his achilles heel kicked in again when he went down with a season-ending injury - again. Youboty's injury issues make him unreliable, but when he's been on the field, he's been very good. He'll compete for the nickel job again next year, and if he can stay healthy and produce in 2009, he might earn himself a contract extension here in Buffalo. People are quick to forget that though he'll be entering his fourth year in the league, Youboty will be just 25 years old next year, making him the second-youngest corner on the roster behind McKelvin.

#27 Reggie Corner
5'9", 175 pounds
Age: 26 in November 2009
Contract status: 3 years remaining (UFA after 20011); owed $1.41M in base salaries.
- Corner was one of a few "who?" draft picks for the Bills in '08, but his rookie season was solid enough that few Bills fans continue to hate the pick. Best known for his pass break-up to seal a late-season win in Denver, Corner made plenty of mistakes in '08 as he was thrust into sub-package duty due to injuries to Youboty and Greer. Still, he also had some good performances, including an outstanding effort against Denver's Brandon Stokley. He'll never be anything more than a sub-package corner and special teams contributor in all likelihood, but he can be very good in that role as soon as 2009.

#35 Dustin Fox
5'11", 200 pounds
Age: 27 in October 2009
Contract status: Restricted Free Agent.
- It's hard to fathom how this guy is still around. His practice squad eligibility is up, and he can no longer claim untapped potential as a reason to be even on the back end of an NFL roster. He probably won't be a Bill in 2009.

The Breakdown
Keepers: McGee, McKelvin, Corner, Youboty. McGee is staying for '09, but if the Bills don't see him as a big part of their plans beyond next season, then re-signing Greer should be a priority. The three young guys stick around for obvious reasons.

Extendables: None, though I'm guessing there are a few who might want to see Greer's name in this category.

Expendables: Greer. I'm putting Greer here simply based on the fact that he's not likely to return. The Bills have four solid corners already, and signing a fifth for semi-big money that might result in a starter isn't wise spending in my book. I'd rather see Greer walk than sign him and potentially miss out on adding impact at other positions.

Goners: Fox. Unless he pulls a Jason Jefferson and survives another roster overhaul.

What we need: Assuming that Greer is heading out of town for good, Buffalo might look to the late rounds to find a developmental prospect or two as fifth and sixth corners. But with McGee, McKelvin, Youboty and Corner in place, the Bills have a good nucleus. Nothing major needs to happen here. Take note of that, One Bills Drive. We want to see some physicality brought in this off-season. We don't need any more big-name corners.

That's it. I'm done with the easy stuff. Now it's on you, folks. Do you disagree with me and think Greer should be re-signed? Vote in the poll! What do you make of McGee's future past 2009? Can Youboty make it through an entire season without another career setback? Have fun with this, and let's get brainstorming.

Poll

Should the Bills make every attempt to re-sign CB Jabari Greer?

Yes

247 votes

No

148 votes

395 votes | Poll has closed