Buddy Nix is stepping down as general manager of the Buffalo Bills, the team announced Monday.

Nix said he will remain on in a new role as special assistant. The Bills did not immediately name a replacement, but the team has been preparing assistant general manager Doug Whaley to eventually take over.

Buddy Nix said he knew it was the right time to step down from his position with the Bills.

“I’ve made this decision to step away from the general manager’s position because I feel it is the right time. By the ‘right time’ I mean I think we have a good young roster, an excellent head coach [Doug Marrone] with a good staff, and it’s time to let someone else handle these responsibilities and move forward together,” Nix said in a statement.

“Timing is the main thing, but there are other benefits as well. This job is very demanding with a 24-7 schedule of responsibilities. This new position will enable me to spend more time with my family. I appreciate the opportunity given to me by [owner] Mr. [Ralph] Wilson and [president and CEO] Russ [Brandon] and I’m fortunate to step away from the job and still remain a part of the team.”

Nix brought a bit of embarrassment to the franchise back in March when he was prank called by a pair of 20-year-olds prank callers pretending to be Tampa Gay general manager Mark Dominik. The two called the Bills front office and were patched through to Nix, but they quickly got scared and hung up.

But Nix was undeterred, and kept trying to call the two back. Finally, they got an idea to call the Tampa Bay front office and patch the two general managers in on a call, listening in as they spoke. The conversation revealed Nix’s growing frustration with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who would be cut later that month.

“We’re still struggling here with our quarterback,” Nix said. “We’re not really struggling — he’s going to have to do something, or we’ll have to … We just can’t afford to pay that kind of money for a guy who’s fighting for probably a backup job.”

Buddy Nix stepped down from the Bills after his third season. The team had only 16 wins during that time, last in the NFL over the time period.

Buddy Nix Steps Down As Buffalo Bills General Manager is a post from: The Inquisitr

EJ Manuel will have to face snow, rain, and swirling Lake Erie winds as quarterback of the Buffalo Bills.

The fact that he seems well-suited for the inclement weather is one of the main reasons the Bills made Manuel the first quarterback off the board in the 2013 NFL draft. New Bills coach Doug Marone said in a radio interview that Manuel performed well during a private workout in Tallahassee, Florida, that took place in a windy thunderstorm.

“Going into it as far as what we were putting down, that was one of the things as far as criteria for playing up here,” Marrone told Sirius XM. “I remember when I first got the job here in Buffalo, and I had been up here and played up here before, and I got out of the car in January and the wind — I was like, ‘Wow.’ I never realized how windy it was that time of the year.”

Many draft experts expected West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith to be the first taken, or for the Bills to stretch and take Ryan Nassib, Marone’s quarterback at Syracuse. The selection of EJ Manuel came as a surprise to many.

Not that Manuel is lacking in the tools needed to be a a franchise quarterback. He is 6-foot-4 and 237 pounds, with a strong arm and good speed to run the ball. He also had the largest hands (10 3/8 inches) and longest arms (35 inches) of any all quarterbacks to attend the NFL scouting combine.

“We started talking about the quarterbacks, and we went back and researched all the teams that played in the Northeast in the bad weather and all the success they had with quarterbacks and the common traits that they had,” Marrone told Sirius XM. “They were big and had big hands and were able to throw the ball in tough weather, and that’s what we were looking at.”

EJ Manuel will have a good chance to start in Buffalo, going into training camp with an open competition with Kevin Kolb and Tavaris Jackson.

EJ Manuel Won Over Bills With Bad-Weather Workout is a post from: The Inquisitr

EJ Manuel was the first quarterback taken in the 2013 NFL Draft. It turns out that the Florida State grad and new Buffalo Bill was actually the only quarterback taken in the first round of the draft.

This is a bit of a shocker considering all the talk that West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith was long considered to at least be a candidate to be the first pick overall had the Kansas City Chiefs still needed a new quarterback.

It turned out that once the Chiefs acquired Alex Smith and were no longer in the market for a QB, the draft stock of quarterbacks in general dropped precipitously.

EJ Manuel was the result of a bit of a calculated risk for the Bills who actually traded down from their number eight spot in order to acquire more draft picks later on. By picking him, Buffalo made the former Seminole only the third quarterback to be selected in the first round in franchise history.

The fact that Manuel was selected over Smith and former Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib was a bit of a surprise to those who were in attendance. Despite not being picked in the first round, it appears that at least Geno Smith was happy for his rival.

“Geno was one of the first guys who came over to me and gave me a hug.” the FSU quarterback said. Manuel said that he thought that said alot about Smith’s character and said he’s rooting for the West Virginia product no matter what team gets him.

The fact that the Bills didn’t select Nassib was even more surprising considering that new coach Doug Marrone coached Nassib at Syracuse. Marrone said that he wasn’t conflicted and that he just felt there were a lot of good quarterbacks in the draft.

The other NFL teams seem to disagree with Marrone to some degree, though it does mean that there will be plenty of passing talent left over in the later rounds.

Do you think EJ Manuel was the right choice for the Buffalo Bills in this year’s NFL draft?

EJ Manuel Only QB Taken In First Round Of 2013 NFL Draft is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kevin Kolb has signed with the Buffalo Bills, giving the team a candidate for starting quarterback.

The Bills had released Ryan Fitzpatrick earlier in the month, leaving Tavaris Jackson as the only quarterback on its roster. Jackson came to the Bills late in the 2012 preseason and was slower in picking up the offense. As a result, he was not active in any games this season, sitting behind Tyler Thigpen on the depth chart.

Jackson did re-sign a one-year contract this offseason, and new Bills coach Doug Marone said there will be an open competition at quarterback.

That team will likely have a rookie quarterback to compete with Kevin Kolb. Bills GM Buddy Nix has said that the team will be seeking a quarterback in this year’s NFL draft, and could be targeting Geno Smith. The Bills had Smith go through a private workout, though they may have to trade up from the No. 8 spot in order to get him.

If the Bills choose to fill another need in the first round — they could also use a wide receiver, linebacker, or offensive lineman — they could opt for a quarterback like Ryan Nassib in the second round.

Kolb was once a hot prospect in the NFL after flashes of strong play behind Michael Vick in Philadelphia, but struggled in his time with Arizona. The 2007 second-round draft pick threw for 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in two seasons.

Kevin Kolb signs with the Bills less than a month after being released by the Arizona Cardinals after the two sides failed to agree on a restructured contract. Kolb was plagued by injuries and inconsistent play in 2012, appearing in six games and throwing for 1,169 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions.

With Kevin Kolb signing with the Buffalo Bills, the Cardinals are reportedly interested in acquiring Carson Palmer from the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders have been rumored to be trading for Seahawks backup Matt Flynn.

Kevin Kolb Signs With Buffalo Bills, Will Compete For Starting Spot is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Buffalo Bills have released veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick has played with the Bills for the last four seasons and has spent nearly every offseason fighting off rumors that he was going to be replaced.

With a new head coach at the helm in Doug Marrone, Fitzpatrick probably knew he was on the hotseat year again. When Bills GM Buddy Nix was tricked into saying that Fitzpatrick would be fighting for a backup slot, Fitzpatrick’s number was all but up.

The Buffalo Bills haven’t won more than six games in any of the years that their Ivy League graduate quarterback has played for them, but that hadn’t stopped them until now from being him back year after year.

Fitzpatrick certainly wasn’t the only reason that Buffalo has struggled to win games. The long shot to make a roster turned starting quarterback has had a pretty decent touchdown-to-interception ratio in his time as a starter including 24 touchdowns to just 16 interceptions a year ago.

Despite decent numbers, Fitzpatrick has seemingly always been looked at by the front office as a placeholder until the team can get a real difference maker.

Money appears to be the reason that the Bills released the Harvard grad in the end. Fitzpatrick was owed a $3 million roster bonus later this week. That was part of a six year extension for a total of $59 million that he and the team signed in 2011.

At the moment, that leaves the Bills with former Seattle Seahawk and Minnesota Viking Tarvaris Jackson as the only “proven” quarterback on the roster.

Jackson was once the heir apparent in Minnesota but his inconsistent play led to his eventual benching and release after the 2010 season.

In 2011, the Seattle Seahawks tried him as their starting quarterback but he threw just 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and was released after the season again.  Jackson appeared in just one game for the Bills last season and didn’t amass any statistics.

Who will the Buffalo Bills get as their quarterback for next season now that Ryan Fitpatrick is gone? Perhaps Alex Tanney is still available.

Buffalo Bills Release Ryan Fitzpatrick is a post from: The Inquisitr

Doug Marrone is making the move down the Thruway after the Buffalo Bills hired the Syracuse University coach.

The Bills agreed to hire the Syracuse coach after he turned around the Orange in his four seasons there. This year Syracuse finished 8-5 after winning six of its last seven games, topping it off with a 38-14 win over West Virginia in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

The Doug Marrone hire was reported by ESPN, which noted that the Bills also looked at Oregon head coach Chip Kelly and former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith.

