SB Nation - Corey Mace

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 12/11

MattRichWarren — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:22:40 -0000

Buffalo Bills' special teams coming into form | Democrat and Chronicle
"I just took one of the young guys aside and explained what 'backdoor ear hole' means," Bills special teams coach Bobby April said. "That's a common term that I've used (for how you initiate angled contact with an opponent). He didn't know. In terms of having a lot of different guys out there, it's been unbelievable how many guys we've moved in and out. You're always teaching, but not with that much detail (at this time of the year)."

McGee looking good for Sun. – Inside The Bills
"Bills CB Terrence McGee practiced fully for a second straight day on Thursday enhancing his chances of returning to a full time role in Buffalo’s defensive lineup."

Really? The Buffalo Bills All-Decade Team : Buffalo Sports Daily
Pat Moran gives his team of the decade. FYI - the coach is Mike Mularkey and Trey Teague is the center. Yikes!

Bills kick game specialists roughing it – Inside The Bills
Special teams coordinator Bobby April accompanied his specialists out in the elements yesterday.

Bills linebacker Posluszny quarterbacks the defense : The Buffalo News
Rodney McKissic profiles Bills LB Paul Posluszny for the News' Friday Player Profile.

Question Mark: Plenty of blame for no LB depth : The Buffalo News
Mark Gaughan answers questions on the linebacker depth issues, Trent Edwards' fall from grace, and the undefeated teams in the NFL.

Buffalo Bills' Parrish says confidence isn't lacking | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle
"Roscoe Parrish is back returning punts for Bills, but he hasn't made an impact."

Chiefs QB Cassel Familiar With Former AFC East Foe Bills - Arrowhead Pride
"Cassel has started and beaten the Bills on two occasions and admits that he's a little familiar with them."

Chiefs Granted 24 Hour Extension To Sell Tickets for Bills Game - Arrowhead Pride
"The Kansas City Chiefs have been granted a 24 hour extension to sell the remaining unsold tickets for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills, Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com reports."

Video: AccuScore likes Bills to win in K.C. - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"Jenny Dell of "Countdown Daily" delivers the AccuScore report for Sunday's game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium. The Bills win a surprising 56 percent of AccuScore's 10,000 simulations."

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
Bills interim coach Perry Fewell is expecting a challenge in Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles. Buffalo is 32nd in the league in run defense. "Charles is really a fine running back," Fewell said. "He's not a power running back, he's more of an outside speed back - really good in one-on-one situations."

Countdown Daily Prediction: Bills-Chiefs - ESPN Video - ESPN
"Herm Edwards and Mark Schlereth give you their pick"

DL Mace brought back – Inside The Bills
"Just two days after being waived from the 53-man roster, DL Corey Mace was re-signed to the Bills practice squad. The defensive lineman was waived Monday as the team re-signed Joe Klopfenstein to give the Bills three tight ends on their roster. The open spot on Buffalo’s eight-man practice squad to re-sign Mace was created when LB Anthony Waters was signed by the New Orleans Saints."

John Clayton with Schopp and the Bulldog
The ESPN NFL correspondent talks with the guys each week.

Stadium Seating - Interactive Features - Portfolio.com
The Bills are having financial problems in Buffalo but Portfolio.com says Rochester, NY could support an NFL franchise. (Toronto, however, could not).

Team in Transition
Hiring Super Bowl-winning coach offers no guarantees of NFL title - Don Banks - SI.com
"The track record of coaches who have scaled the game's highest summit and then went on to work for other NFL franchises does not spawn some sort of murky debate. It's clear cut. The coaching magic that won a Super Bowl has never been rekindled to the same degree in a subsequent stop."

Bills notebook: Receivers coach Tolbert headed to LSU : The Buffalo News
Buffalo Bills wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert has been hired for a similar position at LSU, according to a report Thursday on neworleans.com. Tolbert played at LSU as a wide receiver from 1988-90.

Bills Tweets
Nic Harris
Man this snow is too crazy, first Blizzard! Sweet Jesus!!!

Lydell Sargent
Jst put up my first tree in my own place.Did it without moms helping me to!! Not the prettiest but it works fo http://tweetphoto.com/6186786

Sargent again
maybe its me but ur tree SHOULD be bigger than ur TV.lol<--haha well tht will NEVER happn n my house!!TVs alwys

Shawn Nelson
mannn its a blizzard out here in buffalo...........this is not of GOD!!

Twitter / Chris Mortensen
chance T.O stays in Buffalo. ))) I 'd guess very slim.

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 12/8

MattRichWarren — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:51:37 -0000

Williams Blames Bills Losing Record On 'Stupidity' - wcbstv.com
"To put it bluntly,Kyle Williams said Monday, if not for "our own stupidity," Buffalo (4-8) might still have something to play for in traveling to face Kansas City (3-9) this weekend."

McGee hoping this is the week – Inside The Bills
"Frustrated by his knee’s slower than expected recovery from surgery, Terrence McGee is hopeful that this is the week he can return to the starting lineup."

Line shuffling just another challenge for Kugler | BuffaloBills.com
"Unending change due to personnel moves, injuries and coaching decisions have made it a challenging year for Buffalo’s men up front. That challenge has been even greater for Bills offensive line coach Sean Kugler."

Time to turn to Hardy : Buffalo Sports Daily
Pat Moran says it's time to give James Hardy a look even if "head coaching suicide" for Perry Fewell.

