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Ten worst Buffalo Bills draft picks of the decade

Brian Galliford — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:10:28 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

Yesterday, we talked about the ten best draft picks that the Buffalo Bills have made over the past decade. In order to complete our "[descriptive adjective] of the decade" series here, we've got to knock off the worst picks, too. This list can also be known as "why the Bills have sucked for a decade," but we're also hoping that one last vent session over these missed picks will be therapeutic as the franchise turns a new leaf - and a new decade - next month.

On to the list. Hope you can stomach it.

10. Josh Reed, WR, LSU (2002, Round 2, No. 36 overall)
Tom Donahoe's first draft as GM of the Bills, in 2001, netted some really good players. Nate Clements, Aaron Schobel and Travis Henry all made our "best of" list yesterday, and the Bills even got quality years and production out of third-round pick Jonas Jennings. 2002, however, was an epic flop, and Reed, the Bills' second-round pick (fourth overall in that round), was part of the reason why.

Drafted well ahead of his talent level thanks to a huge bowl game as a senior, the converted running back had a solid rookie season playing between Eric Moulds and Peerless Price on a very prolific Bills offense led by Drew Bledsoe. Then Price was shipped out of town, Reed became the starter, and his career has been incredibly average since then. This was the first in a long line of high-round luxury picks made by Donahoe that did not pan out, and obviously eventually cost Donahoe his job.

9. Chris Ellis, DE, Virginia Tech (2008, Round 3, No. 72 overall)
It's tough to put a player in his second year on this list (and we'll do it again soon), but Ellis is the poster child of several "good idea, bad philosophy/wrong player" picks that the Bills have made this decade. Picked when the Bills had a need to boost their pass rush, Ellis has seen extremely minimal playing time and barely made the roster in his second season. Unlike former second-round picks Schobel, Ryan Denney and Chris Kelsay, Ellis has not found any way to contribute to the team - and though it might still be too early to write him off, the Bills picked a project player with attitude issues in a season when they needed their high-round picks to produce.

8. Donte Whitner, S, Ohio State (2006, Round 1, No. 8 overall)
I suspect that most of you will want to see Whitner higher on this list, simply because the Bills passed on a dominant defensive lineman (Haloti Ngata) to get him. Philosophically, the pick makes at least some degree of sense; look at most of today's elite NFL teams, and you'll find an elite safety on the back end of the defense. Whitner, however, has failed to produce to the standards of a No. 8 overall pick thanks to his being shuffled from position-to-position and his own lack of elite playmaking ability. Whitner is a good player, which is why this pick doesn't rank much higher on the list. Philosophically, however, Buffalo erred here, and thus got the Dick Jauron era off to a not-so-hot start.

7. James Hardy, WR, Indiana (2008, Round 2, No. 41 overall)
Much like Ellis, I'm hesitant to put a second-year player on this list, particularly at the wide receiver position. I still very much believe that Hardy has what it takes to be a poor man's Plaxico Burress-type threat in this league, particularly in the red zone. He won't get the reps to do it any time soon, however.

This pick makes the list because philosophically, it was perhaps the worst team-building move the Bills made in the last half of the decade. Buffalo knew entering the '08 off-season that they needed a threat to complement Lee Evans and help develop young quarterback Trent Edwards. They courted veteran free agents like Bryant Johnson, but that didn't pan out, so they went to the draft and came away with... a tall receiver in need of an incredible amount of polish. Everyone knows that the bigger a rookie receiver, the longer it'll take to develop them. (Unless their surname is Fitzgerald or Johnson.) Hardy couldn't nail down a starting job, Edwards went into a shell thanks to a lack of weapons that he'd never re-emerge from, and the rest is history. Buffalo fixed the situation a year too late with the Terrell Owens signing.

6. Travares Tillman, S, Georgia Tech (2000, Round 2, No. 58 overall)
Tillman played in the NFL for quite a while. He made a nice living as a journeyman safety with some range and athletic ability, and he even picked off 3 passes with Miami in 2005. But you generally would like your second-round picks to spend more than two seasons with your team, which is exactly what Tillman did. He did not survive the regime change from Wade Phillips to Gregg Williams, and that's an indictment on the efforts of former GM John Butler in his last Bills draft class.

5. Roscoe Parrish, WR, Miami, FL (2005, Round 2, No. 55 overall)
Yikes. Without a first-round pick thanks to an epic draft-day blunder of a trade that we'll discuss a bit higher on this list, Donahoe, in his last draft as a Bills GM, chose the gadget player to rule all gadget players with Parrish as his top selection on the season. Parrish has had his moments with this team, and for a while, he was the NFL's best punt returner, setting career average records and putting the Bills in position to win a few games thanks to timely big returns. But Parrish was drafted to be much more than a punt returner; unfortunately, that's all the Bills have gotten.