The 48-year-old Marron had worked as the Jets’ offensive line coach and was offensive coordinator in New Orleans from 2006 to 2008. He went 25-25 in four season at Syracuse, after the team had finished 10-37 prior to his arrival.

The Bills this season fired Chan Gailey, who went 16-32 over three seasons. He was criticized this season for his misuse of running back C.J. Spiller, who averaged more than 6 yards per carry yet went long stretches without seeing the ball.

Doug Marrone joins a Buffalo Bills franchise in flux. In the last week, the teams 94-year-old owner, Ralph Wilson, turned over control of the team to new president Russ Brandon, who had served as the team’s CEO. Brandon promised that the Bills would be aggressive in finding a head coach and vowed to turn around the franchise.

That could be quite a task. The Bills have only one winning season in the past 13 years — going 9-7 in 2004 — and have not made the playoffs at all during that stretch, the longest drought in the NFL.

Doug Marrone will also have the task of finding the next franchise quarterback for the Buffalo Bills. The team’s quarterback for the past two and a half seasons, Ryan Fitzpatrick, struggled with inconsistency and turnovers, with Pro Football Talk reporting that he is likely done with the team after this year.

Doug Marrone Hired As Buffalo Bills Next Coach, Sources Say is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Seattle Seahawks set a franchise record for points scored in a 58-0 shutout victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

The record-breaking win kept Seattle’s post season dreams alive allowing them to hold onto a one game lead for the final Wild Card position in the NFC and was their first division win of the 2012 season.

Marshawn Lynch led a well-oiled rushing attack with three touchdown runs and 128 yards. The Seahawk backfield combined for a total of 284 rushing yards.

A 3-yard touchdown run by Leon Washington with 2:32 left made the game 58-0 and broke the Seahawks’ previous scoring record of 56 against Buffalo in 1977. The shutout was also the largest in Seattle’s history.

Seattle’s defense, led by Richard Sherman and Bobby Wagner, forced eight turnovers, which is their second most in franchise history equaling the mark they set in 1998. Sherman and Wagner each had two interceptions.

The shutout dropped Arizona to 4-9 and will undoubtedly raise questions about Ken Whisenhunt’s future as head coach of the Cardinals. Arizona has lost nine straight games overall after starting the season 4-0.

The Cardinals’ 24-year-old Quarterback, John Skelton appeared lost on the field finishing 11-22 with 74 yards, zero touchdowns, four interceptions, and a QB rating of 18.2.

The shutout was the worst shutout loss in Cardinals history and the fourth largest in the NFL since 1940 according to ESPN.com. It is the first time that Arizona has been shutout since 2003 when they lost 38-0 to Seattle in 2003.

Seattle hopes to extend their win streak to three next week against the Buffalo Bills. Meanwhile, Arizona looks to snap it’s nine game losing streak on Sunday at home against the Detroit Lions.

Seattle Seahawks Set Franchise Record In Shutout Of Arizona Cardinals is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ernie Warlick, one of the AFL’s forerunners as a pass catching tight end in the 1960s with the Buffalo Bills, has died at the age of 80. ESPN reports his death came after a brief illness and was confirmed by Amigone Funeral Home in Amherst, N.Y.

His cause of death was not released but his friend and teammate with the Buffalo Bills, Booker Edgerson, said Sunday that Warlick had been hospitalized over the past two weeks after complaining of shoulder pain.

Fox Sports reported that Warlick earned perhaps the best name a man who caught passes for a living could hope to earn — “Hands.” He played on two AFL championship teams with the Bills in the 1960s but started out with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. Warlick was a CFL All-Star three times in five seasons as a receiver and defensive back. As a tight end, he was named an American Football League All-Star in each of his four seasons in the AFL from 1962 to 1965.

In college Warlick was a standout at North Carolina Central where he also played basketball.

Ernie Warlick became a Buffalo staple after his playing days. He became a television broadcaster and later opened a hamburger stand before landing a job in sales.

”He’s going to be fondly remembered, and it was a great loss,” said Edgerson.

Warlick finished his four-year AFL career with 90 catches for 1,551 yards and four touchdowns at a time when very few tight ends were being used in a receiving role. One of Warlick’s four touchdowns was an 18-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring in Buffalo’s 23-0 victory over San Diego in the 1965 AFL Championship game.

Ernie Warlick is survived by his wife, Louise,as well as three children and five grandchildren.

Former Bills TE Ernie Warlick Dies is a post from: The Inquisitr

Orchard Park, NY — Police chief Andrew Lenz spoke to the press (see videos below) about the death of David Gerken Jr., the Buffalo Bills fan who was found face down in a creek behind Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Gerken was ejected from Miami Dolphins-Bills game Thursday night at around halftime. Police and fire fighters launched the search after his brother — who also attended the game — reported Gerken missing when he didn’t show up at local bar after the game as previously arranged.

According to the chief, based on initial autopsy findings Gerken, 26, of Palmyra, NY, died from an accidental drowning and that hypothermia may also have been involved. Lenz classified it as a tragic accident. The chief could not confirm during the press conference the reason for Gerken’s ejection from the Bills game, although other media accounts suggest it might have been for intoxication. He also said that the police have no reason to believe foul play was involved at this time, but the investigation into the fan’s death is ongoing.

Searchers apparently used a ping on Gerken’s cell phone to find his body in the nearby creek, which is at the bottom of a steep hill outside the stadium.

The chief said that the Orchard Park police department made 24 arrests that night outside the stadium vicinity. His officers do not have jurisdiction inside the stadium proper, although 18 arrests were apparently made in the facility on Thursday night.

Watch the press conference with Chief Lenz about the death of David Gerken outside Ralph Wilson Stadium:

Here is a news clip about the incident from Channel 4 in Buffalo:

Buffalo Bills Fan Found Dead: Watch Police Press Conference [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

A fan died at an NFL game Thursday, as a man ejected from the Buffalo Bills game for being intoxicated went missing and was later found face down in a nearby creek.

The fan who died outside the NFL game was reportedly drunk inside the Thursday Night Football game, prompting security to kick him out of Ralph Wilson Stadium. The man, 26-year-old David Gerken of Palmyra, NY, was with his brother and friends at the game against the Miami Dolphins.

After he was ejected, Gerken arranged to meet up with his friends at a nearby bar but never showed up, The Buffalo News reported.

Searchers used a ping on Gerken’s cell phone to find his body in the nearby creek, which is at the bottom of a steep hill outside the stadium, ESPN reported.

The Bills released a statement about the fan who died at the NFL game: “We are deeply saddened to hear of this news this morning. While the loss of life is always tragic, the loss of a young life is even more so. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family. We are currently cooperating with law enforcement officials to find out the details of this unfortunate incident.”

Police noted that it was an especially unruly night at the NFL game. There was a higher than normal number of arrests and medical incidents for intoxicated fans, and police arrested 18 people inside the stadium and many more outside for various offenses.

Police said hypothermia may have played a role in the fan’s death outside the NFL game. Temperatures dipped to 29 degrees in Buffalo overnight. They added that no foul play is suspected.

The fan found dead at the Bills game is not the only fan to die at NFL games this year. In Houston a fan died after falling from an escalator at Reliant Stadium,

Fans Dies At NFL Game: Man Ejected From Buffalo Bills Game Found Dead Outside Stadium is a post from: The Inquisitr

Shawne Merriman was once a feared defensive force, flying to the quarterback and through defenders — until the injuries came.

After struggling for years with injuries, Merriman found himself out of the NFL when he was cut by the Buffalo Bills before the start of the preseason. Now Shawne Merriman has a chance to prove he still belongs in the NFL, as the injury-depleted Bills signed him again this week.

“I’m excited just being back in the building with these guys not having to text them every week after the games just seeing how everyone is doing,” Shawne Merriman told BuffaloBills.com. “I’m definitely glad and happy to be back in the building.

Merriman said the he understands why he was cut, as “it’s the NFL that is just how things go,” but he knew he still had game left in him.

“I knew I could still play and I could contribute to the game a lot,” Merriman said. “I’m just happy to even get that call back and because you never know how things are going to go and you have to be ready when it’s time.”

While he was waiting for the call to return to the NFL, Shawne Merriman said he spent time relaxing on the beach in Miami before returning to San Diego and keeping up on the game.

Though he is happy about his return, Merriman said living with injuries for the past few years has been frustrating.

Merriman said:

“Yeah it was a little different for me because I have always been a player in this league when I was healthy of course. To go through that transition when you are waiting for a guy to go down not just here, but all across the league or based on team needs. Everybody that I talked to during my time off, no one thought that I could not play anymore. It was more of team needs and who do they have available to come in and play right now and that type thing. I am just excited to come back.”