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
- The Bills currently rank last in the league in run defense. "It's frustrating because it’s the same thing," DT Kyle Williams said. "A lot of it's the misdirection, the counter plays, the cut-back runs. A lot of times, we’re over-pursuing ... it’s aggravating, it pisses you off."
- Across the board, the Bills were glad to have three days off in a row. "(I'm feeling) a lot better," RB Fred Jackson said. "It's a great time for us to get that much-needed rest. A lot of guys are getting back into the thick of things ... it was much-needed rest."
- Bills CB Terrence McGee feels he's likely going to be playing through pain the rest of this year after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in Week 9. "Probably so," he said. "It’s one of those things where I feel it’s going to take a while to fully go away, so I’ll just have to play through it."

Countdown Daily Insight Center: BUF-KC - ESPN Video - ESPN
Football Scientist KC Joyner takes you into the IBM Insight Center to tell you the keys to victory

TE Klopfenstein back – Inside The Bills
"The Bills have re-signed TE Joe Klopfenstein. Corey Mace was released and will presumably be re-signed to the team’s practice squad provided he clears waivers."

Draft visits with special children | BuffaloBills.com
"The Buffalo Bills and the Town of Hamburg Recreation Department partnered to host football clinics for youngsters with Asperger Syndrome/NVLD, High functioning Autism and physical/mental disabilities in the Buffalo Bills Field House once a week throughout November. "

NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive Cassel will remain starter for Chiefs
Matt Cassel will be back as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback [against the Bills] following his benching against the Broncos.

Video - Video Central - FOX Sports on MSN
T.O. says he wants to play for two or three more years and talks about his birthday party.

Bills notebook: Tolbert reportedly a candidate at LSU: The Buffalo News
"LSU coach Les Miles is reportedly pursuing Buffalo Bills wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert for a similar job on the Tigers staff according to FootballCoachScoop.com."

After Pats loss, Bills left to say 'what if?' : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
"With the division suddenly up for grabs, the Buffalo Bills are in last place coming off a 19-13 loss to the Jets and lamenting a missed opportunity."

Buffalo Bills' boring game wasn't missed | Democrat and Chronicle
Was it a relief not having to watch the Bills this weekend? Leo and Sal sure seem to think so.

Bills’ Moorman hats raise $3,500 for charity - Pittsburg, KS - Morning Sun
"The proceeds from sales of hats specially designed and autographed by Moorman are in, and they benefit the local Angels Among Us group to the tune of $3,500. "

Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback, Week 13 - Peter King - SI.com
For those of you wondering how rookie DEs or rush LBs have been faring getting to the QB, Brian Orakpo is the only one from the last two years averaging a half-sack per game.

NFL Milestone Watch: Receptions | Pro-Football-Reference.com
Terrel Owens needs 6 catches to become the sixth ever with 1000.

NFL Milestone Watch: Receiving Yds | Pro-Football-Reference.com
Terrell Owens needs 123 yards to move into third place passing Tim Brown and is less than 400 from second place Isaac Bruce.

NFL Milestone Watch: Sacks | Pro-Football-Reference.com
Aaron Schobel picked up his 75th career sack last week against the Jets.

Twitter / Daniel Jeremiah
6 of 8 division leaders are top 10 in sacks allowed... 5 of 8 division leaders are top 10 in sacks... We harp on these two key stats at MTS

NFL Draft

Jimmy Clausen NFL Draft scouting report - Mocking The Draft
An in-depth look at the Notre Dame junior quarterback from SBN's Mocking the Draft. Draft coverage begins!

Pro-football-reference.com blog " PI Finds: Clausen & Irish QBs In the NFL
"Notre Dame quarterbacks are in the midst of a 20-year dry spell at the NFL level. The only question now is whether or not Clausen will be able to break that streak of mediocrity under center, or if he'll fade into obscurity along with almost every other name on that list."

Game Day Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 12/3

MattRichWarren — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:00:43 -0000

BillBoard: Toronto not excited about Bills
"While the Bills will have a lot of fans in Rogers Centre Thursday night, there will be a large segment of spectators cheering for the Jets and those with no rooting interest at all. Meanwhile, the local papers are filled with stories about how poorly Bills games are being received by the public. "

Bills Gameday vs. Jets | Democrat and Chronicle
Beat writer Sal Maiorana breaks down tonight’s game between the Bills and Jets in Toronto.

Rogers hitches itself to the wrong team - The Globe and Mail
"In buying into a dysfunctional football organization like the Bills, the organization bringing the NFL to Canada was always fighting a losing battle."

Jauron a vanishing act in team photo(shop) - ESPN.com
"Before Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins, the Bills gave away team photos as fans passed through the turnstiles at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Former head coach Dick Jauron, fired two weeks ago, was removed from the team photo as though he never existed."

Game Previews
Bills try to bring the noise in Toronto : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
"The Bills did not have a home-field edge when they played Miami in Toronto last year. The crowd was split about 50-50 in terms of cheering for each team. In fact, it would be more accurate to say it was 30-30, with about 40 percent of the crowd not particularly rooting for either side."

Bills-Jets scouting report : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Breaking down tonight's matchup with Allen Wilson.

Short turnaround puts stamina to the test : The Buffalo News
"This will be the teams' third game in 12 days, a grueling stretch that forced both teams to scale back their practices this week."

T.O. telling Toronto to show – Inside The Bills
"Here I am," Terrell Owens said. "It feels good. Looking forward to the game tomorrow and all of the Canadians out here in Toronto – you all come out and support the game tomorrow, it’s going to be a good one."

"We’re here!" Bills arrive in Toronto for game | BuffaloBills.com
Perry Fewell discusses the trip north and the atmosphere that the BIlls feel and want from the fans.

Do Or Die For Bills & Jets In Toronto : Buffalo Sports Daily
Pat Moran previews tonight's game against the Jets.