4. John McCargo, DT, North Carolina State (2006, Round 1, No. 26 overall)
It'd be difficult for most teams to find a bigger first-round flop than McCargo in the past decade; unfortunately for the Bills, they have three bigger flops. Again, this was a case of the Bills taking a player far higher than his talent level indicated; the Bills desperately needed a starting defensive tackle that season, and the fact that they lucked into Kyle Williams four rounds later doesn't make this pick any less of a reach. Since this pick, McCargo has dealt with several small injuries, one major injury (a bulging disc in his back), been traded, had the trade negated, and toiled at the bottom of the Bills' depth chart. Not exactly what you'd like out of a first-round pick.

3. Erik Flowers, DE, Arizona State (2000, Round 1, No. 26 overall)
Butler's last draft featured Flowers as its centerpiece. Bruce Smith had left the team, and the Bills were searching for their next great pass rusher. Flowers didn't stick in Buffalo because Gregg Williams brought in a 4-3 defense that Flowers, a 3-4 pass rusher, did not fit into. But the four sacks that Flowers picked up in two seasons with Buffalo represent 80% of his career total of five, which he picked up in five NFL seasons.

2. J.P. Losman, QB, Tulane (2004, Round 1, No. 22 overall)
This, my friends, was Epic Fail No. 2. Drew Bledsoe had something left in the tank, and the Bills were pushing toward a playoff berth. They did, however, need a quarterback of the future, and then-head coach Mike Mularkey fell in love with the deep ball of a cocky kid from Tulane. Mularkey loved that deep ball so much that the Bills traded multiple picks to Dallas to move back into the first round to get their cocky kid quarterback. Two years later, Mularkey was gone, Losman had a flash-in-the-pan season under Dick Jauron, and then a Losman knee injury began the memorable Trent Edwards era. Now, Losman is attempting to get back into the NFL after leading the Las Vegas Locomotives to a UFL championship.

1. Mike Williams, OT, Texas (2002, Round 1, No. 4 overall)
It's tough to top Losman, but Williams found a way to do it. Williams is the poster child for terrible Bills drafting, and the centerpiece of the plethora of issues that got Donahoe fired. At the time, Williams was given the richest contract in franchise history, but to say that he never lived up to his potential would be a severe understatement. He spent four highly mediocre seasons as Buffalo's right tackle before lazy-ing himself out of the sport entirely; one of the very first actions Marv Levy took on this roster as GM was to cut Williams. Big Mike made a not-so-dramatic return to NFL football this season with Washington, and is now toiling in anonymity on one of the league's worst units that features another former Bill, Derrick Dockery.

Just click his name and take a gander at his picture to see just how far Williams' star has fallen.

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Link, 12/10

MattRichWarren — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:01:51 -0000

Bills' Maybin barely toes the line : Jerry Sullivan : The Buffalo News
"In time, Maybin might turn into a star. But it's disconcerting to watch so many other rookies having good years while the Bills' top pick struggles to find himself. Well, they're 4-8. Maybe someone up top should tell Fewell the time has come to find out about Maybin."

All Fundamentals Team - Brian Moorman
The Bills' punter was named to the USA Football "All Fundamentals team" for his excellent form on and off the field.

Lindell having another strong season | BuffaloBills.com
"The most accurate kicker in franchise history, Lindell is putting together another solid season. Entering this weekend’s action the veteran kicker is 20-23 on field goal attempts this season (87%). With four games left to play Lindell is within striking distance of his single-season career high in field goal percentage set back in 2006 when he went 23-25 for a 92 percent success rate."

Bills bleeding away points in the red zone : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
"The Bills have scored just nine touchdowns inside the opponent's 20-yard line, tying the St. Louis Rams and Oakland Raiders for the fewest in the NFL. The Bills' 27 red-zone possessions are tied with the Detroit Lions and Sunday's opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, for the fifth fewest in the league."

Byrd’s injury improving – Inside The Bills
"Fewell wasn’t ready to go so far as to say that Jairus Byrd’s snaps will be increased significantly as a result of his improved condition. But it’s a good sign that the rookie ballhawk could be out on the field more than he has been in recent weeks."

Bills notebook: Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
"Cornerback Terrence McGee practiced fully for the first time since having knee surgery during the bye week. Whether he's able to return to the starting lineup won't be known until the end of the week. Defensive tackle John McCargo also practiced fully after being sidelined the last two weeks with a calf injury."

Injury report – Inside The Bills
Terrence McGee practiced fully. Check out the list of players who didn't here.

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Bills vs. Chiefs; So Similar, It's Scary
"Fewell was asked if some of the Bills younger players, like Aaron Maybin, James Hardy and Steve Johnson would see playing time over the last few weeks of the season. He replied that he's trying to put the best 45-man roster on the field each week and that the younger players that aren't playing as much will get a chance when he (Fewell) feels that they give the Bills a chance to win. "

Time for Bills to go with Brohm? | Democrat and Chronicle
"One way the Bills could make some headway on 2010 is to start finding out, as soon as possible, if new quarterback Brian Brohm is someone that could help the team."

