Kaspers Korner

The Buffal  Bills suffered a heart breaking loss to the Cleveland Browns on Monday Nite Football.  Many people  today, especially the media, is putting the blame squarely on the shouldes on quarterback Trent Edwards, but when at second glance it fall squarely on the shoulders of the coaches.

Many people are looking to the Bills play calling on the last possession as the ultimate reason why the Bills lost the game.  However, it was play calling that caused the turnovers in the first place.

I must say first that I am not excusing the play of Trent Edwards.  The decision he made on the pass to James Hardy was bad.   Also, he played not to cause another mistake that would cost them the game.

However, the play calling early in the game on two particular plays was horrible. 

First, the opening play of the game was just terrible.  All week long everyone in the world of football knew that the Bills had to do one thing when the game started, and that was run the ball.

Instead, offensive coordinator Turk Schonert decided on a pass. That was just plain stupidity.  At that point in the game you have not run the ball well, and the opening play is a tone setter for the rest of the game.  They needed to come out and just punch the Browns right in the face with a run.

Secondly, the third interception was a horrible play call.  What people are forgeting is that the third interception was on the third down and one, which Schonert called a play out of a Shotgun formation, with no back in the back field.

That should get Schonert fired right there.  If Schonert did have not had his head up his rear, and try to be cute like always, the Bills would have ran the ball.  Thus, Edwards would have never thrown his third interception, and would have played differently.

That was one of the worst calls I have ever seen by a Bills coordinator.  Marshawn Lynch the previous two plays ran the ball for a total of nine yards. 

Good team on third down and one do not get cute.  However, this offensive coordinator has a tendacy to do that.

Even after the third interception the play calling was horrible.  Edwards was scared, and not throwing the ball down the field.  Then, it is a coaches job to adjust, and put Edwars in a better position to succeed.

What Schonert should have done after that is run three step drops to get the wide receivers involved.  Then, when they run five step drops take out the swing pass to force Edwards to throw it down the field, and play action passes usually do just that.

Many people will also say that the Patriots are one dimensional, and people know what they are doing as well. 

However they have three key weapons in wide recievers Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and tight end Ben Watson.  Eventually, one will get open, and the Bills simply do not have the skill players to do this, which Schonert does as well.

Edwards will take the blame, which he deserves for the pass to Hardy.  However, Schonert deserves just as much for in incompetent calling on third down.

The Buffalo Bills are in the midst of a three game skid that has wound them up at the bottom of the AFC East.  At this point in the season a lose to the Cleveland Browns would pretty much put them out of playoff contention.

The Bills must win no doubt about it.  The question is can they get the job done considering how their offensive, and defensive lines are playing.

The key to the game for the offense will be to control Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rodgers.  Rodgers is second on the team in tackles with 47, and leads the team in sacks, which is four.

What will happen if the Bills cannot control Rodgers? The same as the last two weeks, which is no running game, and Bills quarterback Trent Edwards being forced into turnovers.

Defensively, the Bills have to shut down the running game of the Browns.  Right now the running game is not going very well, but with quarterback Brady Quinn being the starter now they will surely rely on it to take the pressure off the kid.

In regards to the passing game they cannot let tight end Kellen Winslow get loose.  Winslow leads the team in receptions, with 36 for 362 yards receiving, and three touchdowns.

Also, the Bills must confuse Quinn, with complex schemes, and putting pressure on him.  Getting pressure on Quinn will not be easy with pro bowl guard Eric Steinbach, and tackle Joe Thomas leading the way, so defensive coordinator Perry Fewell will need to be creative.

The team that can execute its keys will win the game.

The New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 20-10 to remain in first place in the AFC East.  However, they suffered another devestating injury to a starter that will result in the player missing the rest of the year.

Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomsas is lost for the year as he broke his forearm in the second quarter of the game agaisnt the Bills.  Which, makes it even more head scratching how the Bills did nothing on offense against the Patriots.

The loss of Thomas is a huge blow to the team.  The team has been rotating linebackers for the most part, but now that looks like a thing of the past.

The question now is how many more injuries can the New England Patriots suffer, and remain at the top?

That answere is not much more.  The Patriots are getting older, and fast.  Many people need to realize that the core of the Patriots are in their 30’s. 

It is the same thing that happens to every good team.  Players get older, hurt more often, and then the run is over.

Many experts think that as long as the Patriots have Brady they will always be near the top.  They will only be at the top as long as the offensive line can protect Tom Brady. 

Brady is a pocket passing quarterback, and more often than not he is going to get hurt.  Brady will be 32 next season, and with all the playoff games that Brady has played his body is not going to hold up as long as Brett Farve.

Many people will say they will be back next year.  However, I highly doubt that they will ever be the same.

The Buffalo Bills loss to the New England Patriots revealed some huge problems.  No other bigger than the problems they have on their defensive line, offensive line, and coaching.