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Home of the Buffalo Sabres - T.O. and the Bills in TO
"The Bills fielded questions from the media at the Rogers Center in Toronto about Thursday's game against the Jets. Here are Wednesday’s transcripts:"

Toronto may not give Buffalo Bills home-field advantage vs New York Jets | Democrat and Chronicle
"Tonight, the Bills "host" the New York Jets in the second of five regular-season games Buffalo will play in Toronto as part of an agreement that deposited $78 million into the team's bank account and is supposed to expand the market base, thus providing future financial stability for the franchise."

Rochester Time Warner viewers won't see Buffalo Bills game against New York Jets | Democrat and Chronicle
"If you're a Time Warner Cable subscriber, you can watch the Buffalo Bills play the New York Jets tonight from the comfort of your home — IF you live in Buffalo, but not if you live in the Rochester area."

T.O. eager to play in T.O. when Bills host Jets | Bleacher Report
Terrell Owens is going to invite Darrelle Revis to his birthday party this weekend - after he scores on him. In the words of John Wawrow here, "Snap!"

Video: Jets will run over Bills in rematch - AFC East Blog - ESPN
With better ball control by Jets rookie Mark Sanchez , who threw five interceptions, ESPN analyst KC Joyner sees the Jets taking the rematch.

NFL Preview - N.Y. Jets (5-6) at Buffalo (4 -7)
The Sports Network previews tonight's game.

NFL Game Center: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills - 2009 Week 13
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills NFL Game Center

NFL Videos: Top 5 Jets-Bills moments
Scott Hanson counts down the top 5 Jets-Bills moments before they square off Thursday night.

NY Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez eager for another shot at Buffalo Bills | New York Jets - NJ.com
"Before Mark Sanchez can completely move forward and bring an entire organization with him, he must exorcise his personal demons from the Jets’ first meeting with the Buffalo Bills."

Bills Daily Gameday Preview
The Bills blog previews the match.

View From the Great White North
Woolsey: Hopeful Bills look to future - thestar.com
Trent Edwards' picture hangs outside the Rogers Centre next to a mural of B.J. Ryan. Both are signs that their teams are moving on.

Bills' Mace excited to play in Toronto | Football | Sports | Toronto Sun
Corey Mace is Canadian and his CFL rights belong to the Argonauts but he hopes he only plays one game a year in Toronto.

Fewell turns Bills’ offence around - The Globe and Mail
"There’s no doubting the Bills (4-7), whose season will continue tonight in Toronto at Rogers Centre with a so-called home game against the New York Jets (5-6), have been quick to embrace the go-for-broke approach of the new coach."

Owens thinks Toronto could support NFL team - sportsnet.ca
The national sports outler gives its preview of the game including T.O., Canadian players Corey Mace and the Jets' Jamaal Westerman, and the viability and success of the Toronto series.

The Sports Network - National Football League
The ESPN of Canada gives their preview for the game.

It's fourth down, what next? | Steve Simmons | Columnists | Sports | Toronto Sun
Steve Simmons lauds Ralph Wilson for not moving the Bills put chides him for not having a succession plan in place.

More Bills News
Kelly's Call: Fitz, Fewell and the future | BuffaloBills.com
"[Ryan Fitzpatrick] took the approach of letting it all hang out. As he saw it, there was little to lose and a lot to gain. From what I saw he took advantage of the situation and he didn’t wait."

Centre stage an unlikely spot for Hangartner : The Buffalo News
Jerry Sullivan profiles Buffalo's other free agent signing, center Geoff Hangartner.

Video: AFC East Huddle - AFC East Blog - ESPN
ESPN.com's John Clayton takes a look at the state of the AFC East heading into Week 13.

No drops for T.O. with new QB, coach - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Owens hasn't dropped a pass since Fewell and Fitzpatrick took over. He's also been singing Ryan Fitzpatrick's praises.

Fewell creating buzz in Buffalo - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Fewell was ringing up a 79 percent as of Wednesday morning.

Buffalo-Area Businesses Pay the Price for Bills’ Trip - NYTimes.com
Local businesses and families are severely impacted by the Bills moving one game to Canada and the loss of revenue on game day.

POLLOCK: Fewell getting a crash course as head coach | Olean Times Herald
"You come in a lot earlier and you have to watch both sides of the ball," said Fewell about the change. "Different things that come up through the day: personnel situations, practice squad situations, communication with different members of the staff, be it the training staff, the GM, personnel staff ... and that’s time consuming."

Stat Sheet Remains Mostly Empty For Evans : Buffalo Sports Daily
"While Terrell Owens has been the desire of new starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s affection, Lee Evans shopping cart for footballs has been mostly empty."

Pocket Presence: Time For a Change -- NFL FanHouse
"Buffalo's probably out of it at 4-7, but if Fitzpatrick continues to play well, they'll at least have something to build on for next season." Really?

Biggs: Vikings check out a quarterback | National Football Post
The Minnesota Vikings put veteran quarterback Gibran Hamdan through a tryout today, according to a league source. They were also working out WRs and with a solid QB position there, it makes you wonder if he wasn't just an arm.

Pro-football-reference.com blog " NFL ratings through 12 weeks
Buffalo ranks 23rd in the NFL according to PFR.

Team in Transition
All this Bills fan wants for Christmas is ... Ron Wolf! | Nick Bakay | NFL.com
"Memo to Ralph Wilson: Even if your Buffalo Bills win by seven touchdowns Thursday night on NFL Network, don't let that fool you. This team is in dire need of a major facelift."

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Trestman loves Canada
"[Marc] Trestman is happy in Quebec, and says he will not head to the NFL." Sorry CBF.

Comments on Fewell – Inside The Bills
Steve Mariucci and Mike Martz both offered their take on how Fewell has to approach things from here on out.

Bills Tweets
Kawika Mitchell
Goin back 2 Buffalo. Everything is on point w/ my leg. Doc sounds +. Time 2 build strength! May the fun begin

Aaron Maybin (from yesterday)
Focused on tomorrow....I AM the Master of My Fate. I AM the Captain of My Soul!