Back to Work With the Bills | Democrat and Chronicle | Three-Point Stance
Sal Maiorana looks back at the Jets loss and forward to next season.

Bills looking toward 2010 for Maybin - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"I think he's going to be a dynamic player for us," said Perry Fewell. "It's very tough to play in this league, and I think he will get better, and he’ll be a top-flight pick. Maybe not at the end of this season, but he’s going to be a top-flight pick for this football team."

Video: AFC East Huddle - AFC East Blog - ESPN
ESPN's John Clayton takes his weekly spin around the AFC East and touches on a variety of subjects.

Jones, McNabb headline the top fantasy starters for Week 14 | NFL.com
Terrell Owens is a "Start 'Em" this week now that he's not locked up against Darrelle Revis.

wgrz.com | Buffalo, NY | Bills Roundtable
Watch 2-On-Your-Side's Adam Benigni and Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle on this week's Bills Roundtable.

Owens and Lynch have long pass contest | WIVB.com
45 second clip of Terrell Owens and Marshawn Lynch in a long pass contest following Wednesday’s practice.

Bills search for motivation | WIVB.com
"We're all competitors number one," Fewell said Wednesday. "We talked about it this morning, that in order to get what you want in life, you have to have enthusiasm and a vision. Our vision is to win."

Bills top draft pick DE Maybin remains motivated - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
"Maybin is willing to lower his expectations a little for this year. The level of confidence he has in his abilities, though, remains unchanged."

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
Bills interim coach Perry Fewell on LT Demetrius Bell (knee): "That's a day-to-day thing with Bell. He worked out Monday, really looked good on Monday. Did not participate today so we’re just trying to find out what the problem is there."

Further Evidence Edwards Is Done : Buffalo Sports Daily
Pat Moran, who two weeks ago called for Briam Brohm to get a look, now wants Trent Edwards back as the starter since he lit up the Chiefs a year ago.

Countdown Daily AccuScore Report: BUF-KC - ESPN Video - ESPN
Jenny Dell tells you the chances the Bills go into Kansas City and beat the Chiefs

Saints sign LB off Bills practice squad – Inside The Bills
"LB Anthony Waters, who was signed to Buffalo’s practice squad on Oct. 14 in the wake of a rash of injuries at the LB position, has been signed by New Orleans as they deal with injuries themselves at the LB position."

Owens open to re-signing with Bills in 2010 | BuffaloBills.com
"Terrell Owens seems to view the Bills as the victim of circumstance in 2009, which is why he’s not as discouraged by what has transpired this season as some might think." He is quoted as saying, "It’s no coincidence as (Ryan) Fitz(patrick) has been in the offense that I’ve been getting involved and he’s kind of been dropping back and looking downfield and he’s seen on the film where I have been open and we’ve taken full advantage of that."

Bills Week 14: Bills at Chiefs | Buffalo News Video
"The Bills head to Kansas City this week where they face the the Chiefs. Last time the Bills played in Arrowhead Stadium the Bills racked up 54 points in a win. Can the Bills repeat this season? Al, Sully and Rodney take a look at the matchup."

Bills celebrate Play 60 with students | BuffaloBills.com
The event included appearances by wide receiver Lee Evans, safety George Wilson, linebacker Chris Draft, long-snapper Garrison Sanborn, linebacker Jon Corto, defensive end Aaron Maybin, safety John Wendling and team mascot Billy Buffalo as they encouraged kids to stay fit.

Wilson: Bills work out Pettiti | National Football Post
The Bills worked out former Cowboys offensive tackle Rob Pettiti, late of the UFL's Florida Tuskers, Tuesday.

Team in Transition
WGR 550 SportsRadio - Getting a new football coach - in 12 stages
Jeremy White's 12-step program of getting over your old coach and finding your enthusiasm for the next season.

ProFootballWeekly.com - Assistants will draw interest for head-coaching jobs
"With the majority of the teams likely to be looking for new head coaches at the end of the season also having financial concerns that figure to keep them from pursuing heavy hitters such as Mike Shanahan, Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden and Mike Holmgren, PFW this week takes an in-depth look at the more affordable alternatives whom our leaguewide sources have identified from the NFL assistant-coaching ranks."

2010 NFL Draft
FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Cover-3: A Man Named Suh
FO profiles the big Nebraska DT.

Locker might return to Washington - San Jose Mercury News
"Washington coach Steve Sarkisian says he's "very optimistic" that star quarterback Jake Locker will return to the Huskies for his senior season rather than enter the NFL draft."

Bills Tweets
Nic Harris
Off tired, think this is what they call the rookie wall, imma fight thru! Time to bite down!

Letterman writer Eric Stengel
Terrell Owens has signed with a modeling agency. A couple of gigs and maybe the guy can finally get some attention!!

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."