Shawne Merriman might not have to wait much longer to prove himself, CBS Sports reported. Bills head coach Chan Gailey said there is a good chance he plays this week.

Shawne Merriman: I Knew I Could Still Play is a post from: The Inquisitr

C.J. Spiller looked like he might be out for several week as he was being carted off the field in the Bills 24-14 win over the Cleveland Browns in obvious pain after landing hard on his right shoulder.

It turns out he may not even miss a week.

The Buffalo News is reporting that the NFL’s leader in total yards may be back in time for next week’s AFC East showdown with the New England Patriots.

“Maybe not as bad as originally thought,” Bills Head Coach Chan Gailey said. ”[We're] not going to completely rule him out this week, but you know, I think it’s more of a chance that he won’t than he will [play Sunday against New England].”

Gailey said it’s more likely that C.J. Spiller will be back in time for the Bills two-week West Coast road trip that starts after the New England game.

“I think there’s a good possibility for the second week, for whoever we play after this week,” he said. ”We go to San Francisco? … He’s got a good chance to be back for that one.”

As NFL.com notes, shoulder injuries rarely end well, but Spiller was able to avoid major injuries.

The third-year running back noted that he got a good night of sleep on Sunday and woke up Monday feeling much better, with a greater range of motion than he expected.

While the uncertainty of C.J. Spiller’s return makes for a difficult situation for fantasy football owners of Spiller, Bills fans at least have some other good news. The team’s other star running back, Fred Jackson, said his recovery from a knee injury has come along much better than expected and he now says he is “70 to 75 percent” sure he will play on Sunday.

C.J. Spiller Says He May Be Back This Week After All is a post from: The Inquisitr

C.J. Spiller suffered a shoulder injury that team doctors say will keep him out of at least next week’s contest against the New England Patriots, but the news isn’t all bad for the Buffalo Bills.

As the Washington Post reported, original No. 1 tailback Fred Jackson has been recovering faster than expected from his Week 1 injury and could be back in time for the AFC East matchup next weekend.

C.J. Spiller’s injury came in the first half of Buffalo’s 24-14 win over the Cleveland Browns this weekend. It came at a time when the Bills had all the momentum and were moving through the Browns defense at will, but his injury jolted the team’s ability to move the ball on offense. The Browns cut the lead to 17-14 before the Bills were finally able to regain control, and won the game behind three touchdown passes from Ryan Fitzpatrick.

It could have been much worse for C.J. Spiller. CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora reported the Bills believe Spiller has suffered a strained AC joint, not a separated shoulder that would have kept him out much longer. Spiller is expected to be back after one to two weeks.

As Spiller hits the infirmary, Fred Jackson has been accelerating his recovery from a right knee injury he suffered in a Week 1 loss to the New York Jets.

“Fred will practice this week,” Bills Coach Chan Gailey said Monday. “I don’t know if it’ll be Wednesday or Thursday, but he should practice at some point this week. His recovery has been amazing.”

Even without Fred Jackson or C.J. Spiller, the Bills haven’t lost all hope for their running game. An increasingly cohesive offensive line, led by rookie left tackle Cordy Glenn, have opened up large holes for whoever it taking the carries. After Spiller’s injury last week third-string running back Tashard Choice stepped in and rushed for 90 yards, averaging close to 5 yards a carry.

C.J. Spiller Ruled Out For Next Week, But Bills Could Have Fred Jackson Back is a post from: The Inquisitr

Buffalo Bills star running back Fred Jackson will miss at least the next month and receiver David Nelson is out for the 2012 season.

Jackson underwent an MRI on his right knee on Monday and the test showed nothing conclusive. A Bills insider told ESPN’s Adam Schefter::

“It likely will be 7-10 days before a timeline is established for his return but a source estimated that the running back will miss at least a month.”

Jackson was a force to be reckoned with last season, despite some missed playing time in November and December he racked up 934 yards and six touchdowns. Jackson has also rushed for more than 900 yards in each of the last three seasons.

Nelson’s fortunes were not so lucky after he tore his ACL in his right knee on Sunday. The tear came after just two catches for 31 yards during the season opener. Nelson missing the season is a blow for the Buffalo Bills, he was the teams second-leading receiver in 2011 with 61 receptions on five touchdowns with 658 yards.

Jackson is no stranger to injury, last November he broke his right leg.

On Sunday Jackson was his hard by LaRon Landry during a 7-yard run. Following the hit Jackson stayed on the ground and was checked over by trainers before making his way to the sideline under his own weight.

Nelson was injured in the fourth quarter and was helped off the field but was later spotted walking on his injured leg along the sideline.

Much of the Buffalo Bills offense relies on Fred Jackson, without their star RB it could be a painful month for a team that hoped to be a contender this season.

Buffalo Bills Injury Report: Fred Jackson Out At Least One Month, David Nelson Out For Season is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ralph Wilson, the 93-year-old owner of the Buffalo Bills, was reportedly hospitalized Thursday, according to NFL.com.

While details regarding the incident remain scant, a team official with information on the situation says that Wilson has been listed in good condition.

“The reports that Mr. Wilson has been hospitalized are accurate,” the Bills said in a statement. “But Mr. Wilson is in good condition.”

Wilson, who has owned the Bills since their inception in 1959, struggled with balance in recent years and was also hospitalized in May 2011 after breaking his hip in a fall at his home. That injury caused him to miss all but one Bills game last season, an October game against the Jets.

SBNation reports that Wilson’s last public appearance came earlier this month at the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies in Canton, Ohio where a new research and preservation center was named in his honor.

During the event, the 93-year-old donated $2.5 million to have the 10,000-square-foot center built in order to preserve more than 20 million documents and three million photographic images.

Meanwhile the Bills completed their preseason schedule Thursday night in Detroit losing to the Lions, 38-32.

USA Today notes that the team is also in the middle of negotiations with Erie County to extend their lease — which ends in July 2013 — at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Though the Bills officials have maintained the team’s commitment to staying in Buffalo for the long term, there remain concerns of what happens to the franchise once Wilson passes away.

Ralph Wilson has previously said he has no intention to leave the team to his family and instead intends to have his heirs sell the franchise.

Ralph Wilson, Buffalo Bills Owner, Hospitalized In Detroit is a post from: The Inquisitr

Vince Young was cut by the Buffalo Bills on Monday and immediately following that decision Tarvaris Jackson was traded into the teams QB 2 position.

News of the release was made by Young who tweeted:

”Respect Bills fans. I want to thank the Bills organization for the opportunity and with the organization and my teammates good luck this season.”

The Buffalo Bills moved quickly to restructure the last year of Tarvaris Jackson’s contract and then completed a trade to bring him over from the Seattle Seahawks.

Jackson was set to earn $4 million in 2012 but that contract is believed to have been lessened after the Bills determined it was too much to pay for a backup quarterback. Terms of the new deal have not been revealed since the Bills have not officially announced the shift in personnel. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll however mentioned on Sunday night that both teams were just sorting out some “paperwork” to make the deal happen.

Tarvaris Jackson is already on his was to Buffalo where he will undergo a final physical before being allowed to sign his contract and joining the team for a late-afternoon practice.

The Bills are in desperate need for an adjusted roster as they are currently 0-3 with a Thursday night game scheduled against the Detroit Lions. Jackson will get to show what he’s made of during the Detroit game.

What Tarvaris Jackson might bring most to the team is experience, he is a 7-year veteran of the NFL with a 17-17 record as a starter during his time in Seattle and Minnesota.

Vince Young was under a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills, an agreement he made in May 2012.

Buffalo Bills Cut Vince Young, Bring In Tarvaris Jackson At QB 2 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Young, two-time Pro Bowl selection who was a backup last year to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, has agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with the Buffalo Bills, ESPN reported earlier today.

“We think adding Vince to our roster will create more competition for the backup quarterback position,” Bills General Manager Buddy Nix told the team’s website. “He brings with him some unique physical abilities that most are aware of and that will make the competition interesting.”

According to ESPN, Young’s deal with the Bills includes an additional $1 million in playing time bonuses. The University of Texas product is expected to join the team Monday where he will compete with veterans Brad Smith and Tyler Thigpen to be Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s backup for the 2012 season.

“I am looking forward to playing with the guys and helping where I am needed,” Young, 29, said in a statement released Friday. “I have always respected the Bills organization and I am looking forward to being a part of the team. This is the best option to go with. Buffalo is the best option because of the things that they’re doing, especially with the guys they have on offense. They definitely will make some things happen. It’s a good choice, a good option.”

Drafted in 2006 by Tennessee with the third overall, Young pick spent his first five NFL seasons with the Titans before signing with Philadelphia last year. In the six games he took the field for the Eagles, Vince completed 66 of 114 passes for 866 yards with four touchdowns and nine interceptions.

For his career, Vince Young has thrown for 8,964 yards with 46 touchdowns and 51 interceptions in 60 games. He also has 1,459 rushing yards, 12 touchdown runs and holds a 31-19 career record as a starter.