Many Bills fans will be looking to blame quarterback Trent Edwards for the loss.  However, it is not his fault, becuase when you do not have a running game all teams are going to do is make you pass all the time.  Which will eventually lead to mistakes.

Free agents that have been signed to fill big hole more often dissapoint, as it has been pointed out by ESPN’s Hall of Fame writer John Clayton.  The Bills did that with their offensive line, and now they are paying.

Simply, the Bills offensive line stink worst than a jock strap that has not been washed for a month.  They couldn’t even run block a old lady if their life depended on it. 

Their defensive line does not fare any better.  Ryan Denny, and fellow starting defensive end Chris Kelsay, are the two most sorry excuses for defensive ends I have ever seen.

Neither of the two leads the teams in sacks.  That honor goes to defensive tackle Marcus Stroud.  Stroud even has more sacks, two and a half, than both of them combined, which is two as both have one sack each.

Just the fact alone that a defensive tackle is leading the team in sacks should prompt some serious changes.  Well that has not happened, as Bills defensvie coordinator Perry Fewell keeps doing the same thing each week.

That leads me to the coaching.  I have never seen a more bullheaded coachs than I have seen here in Buffalo.  Last year it was offensive coordinatore Steve Fairchild, who thankfully took a head coaching college job somewhere else.

Someone needs to be fired if the Bills miss the playoffs after going 4-0 earlier this year. 

The Buffalo Bills are going into a key divisional gamne against the New England Patriots.  However, the Bills defense is going to need a new plan of attack against the Patriots as they lost Ashton Youboty for the season.

Youboty was a key cornerback for the Bills.  The third year cornerback was just starting to blossom, and was a solid against covering slot wide recievers, which is a huge deal this week, since the New England Patriots Wes Welker is the best slot receiver in the National Football League right now.

With the loss of Youboty the Bills have no choice, but to throw rookie cornerback Leodis McKelvin, or Reggie Corner into the mix.  The Bills do have several options though on how to attack the Patriots.

The Bills have been using mostly just rushing the four down linemen in the passing game.  This week should bring an array of blitzes from the Bills as Patriots Matt Cassel has been sacked 28 times so far this season, which is the second most in th league.

The other way the Bills can approach the Patriots defensively is have their cornerbacks assigned to certain wide receivers.  With Terrenance McGee being their top cornerback he will most likely cover Randy Moss.  Jabari Greer is the other starting cornerback, which would leave him Welker  That means McKelvin will be getting to cover Jabar Gaffney most of the game.

The key to this game is the Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.  He needs to take a page from the Bills offensive linemen, and insert the Bills will upon the Patriots. 

After all what has the Bills the last two weeks sat back to prevent the big play, and lost.  Now, is a time for change, and take a page out of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, and blitz the Patriots to death.

As the saying goes the more things change the more they stay the same.  In this case it is lying through the skin of their teeth, which Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Juaron did Wednesday.

In this case the Bills will be paying heavily as they have falsified their injury report to the National Football League.   According to WGR’s beatreporter Paul Hamilton saw Bills cornerback Ashton Youboty partcipated fully, but was stated as limited in head coach Dick Juaron’s press conference, and stated that he did not practice on their official report to the NFL.

Falsifying reports is a big no no.  If the Bills are found guilty by the league for that, then the Bills should pay heavily.

The Bills have a past of lying to people.  The last three head coaches in Mike Mularkey, Greg Williams, and Wade Phillips is all guilty of it.

Many people, myself included thought that the Bills changed.  Well that is not  the case, as every head coach looks for away to get an advantage.

Wake up Bills this the type of behavior that made fans mad with the last head coach.  Bills fans are not dumb, and clearly can tell a lie.

The Buffalo Bills went into todays game against the New York Jets needing a win.  That did not happen as two specific plays hurt the Bills chances to win the game.

The two bad plays were the pass that was intercepted for a touchdown, and the fourth and one play that they could not convert.  I am specifically talking about the plays that they ran.

On both plays the plays that they ran were horrible, non common sense play calls by offensive coordinator Turk Schonert.  Eventhough, the play calling was the ultimate reason for the Bills down fall it will be Edwards, and the offensive line.

The interception came first.  With third and goal from the Jets 14 yard line passing the ball down the field was horrible. 

The reason being that the Jets was crowding the endzone to make the Bills throw the ball in front of them.  With the possibility of jumping a route for an interception, which is what happened.

The smart call was a draw play, and hopefully the running back would bust one open.

Then came the fourth down and one play.  I have no qualms in going for it as they were down six points at the time. 

What I have a problem with is choosing to hand it off to running back Fred Jackson, when the previous week the Bills could not get five yards.  Last week the Bills hand first and goal from the Miami Dolphins five, and ran three straight times, an got no where.

Simply, there were other calls which are a quarterback sneak, spread it out wide with then running it, or use the Wild Cat formation play they used in the game.