Identifying the "crux players" on Buffalo's roster

Brian Galliford — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:00:30 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

Browse more photos »

Two weeks ago - a day before the Buffalo Bills fired head coach Dick Jauron, in fact - we here at Buffalo Rumblings took a look at the core players of Buffalo's roster. The idea behind the post was to identify players that, based on their contract status with the franchise, are very likely to survive a regime change at One Bills Drive.

We'll recap the fruits of that labor quickly after the jump, but the purpose of this post is to take that exercise a step further. With the core players out of the way, it's time to look at the players that I'll term "crux players" - guys with flexible contract situations that will define a new regime's focus on re-building the Bills.

Core player recap
We named 17 current Bills as "core players," splitting the group up into vested veterans, young players with promise and role-playing veterans awaiting new roles once the regime change is complete. Of those 17 players, we defined a solid 9 as starting-caliber, a further six as fringe starters, and two as reserves. Here's that breakdown:

Starters: RB Fred Jackson, WR Lee Evans, G/C Eric Wood, DE Aaron Schobel, DT Marcus Stroud, LB Kawika Mitchell, CB Terrence McGee, FS Jairus Byrd, P Brian Moorman

Fringe starters: TE Shawn Nelson, OT Brad Butler, OG Andy Levitre, DE Aaron Maybin, DT Kyle Williams, CB Leodis McKelvin

Reserves: C/G Geoff Hangartner, DT Spencer Johnson

Keep in mind that all of these players are currently under contract through the end of the 2012 season. That means that, if each plays to the end of their contract, they'll be in Buffalo for another three years. The fact that each player has at least three years left on his deal at least ensures that they'll be part of the roster in Year 1 of a new regime, and many of them will be playing considerably large roles.

For this exercise, the criteria changes a bit. "Crux players," as far as we're concerned for now, are players that, once the 2009 season ends, will have either one or two years left on their current deal. Each is under contract for the 2010 season, but each also has a deal that makes it possible for a new regime to play football in 2010 without these players under contract. They are truly "crux" players in that a new regime will be making its most important decisions amongst this group. The entire new direction of the franchise from a personnel standpoint will be based largely on evaluations of these 19 players.

Keep in mind, also, that this list changes if 2010 is an uncapped year. Ask MattRichWarren about it.

Buffalo's 19 "crux players"
You'll have a task at the end of this exercise, but for now, here's a quick summary of the 19 crux players on Buffalo's roster:

Trent Edwards, QB - Signed through 2011. He's been benched and needs a new environment, but some talent remains.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB - Signed through 2012. Has proven to be reliable as a backup, but is not considered a franchise signal-caller.
Brian Brohm, QB - Signed through 2012. A project player with some solid tools, there's a chance he never sees the field for Buffalo.
Marshawn Lynch, RB - Signed through 2013, with an opt-out clause in the final year. No longer the starting running back, Lynch might be the subject of trade talks this off-season.
Corey McIntyre, FB - Signed through 2011. Run-of-the-mill player.
James Hardy, WR - Signed through 2012. Buffalo invested a second-round pick in him, and the talent is there, but Hardy has had injury issues and hasn't seen the field much.
Roscoe Parrish, WR - Signed through 2012. Has clamored for a trade, but a new regime might be inclined to keep him as a punt returner. Unlikely to get PT as a WR anywhere.
Steve Johnson, WR - Signed through 2012. Held in high regard by current regime, but that could change quickly, and doesn't carry the same investment as Hardy.
Derek Fine, TE - Signed through 2012. Probably survives a regime change because he's a role player with special teams ability.
Demetrius Bell, OT - Signed through 2012. Has struggled with injuries and on the playing field, but again, there is raw ability to work with.
Chris Kelsay, DE - Signed through 2011. A heady veteran who has improved under position coach Bob Sanders, but has a large salary that might seal his fate.
Chris Ellis, DE - Signed through 2012. Does not play a significant role now and that's not likely to change, but represents a significant investment ('08 third-round pick).
John McCargo, DT - Signed through 2011. Nothing more than a rotational tackle at this point in his disappointing career.
Paul Posluszny, LB - Signed through 2011. Sure to be the most intensely-debated player on this list.
Drayton Florence, CB - Signed through 2011. Has been excellent as a fill-in starter, and has scheme versatility.
Reggie Corner, CB - Signed through 2012. Reserve-type corner that has his uses, but should never be counted on as a starter.
Donte Whitner, S - Signed through 2011, with an opt-out clause in the final year. Could be a UFA as soon as this coming March. New regime might feel differently about him.
John Wendling, S - Signed through 2011. Special teams player only.
Rian Lindell, K - Signed through 2012. Reliable and gets more consistent with age.

Your Task
There's your list, folks. Some of those names obviously carry much more weight and importance than others. Your task: pick out the players that you believe are worth keeping around. Then, of those names, split them into starters and reserves. Combined with your input from the original post, this should really cement your ideas about where you'd take the franchise if you were GM.