Vince Young, Buffalo Bills Agree to One-Year Deal Worth $2 Million is a post from: The Inquisitr

Alex Tanney can hit receivers driving in moving cars. He can throw a football the length of a basketball court and score. But can he play in the NFL? The Trick Shot Quarterback racked up nearly two million views on Youtube, and now, he’s scored an invitation to throw passes with the Buffalo Bills.

Mashable reports that Tanney was invited to attend a Buffalo Bills offseason minicamp. Tanney said:

“We really didn’t expect it to take off like it did. It kind of blew up. We had fun with it. It was a good experience. But I kind of think that’s past me. I’m just looking forward to getting my shot in the NFL.”

Tanney just finished his career at Monmouth College, a Division III school in Illinois. He threw 157 touchdowns to set an NCAA division III record. The competition in the NFL, however, will be a little tougher than Tanney is used to.

The Buffalo Bills already have a starter and a backup quarterback but they do have a third string spot open. Tanney will have to do more than throw bouncing passes to make it to the NFL but he does have a shot and that’s all the small school quarterback wants.

Tanney said:

“I’m from a small school… And the only thing I’ve ever really wanted was an opportunity to get into a camp. And now I have that in Buffalo.”

Here’s Alex Tanney’s trick shot quarterback video. Do you think Tanney has a future in the NFL.

Alex Tanney, Youtube Quarterback, Invited To Buffalo Bills Minicamp is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Buffalo Bills didn’t pick up a quarterback during the 2012 NFL draft but they might be signing a free agent to the team soon. Vince Young is traveling to Buffalo for a scheduled workout on Wednesday.

General manager Buddy Nix said during the draft that he wasn’t worried about a quarterback.

Nix said:

“We’re going to get one in free agency. We’re going to bring in a quarterback, and we think a good one.”

Young, who was the third overall draft pick in 2006, was not re-signed by the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of last season and is currently looking for a new team. If Young does end up signing with the Bills he’ll be working in a backup position behind starter Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Young’s career started on a high note as he was named the offensive rookie of the year during the 2006 season with the Tennessee Titans. Young’s production fell off and he was eventually traded to the Philadelphia Eagles where he played as Michael Vick’s backup.

Young was hoping to land in another starting position this year but said that it was out of his control.

Young said:

“Sure, I’d like to (start). Everybody feels that way… But all I can do is come in and compete. It is like I am getting drafted all over again. You go in and compete and let the coaches and front office people make that decision.”

Vince Young has thrown for just under 9,000 yards during his career for 46 touchdowns. He also has a dozen rushing touchdowns and a QB rating of 74.4.

Vince Young To Work Out With Buffalo Bills is a post from: The Inquisitr

Former New England Patriots defensive end Mark Anderson is now playing for division rival the Buffalo Bills. Less than one week after signing defensive end Mario Williams the team proved they were serious about improving their defense by signing Anderson to a four-year deal.

According to reports Anderson’s new deal will net him $27.5 million over four years including $8 million in guarantees. Anderson will receive $10.5 million in the first two years of play.

Last season the 28-year-old defensive end racked up 10 sacks for the Patriots while his career now includes 35½ sacks.

After completing the 2011 season Anderson went on a tour of interested teams which led to speculation that he would jump ship if the right offer was made and apparently that offer was with the Bills.

The contract agreement also includes the announcement that Bryan Scott was resigned by the team. Scott is a nine-year veteran (5 years with the Bills) who plays in both the safety and linebacker roles. Last season Scott pulled down two interceptions, one sack and he recovered a fumble for a touchdown over a 16-game span. Scott started in 6 games.

In the meantime Anderson’s departure could be good news for New England’s other 10-sack performer Andre Carter who has yet to be signed to a new contract.

Do you believe that Mark Anderson will bring some much needed depth to the Buffalo Bills defense?

Buffalo Bills Continue Expanding Defense, Sign Mark Anderson is a post from: The Inquisitr

Being down by three touchdowns means nothing to the New England Patriots when quarterback Tom Brady is in a game and that point was driven home on Sunday when the team came back from behind to defeat the Buffalo Bills 49-21, securing home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

After throwing for 338 yards in the game Brady finished with the second-most passing yards in NFL hisotry (5,235) slightly less than the Drew Brees record setting season of 5,486. Those two records push Dan Marion’s 1984 season (5,084) yards into third place after 27 years unchallenged.

The win places the New England Patriots at 13-3 on the season after eight straight wins. Come from behind victories have been a regular occurrence for the Patriots lately, they also fell behind 17-0 against the Miami Dolphins at halftime but rallied for the win.

The New England defense has had a hard time keeping their opponents at bay this season, they led the NFL in the number of passing yards allowed (4,727), a new NFL record that took over where the 1995 Atlanta Falcons (4,541 yards) left off.

The teams hopes at home field advantage looked to be fading during the first quarter of play when Tashard Choice took in a 4-yard run which was then followed by Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 18 yard pass to Stevie Johnson and a 15 yarder to C.J. Spiller.

In a bit of drama Johnson was given an unsportsmanlike conduct call after he showed off a t-shirt that read “Happy New Year” at which point he was benched by coach Chan Gailey.

The Bills soared back after BenJarvus Green-Ellis scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run followed by a 39-yard TD pass to Aaron Hernandez.

New England then scored on 41 and 20 yard field goals to place the game at 21-21. Brady then threw a 17-ard scoring pass to Gronkowski while a 2-point conversion to Danny Woodhead helped the team soar into the lead.

After securing their dominance the New England Patriots then scored on a 3-yard touchdown run by Green-Ellis, another 7-yard scoring pass to Gronkowski and a 21-yard interception return by Sterling Moore just 12 seconds after Gronkowski scored.

You may recall that it was the Bills who in Week 3 overcame a 21-0 deficit to defeat the Patriots 34-31, in that game Brady threw four interceptions.

Throwing one more record onto the pile Patriots coach Bill Belichick became the first NFL head coach in history to have 13 regular season wins in five different seasons of play.

Do you think New England will win the Super Bowl this year or does Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers have the momentum needed to two-peat?

Tom Brady’s Come From Behind Victory Secures New England Patriots Home Field Advantage is a post from: The Inquisitr

Shawne Merriman was recently found at the border between the United States and Canada with some form of steroids, probably not the best piece of news for a guy who has already been caught in violation of the NFL’s anti drug policy. While Merriman was not arrested, which is a shocker given all the trouble athletes have had crossing the border, the Buffalo Bills should feel very nervous that NFL commish Roger Goodell will suspend Merriam under the league’s personal conduct policy.

Since I live in a border town, much like Buffalo, Canada is a half an hour drive away, I am use to these kinds of stories. I remember Bob Probert getting caught at the border with some Cocaine way back in the 1980’s. These kinds of things tend to not register as big time news. Granted, I don’t know yet how big this story is going to get, but it has all the potential to be very, very bad.

Merriman of course took the classy route and addressed the incident via his twitter account. He said he was disappointed that a Buffalo writer was blowing a routine incident at the border way out of proportion. That gives us a little smoke, and we all know when we see smoke we almost always see some fire. Merriman went on to say that he had no steroids and for now he deserves the benefit of the doubt, but I got to say declarations of innocence made via twitter almost never ring true.

Even the denial alone could lead some to think that while no steroids were found, maybe some other form of illegal substance was, of course that is mere speculation. We have not heard the end of this, and I do not see anyway this ends well for Merriman.

Shawne Merriman, steroids, and the Canadian border is a post from: The Inquisitr

Many of us NFL pundits have criticized what the Baltimore Ravens have done so far this off season. Yesterday they went out and redeemed themselves a bit. The Ravens traded a fourth round draft pick for WR Lee Evans. Evans will join Anquan Boldin, and rookie Torrey Smith in the Ravens WR corps, and QB Joe Flacco should be very happy about that. On the flip side Buffalo Bills fans should be pretty upset with this move, as their team gave up a pretty good receiver for essentially nothing. For the Bills this move reeks of a salary dump.

The Ravens, after a somewhat shaky preseason debut by Smith, needed a guy who could help stretch the field. Boldin is great over the middle but this team really needed a guy to help open up the offense. They tried several options last year that didn’t really pan out. Evans is their guy, but Smith has got to get a lot better or this team may need to make another move. Adding Evans for a fourth round pick is a great move by General Manger Ozzie Newsome.

The Bills on the other hand got rid of a guy who has produced pretty well, even with a very unstable QB situation in Buffalo. Evans was due to make 5 million dollars in each of the next two seasons. If this is a move to free up cash and launch a massive rebuild effort I like it, but if they are just looking to save money I really hate this move. Frankly I do not think they got enough for their former first round pick.