Sal Maiorana
I follow Aaron Maybin on Twitter. His latest tweet: "I am the Master of My Fate. I Am the Captain of My Soul!" I just wish he'd make a tackle

Poll

Do you get NFL Network at your residence?

Defining the Buffalo Bills' roster bubble players

Brian Galliford — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:00:24 -0000

For one last time, at least for another year or so, we're about to talk about the roster bubble. It's pretty difficult to define a roster bubble, particularly if you're nerdy enough - like yours truly - to project an NFL's 53-man roster obsessively until your thoughts are no longer relevant.

Heading into their pre-season finale, the Buffalo Bills (and more particularly, its coaching staff) very likely has their final 53 already selected. For fans, however, speculation rules the day this time of the year. This post is meant to do three things: define Buffalo's list of "bubble" players, force you to pay attention to those bubble players, and serve as one last spot for y'all to formulate your thoughts before tomorrow's "Buffalo Rumblings Roster Projection Contest" begins.

Staying with the team, but they don't count yet (2)
RB Marshawn Lynch (Reserve/Suspended) - Lynch probably won't play tonight, and he begins his three-game suspension on Saturday.
WR James Hardy (Physically Unable to Perform) - Right now, Hardy is on Active PUP, meaning that he counts against the active roster, and that he can be activated at any time. Active PUP ends when the pre-season ends. It's very likely the coaches will give Hardy an extra six weeks to get into football shape and all healed up by placing him on Reserve PUP.

With those two moves in mind, the Bills will have 72 active players. That list, obviously, needs to be whittled down to 53 - so 19 more must go.

Certain cuts (11)
Let's face it - if any of these eleven players make the roster, every single one of us will be floored.

QB Matt Baker, RB Bruce Hall, WR Felton Huggins, WR C.J. Hawthorne, TE Tyson DeVree, OT Nick Hennessey, C Christian Gaddis, DE Ataefiok Etukeren, DT Derrick Jones, DT Corey Mace, LB Ryan Manalac

That list puts us down to 61 players. We've now officially reached the bubble portion of our roster.

THE BUBBLE (15)
I've got 15 players listed as "on the bubble." All of these players have at least something going for them that could keep them on the roster through the weekend. By current math, eight of these players will make the final roster, while seven will try to latch on with other NFL teams.

RB Xavier Omon, FB Corey McIntyre, WR Justin Jenkins, TE Jonathan Stupar, OT Jonathan Scott, OG Brandon Rodd, DE Chris Ellis, DE Copeland Bryan, LB Marcus Buggs, LB Jon Corto, LB Alvin Bowen, LB Ashlee Palmer, CB Cary Harris, FS Ko Simpson, SS John Wendling

Picking eight of these names as keepers may seem easy, but it's made a bit more difficult by potential surprises. We've got four such scenarios below. For every scenario that comes to fruition below (and we're not saying any of them will), pick another name from the above list and toss it onto your final roster.

Surprise cuts/roster decisions (4)
TE Derek Fine - He's dealing with a hamstring issue, and to say the competition at tight end is heavy is an understatement. It wouldn't completely shock us to see him released, even after being a 2008 fourth-round draft pick.

OT Langston Walker - WGR 550 reporter Paul Hamilton is already on the record as saying Walker could be a surprise release. I'm not sure I buy that, particularly given Demetrius Bell's bad back, but Walker's apparent fall from grace seems legitimate. I can't fathom a scenario in which the Bills would be comfortable entering a season with three highly unproven tackles - but in the spirit of "it wouldn't shock me," we'll list Walker anyways.

DE Ryan Denney - The Bills, for the first time in what seems like forever, actually have some depth at the defensive end position. They've got three young ends - two listed on the bubble above - that have proven worthy of roster consideration. It's difficult to imagine the team cutting Denney, but it's not impossible. They could also dangle him in trade talks if they try, as some suspect they might, to swing a deal for veteran linebacker depth.

CB Ashton Youboty - Speaking of veterans that are candidates to be dangled in trade talks, meet Mr. Youboty. 25-year-old corners with some promise aren't exactly easy to come by, but the Bills have solid depth at corner without considering Youboty. (There's also a reason I listed Cary Harris as "on the bubble" above.) Buffalo obviously doesn't feel the need to actively try to trade Youboty, and he certainly won't be released. But if the right offer comes along - particularly if it involves that aforementioned veteran linebacker - the Bills might just pull the trigger.

***

That's it. That's about as ironclad as you can get on a pretty ambiguous topic. I'm off to Ralph Wilson Stadium to take in tonight's game; the open thread will air at 6:00 PM ET, and I'll have a recap up for y'all when I get back from the stadium. Enjoy yourselves this evening.

2009 Bills Training Camp is officially in the books

MattRichWarren — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:45:09 -0000

This morning was the final day of 2009 Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford. I was in attendance today - as I was for a dozen practices this year - as the moving vans arrived and the team headed back to Orchard Park for the remainder of the pre-season. Due to the copious amounts of rain yesterday, my phone was not operational for Twitter updates this morning, so I am going to change up and give you a timeline of the typical practice after the jump with my notes from today.

I arrived early thanks to a friend who attends SJF. She gave me her parking pass and I rolled into the parking lot instead of taking the blasted shuttles. That was pretty sweet.

9:30 - 9:40 Special Teams - Punt Team
Bobby April led the punt team through some work on blocking, then on getting off their blocks; meanwhile, the gunners worked at the other end of the field. As has been a continuous trend, Ryan Neill got all first team work with Garrison Sanborn squarely behind him. Working at gunner (in no particular order) were Justin Jenkins, Reggie Corner, Ashton Youboty, Felton Huggins, Jairus Byrd, Shaine Smith, Lydell Sargeant, John Wendling, and Ko Simpson. Easily the most vocal player during this work was Marcus Stroud, standing on the sideline.