Stroud one of three Bills starters out for Sunday

Brian Galliford — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:54:36 -0000

More photos » by Rick Havner - AP

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The Buffalo Bills, led by interim head coach Perry Fewell, will be looking for a win in Jacksonville without the services of three key starters.

Marcus Stroud did not practice all week with a knee injury and has been ruled out, according to BuffaloBills.com. This could potentially leave the Bills with just two healthy defensive tackles on Sunday. Also ruled out were tackle Demetrius Bell (knee), linebacker Keith Ellison (thigh) and cornerback Ashton Youboty (ankle).

Stroud's absence is of critical importance. The Bills have the NFL's worst run defense, and they're about to take on the NFL's fifth-leading rusher in Maurice Jones-Drew without their most proven run defender. Exacerbating that issue is the fact that fellow defensive tackle Kyle Williams is on the injury report as well, listed as questionable with a knee injury that has caused him to miss Buffalo's last two games.

Spencer Johnson will start in Stroud's place, and if Williams can't go, John McCargo will make his first start of the season as well. Converted safety Bryan Scott will make a second straight start at outside linebacker in place of Ellison. Rookie guard Andy Levitre will flip out to left tackle in place of Bell, with veteran Seth McKinney getting the nod in Levitre's left guard spot.

Joining Williams as questionable for Sunday are receiver James Hardy (groin), cornerback Terrence McGee (knee) and rookie free safety Jairus Byrd (groin). McGee and Byrd were both limited in practice on Friday. With Donte Whitner returning to the lineup (he's not listed on the injury report and practiced all week), George Wilson would start at safety if Byrd can't go. If McGee cannot play, the Bills will dress just three healthy cornerbacks in Jacksonville (Drayton Florence, Reggie Corner and Ellis Lankster).

Meanwhile, Jacksonville will be missing one key defensive starter (cornerback Rashean Mathis) and is likely to be without another (middle linebacker Justin Durant is doubtful).

Opponent History: Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars

sireric — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:50:01 -0000

Buffalo Bills (3-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4)
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 1:00 PM EST
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium - Jacksonville, FL

This is a little later than we normally start to look at next week's opponent, but after the events of the past two days, it seemed appropriate to push it back a little bit. This will be the tenth meeting between the Bills and the Jaguars, including their first ever meeting in the 1996 AFC Wild Card playoff game. The Bills hold a 5-4 lead in the all-time series. This is also the fifth ever meeting to take place in Jacksonville, where the Bills hold a 3-1 victory edge. With the exception of two contests, these have been very close games, with the average margin of victory being a little over a touchdown. Recaps of last five meetings are after the jump.

Sunday, September 14, 2003: Bills 38, Jaguars 17
Completely unable to run the football, Drew Bledsoe and the Bills went to the air. Bledsoe passed for 314 yards and two touchdowns, while Travis Henry proved to be useful in the red zone by pushing in three goal line touchdowns to pace to Bills' offense. Alex Van Pelt even got into the game late and completed one pass for 14 yards. Eric Moulds had a nice day, with 7 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown.

Sunday, September 12, 2004: Jaguars 13, Bills 10
This was another good day for Moulds, but his 8 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown weren't enough. The Bills had a 10-6 lead in the closing seconds of the game, but Byron Leftwich hit Ernest Wilford in the back of the end zone as time expired to give the Jags the win. I remember that I couldn't watch this game, but I was watching a different game looking for updates. The scroll on CBS kept saying that the game was over and the Bills had won, so I was happy. When they showed the game break, I got really pissed.

Sunday, November 26, 2006: Bills 27, Jaguars 24
This time it was the Bills scoring as time expired to get the win. The Bills jumped out to a 17-7 lead on the strength of two Willis McGahee touchdown runs and a Rian Lindell field goal. The Jags pulled closer by adding a David Garrard-to-Marcedes Lewis touchdown pass to the Maurice Jones-Drew TD run they already had to make the score 17-14 at the half. After a Roscoe Parrish punt return for a touchdown and a Josh Scobee field goal, Garrard hit Matt Jones with 28 seconds left to tie the game up. But the Bills got into filed goal range in just 28 seconds, and Lindell hit a 42-yarder to give the Bills the win as the clock hit zeroes.

Sunday, November 25, 2007: Jaguars 36, Bills 14
This game was never really close. Fred Taylor and Jones-Drew combined for 124 yards and two touchdowns, and Josh Scobee hit five field goals as the Jags rolled over the Bills. Anthony Thomas and Roscoe Parrish found the end zone for the Bills as lone bright spots.

Sunday, September 14, 2008: Bills 20, Jags 16
This was probably the one game that I blame the high expectations from the previous year on the most. The Bills headed into heavily favored Jacksonville and pulled out a win. With the Jags leading 16-10 late in the fourth quarter, Trent Edwards hit James Hardy in the back of the end zone on a beautiful fade pass to give the Bills a 17-16 lead. Lindell added an insurance field goal to help seal it for the Bills. Buffalo would win their next two game to move to 4-0 on the season before starting a downward spiral that would crush all of our hearts.