Baltimore Ravens add Lee Evans is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Buffalo Bills are likely at the top of the list of teams most likely to relocate to Los Angeles for several reasons. They operate in a smaller market, they have an aging owner, and they are nearing the end of the lease on their home stadium. While I think Buffalo is a good sports market I do not think it is a good enough sports market to support the Bills long term, especially with what is going to happen with the new collective bargaining agreement. That being said I think there is a way to keep the Bills in Buffalo at least part time.

The trick here is going to be making the Bills not just a Buffalo team, but also an attractive team to that entire region of the world and yes I am talking specifically about Toronto, Canada. Currently the Bills already play one pre season and one regular season in Toronto. The games are attended very well, even at the Rogers Center, which was built for baseball. If the Bills could get into a football venue in Toronto I could see playing half the season there as the best way to keep the Bills where they are long term.

The problem with that is trying to finance and maintain two separate facilities, and in the case of Toronto likely getting a completely new facility constructed. Maybe this team could get creative and find a way to package a new stadium with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League and get a facility up there built where they are a part time tenant.

The wild card here is 92 year old owner Ralph Wilson and how he will set up the coming transition of his team when he is no longer with us. The word is selling the team to the highest bidder is the way he wants to go and that could mean the Los Angeles Bills is a real possibility.

Related Links:

• Buffalo Bills news and notes
• The Business of the NFL
• Joshua Lobdell.com

Do the Bills have a future in Buffalo? is a post from: The Inquisitr

Before the Draft I had big concerns about the Buffalo Bills defense. After they used six of their nine 2011 NFL draft picks on defensive players some of my fears there have been eliminated. Now I think the time has come to get some work done on the Bills offense. I still see some holes along the offensive line, I do not believe in Ryan Fitzpatrick as their QB, and the Tight End spot still needs an upgrade.

Since the Bills are a rebuilding team they could wait until next year’s draft to try and get their QB of the future. However there are a lot of veteran QB’s on the market, once the NFL gets back to business that is. The Bills probably should not go that way. I would allow Fitzpatrick 2011 to prove himself; he did play well enough to get another shot at securing this gig long term.

My larger concern currently is the holes along the offensive line. This team has spent a ton of picks to rebuild its own line in recent drafts and this is a unit that still is underperforming. They still need help at both tackle spots and that is what they should spend the free agent signing period addressing.

After securing more talent for the O line, this team could use an upgrade at the tight end spot. Granted it has been years since this team featured a TE in their offense. Of course it has also been years since this was a good football team. It may be coincidence, but it is time to see a Bills TE have a great season. They will need to lure a free agent to town.

Related Links:

• Buffalo Bills news and notes
• Joshua Lobdell.com

Buffalo Bills to do list is a post from: The Inquisitr

Buffalo Bills General Manger Buddy Nix has the final say on draft day for this team. He will be joined by Head Coach Chan Gailey as the duo get set to run their second draft for Buffalo. I have been pretty critical of this duo for their failures to set a plan and then go and execute that plan. Hopefully in year two the two work together figure out what kind of football team they want to build and then work towards that goal. In my mind they have wasted an entire year with a directionless plan that wound up having this team select third in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Nix came to the Bills via the Bills and the San Diego Chargers. From 1993-2000 he was a regional scout for the team and he ended up joining AJ Smith and John Butler with the Chargers. There he flexed his muscle by nailing a number of draft picks. From 2004 to 2008 no less than 28 players drafted by Nix played in the Pro Bowl. The Bills are hoping in brings that magic to them and it helps them rebuild.

To be really fair here, he delivered a pretty average draft class in 2010 and while that group has a lot of upside they have not made an immediate impact. Some of that is lack of a direction on this team, but of the five players left from last year’s draft most will see an increased role as the Bills rebuild. So we shall see.

Related Links:

• Buffalo Bills War Room
• Joshua Lobdell.com

Draft Day Decision Makers: Buffalo Bills is a post from: The Inquisitr

A year ago I decided to judge the Buffalo Bills 2010 draft class based on their front office plan for this team. Since it now appears that this front office has no plan I can be a little harsher on them. To be fair this is a group that has some potential, and the players selected a year ago will likely see larger roles on a rebuilding club. We can partially save judgment based on that, but their front office has got to get it together.

A quick look at the 2010 Bills Draft Class:

• Round One- RB CJ Spiller
• Round Two- DT Torrell Troup
• Round Three- DE Alex Carrington
• Round Four- WR Marcus Easley
• Round Five- T Ed Wang
• Round Six- LB Arthur Moats
• Round Six- LB Danny Batten
• Round Seven- QB Levi Brown
• Round Seven- G Kyle Calloway

So Spiller had a up and down year, but figures to be a playmaker on this offense. I think they will find better ways to use him in 2011. Troup made 23 tackles and the hope is he develops into the nose tackles their 3-4 defensive scheme needs. Carrington did not play much early in the season but showed some flash. Easley went down early with an injury. Wang was also injured but projects as a starting RT. They moved Moats from DE to OLB and he will need some time to prove useful there. Batten spent the year on injured reserve, and Calloway was cut in training camp. Brown was cut early on but came back as teh third string QB.

Right now this draft feels very average, but still has a lot of upside. If the front office can come up with a viable plan for this team, and use the pieces already in place they should be pretty well off.

Related Links:

• Buffalo Bills War Room
• Joshua Lobdell.com

2010 NFL Draft one year later: Buffalo Bills is a post from: The Inquisitr

This is a tough one to figure out. The 2009 Buffalo Bills draft class produces a pretty good DE, and two starters along the offensive line. Yet they picked eleventh two years ago and will pick third in 2011. Of course there has been a regime change, and they have been running a defense they are not exactly suited for, so this is still a pretty bad football team.

Before we go any farther a quick look at teh draft picks made by the Bills in 2009:

•Round One (11)- Aaron Maybin DE
•Round One (28)- Eric Wood C/G
•Round Two (42)- Jairus Byrd CB
•Round Two (51)- Andy Levitre G
•Round Four (121)- Shawn Nelson TE
•Round Five (147)- Nic Harris LB
•Round Six (183)- Cary Harris DB
•Round Seven (220)- Ellis Lankster DB

Eric Wood has been installed as this team’s center, and Andy Levitre has won the job LG. However this team still struggles. Sure we can blame some of that on poor QB play and on a defense that is pitiful, but we have got to wonder are these two guys good enough for this team? Aaron Maybin is starting to look like a bust after a hold out that didn’t get his signed until August in his rookie year and an injury limited his effectiveness in 2010.

On the positive side second round pick Jairus Byrd has played quite well. He looks to be a lockdown corner, and he made the pro bowl in his rookie year. If this was a team not coming off a 4-12 year we would be signing the praises of this draft class, but it really looks like management has failed to put these pieces into a winning combination. No matter what on the field success has to count towards what we think of a certain draft class, and so far this one is lacking a bit.

Related Links:

• Buffalo Bills War Room
• Buffalo Bills news and notes
• Joshua Lobdell.com

2009 NFL Draft two years out: Buffalo Bills is a post from: The Inquisitr

At 4-12 the Buffalo Bills certainly had a challenging season, but the main difference here is that we sort of expected them to. They have a lot of needs, and it seems a better front office and maybe even a new owner is what it is going to take to turn this team around. The first half of the season went winless with two tough OT loses in a row. They won four of their last 8 which may be a positive, but this remains a team with a lot of holes.

The offense scored the fifth fewest points in the NFL with 283. That is just 17.7 a game. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick completed nearly 58% of his passes, but had 15 INT’s to go with his 23 TD’s. He was sacked 34 times which suggests the Bills still have needs along the O line. They did average over 107 yards of rushing per game, and that is a pretty good number. However this situation at the WR position could use an infusion of talent.

The defense was pretty bad as well. They gave up 425 points or 26.6 points per game. They ran a 3-4 base defense, with a few 4-3 sets. Of all the teams that did this all of them finished 2010 with a terrible record and all three of them are picking in the top five of the 2011 NFL draft (Cincinnati and Arizona were the other teams to employ this strategy).

This team was -17 in turnover differential and it is not like the QB’s threw a ton of picks. Their defense forced just 15 fumbles and that suggests they need a few ball hawks to attack their opponents. They also had just 11 INT’s and again they don’t have guys who attack the ball, and that is an issue.

Related Links:

• Buffalo Bills news and notes
• The Business of the NFL
• Joshua Lobdell.com

2010 Buffalo Bills season in review is a post from: The Inquisitr

So what do you do with a guy that nobody else wants, and a guy who has of yet has not played one down for your football team? If your answer is resign him to a two year contract extension maybe you should dust off the old resume and sent it to the Buffalo Bills. Maybe that is a little harsh, but I do not see the reasoning behind this. Merriman is a bad guy who is way past his prime; the Bills need to find the leaders of tomorrow, not the has beens of yesterday.