9:40 - 9:49 Walk Through vs. Scout Teams
The first team offense was without Terrell Owens again today; Owens has been officially ruled out of Saturday's pre-season contest in Green Bay. Josh Reed took his reps on the outside. Bryan Scott continued to practice following his injury and alternated moving up in the box with Donte Whitner during the exercise.

9:49 - 9:55 Warm up and Stretch
Easily the most boring thing to watch in practice, it's also the best to see who is participating. QB Matt Baker was stretching, but didn't throw a pass all day, instead standing and watching in a ball cap. WR James Hardy joined Owens in the training room, and defensive tackles Corey Mace and Marcus Smith watched from the sidelines. TE Shawn Nelson was late arriving on the field, but eventually joined the team during team work. Everyone else was participating fully.

9:55 - 10:11 Position Work
At this point in the practice, the team broke up into their position groups: DL, LB, DB, OL, TE, WR, RB, QB and ST (kickers, punters and long snappers). Without pads on, the OL and DL were working on footwork and hand techniques on opposite ends of the field. The RB and QB groups started together working on hand-offs before the RB group went to work on footwork and cuts. LBs were working on gap assignments, and DBs were focusing on backpedaling and ball skills. TEs were focusing on blocking and when to move off onto the blitzing linebacker. The WRs were catching passes after breaking off routes, but the most interesting part was that a coach was smacking them with a pad when the ball was in the air. Essentially the guys had to keep their focus even though they were being hit as the ball arrived. Then the WRs and QBs got together and worked on pass routes before the TEs and RBs were mixed in as well.

10:11 - 10:19 7on 7, OL vs. DL
While the offensive and defensive linemen did some one on one work, the first team offense and defense worked in the passing shell. It was around this time that people were figuring out that T.O. was just not going to show up. Many were sad. It would have been nice for him to at least come out and wave or something. Skill players with the first team offense were Lee Evans, Derek Fine, Josh Reed (in for Owens) and Shawn Nelson in the slot. He moved in tight on a couple plays as well before Roscoe Parrish replaced him. Roscoe and Nelson's reps were split pretty evenly as the "third WR" option. Good to see the big guy getting some first team reps. As an aside, it's pretty clear that Derek Schouman and Derek Fine are 1A and 1B and will rotate with Nelson. We officially have a three-headed monster at TE.

Trent Edwards was hitting guys in stride today and not one throw hit the ground during position work or 7 on 7. He was working the ball down the field, hitting Evans and Reed for gains on 15-20 yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick also looked good, completing good passes before throwing a 30+ yard bomb to Justin Jenkins. It was a gorgeous arching pass right over the top of the defender. Even Gibran Hamdan got in on the act, threading the ball between two defenders for a 25-yard pickup to C.J. Hawthorne.

10:19 - 10:31 Special Teams - Kick Return
Bobby April had the front six on one side of the field and his back five on the other. The starters for the front line were George WIlson, Jon Corto, John Wendling, Marcus Buggs and Justin Jenkins (L to R facing the kicker), with Shawn Nelson about ten yards behind Wendling. They were working on picking up their guys based on what the kick team does. The wedge (April used the term) portion was Leodis McKelvin returning with Xavier Omon five yards in front of him, and Spencer Johnson five yards in front of Omon. The Dereks were about five yards further up splitting the field in thirds. When the ball was kicked deep, the Dereks stood about three yards apart and Johnson came between them about two yards back. They also worked on short kicks and getting communication down so they know who is going to catch it.

10:32 - 10:38 11 on 11
The first full-team work of the day again highlighted the offense as they continued to practice without pads. James Hardy made his way onto the field prior to the team work, walking out and talking with teammates. Bryan Scott had a simulated stop in the backfield on a Roscoe reverse, the second of those I witnessed today. Jairus Byrd had a nice pass breakup on a Gibran Hamdan throw working with the third team. Answering some questions, the second team center was Brandon Rodd and Seth McKinney, running second team guard, slid over to the pivot with the third team. Watching more position battles, Chris Ellis is clearly getting more reps than Copeland Bryan, who ran third team today. Ellis has been seeing second team reps while Aaron Maybin continues his holdout.

10:38 - 10:54 Walk Through vs. Coaches
A staple of the end of practice is a walk through against a team of coaches simulating a defense. It's not interesting to watch, but the fans were getting anxious and began chanting. At one point between plays, Eric Wood and Langston Walker raised their arms in the air exhorting the chants to continue and get louder. The first team offense was working against the coaches, but on the other side of the field, it was the second and third team defense getting the reps against the ghost team.

10:54 - 10:58 Stretching and Team Huddle

10:59 Position Meetings and Break
DB, OL, LB, and TE met with their position coaches briefly while the rest of the team made their way towards the locker room for the final time this year. After practice, Fitzpatrick signed autographs and Walker and Butler threw their gloves into the stands.

***

Best Development of the Day
Only one Trent Edwards pass hit the ground all day. It was a yard overthrown to Lee Evans on the sideline about 18 yards off the line of scrimmage.

Worst Development of the Day
The moving vans were moving stuff from the sidelines and locker room during the entire practice. I still have at least one camp story to tell and you should see that later this week, but for now, the only time we'll see the Bills is when they play the Packers this weekend.

Owens highlights growing Bills injury list

Brian Galliford — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:00:14 -0000

More photos » by David Richard - AP

Browse more photos »

The big news out of Buffalo this morning is, of course, the toe injury of Buffalo Bills WR Terrell Owens. After spraining his toe at an undisclosed point in the Bills' 21-18 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the Hall of Fame Game, Owens missed the Bills' Tuesday walk-through as well as their evening practice. Head Coach Dick Jauron described Owens as "day to day," and would not speculate on whether or not the star receiver will play in this Saturday's pre-season contest against the Chicago Bears.