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 11/17

MattRichWarren — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:41:14 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

about 1 month ago: Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson (28) scores a touchdown on a one-yard run ahead of Buffalo Bills linebacker Nic Harris, right, in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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DE Schobel Questions Bills Lack Of Direction -- NFL FanHouse
"I mean, we're technically, mathematically still in it, I guess," said Aaron Schobel, "but it's like what ... are we doing here?"

Obscene Gesture Costs Adams $250K -- NFL FanHouse
The NFL has fined Titans owner Bud Adams $250,000 for making an obscene gesture at Buffalo fans while celebrating Tennessee's victory over the Bills.

Jauron on Whitner situation – Inside The Bills
Basically Whitner was dressed to play in an emergency situation, but was still not 100 percent recovered from the severe bone bruise on his ankle.

Jauron to announce starting QB Wednesday | BuffaloBills.com
Chris Brown says the offense hasn't looked much different with Trent Edwards or Ryan Fitzpatrick starting. The team won't make a decision on the starter until Wednesday.

Jauron not optimistic about Bell – Inside The Bills
Demetrius Bell’s injured knee won’t be re-evaluated until later Monday, but Dick Jauron was not optimistic about his status moving forward.

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
Bills DT Kyle Williams - one of Buffalo's best defenders this season - is hoping to return this week from a torn MCL. "I’m hoping this week, but I don’t know ... it’s better than it was last week," Williams said. "I tore that ligament and they say it’s just at time issue."

Bills rookie Byrd continues fine season - AFC East Blog - ESPN
The last time a player had at least eight interceptions in five games was Tommy Morrow for the Oakland Raiders in 1963.

Bills notebook: Jauron won't say if Edwards is starter: The Buffalo News
Ever true to his guarded approach, Bills coach Dick Jauron would not say whether Trent Edwards will be under center Sunday when the team visits Jacksonville.

Bud Adams Fined $250K for Flipping off the Bills - Music City Miracles
Bud Adams fined $250K for the Music City Salute. The MCM blog says that's way too high. I agree.

Buffalo Bills Replay: Where does team go from here? | Democrat and Chronicle
Sal Maiorana and Leo Roth go back and forth on the future of the Bills.

Music City Meltdown | Democrat and Chronicle | Three-Point Stance
Here’s a few things Sal Maiorana would do if he was calling the shots at One Bills Drive: start Trent Edwards, start Fred Jackson, get rid of Terrell Owens and start James Hardy, say goodbye to Donte Whitner, play Aaron Maybin, let Roscoe Parrish return punts, and get Shawn Nelson more involved.

Jauron Hints At Changes In Presser : Buffalo Sports Daily
Personnel decisions are aplenty with injuries and poor play across the board.

POLLOCK: These Bills are a team in disarray | Olean Times Herald
"What a mess," says Chuck Pollack.

Jeff Nixon: "Head Games" : Buffalo Sports Daily
The former Bill looks at concussions and the NFL in light of Trent Edwards' return from the injury.

Kawika chops the hair! – Inside The Bills
Bills LB Kawika Mitchell, whose season is over due to a knee injury suffered a month ago, made a bold decision recently to cut his long locks off. Photo there.

Latest Meltdown Has Bills’ Season On Verge Of Imploding : Buffalo Sports Daily
Pat Moran likens the Bills to Amy Winehouse in the meltdown department as he gives his game recap.

Niagara Gazette - BILLS DVR REWIND: Bad decision accelerates Bills’ implosion
Tim Schmitt looks back at the Bills loss in Tennessee focusing in on the last 3:30 minutes of play.

Notebook: Byrd is again the word | BuffaloBills.com
Dan Bates gives some positive notes from the Titans loss featuring Jairus Byrd, Lee Evans, T.O., and the OL reshuffle.

Statement from Titans Owner K.S. 'Bud' Adams, Jr. | Titansonline.com
The full text from Bud Adams double-finger apology.

High pick in cards for Bills : Jerry Sullivan : The Buffalo News
Jerry Sullivan recounts a meeting with Rex Carr at Cole's Monday discussing the demise of the Bills and the upcoming offseason.

Owens Sums it Up: What's New? | wgrz.com
Adam Benigni poses the question to key parts of the Bills and comes up with the answer "nothing".

Keys to Victory: Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans

Kurupt — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:13:19 -0000

The Buffalo Bills head down to Tennessee to face the Titans in a Week 10 matchup of teams trying to stay in the periphery of the playoff race. The Bills are coming off their bye week, while the Titans are coming off a nice road victory in San Francisco.