His base deal is for 5.25 million a year, but it can grow to nearly 10 million a year on incentives. My best guess is as of right now Shawne Merriman never plays a down for the Buffalo Bills. In terms of risk, there doesn’t seem to be much for the team, but I see no upside for the team here either. They already tried the has been route with Terrell Owens and that didn’t work, so why do this?

I cannot see this guy making a significant impact on this team, I also seen him being a distraction and a negative on the young players that will be coming to the Bills via the NFL draft. The Bills have no core of young players and that should be the first goal, once that is accomplished adding a veteran or two to the mix makes a lot more sense.

Of course maybe I am wrong and Merriman has something left in the tank, and will give this team is all. It does not seem probable, but stranger things have happened.

Related Links:

• Buffalo Bills news and notes
• The Business of the NFL
• Joshua Lobdell.com

The Buffalo Bills resign Merriman is a post from: The Inquisitr

I have no idea what the Buffalo Bills are thinking here. Sure General Manager Buddy Nix was part of the San Diego Chargers when Shawne Merriman was originally drafted. Sure that was a great pick, and sure he was once a great player. However, I fail to see how getting a broken down guy who has lost his edge (that was apparently steroid induced) and has been hampered by injuries. I also fail to see the overall plan for this organization. In a word they are a mess, and I don’t see how Shawne Merriman helps them.

Sure an infusion of talent on a winless team is a good thing, but I think my argument comes done to the fact that I don’t think Merrimen is an infusion of talent. On top of that this is a guy who is most effective in a 3-4 defense and the Bills have gone away from running that front. Of course this would be just another 180 degree turn and go back to the 3-4, even though they still do not have the right personnel for it.

More than anything else the Bills need a plan, and I do not see one coming from the people in charge. I see a team doing this or that with no direction. Teams like that do not win, they do not get better, and they end up in a sad state. Trust me I live in Detroit and watched Matt “the idiot” Millen operate the Lions this way for years.

Of course I could be wrong, and for Bills fans I certainly hope that I am. In Merriman I see a guy broken down by injuries, and that has not been very effective since getting busted for steroids. That seems to be the bottom line here.

Related Links:

•Buffalo Bills news and notes
•The Business of the NFL
•MTR Football
•Joshua Lobdell.com

The Buffalo Bills claim Merriman off waivers is a post from: The Inquisitr

File this one under the most obvious headline ever. However, I am starting to wonder if we can call the people running the Buffalo Bills NFL professionals at all. I mean last winter I was writing about how they lacked the personnel to run the 3-4 defense. Yet they tried to shoe horn that defense in anyway. It took them six games in 2010 to reach the same conclusion. The Bills defense has given up 198 points or 33 points per game on average. While Head Coach Chan Gailey looks to have the Bills offense fixed, the defense is terrible and they could have done something about it. More to the point they should have done something about it.

This is what bad NFL teams always do, they look at what offense or defensive scheme is the current trend in the league, and switch to it thinking that will solve all their ills. The problem with that is other teams make those schemes work because they have the personnel for it. The 3-4 defense requires a dominant DT to play the Nose Tackle spot. This year’s second round pick Torrell Troup is not cutting the mustard.

Right now it is hard to imagine the Bills winning a game in 2010. There remaining games are against Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Cleveland, Miami, New England, and the New York Jets. There are a few games in there they could, maybe even should win, but this team is playing terrible right now and that is not likely to change. Worse news is they are already past their bye week.

Sure this team went through a regime change last off season, and that can account for some of their struggles. However we are seeing a pattern of said new regime making plans that do not work out, and are quickly changed. That is not an ideal pattern for team looking to rebuild itself. The team needs a direction, and after a winless season so far they need the right direction and they need it soon.

Related Links:

•Buffalo Bills news and notes
•The Business of the NFL
•MTR Football
•Joshua Lobdell.com

The Buffalo Bills are a complete mess is a post from: The Inquisitr

I was reading a post on profootballtalk.com about NFL Head Coaches on the hot seat. Florio and his boys had Mike Singletary, John Fox, Eric Mangini, Brad Childress, and Chan Gailey as the coaches with the hottest seats. While their seats are likely a little bit warm I disagree with this list. First and foremost the 49ers cannot fire Singletray because no one on his staff is capable of leading he team the rest of the year. Regardless of the record his job is safe till January and then he will likely be fired.

I don’t think Fox has anything to worry about either. The Panthers were in cost cutting mode all off season, and the ownership knows that they did not but a lot of effort into their on the field product. If he does not win one game he will have to be fired, but he seems safe till January. Mangini, Childress, and Gailey are all on the hot seat as Gailey has no clue what the Bills front office will do next, the Vikings season is crumbling fast, and at some point Mike Holmgren will want his own man to run the Browns.

Florio seems to have over looked Wade Phillips. His owner, Jerry Jones, wants nothing more than for his team to play in the Super Bowl he will host. At 1-3 they now have just an 8% chance of even making the playoffs and Jerry can be a tad unstable. Let us not forget that his successor is waiting in the wings, and once they are out of the playoffs they might as well start rebuilding for 2011.

In my mind that make Phillips’ seat the hottest. He works for a volatile owner, and things have gone very badly for his team so far in 2010.

Related Links:

•The Business of the NFL
•Dallas Cowboys news and notes
•Carolina Panthers news and notes
•Buffalo Bills news and notes
•Minnesota Vikings news and notes
•Joshua Lobdell.com

NFL Coaches on the hot seat is a post from: The Inquisitr

So we move our 2010 NFL season preview to the AFC East, and we start there with the Buffalo Bills. So here we have a team that needs a lot of work. They have three RB’s and that is probably a problem. They just spent big bucks on CJ Spiller, the 10th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Trent Edwards is the QB, and I think that is a problem, and even though they have new management I think this is a team that needs a big time rebuilding effort.

The offense will be led by Edwards, and I think that is also a problem. They do have Lee Evans at WR, but no one to play opposite him. With Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, and Spiller in the backfield one of these guys needs to go. The likeliest candidate is Lynch as he is something of a malcontent. The O line is full of young prospects, but they need time to gel.

The defense will run a base 3-4 and I am unconvinced they have the right personnel to run this defense effectively. I do think that Aaron Maybin will have a greater impact at OLB, than he did as a rookie playing DE. Even though they took DT Torrell Troup in the second round of last April’s draft, I have to question if the have a true NT on the roster. The secondary looks to be pretty good, except for a hole at Strong Safety.

Rian Lindell is this team’s kicker, and Brian Moorman will be the punter. I think they will utilize Spiller as a kick returner and Roscoe Parrish as the punt returner. Overall I have to say that the special teams are an above average unit.

Related Links:

• Buffalo Bills news and notes
• The Business of the NFL
• MTR Football

2010 Buffalo Bills preview is a post from: The Inquisitr

Season ticket sales for the Buffalo Bills are trending the wrong way. In 2008 they sold over 56 thousand season ticket packages. That was down, mostly due to the economy, in 2009 to 55,000, and this year they expect to have a hard time selling even 50 thousand season ticket packages. With only seven games at their home stadium that means the Bills could leave a lot of revenue sitting on the table. Now we can use these facts to draw several different conclusions about how the Bills are operating their team, and take a little peak inside the finances of a NFL team.

The laws of supply and demand would seem to suggest that that with only seven games at their home stadium, that tickets for all of those games would be in more demand. Since the Bills have shipped one of their home games north to the Rogers Center in Toronto, they should have no problems selling tickets to the other seven. However, football fans want to buy a season ticket and see eight home games. They do not appear that interested in paying such a high price for only seven games.

Of course another issue here is the Bills have raised season ticket prices by a little more than 15%. That means the cost of seeing the Bills went up about 60 dollars. That may not seem like a lot, but apparently it is having an effect. I think the mix is off. More money for less football is no way to sell people on a big ticket expenditure.

It is unclear if season ticket packages include the eighth game in Toronto, but even if it did who would pay top dollar to drive north, get a passport to watch a NFL game in Canada. On top of that we are talking about a NFL team that has failed to make the playoffs over the last decade, and isn’t terribly competitive week to week.

Related Links:

•Buffalo Bills news and notes
•The Business of the NFL
•MTR Football.com

Buffalo Bills ticket sales a little soft is a post from: The Inquisitr

I could be really harsh on the Bills, for not building their team the way draft pundits expected them too, or how many of their fans might have wanted them to. Instead of doing that I am going to judge them based on their front office plan, and on the fact that they reached for a nose tackle. They want a team that can run the ball, and a defense that is tough against the run. On the surface they drafted guys to do just that. We can criticize them for draft CJ Spiller who will join a crowded backfield and how far they reached for Torrell Troup in the second round.

However all that is only part of the story. We would expect Marshawn Lynch to be traded away, and Troup is very agile and strong and one of the best prospects in this draft at the point of attack. Maybe all this works out. If Lynch is traded away for another position of need , and Troup turns into a valuable Nose Tackle this draft class a heck of a lot better. If not this may be yet another reason this team moves to Toronto.