Unfortunately for Buffalo, Owens isn't the only player injured. Fellow WR Steve Johnson, who returned to practice late last week after a rib injury sidelined him, re-injured the rib when he got tangled up with rookie CB Cary Harris in a drill on Tuesday. Harris landed on Johnson to re-aggravate the injury; from what Johnson told BuffaloBills.com last night, he will likely miss practices for the rest of this week as well as his second straight pre-season game.

Injuries seem to be a constant issue in Buffalo, and it's for that reason that the Bills have had to sign six street free agents over the past few weeks. C Christian Gaddis is the latest, joining WR Shaine Smith, DE Ataefiok Etukeren, DT Derrick Jones, DT Corey Mace and S Antwain Spann as players that have joined the Bills since training camp opened on July 25. However, one injured player did return to the field last night - and as he's a key figure on a revamped offensive line, Brad Butler's return is an important one.

Keeping track of the O-Line
Butler participated fully for the first time since injuring his back early last week, and looked good as he re-assumed his spot as the starting right tackle. It's still unclear if he'll play this Saturday - the coaches and trainers will likely wait to see how his back responds to a full practice load - but for now, the return is good news. Meanwhile, Butler's understudy, Demetrius Bell - who has impressed this pre-season - took reps with the second unit at left tackle.

With Butler back in the fold, Buffalo's entire offensive line is once again healthy. The more they play together this pre-season, the better.

Linebacker dinged, too
Arguably the most impressive Bills linebacker in the Hall of Fame Game was undrafted rookie free agent Ashlee Palmer. It would figure, therefore, that Palmer suffered a severe ankle sprain in the game and could be looking at missing a significant chunk of practice time. Alvin Bowen took his reps with the second unit on the weak side (as well as a few reps on the strong side with the third unit).

Meanwhile, BuffaloBills.com reports that Pat Thomas and Marcus Buggs continue to flip-flop with the second and third units at middle linebacker. Buggs started with the second unit against the Titans; it's therefore logical that Thomas is gearing up to get those reps against the Bears. This is one of the more unique battles going on at the moment; no matter the winner, both of these guys have excellent opportunities to make the final roster.

More lineup changes to note
Aaron Schobel continues to get a lighter work load, but rather than Ryan Denney taking his first-team reps last night - as usually happens - Chris Ellis took those reps, and took advantage of the opportunity by registering two would-be sacks on Trent Edwards, cleanly beating Langston Walker on both plays. That's what we like to hear. Now we just need to see it in a game.

RB Xavier Omon, who impressed against the Titans, was injured in practice and missed some reps. The injury is not considered serious, but Bruce Hall gladly took his reps.

With Owens and Johnson missing time, Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish and Justin Jenkins shot up the depth chart. Jenkins has had a strong camp and pre-season, and other than an ugly pass interference call against Tennessee, has impressed. Ponder for a moment, however, the prospect of the Bills playing any meaningful games without Owens. Who wouldn't mind if T.O. sat out the rest of the pre-season? We're not advocating it. It's just a thought.

CB Ashton Youboty continues to sit with a lingering groin injury. Three cornerbacks with whom Youboty is jockeying for time - Drayton Florence, Reggie Corner and Ellis Lankster - continue to reap the benefits of his sitting out.

Wednesday
Buffalo has a practice scheduled for the early afternoon on Wednesday. It is doubtful that players such as Owens, Johnson and Palmer will practice. Butler should continue to work; it will also be interesting to see if Youboty returns to action.

Linemen dropping like flies at Bills camp

Brian Galliford — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:59:43 -0000

Heading into the Hall of Fame pre-season game this Sunday in Canton, Ohio, the Buffalo Bills have been dealing with several issues along their defensive line. Aaron Maybin is a holdout. Copeland Bryan is injured. Undrafted rookie free agents Ventrell Jenkins and David Lindquist are gone (Lindquist for personal reasons). On Friday, two more players left practice early, as both Spencer Johnson and John McCargo left the field within a five-minute period.

There's a reason that the Bills have acquired linemen Derrick Jones and Ataefiok Etukeren over the past two days - they barely have enough bodies to get through a pre-season game as it is. If Johnson and McCargo can't go on Sunday, Buffalo's second-team defensive tackles will be Jones and Corey Mace. Yikes.

Other than the walking wounded (RB Dominic Rhodes left early as well, by the way), the Bills seem eager to play another team and lay the lumber against a living, breathing opponent. That will happen in a little over two days' time. For now, we'll recap the day's events at St. John Fisher just as we did yesterday - with a few player observations. Those appear after the jump.

QB Trent Edwards. He looked much better today than he did last night. His throws were crisp, and he looked far more decisive. He did throw an interception to rookie Ellis Lankster, but had a few nice connections with Terrell Owens and a terrific 20-yard seam route to Derek Schouman. Edwards and the starters will get a series or two on Sunday; let's hope the offense can make use of those live reps. Look for Trent to call his own plays as well.

RB Marshawn Lynch. He looked as good as he usually does in practice, but that's not why I'm mentioning him here. The dude walked right past me; he was literally inches away. The added weight everyone is talking about is legitimate. He's a specimen. You couldn't pay me enough to try to tackle that guy. We're going to miss him in Weeks 1-3.

WR Steve Johnson. Johnson has been essentially a full participant at practice for the past two days after missing a bunch of practices with a rib injury. He looked very solid out on the field today; Ryan Fitzpatrick, Gibran Hamdan and Matt Baker look for Johnson a lot. Even with Roscoe Parrish on the team, I'll go out on a limb and guess that Johnson will be the primary backup to each of Lee Evans, Terrell Owens and Josh Reed.