The defense did not help either either as of the nine drives the Jets had one was for a kneel down to end the game, one was a missed feild goal, another was an interception for a touchdown, and one was a punt.

To only stop two drives is pathetic.  The Bills are not going to the playoffs if defensive coordinator Perry Fewell does not figure something out. 

In the instance of the defense that is not the coaches fault.  That rests on the players as the defensive ends are pathetic, and back up defensive tackle Spencer Johnson is bad.  A lot of the big gains the Jets made earlier in their game, and their touchdown, was due to the fact they blew Johnson out of the hole.

If they keep playing like this they will be playing for a top pick in the 2009 draft.

The Buffalo Bills signed center Melvin Fowler to be a part of their offensive line for years to come.  That was a wrong move as the Bills are going to stick with Duke Preston as their center for the game against the New York Jets.

Fowler hurt himself earlier this season, thus opening the door for Duke Preston.  It looks as though Preston took full advantage of it as he is now the starting center for the Jets game.

Fowler has not been that good as he can be found usually in the backfield on running plays getting blown back by defenders.  Preston just standing his ground has seemingly shown as a big upgrade as the Bills for the first time all season averaged over four yards a carry.

However, the Bills are still bad in their short yardage game.  They could not get into the end zone when they were on the three yard line, and consistently cannot make third and one to go.

The solution to this problem?  Simply put them on a diet.  They are too big, as the Bills are the biggest offensive line in the league.  They cannot get low enough to establish good run blocking technique.

The technique is simple to notice.  The hands of the run blocker should be clutching the defenders shoulder pads in front of his arm pits.  This is not holding, because he is not grasping out side of the defenders arms. 

Also, the head of the run blocker should be in the numbers of the defender chest.  This allows the run blocker to stand up the defender, thus getting him off balance, and easier to move.

Obviously, the Bills starting offensive line lacks this technique, or their running game will be better.

At first glance it looks like that Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards is to blame for the mess of a loss in Miami.  However, when you look deeper you will see that it is the coaching to blame.

The pass defense is just down right dissapointing.  They simply cannot get to the quarterback without the help of blitzes. 

The Bills invested heavily into the top three defensive ends.  In return they have shown not one thing.  That is including knock downs, sacks, and pressures.

Simply, it looks like it is time to start seeing what third round draft choice defensive end Chris  Ellis can do.

The offense is the more dissapointing aspect of the coaching.  The play calling in two situations was just down right stupid.

The first fumble by Edwards at the Dolphins own 33 was just a dumb call.  The both running backs averaged over four yards a carry, and to not trust your main running back in a big situation like that raises a lot of red flags.

However, that is not as stupid as the play calling when the Bills had the ball at their own three.  The Bills did not call one run play in that situation.

It is okay to call a three step drop play, becuase it is almost impossible to get a holding call on that type of play.  The thing is that on second, and third down, offensive coordinator Turk Schonert called two drop back pass plays.

Any one in their right mind would not call those plays in that situation.  A simple holding penalty in the end zone results in a sack.

Ultimately, if the Bills are going to get to the playoffs both coordinators better wake up.  For if they keep on being this inconsistent then the Bills will not make the playoffs.

The Buffalo Bills game against the San Deigo Chargers had huge playoff implications.  With the win the Bills have shown that they are a contender for the Super Bowl.

The Bills are a ligitament contender for the first time in over a decade.  Which, has the town buzzing as Bills each week are coming nearer to the playoffs.

There is only one thing left to prove.  That being that they can perform in cold weather.

Edwards with his performance so far has shown that last year was not a fluke.  The only thing that remains between him and being one of the top quarterbacks in the league is performing in the cold.

Last year Edwards did not fare so well.  That is understandable, since he had played all of his football on the west coast, untill he was drafted by the Bills.

This is a different team than last year.  Last year they were riddled with injuries, and were pretty inexperienced.

Now, they are experienced, and healthy.  On top of that they have a offensive coordinator that understands what it takes for a quarterback to succeed in the National Football League.

Many people may not be talking about the Buffalo Bills right now.  However, a win against the New England Patriots on their own turf will change things in a heart beat.

The Buffalo Bills are coming off their bye week to face the San Deigo Chargers this Sunday.  The game this week will show how good the Bills really are, and who is a real contender for the Superbowl.

The Bills are going to have their hands full this week. As the Chargers are coming off a dominant win over the New England Patriots Sunday night.

The Bill same the same task as they did against the Arizona Cardinals.  That being to shut down the Chargers passing game as Phillip Rivers passed for over 300 yards against the Patriots.

The only solution for the Bills is blitzing the hell out of the Chargers.  If they do not then Bills fans will be in for the same treat this week just like the game against the Cardinals. 

The Buffalo Bills have been without a prominent tight end for almost a decade.  The Bills have an opportunity that they must seize in the reported availability of Kansas City Cheifs tight end Tony Gonzalez.