These two teams have some similarities, mainly poor defenses and quarterback deficiencies, though the Titans are showing signs of life that the Bills have yet to show this season. Tennessee features the NFL's leading rusher in second year RB Chris Johnson, and possesses many of the same pieces of a team that racked up 13 wins last year. The Bills, meanwhile, continue to struggle on both sides of the ball, but will see the return of quarterback Trent Edwards this weekend. It may not be a big factor in this game, but Edwards' return could provide a momentary jolt of energy in the lifeless Bills' offense.

As always, it won't be easy for the Bills, but this is a very winnable game if they can key on a few important aspects against the Titans.

Protect Edwards: The last thing the Bills offense wants or needs is to let Edwards get beat up, again. The offensive line will be as healthy as its been since Week 3, and are coming off a much needed bye week. With some fine tuning, we might actually see some improvement from this unit. Where it matters most is keeping Edwards upright and giving him time to succeed. Most of us believe Edwards will be playing out the string as the Bills starting quarterback over the final half of the season, but a strong finish could prove to the new regime that he is worth keeping around. I'd like to see him at least get the chance to put it together over the final 8 games instead of constantly running for his life. Let's at least see some excitement out of the passing game, or maybe just the chance that that could happen. Edwards also needs to let it rip and play a completely different brand of football from what he's used to. Maybe some protection will give him the confidence to do that. We can hope, can't we?

Get the ground game going: The Titans run defense has really struggled lately, allowing 162.5 yards per game, 9.0 yards per carry and 3 touchdowns in their past two games. Again, the offensive line could be in for a slight improvement in this area, which could open up things for Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson more than usual. The Bills need to keep Chris Johnson off the field. The best way to do that is by controlling the ball and moving the chains. We saw an improvement in the Bills rushing offense over the second half of the season, last year, so let's hope for a nice repeat.

Utilize the RB's in the passing game again: In the three games that Trent Edwards was out (I'm including the Jets game), Lynch and Jackson combined for just six catches, all by Lynch. Prior to that, they combined for 31 receptions in five games, even with Lynch missing three games. Since it's been a struggle to run the ball, getting these guys the ball on the outside with more room to run could help the team move the chains much better than they have been. Jackson, in particular, needs to be integrated into the offensive gameplan more than he has recently.

Slow the speedy Johnson: That's what she said. It's going to be a chore for the Bills to even keep Chris Johnson under 150 yards this week. Buffalo's run defense is dead last in the league, allowing 173.6 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry. Johnson is averaging 120 yards per game, and a stunning 6.7 yards per carry. This matchup looks as lopsided as they get. The Bills aren't going to shut Johnson down, but they can slow him and limit the big plays. If they can avoid allowing the 50+ yarders that Johnson is known for, and keep him relatively in check, they'll have a good chance in this game. But if Johnson has another monster game (think 200+ yards and 2+ TD's), I'm not sure the Bills can win this game.

Force Vince Young to make plays: I mean with his arm. Young has completed 27 of 37 passes for 297 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. That's a pretty solid game. Oh, that's over two games. It's obvious that the Titans have taken the pressure off of Young by running the ball so well with Johnson. Young hasn't needed to make many tough throws or pressure packed passes since he rejoined the starting lineup. That needs to change this week. Over the years, Young has proven to be a well below average passer, as evident by his career 69.5 QB rating. Forcing him to beat the Bills through the air is much easier said than done, but would go a long way towards picking up a road W this week.

Keep Young in the pocket: In addition to forcing Young to make plays, it'll be imperative to keep him in the pocket. His best attribute might be his ability to improvise and makes things happen with his legs. Young has hurt the Bills with his legs in the past, so this will definitely be one are the defense is keying on. He has completed just 57% of his passes during his career. Keeping him in the pocket and forcing him to throw instead of run favors the Bills, heavily. Plus, this will give Jairus Byrd more opportunities to extend his streak of multiple interception games!

Get the young player more playing time: Steve Johnson, James Hardy, Shawn Nelson, Nic Harris and even Chris Ellis and Ellis Lankster would all benefit greatly from increased playing time as the season continues. With the team hanging on for dear life in the playoff race, the time is pretty much there to start preparing for next year, even if this staff won't be here. Let's hope they understand the importance of playing these guys instead of wasting them on the sidelines.

Improve, improve, improve: Coming off the bye week, there is no reason this team shouldn't come out prepared and better than the last time we saw them. They're healthier, they were able to get much needed practice reps and they were able to gameplan for two weeks for this game. This has to be the game where the offense shows some signs of life, right? If not, I doubt we see much more from that unit this year....

*******

The Bills face the tough task of shutting down Chris Johnson while getting their own offense going this week. It's another winnable game that the Bills must find ways to make plays. An entire team effort will be required in this one. Let's go Buffalo, and enjoy all the games this weekend!

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 11/12

MattRichWarren — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:05:20 -0000

Scott to start at LB? – Inside The Bills
Scott got some first team reps at linebacker Wednesday. Nic Harris seems to be the alternative to Scott.