With all that being said let us look at the initial grades for the 2010 Buffalo Bills Draft Class:

•Need: B, I think they needed a new QB instead of another RB
•Talent: B-, Spiller is a star, but I have big questions about the rest of them
•Round One: A, Spiller looks like the real deal
•Round  Two: D, Troup did not even get a round grade from the Sporting News, which means they did not feel he would be drafted
•Average: B-

Related Links:
•Buffalo Bills news and notes
•2010 NFL Draft Initial Grades
•MTR Football.com
•The Business of the NFL

2010 NFL Draft review: Buffalo Bills is a post from: The Inquisitr

The 2009 Buffalo Bills drat class produced a pro bowler, and two starters along the offensive line. That is a high quality draft no matter which way we chose to dissect it. One year ago I said that the Bills may have reached a bit to select Jairus Byrd however that move seems to have worked out, since he made the pro bowl in his rookie year. They had a plan for their 2009 draft, and it seemed to work out quite well. I haven’t even mentioned Aaron Maybin who lost a good part of his maturation to the NFL game by singing his deal so late. All in all it was a pretty good draft class for the Bills.

A quick look at their 2009 draft class:

•Round One (11)- Aaron Maybin DE
•Round One (28)- Eric Wood C/G
•Round Two (42)- Jairus Byrd CB
•Round Two (51)- Andy Levitre G
•Round Four (121)- Shawn Nelson TE
•Round Five (147)- Nic Harris LB
•Round Six (183)- Cary Harris DB
•Round Seven (220)- Ellis Lankster DB

So we covered Maybin and Byrd, but Wood started 10 games at RG before breaking his leg, Levitre started every game at LG. Nelson caught 17 passes for 156 yards, Nic Harris played in 15 games, Cary Harris got two picks, and Lankster played in 10 games. This is a draft class that produced in year one, and still have a ton of upside. In the end we have to give it a solid B+, with a lot of room for that grade to improve.

This draft class got GM Russ Brandon promoted to CEO, and they have hired 70 year old Buddy Nix to be the new general manger after trying to hire one of the big names that were job hunting this off-season. I sincerely hope that Brandon will have a lot of input into who the Bills draft in 2010, and that they can truly rebuild this once proud franchise.

Related Links:

•2009 NFL Draft, one year later
•Buffalo Bills news and notes
•2010 NFL Mock Drafts
•2010 NFL team needs
•MTR Football.com

2009 NFL draft one year later: Buffalo Bills is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Buffalo Bills have been pretty quiet so far in free agency. It seems  their plan is to pick up a few players who are familiar with a 3-4 defense, a defensive scheme that they will switch to in 2010, and wait until the draft to address their other concerns. New Head Coach has his hands full on this one. He has to determine who will be the starting Bills QB, find a few receivers to replace Terrell Owens and Josh Reed, switch over the defense, and rebuild the offensive line.

The Bills have three QB’s: Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and untested Brian Brohm. It does not appear that any of these three are the long term answer in Buffalo, and Brohm was beaten up in a 31-3 loss in week 16 in 2009. Gailey will have to use one of these guys as a stopgap until this team can draft or trade for a new QB.

So far in free agency the Bills have added OT Cornell Green. He will step in and be a veteran presence on a young Offensive line that has a lot of growing up to do. They took two O linemen in last year’s draft and will probably have to add a third with their first pick in the 2010 draft. Since they need a RT with the surprise retirement of Brad Butler Trent Williams seems like a logical choice.

Since they are going to switch to a 3-4 defense, they signed free agent DE Dwan Edwards who played with the Baltimore Ravens in a 3-4 scheme and added LB Andra Davis. These are pretty good moves, but not home runs. The Bills have a lot of holes and Gailey and the front office staff are doing what they can to begin to fill them. I am skeptical of the decision to move to a 3-4 scheme with no nose tackle on the roster, and other NFL teams doing whatever they can to protect their NT players. To run this scheme a tam must have a dominant NT and the Bills simply don’t.

Related Links:

•Buffalo Bills news and notes
•2010 NFL Free Agents
•2010 NFL Mock Drafts
•MTR Football.com

The mess that is the Buffalo Bills is a post from: The Inquisitr

I hate to have to bag on the teams I rooted for in my youth, or on owners who happen to be members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but the simple fact here is the Buffalo Bills are a total mess. Owner Ralph Wilson is to blame for that mess, and as much as it sucks to say it is that time for him to give control of this team to someone else. Wilson is from my hometown, he once owned my Detroit Lions, and since my Uncle lived in Buffalo during the Jim Kelley years I was a big fan, but the facts remain the same. This team will not recover until there are some new generation football guys in charge of it.

Chan Gailey isn’t going to cut it, just like Dick Jauron couldn’t cut it or any other retread this team has installed as Head Coach since Marv Levy retired. In fact the Bills haven’t been good since Wade Phillips left town, and if we are saying that things are very bad. They are in a small market, play in an outdated stadium, and not even the Terrell Owens show could breathe some life into this franchise.

It is really sad, but this team needs a new owner, it probably needs to be relocated to Toronto, Canada or California, and its entire roster needs an update. I don’t know what else to say this isn’t one of those easy fixes. Short term finding someone to be the face of the franchise would be nice, and it would be better if that person were a QB. They need to find the next Kelley, the next guy who can captivate their fan base. Failing that maybe we should sit back, and wait for the moving trucks to show up.

Related Links:

•Buffalo Bills News and Notes
•How to fix bad NFL Franchises
•2010 NFL Draft News, Notes, and Rumors
•2010 NFL Mock Drafts
•2010 NFL Free Agents
•NFL Complete.com

Fix the Franchise: Buffalo Bills edition is a post from: The Inquisitr

What can we say about a team featuring Terrell Owens, which went a very disappointing 6-10 and in the process got their head coach fired. They also happen to play one of their regular season games in a foreign country. It is a very weird time for the Buffalo Bills, who seem to be searching fro a new direction. Fired head man, Dick Jauron, didn’t have a terrible record with the team but got axed for the sake of change. Chan Gailey takes over the team, and it will be on him to get this team in the playoffs.

Before the 2009 season even began the Bills Offensive Coordinator was fired, leaving the offense to be run by former QB and new OC Alex Van Pelt. They ran the no huddle throwback offense and were able to score just 258 points, good enough for the 28th best offense in the NFL. While they completed between 55 and 60% of their passes the Bills QB’s in 2009 just threw far too many interceptions to make up for. While they gained 1,867 yards on teh ground they only scored six rushing TD’s.

Their defense faired a little better; they allowed their opponents to score 326 points, or 20.4/game. That was good enough for the 16th best 2009 NFL defense, and means they were outscored on average by just over four points a game. Had their QB’s not be so careless with the ball it seems that the Bills may have had a far better 2009 season.

Now the Bills look to complete a partial rebuild on teh fly, they need a franchise QB to take the reins of their no huddle offensive attack, and may have to be active in the trade market this spring to find such a player. However it seems that their lack of a true franchise QB will lead the Bills to reach for someone in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Related Links:

•Buffalo Bills News and Notes
•2010 NFL Draft news, notes, and rumors
•NFL Complete.com

2009 NFL season in review: Buffalo Bills is a post from: The Inquisitr

It doesn’t look like Terrell Owens will resign with the Buffalo Bills, so the question becomes where will he sign? Chad Ochocinco seems to think that he will join him with the Cincinnati Bengals. While that could be a tremendous receiving corps, it would be a move destined to blow up in the faces of teh Bengals front office staff.

Sure The Bengals are known for giving guys with questionable character a second (or 11th) chance, but having tow guys with egos the size of aircraft carriers competing for balls and attention simply will not work. While both of these guys are pretty good receivers, they both need to have the spotlight on them, and they do not like sharing it.

There are some, including ex Bengals QB Boomer Esiason, who not only think this is bad idea, but think that the Bengals should move on with Chad as well. This is a hard argument to figure out. Chad makes the Bengals a whole lot better, but the baggage that comes with him can often be very distracting. In the end the Bengals have to decide if they want to use the team to feed his ego, or use their energy to improve their football team.

Right now it doesn’t seem that the team can accomplish both of these things. The Bengals are a very good team, and Marvin Lewis has done a pretty good job in 2009 of getting the most out of them. However, if the best he can do his a early exit from the playoffs then changes have to be made. It seems that Ochocinco could be on the top of that list.

Related Links:

•Cincinnati Bengals news and notes
•Buffalo Bills news and notes
•NFL Complete.com

T.O.’s next stop… Cincinnati? is a post from: The Inquisitr

I think we are going to have to face some facts, facts that their is an ever aging group of NFL owners out there whose best years are behind them. While they struggle to bring their teams back to some sort of relevance, their fan bases learn a little more each and every day that they are simply unable to do so. It is not surprising hat the AFL celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009, and many of the owners I speak of are original AFL owners, or owners from that era.