WR Shaine Smith. This guy is freakishly skinny. But he can play. He's very long and has some good speed; you'll see him run some deep routes on Sunday. He has a chance to stick in some capacity (likely the practice squad).

TE Derek Schouman. I've been impressed with Schouman. He's the best tight end on the field by a considerable margin.

The offensive line. These guys sucked today. Chris Kelsay blew up Demetrius Bell (who once again took first-team reps at right tackle) on a continuous basis. Derrick Jones, of all people, made Geoff Hangartner look like a tackling dummy. Jermaine McGhee looked like the second coming of Jevon Kearse. It really was brutal; the run game wasn't any better. My guess is that it'll be like this for a while - they'll be dominant at times, and awful the rest of the time. They've got the right players; all of them have their moments. Gel time is so crucial.

Chris Ellis. I paid pretty close attention to him today; there could literally be a million reasons why, but the guy looked like he was going half-speed through every drill. Bob Sanders got on his case more than once. Somebody needs to remind Ellis that the Bills are four-deep at end - Aaron Schobel, Kelsay, Ryan Denney and Aaron Maybin aren't going anywhere - and there's no guarantee the team will keep five ends. No sense of urgency on his part; he looks like he either is resigned to his fate, or believes that there's no chance he'll get cut.

John McCargo. Before he limped off the field, nobody was busting tail harder than McCargo (though Kyle Williams, who was the best player on the field today, certainly gave him a run for his money). 97 looks like he's in great shape, and he's moving very well. Here's hoping he recovers quickly, because he looked like he's primed for a big season today.

Kawika Mitchell. I like watching Kawika practice. He moves well out there. You can tell that the rest of the linebackers - Paul Posluszny in particular - mimic his every move. He's an underrated player, but more importantly, he's an outstanding influence on some talented young players.

Leodis McKelvin. I've seen him live dozens of times, and I'm still floored by his athleticism. He is an astonishing, unique athlete. He looked much better in coverage today than he has over the past couple of weeks.

Ellis Lankster. More praise for the rookie seventh-round pick. While Ashton Youboty watched in sweats, Lankster calmly stepped in front of an Edwards dart and took it the other way. We might even be talking about Lankster as a fifth corner behind Terrence McGee, McKelvin, Drayton Florence and Reggie Corner before long. Seriously.

That's all for this week's camp practice recaps. I can take questions if you have them; saw a lot more today than I did last night, as I was able to move around much more. Tomorrow is all about the Hall of Fame. Hang in there for 48 hours, folks - we're thisclose to seeing the 2009 Buffalo Bills suit up.

State of the Bills Roster: Defensive Tackle

Brian Galliford — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:15:08 -0000

DT Stroud will carry the burden inside in '09 (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 continue off our 'State of the Roster' series this morning with a look at the safety position. Previous installments: QB, RB, TE, OT, DE, S.

During the 2008 season, the Buffalo Bills defense made an overall statistical jump from being one of the league's worst units in 2007 (ranked No. 31 overall) to a respectable middle-of-the-pack unit (No. 14 overall). This rise is generally attributed to two factors: the Bills' luck in drawing a schedule with several weak offenses, and the addition of DT Marcus Stroud.

Cast away in Jacksonville, the Bills traded for Stroud in March of 2008; Stroud would become the centerpiece addition of Buffalo's entire off-season. Though he did not put up gaudy statistics last season (45 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 7 batted passes), he was perhaps the only Bills defender that opposing offenses had to concentrate on last season. With a brand new four-year, $28 million contract extension in hand, Stroud remains the cornerstone of Buffalo's defense. Whether he'll have enough help on the inside in 2009, however, remains a key question entering the season.

STARTER: Marcus Stroud
He's clearly the best defensive lineman on the team, capable of occupying multiple blockers in the running game and knifing into the backfield for quarterback pressures against the pass. Stroud had a stretch or two of games last year in which he was not as effective as he could have been; this was most noticeable in games against the team's AFC East rivals. He also dealt with a shoulder injury during the mid portions of the season. Stroud needs to stay healthy; as long as he does that, Buffalo's most valuable defender will be fine.

STARTER: Kyle Williams
Williams may be the Marv Levy/Russ Brandon and Dick Jauron regime's best draft pick to date; the former fifth-round pick has helped off-set the bust factor of draft classmate John McCargo, and in three seasons as a starter, Williams has racked up 149 tackles and four sacks. He's never going to be a player that defenses have to game-plan for, but he complements Stroud well in that he chases plays effectively, is stout against the run, and is an exemplary teammate. You won't hear many complaints about this kid - he's just a good, solid football player.

Spencer Johnson
For whatever reason, Johnson developed a negative reputation during his first season with the Bills. As a situational defensive tackle, Johnson was pretty productive last season, picking up 31 tackles and two sacks spelling Stroud and Williams inside and even moonlighting at defensive end on rare occasions. He is only 27 years old and just entering his prime; if the Bills can play with more leads this season, Johnson's athleticism should be put to better use.

John McCargo
If McCargo deserves credit for anything, it's his ability to keep his head down and continue to work. The 2006 first-round pick failed to make an impact through his first three seasons, then was traded last year to Indianapolis - only to fail a physical and get shipped back to Buffalo. Through it all - and let's be honest, that had to have been an embarrassing situation for the player as well as the organization - McCargo has kept his mouth shut, and by all accounts, he's been in Orchard Park this off-season working alongside his teammates. He deserves credit for that. But it might be time to throw in the towel with this kid in terms of our once-lofty expectations - he looks like nothing more than a spot contributor at this point in his career.