Sullivan: As T.O. fades, Bills should look at Hardy : The Buffalo News
Jerry Sullivan suggests that James Hardy should get some of T.O.'s reps at wideout.

Midseason Report: Bills - AFC East - ESPN
Tim Graham breaks down the Bills at the halfway point of their year.

Bills look to James Hardy to help passing game | ProFootballTalk.com
Hardy will try to erase the memory of his disastrous rookie year after getting activated Wednesday from the physically unable to perform list.

Whitner believes he’s ready – Inside The Bills
"Felt pretty good," said Donte Whitner after Wednesday’s practice. "Did a little more than I did the other day. So it feels good."

Omon likely to return – Inside The Bills
Omon has appeared in just six career games (four in 2009), so he still has practice squad eligibility. It’s presumed that provided Omon clears waivers that the Bills will sign him to their eight-man practice squad.

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
- Bills QB Trent Edwards will start this week against Tennessee. He has not played since suffering a concussion on Oct. 18 against the New York Jets. "Trent’s earned the right to be back in there and we’re really looking forward to seeing him play," coach Dick Jauron said.
- It looks like there's a good possibility Bills SS Bryan Scott could start in place of the injured Keith Ellison at LB this week. "We’ve been so unlucky there (with injuries) that it gives us what we think may be our best shot," coach Dick Jauron said.

Bills speak up with confidence : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Here are some reasons the Bills might be ready to play a watchable game on offense this week in Tennessee from reporter Mark Gaughan.

Owens tops Bills' injury list : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Bills receiver Terrell Owens was among several Bills not practicing fully on Wednesday. Full details here.

Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans Series at a Glance - Music City Miracles
A look at the series history between the Bills and Titans.

Video: AFC East injury update - AFC East - ESPN
ESPN injury expert Stephania Bell takes a look at injuries to Buffalo Bills receiver Terrell Owens and other AFC East players.

Dungy: Vick to Bills 'an intriguing situation' - AFC East - ESPN
"That was just my personal opinion," Dungy said. "I didn't have anything to base that on, no conversations with anyone else. They haven't gotten consistent quarterback play in the last three or four years. That's probably been their Achilles' heel. I think it could be an intriguing situation."

Video: Midseason AFC East Report Card - AFC East - ESPN
ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton gives you his midseason grades for each team in the AFC East.

Should the Bills reinstall Trent Edwards at QB? - AFC East - ESPN
ESPN Stats & Information data digger Matt Lyon passed along some interesting stats that illustrate the differences between Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Fun with AccuScore: Playoff field and draft order - AFC East - ESPN
The Buffalo Bills are given a 1.1 percent chance at the playoffs and 0.3 percent at the division. They are currently projected to draft ninth.

POLLOCK: Do you really think Vick’s a fit for Bills? | Olean Times Herald
Chuck Pollack gives his thoughts on Vick to the Bills.

tennessean.com | Nashville Tennessee Titans | The Tennessean
The Titans page of the Tennessean website. Know they enemy.

Edwards back in starting role for Buffalo Bills | Democrat and Chronicle
Trent Edwards will be back as Buffalo's starting quarterback Sunday when the Bills travel to Tennessee to take on the rejuvenated Titans.

Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans Series at a Glance - Music City Miracles
A look at the series history between the Bills and Titans.

AFC & NFC News N' Notes - Baltimore Beatdown
AFC & NFC News n' Notes comes from the NFL and has mid season projections for players and teams in both conferences. Scroll down for Bills info.

NFL Week 10 Power Rankings: Steelers Making Themselves Heard - SB Nation
The Bills drop from 24 to 25 in this week's poll of SBN bloggers as the Titans jump from 26 to 23.

Edwards to start, Owens misses practice

Brian Galliford — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:21:35 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

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The Buffalo Bills hoped to exit their bye week healthier. While, by and large, that's true, the team is still severely banged up entering their Week 10 game on the road against the Tennessee Titans.

Terrell Owens missed practice on Wednesday with what head coach Dick Jauron described as a strained hip. Owens practiced Monday, but the injury flared up late Tuesday. His status is uncertain for this weekend, but it looks like a situation that the Bills will monitor on a day-by-day basis.

The rest of the injury report: defensive end Aaron Schobel, defensive tackle Kyle Williams, linebacker Keith Ellison and cornerback Terrence McGee all missed practice Wednesday. The four defensive starters may not be available for this weekend's game, which could leave Buffalo severely short-handed in their front seven. Meanwhile, safeties Jairus Byrd and Donte Whitner, as well as offensive tackle Jamon Meredith and fullback Corey McIntyre, were limited.

In the least surprising bit of news on the day, Jauron named Trent Edwards his starter for the Titans game.

Buffalo needs to make a decision on whether or not to promote receiver James Hardy to the active roster. They'll make that announcement by 4PM; look for a FanShot confirming which player was released in order to make room for Hardy.