Gonzalez is one of the greatest tight ends in the game.  With the Bills having a glaring weakness at the position making a more would only make sense.

It has been pretty much a foregone conclusion that some time soon Gonzalez was going to be traded.  With the trade deadline this Tuesday the time seems to be now.

Gonzales last week past former tight end Shannon Sharpe for the most receiving yards in a career by a tight end.  However, Gonzalez is 32, and would have another solid two, maybe even three, years left in him.

There obviously would be concern for Gonzalez to pickup the offense of offensive coordinator Turk Schonert. 

The thing that people need to remember that Gonzalez for several years played under offensive coordinator Al Saunders who is one of the best in the game.  Also, many teams run the same plays.  What it comes down to is remembering how the played is called.

The door is wide open for the Bills, and not pursuing Gonzalez would be foolish. 

The only reason that the Bills should not pursue this hard is if the Cheifs are asking for a second or first round draft choice in 2009.  Anything lower than that the conversation should go like this. 

(telephone ringing)

Cheifs gm Carl Peterson:  Hello? 

Russ Brandon:  Hey Carl Russ Brandon with the Bills.  Heard that Tony Gonzalez might be available is that true?

Peterson: Yeah it is?

Brandon: What are you asking for him?

Peterson: A third round pick in 2009.

Brandon:  DEAL! I will have the paper work over in a minute!

I know things are not always that simple, but if the Bills are smart this should be something like it.

With the beginning of every football season there is always a renewed hope that fans will see their team win a Superbowl.  However, there are somethings that do not change.

The Buffalo Bills have one problem.  That being stubbornness on part of the coaches. 

The past couple of seasons saw former offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild being the guilty party.  This year it is defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.

Fewell for some reason in their last game decided to stick with the same things over again, and again.  Which ultimately cost them the game.

The problem is that fewell along with the staff is so enamored with defensive ends Chris Kelsay, and Aaron Schoble.  His scheme relies on usually just a four man rush to disrupte offensive plays.

However, that has been far from the case.  The only linemen getting penetration at this point has been the defensive tackles.  Who alos provided the only big plays the defensive line has made.

This past week in his weekly interview on 106.5 WYRK in Buffalo, Kelsay subtley blammed the coaches for the loss to the Arizona Cardinals. 

“They did not do anything different from what we saw on film.  The only difference is that they ran a lot more short passing plays than they usually do,” said Kelsay.

Kelsay is on the money.  Yeah, both he and Schobel stink, but how can they even get a chance at the quarterback if their defensive coordinator is slow to adjust. 

Simply put Fewell better get his head out of his rear, or he is going to cost the Bills a shot at the playoffs.

The Buffalo Bills were crushed by the Arizona Cardinals 41-17 Sunday.  In the loss a very disturbing trend became increasingly clear, and that being their defensive ends stink.

The Buffalo Bills have invested more than $70 million in defensive ends Aaron Schobel, and Chris Kelsay.  For it this year through five games both defensive ends have combined for two sacks.

Kelsay is no surprise he was never as good as the Bills thought he was.  Everyone in Buffalo knew that the contract they gave him was ridiculous.

Schobel turned 31 September 1st, and it is apparant that his best days are behind him.  Schobel is on pace for four sacks, which would be the worst of his career.

Simply, the Bills cannot afford to have another lack luster season from defensive end getting paid over seven million a year.

Most likely the Bills will hold on to Schobel by making up some kind of excuse.  Eventhough, the reality is that they are now out of excuses, because if the addition of defensive tackle Marcus Stroud.

It is time to move on, and get another one high in the draft.  After all haven’t both of them had enough chances? 

Wide receiver Lee Evans finally got the contract extension he was looking for.  Not even 24 hours have passed, and the deal is looking very good.

Evans deal was a very good one for the Bills.  Most likely by the time the 2009 season comes around Evans will not be in the top five for highest paid wide receivers. 

The reason being that wide receivers Roy Williams and TJ Houshmandzadeh will be unrestricted free agents after this season.  Also, if a wide receiver is taken in the top five of the 2009 draft that will push Evans down as well.

With the way that Evans has started off the season it would not be a surprise that he has a career year statistically.  Offensive coordinator Turk Schonery made it a point to get Evans involved in the game early, and often, which has paid off.

Now, the next thing that they have to get done is a contract for offensive tackle Jason Peters. 

If they can get that done the Bills will be a force to contende with for many years to come.

Buffalo Bills tackle Jason Peters is off to a slow start this season.  However, people are wrongly blaming Peters for a sack by by Chris Long.

Even Buffalo New’s Allen Wilson messed this up.  The problem being that everyone is forgetting on the play the Marshawn Lynch slipped when he went to help block Long.

However, it would have not mattered, because the defense had a twist stunt on the play.  Unless quarterback Trent Edwards slided up, and released it quickly, he still would have gotten sacked.