Corey Mace
He has stuck around for two seasons as a practice squad player called up to the active roster due to injury late in the season. Barring injury, the Toronto native is a longshot to make the roster.

Marcus Smith
Smith was signed to the Bills' practice squad during the 2008 season. He, like Mace, faces an uphill climb to make the roster.

David Lindquist, John Faletoese, Ventrell Jenkins
I won't pretend to know much about these three undrafted free agents. So I won't say anything more than this: they're longshots to make anything other than the practice squad.

Contract situations: With Stroud's new deal in hand, the only significant player with a contract running out any time soon is McCargo, whose rookie deal expires after the 2010 season. Stroud, Williams and Johnson are all under contract for the next four seasons.

Bottom Line
It was pretty apparent that the Bills weren't going to do much at this season - they've got one guy that they're paying to be their top tackle (Stroud), and two more scrappy vets they're paying to complement their centerpiece (Williams, Johnson). They've even still got a quasi project in McCargo. Still, this area - just like any other position on a football team - is in constant need of attention, which in part explains the recent tryout of Wendell Bryant. It was a bit surprising that the Bills didn't look for a project to work into the rotation; perhaps the club views Lindquist, Faletoese and/or Jenkins in that light. This position is set depth-wise - but it'd be nice to see the team add another significant piece here next off-season. Stroud isn't getting any younger.

State of the Bills Roster: Defensive Tackles

Brian Galliford — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:45:06 -0000

Stroud makes a difference in '08 (buffalobills.com)

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 defensive tackle.
Previous installments: QB :: RB :: TE :: WR :: OT :: G/C :: DE
New: Prioritized Offensive Needs List

Opening statement
Veteran Marcus Stroud was Buffalo's biggest player acquisition last off-season, and his presence was one of the biggest reasons that Buffalo's defense improved from 31st in the league in 2007 to 14th this past season. The Bills enjoyed solid, consistent production out of its defensive tackle rotation throughout 2008, but have now reached a point where depth could become a major concern in future seasons.

#99 Marcus Stroud (starter)
6'6", 306 pounds
Age: 31 in June 2009
Contract status: 2 years remaining (UFA after 2010); owed $7.5M in base salaries.
- Don't make the mistake of believing that Stroud didn't have a significant impact on Buffalo's defense in 2008. His stats weren't overwhelming - 45 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and seven deflected passes - but they didn't have to be for him to make Buffalo's defense better. He'll be 31 next year, so small, nagging injuries should be expected from Stroud for the rest of his career. He's a guy that must be accounted for play in and play out, and that's absolutely essential for this defense.

#95 Kyle Williams (starter)
6'1", 306 pounds
Age: 26 in June 2009
Contract status: 4 years remaining (UFA after 2012); owed $6.55M in base salaries.
- The Bills handed Williams a contract extension prior to playing games in 2008, and Williams responded with his best professional season. Finishing second to DE Ryan Denney in tackles from defensive linemen with 55, Williams became more of a factor in the backfield this season, also recording two sacks. He's a bowling ball of a player that plays with reckless abandon. The big question surrounding Williams: can he be a starter on an elite defense, or is he better suited to heavy rotational work?

#91 Spencer Johnson
6'3", 286 pounds
Age: 28 in December 2009
Contract status: 4 years remaining (UFA after 2012); precise salaries unknown.
- Buffalo's second defensive tackle acquisition last season, Johnson provides solid - if unspectacular - depth along the entire defensive line. He got a significant chunk of playing time as Buffalo's third tackle last season, recording 31 stops and two sacks in rotational duty. He'll never be a superstar, but he's a very acceptable rotational player that can contribute.

#74 Corey Mace
6'3", 287 pounds
Age: 24 in December 2009
Contract status: Undisclosed.
- Mace was called up to the active roster late in 2008 due to depth issues. He had one tackle on the season. His forte is athleticism, but Johnson already has that spot tied up. He's not a part of the team's long-term plans.

#97 John McCargo
6'2", 312 pounds
Age: 26 in August 2009
Contract status: 2 years remaining (UFA after 2010); owed $1.52M in base salaries.
- The Bills tried to trade McCargo during the 2008 season, but a bad back nullified a deal with Indianapolis. Buffalo's coaches are displeased with McCargo's work ethic and production - he hasn't come close to achieving his enormous potential, and likely won't. McCargo can officially be labeled the first (major) draft bust of Dick Jauron's regime. The question now is whether it will be more shocking if McCargo is retained or if he is released this off-season.

The Breakdown
Keepers: Stroud, Williams, Johnson. Stroud, even though he's starting to work his way out of the prime of his career, can still co-anchor a great defense. Williams and Johnson are what they are - tough, effort players that can occasionally give you big plays.

Extendables: None.

Expendables: McCargo, Mace. McCargo has fallen out of favor with the coaches, and if he can't be traded (again), it's fully expected that he'll be released. Mace is a fringe player at best.

Questionables: None.

What we need: The consensus here seems to be that the trio of Stroud, Williams and Johnson is acceptable - they're certainly all good players. But I disagree. Buffalo misses having a massive run-stuffer, and if there was a weak area to Buffalo's defense as a whole last season - besides the weak pass rush, obviously - the run defense was it. The Bills finished just 23rd in the league defending the run despite the presence of Stroud and the improved play of Williams. Depth is an obvious issue, especially if McCargo is out of town, but rather than merely get a fourth tackle for the rotation, I posit that the Bills should explore the option of a massive run-stuffer that will take our run defense from average to dynamic.

That's it. I'm done with the easy stuff. Now it's on you, folks. How big is too big when talking about potential run-stuffers in Perry Fewell's defense? How comfortable are you with the trio we have leading the way at DT? Have any names of potential additions you'd like to throw into the ring? Have fun with this, and let's get brainstorming.