This brings me to Ralph Wilson, and the Buffalo Bills. Ralph is an aging owner, who’s time with the club is near its end, the team probably will not stay in Buffalo long after Wilson is gone, but the questionable decisions being made there are hard to swallow. The latest one is the hiring of Chan Gailey as their new Head Coach.

Gailey is what we sports journalist call a retread. He was the Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys for two years and had a respectable record of 18-14, but has never won a NFL playoff game as head coach. Essentially they replaced Dick Jauron with another Dick Jauron. This is not an upgrade, but change just for the sake of change. It makes little sense.

Personally I don’t care for Gailey all that much. In my estimation a guy is either a Defensive coach, or an offensive coach. It is very hard to be really good at both. However in Gailey’s career he has tried to do both. In his College career he was a defensive coach, once he reached the pro’s, he tried to be an Offensive coach. The offenses he ran in the NFL were in the top half of the league while with the Miami Dolphins (2000-2001) and with the Denver Broncos (1989-1990), but he had two hall of fame QB’s running those offenses for him. That is not the case in Buffalo. This has disaster written all over it.

More Buffalo Bills News and Notes

Bad football teams, make bad decisions is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mike Holmgren took the 2009 NFL season off as a promise to his family. Now it seems that 12 months of not being a part of the NFL has gotten to him and he is longing for a return. Since he has nothing left to achieve as a NFL Head Coach, he has won a Super Bowl, been to two others, and taken two different teams to the big show, he seems likely that he would like to pad his NFL resume with a stint as a NFL General Manager. For his first four seasons in Seattle Holmgren was both Coach and GM, but that rarely works out. Now there are several GM spots open, so the question seems to be where will he wind up.

Many will frown on his NFL draft record with the Seahawks, for whom he served as GM for his first four years there. He did however draft Shaun Alexander and Steve Hutchinson while there, but his overall draft record with the Seahawks was slightly below average. However as a member of the Green Bay packers, and while he did not make the final call he was in on the discussions, he had a very find drafting record. Since Brett Favre was his QB, and started every game while Holmgren was the Coach there, the Packers had an unbelievable record as drafting backup QB’s. They had Mark Brunell, Kurt Warner, Matt Hasselback, Aaron Brooks, and Ty Detmer during his tenure there.

Now that the Seahawks have fired their GM, there is a chance that Holmgren could return there. However there are several other GM spots available including the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills. All three teams will require an extensive rebuild effort, but if Holmgren could turn around the Browns he would be though of very highly. The same would be true of the Bills, not so much with the Seahawks.

Where will Mike Holmgren land? is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Buffalo Bills became the first NFL team to fire their Head Coach in 2009 today when they fired Dick Jauron. To say that the 2009 campaign has been a disappointment is a vast understatement. Finishing 7-9 for the past three years, added to what looked like a decent 2009 draft, on top of the signing of receiver Terrell Owens, Bills fans were looking for something more than a 3-6 start. In fact many NFL pundits had The Bills on a list of teams on the cusp of making a playoff run. Instead they have failed to make T.O. a part of their offensive attack, and it looks like they will have to undertake a massive rebuilding effort.

One really has to feel bad for Jauron who was the AP Coach of the year in 2001 while leading the Chicago Bears, but after a few years with the Detroit Lions as Defensive Coordinator, and ultimately Interim Head Coach after the firing of Steve Mariucci, it seemed Jauron had found a home in Buffalo. He seemed secure there since the Bills are not known for giving their head men every chance at success.

However this seems to be something that has been brewing since the beginning of the current NFL season. After training camp was over, Jauron fired his offensive coordinator, Turk Schonert. Jauron was unhappy with the offensive saying it had too many formations and far too many plays. Former Bills QB, and current Bills QB Coach Alex Van Pelt was then promoted to the coordinators job and he immediately began implementing the no huddle offense designed around the old K gun offense ran by the Bills in the days of Jim Kelly.

Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell is expected to take over the team on an interim basis.

Buffalo Bills News and Notes

Buffalo Bills fire their Head Coach is a post from: The Inquisitr

It seems there will never be an end for Terrell Owners and his need for drama. Now, after missing four weeks of practice due to a toe injury new Buffalo Bill Owners says he isn’t the biggest fan of the plan to use the no huddle offense. While it is still unclear if Owners is unhappy with the offense, his limited participation in it, or the fact that this offense is going to make him work hard, an unhappy Owens is something the Bills cannot afford right now.

During a press call with members of the press that cover the New England Patriots Owners made several comments about the offense that are somewhat hard to interpret. Of course the worst fear is this is the opening shot of an offensive by TO against his new team.

To be perfectly honest The Bills pre-season hasn’t exactly gone to plan. They recently fired Offensive Coordinator Turk Schnonert. Who immediately went to the press and accused Head Coach Dick Jauron of wanting a Pop Warner offense. Then the team cut LT Langston Walker as a move to help shake up the offense. In 15 pre-season possessions the starting offensive unit managed only three points.

Now the offense will be led by new OC Alex Van Pelt, who was a career back up QB in the NFL who played a large amount of his career with the Bills. The O line will be anchored by their two rookie draft picks, Eric Wood and Andy Levitre. Demetrius Bell will not start at LT after not playing a game in his rookie season.

This is not a recipe for victories or a recipe to keep a potential cancer like TO happy and content.

T.O. doesn’t like the no huddle offense is a post from: The Inquisitr

Buffalo is running a new offense this year. It is a no huddle, hurry up offense designed to keep defense off guard. In all reality it is a throw back system to the Buffalo Bills glory days. Back then QB Jim Kelly ran a K-Gun offense that lead this team to four straight Super Bowl appearances.

Of course Bill’s head coach, Dick Jauron is asking a lot of his squad this year. His offensive unit features two just drafted Offensive lineman in Eric Wood, and Andy Levitre. Wood played center in College, but the Bills have both of these players playing guard.

In the first pre-season game against the Tennessee Titans both of these players seemed over matched, but through the miracles of training camp last night against the Chicago Bears they appeared to have improved. The Bills were bale to beat the Bears 27-20.

Of course the Bears made a big off season move in accruing starting QB Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos. The hope there was Cutler would turn the Bears into a pass happy team cruising to a NFC North division title, after an inconsistent debut that may not be the case.

The Bills however are now rolling, even without star WR Terrell Owens. Owens sat this game out due to a toe injury, but his QB was able to go 10-0 for 79 yards. Many have called for the Bills to improve their 7-9 record of a year ago and make the NFL playoffs in 2009. With a new offense that seems to be clicking, even in a tough division the Bills could make a big run towards the playoffs.

Buffalo’s new offense lead to win is a post from: The Inquisitr

JP Losman has become the first big, OK maybe not big, but first name associated with the new UFL. Losman has signed a deal and will play for the UFL’s Las Vegas franchise under Head Coach Jim Fassel.

Losman last played in the NFL, for the Buffalo Bills, last season. He played in five games, had a QB rating of 62.3, completed 63 passes for 584 yards. Along the way he threw for just two touchdowns, with five interceptions.

His career numbers are not that much better. In his NFL career Losman had a QB rating of 75.6, he threw completions on average of 59.3% of the time, and only racked up 6,211 yards with 33 touchdowns and 34 interceptions. Losman earned those numbers playing in 42 career NFL games.

At one point Losman was the QB of the future for the Bills. They drafted him in the first round out of Tulane with the 22nd overall pick. However Losman never caught on with the Bills, and now looks to reestablish his career with the upstart league.

While he may not be a big name, Losman has landed in the right spot. His new Head Coach, Fassel, has a long history of working with great QB’s. As an Offensive Coordinator and QB Coach he mentored New York Giants QB Phil Simms. After moving on to the Denver Broncos he worked with legendary QB John Elway. When he returned to the Giants as head coach he revitalized the career of Kerry Collins.

It is interesting to note that Fassel also has a long history in leagues other that the NFL. He played briefly for the Honolulu Hawaiians of the old WFL before becoming an offensive coach with them. In 1984 he became the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Breakers of the old USFL.

Losman signs with the UFL is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Buffalo Bills have signed controversial former Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens on a $6.5 million, one year contract.

Owen’s agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed the news, telling ESPN “When you have a great player like Terrell Owens, it shouldn’t take a very long time to get him signed. It was clear to us that Buffalo was the best opportunity and the team that wanted him the most and the team he wanted the most. They wanted to add a superstar to the mix.”

Owens brilliant form on the field, holding second position in the all time highest number of touchdowns, has been mixed with on and off-field controversy at every team he’s played with, including an attempted suicide in 2006.

Bills owner Ralph Wilson said in a written statement “We are happy to announce that we have signed Terrell Owens to our team. We all know of his tremendous ability and look forward to what he will bring to our offense. This is a very exciting day for the Buffalo Bills.”

Terrell Owens signed by Buffalo bills is a post from: The Inquisitr