A twist stunt is that the defensive lineman will cross his blocker’s face to rush inside. Then a linebacker would go around the defensive lineman to rush outside.

To combat this type of stunt players need to be on the same page.  That is not the case with Lynch going for Long.

As in the book “Sundday Morning Quarterback” By Phil Simms with Vic Varucci, people need to looks past the announcers, because they are usually wrong, and need to analyze the player more analytically afterwards. 

As the saying goes do not judge a book by its cover.

The Buffalo Bills have improved their record to 4-0, with a win over the Saint Louis Rams defeating them 31-14.  You would have not thought that was possible in the first half.

The Bills in the first half was just simply awful on defense, and offense.  Both teams were dominated in the first half.

Then just like the previous two weeks the Bills came to play.  Showing who the real team is by scoring 18 points in the fourth quarter.

Offensively, Edwards was 15-25 throwing 197 yards with one touchdown and one interception.  Edwards stats would be better if not for persistent deep fade routes being called by offensive coordinator Turk Schonert.

Schonert’s play calling in the first half was very questionable.  The offensive line was dominated by the Rams defensive line, especially the Bills Langston Walker who gave up four sacks in one half.

If Schonert simply called more short passing plays, then the defense would have most likely not given up so many rushing yards to Steven Jackson. 

Many people will perceive that adjustments were made at halftime.  That is just a myth. 

What happened is that the coaches ripped the players a new one.  Then they players woke up out of their shells, and came to play.

Still the Bills have not put a four quarter game together.  The four games that they have played were against inferior teams.

So, watch out AFC the Bills are the team to beat.

Many people out there think that this is a easy game for the Bills, and some think it is a trap game.  There is one thing for certain, and that is they will come prepared.

It will most likely be a tough contest for the Bills, especially the defense.  The Saint Louis Rams just have changed quarterbacks, and most people are forgetting one thing.

When Saunders was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Cheifs his starting quarterback was Trent Green, who replaces Rams starter Marc Bulger this week.

The Rams offense could be dangerous, especially if they used their tight end right. 

Randy McMichael is their starting tight end.  He is a very good one, and has burned the Bills before, when he was a Miami Dolphin.  So, the defense definately needs to keep him in check.

The main problem with the offense is that the line stinks.  It gave up eleven sacks in the first three games of the regular season.  Also, in an interview Rams starting running back Steven Jackson stated that many members of the team are ticked off at Linehan for pulling Bulger out of the starting lineup.

With the Rams starting offensive line in shambles, along with the team about to turn on their head coach in a second.  The Bills have a really good chance of going 4-0 this week.

The Buffalo Bills made a remarkable comeback to win Sunday to go 3-0 on the season.  However, very few are still talking about the Bills after Sunday in the media.

I have searched these sites ESPN, SI, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, NFL, and Pro Football Talk.com.  Not one of these sites even feature an article on the Bills.  They only provide a onem maybe two, paragraph commentary.

The Bills are good not just because they are great on defense, or offense, but in large part that they are good at all three phases of the game defense, offense, and special teams.

The offense after week three is ranked 13th, and the defense is ranked 5th. 

The reason as Pat Kirwan put it to not jump on the Bills band wagon is that they are too young.  Are you freakin kidding me!!

A lot of players on this team that are young.  However, the team has leaders like Marcus Stroud, Chris Kelsay, and Lee Evans, along with Derrick Dockery to lead the offense.  Also, the have the most even tempered man of them all, and that is their head coach Dick Jauron.

They have a deadly combination of good defense, with a solid upcoming quarterback that does not get rattled.  When he does he has learned how not to show it to teammates.

The fact of the matter is that the Bills are a scary team this year.  They have won three games, while not firing on all three cylinders. 

When a team comebacks late in the fourth quarter, and  down by nine, to win it is the mark of a great young team finding its way to the top.

Buffalo Bills players after two games know that they have taken a step in the right direction.  This week they are looking to position themselves as the team to beat in the AFC East.

All the media outlets have reported it, and you can make pretty sure that all the players know that if they win it will be the first time in over a decade that the team has started the season 3-0.

The Oakland Raiders are a mess to say the least.  Their head coach Lane Kiffin is rumouredly about to get fired any day.  Now, earlier this week starting defensive tackle Tommy Kelly was arrested for drinking and driving.

Also, you can add in running back Darren MacFadden has a toe injury, and wide receiver Javon Walker has a bad hamstring.  Along, with their starting quarterback Jamarcus Russell being in his first season as a starting quarterback.

Some Bills fans think that they are simply going to lay an egg.  That is simply ridiculous with the leadership that they have in their lockerroom.

If the Bills do lose it will be due to a good game plan by the Raiders coaching staff.  The Bills have to many smart blue collar players to let this one slip by.

Simply, the Raiders have a beat down waiting for them at the Ralph.

Trent Edwards has bursted on the scene with outstanding performances in the first two games of the season for the Buffalo Bills.  The reason for his success is simply the type of offense he is running.

This past week I have picked up the book Sunday Morning Quarterback by Phil Simms, with Vic Carucci.  I may be half way through it, however it came clear to me why Edwards has been outstanding.

The type of offense that the Bills are running is the West Coast offense.  A offense that is centralized on the quarterback.

The offensive style is a quarterbacks dream.  The philosophy of the offense is what Simms credits for him making the Pro Bowl in his final season in the National Football League.

The offense calls for the quarterback to be gracefull.  In other words it relies on sound quarterback technique, with the quarterback finding the open man to more the ball several yards to move the chains.

For example, the offense calls for the quarterback to throw the ball softer, with touch, and to the open man to move the chains. 

According to Simms, when a quarterback throws the ball with all his might there is a greater chance of the wide receiver dropping the ball, because it is coming at him so hard.  Throwing it softer gives the receiver a better chance to catch it, and the ball to be more accurately thrown to a spot so he can make a better play to gain yards after the catch.

Also, the offense relies on speedy skill players to break tackles, and run the ball after the catch to gain more yards.  Something that the Bills have a lot at the wide receiver, and running back position.

The philosophy of throwing it to whoever is open no matter if it is two or twenty is actually common sense.  What it does is allow the quarterback to get into a rythm, which according to Simms is essential for a quarterback to be good in a particular game.

Edwards has always been a great accurate decision maker.  Back in high school Edwards had years where he completed 75 percent of his passes.

Simply, the Bills have put a offense together that fits all the attributes of every starter, including the offensive line who is better at pass blocking.

Prior to the season opener I was handing out fliers promoting my site, and when I was talking to people I learned of something mind boggling to me.  That being season ticket holders with RV’s are forced to park by Berts bikes, when the Meyers RV lot is full.

The parking for these vehicles are not cheap.  These people are usually season ticket holders that have to pay $50 to park earlier than sunday, and $40 on sunday itself.

In the past there was two lots for the RV’s.  Recently the Bills dropped it down to one, and that has infuriated people.

The more by the Bills in very stupid.  These are people that consum a lot of the Bills products, which include good season ticket seats. parking, and merchandise.

What will happen is that people will eventually just stop brining their RV all together.  That means lost revenue for the Bills, and that is something that they cannot afford.

The troubling thing is that the solution is very easy.  That is buying the land for sale across from Ralph Wilson Stadium on Southwestern blvd.

The Bills better come up with a solution soon, or they are going to have some unhappy customers.

Many Buffalo Bills fans know the consequences of contract talks thanks to the Buffalo Sabres hockey team, and its history when a top talent does not get signed before the season.  If the Bills knew what was good for them they get the deal done now.

Evans has in the past a slow starter.  However, that is not the case this year.

Evans right now has eight catches for 179 total yards.  That projects to be 64 catches for 1,440 yards receiving.

Everyday without a new contract Evan’s price will go up.  As it went with Sabre contracts the same applies for the Bills.  That being the deals before the season starts will always be cheaper than the deals after the year.

For example, before the Sabres 07-08 season they could of signed defenseman Brian Campbell to a five year $25 million deal.  After the season Campbell signed a deal that was worth more than $50 million.

The Bills offense is off to a good start.  Quarterback Trent Edwards is starting to look like a stud at quarterback.  The defense has proven to be a solid playoff caliber unit.

Offensive tackle Jason Peters wants a new deal.  Also, defensive tackle Marcus Stroud and quarterback Trent Edwards will have two years left on their deals. 

Solid years from both players could lead to both of them wanting deals.  If that happens someone will be unhappy as it is nearly impossible to get that many big deals done.

In top of that they have to get their head coach resigned.  So, get a move on it Bills!

The Buffalo Bills did what most fans expected, and that was beat the Jacksonville Jaguars.  In the process Bills fans have realized that they finally have that franchise quarterback that they been wanting desperately, since Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly retired.

Edwards led the Bills to a comeback win, on the road,and against a team that has been near the top of the AFC conference.  The winning touchdown came with 4:10 left to go in the fourth quarter, when Edwards found wide receiver James Harvey in the corner of the endzone.

Edwards was simply amazing, especially with the Jaguars having a good defense, and a excellent defensive coordinator in Greg Williams, the former Bills head coach. 

Watching him today was like watching 49ers quarterbacks Steve Young or Joe Montana.  He simply dissected the Jaguars defense just like the two former 49ers use to do to teams.

Edwards did not just do it against some terrible defense, but against a defense in the Jaguars who were in the top half of defenses in the league last year. 

The Jaguars made a huge commitment to bolster their defense when they took defensive ends Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves in this past years National Football League draft in April.

So, for Edwards to accomplish what he did today was truly special, and the beginning of something specail once again in the city of Buffalo.

Many fans last year questioned if Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards had a strong enough arm for deep passes.  That question has been put to rest after just one game.

Trent Edwards surprised many Bills fans, except this journalist, when he hit wide receiver Lee Evans for passes of 32 and 41 yards.  He had two other passes that were completions for more than 20 yards.

Edwards has a great arm.  Last year while doing some research on Trent for an article I came in contact with Edward high school head coach Butch Cattolico and had this to say about Edwards deep ball, “He has one of the best deep balls I have ever seen.  He can throw it deep, and very accurate.”

Play calling was the main reason why Edwards arm did not shine last year.  Was it for ball control to keep the offense on the field, or was former offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild just to scared to call it for a rookie quarterback?

The Bills have a deadly combination on offense.  That being a best or a running back in Marshawn Lynch, an explosive wide receiver in Lee Evans, and a smart and accurate quarterback who looks to be on the verge of becoming an elite quarterback.

With a resounding spanking of the Jacksonville Jaguars the Bills will set them selves up to win their first AFC East title in more than a decade.

Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Jason Peters most likely will play his first game of the year after holding out all of training camp, and the preseason.  However, fans should not worry if Peters missing all of training camp will affect his play in the regular season.

Physically, Bills fans, especially the media, should remember one thing about Peters.  That being Peters was originally a tight end when he signed with the Bills.  Also, at 340 pounds Peters is only twelve pounds over his listed weight entering the 2004 National Football League Draft.

Peters comes from Texas, and with the heat down there, everywhere else should be a cake walk for Peters, except Arizona of course.

Mentally, Peters should just be fine.  Especially with him being a offensive tackle, and not a center.

In the run game Peters assingments are usually simple.  That being he blocks the guy in front of him, and that includes the zone running game the Bills ran last year. 

The same thing goes for the passing game. Being a left tackle Peters blocks one guy usually and that is the defense’s right defensive end, unless they are going against a 3-4 defense.

Simply, Peters is a veteran, and veterans can pickup things easily.  Afterall, Peters was here last year, and they are running a lot of things from last year as well.

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams had an outstanding game in week one.  However, he is still the weak link on the defensive line.

Williams last year was miserable, as he was getting manhandled by double teams all the time.  That still was the case in the preseason, since fellow defensive tackle Marcus Stroud saw very little time.

Williams may be playing a different position, but he is still the weak link.  The well coached teams will figure this out sooner or later.

The strategy is actually very simple, and look for it in week two against Jacksonville.  The strategy is a simple chip block.

Offensive line coaches will use this to help out when a defensive player is penetrating a lot in the running game.

Most of the time offensive lineman are given certain defensive players to block.  If a offensive lineman has nobody lined up across from him he is directed to block a linebacker. 

For example, om a 4-3 defense typically nobody lines up over the center, which means that he has to block a linebacker on a running play.  So, what the coach will do is tell the center to help block the defensive tackle over the left guard for a second.  Then after a second release, and go block the linebacker.

This is a simple, but very effective technique.  The reason being that defensive lineman rely on setting up and performing thier move, to get past a offensive lineman, when the ball is snapped.  When a defensive lineman is double teamed at any point it is hard for the defender to do anything on that play.

So, next time you watch your favorite team play you have something to look for when the opposition is running the ball.

Many Buffalo Bills fans questioned the Bills for placing starting linebacker Angelo Crowell on injured reserve, eventhough he was going to be ready in about two weeks.  Now, they made another questionable move leaving defensive tackle John McCargo of the game day active roster.

According to Bills reporter Chris Brown the move was most likely due to McCargo’s performance in the preseason.

McCargo was arguably their best defensive tackle last year.  So, for them to do something like this is absolutely baffling.

What makes it even worst looking for the Bills is that starting defensive tackle Kyle Williams did not have a good preseason either.  I can recall in the preseason game against the Redskins Williams got pushed back off the line of scrimmage five yards before he fell.

Also, last year Williams was horrible in the running game.  He was blown off the ball constantly, and never made any plays.

On the other hand McCargo did make some plays in the running game.  Last year against the New York Giants McCargo just blew right by his blocker on a fourth down and one play at the goal line stuffing the play.

Simply, the Bills are play favorites with Williams.  For some reason they are just enamored with Williams.  If Williams played under someone like Bill Parcels Williams would already been on the streets.

Shame on you Bills.

The Buffalo Bills traded for defensive tackle Marcus Stroud to be the difference maker on the defensive line.  In just his first game he did just that.

Stroud has made a huge difference by just being there on the field with the Bills.  For evidence of that you have to look no further than fellow defensive tackle Kyle Williams.

Williams was horrible last year with the Bills.  The reason being that he was double teamed all the time by opponents.  This year that has completely changed.

With Stroud drawing the double team Williams has been able to go up against man on man blocking.  That is a world of a difference for a defensive tackle like Williams.

Williams is more of a quick penetrator, which the Bills drafted him for.  For some reason though he was used as the defensive tackle who draws double teams, and is stout against the run.

A player like Williams needs to be the tackle that goes up against a single blocker to be effective.  Williams proved that as he had one solo tackle two assists, and one and a half sacks, along with constantly being in the back field all day, as he drew man on man blocking, since Stroud was being doubled.

If the tandem keeps performing the way it did last sunday there are even going to be top notch offenses that will have trouble with the Bills this year.

The Buffalo Bills sunday beat the Seattle Seahawks in a blowout 34-10.  Many media outlets say that the special teams are the big story, however the real story is the performance of the other units.

Simply, the defense for the Bills was dominate.  They allowed only 252 total yards of offense on the day.

The big story for them is the defensive line, as they were dominant all day long.  The defensive line allowed ony the Seahawks three headed monster to rush for 85 yards total.  Also, the Bills sacked Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselback five times, with defensive tackle Kyle Williams leading the way with one and a half sacks.

The offense wowed people, as it was a completely different looking offense from last year. 

The amazing thing from the offense was the play of quarterback Trent Edwards, who did not play in a game in two weeks.  Edwards completed 19 of 30 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown.  If that was rusty, then I cannot fathom what sharp looks like.

Another big development from the offense is the distribution of the football. 

In training camp it was mentioned that the offense would integrate the tight end more into the offense.  Bills offensive coordinator Turk Schonert was not kidding, as Bills tight end Robert Royal had the number of catches on the day with six. 

The last time that this happened was probably in the mid 90’s when Jim Kelly was quarterback, and Pete Metzelaars was the starting tightend.

With Tom Brady suffering a season ending torn anterior cruciate ligament injury, you can see that news coming as it was the same exact way Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer tore his ACL in the playoffs a couple of years ago, and with today’s performance the AFC East is the Bills to lose.

In a surprising move Buffalo Bills left tackle Jason Peters reported to the team saturday.  You can thank Ralph Wilson’s stubbornness.

If it was any other football team that team’s front office would have caved into the demands of Peters.  However, we are talking about the Buffalo Bills, and owner Ralph Wilson Jr.

A lot of Bills fans have heard the stories over the years about Wilson’s stubbornness.  Sometimes he is right, and sometimes he is wrong.

Wilson was instumental in the Bills drafting running back Dwayne Wright in the, who they drafted in the fourth round of the 2007 National Football League Draft.

However, that did not turn out very well as Wright was cut in training camp this year, after fumbling several times in the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions.

Then there is the extension of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between owners and players. 

The owners extended the CBA in March of 2006, and after Wilson bashed owners for hastily agreeing to extended, becasue Wilson was not sure if it benefited the players, or owners more. 

This past offseason the owners opted out of the CBA early, and thus proving that Wilson was right.  The deal is lopsided in favor of the NFLPA.

No matter if you feel that if the Bills were right, or wrong, the decision was Wilson’s to pay Peters.  After all Peters had three years in place, and Wilson is under no obligation to do anything.

The Buffalo Bills came away with a victory in their preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.  However, the reality is that the Bills lost.

Bills fans were left hanging on the edge of their seats as Langston Walker was hurt in the second quarter, which turned out to be only a bruise.  The injury shows why the Bills are losers.

No, matter what you think about the contract situation between the Bills and Peters there is one thing that you cannot deny.  The Bills are one serious injury away to Langston Walker for their season to get flushed down the tubes.

The Bills will most likely have to use a tight end and a running back to chip the defensive end that current starting right tackle Kirk Chambers will be blocking.

Lets face it though the Bills are in a tough division, and two of the Bills AFC East rivals are defensive minded head coaches, which are the New York Jets Eric Mangini and New England Patriots Bill Belichick.   Which means that they will draw up ways to exploit Chambers being the starting right tackle.

Both starting units for the Bills look to be coming together, and appear to be solid right now.  However, everything could be undone, because of one stubborn owner.

A stubborn owner that cost us one of the best general managers in the league in Bill Polian, and possibly our franchise left tackle that Bills fans have been dreaming of, since Will Wolford left in the early 1990s.

Do not doubt it Bills fans, and I will call it first.   If the Bills do not start negotiating with Peters right now, and suspend him under team conduct detrimental to the team, he will ask for a trade out of town.

If that happens you only have one person to blame for that, and that is uncle Ralph. 

With the Hunters Hope radiothon going on thursday and friday on WGR 550 in Buffalo, NY many former Bills great interviewed.  After an interview I finally got sick of hearing the word loyalty.

Many people cite that the Buffalo Bills took a chance on left tackle Jason Peters, and signed him to a long term deal in the summer of 2006 after starting all 16 games in 2005.

However, people forget one thing, and that is the Bills did the same exact thing Peters has been doing.

The Bills threw loyalty out the window as they took a regular season game away from loyal Bills fans in Western New York.  The reason being that they were not making enough of a profit.

So, why should anyone show loyalty to the Bills after what they did?

People forget that children, and adults, will do the same thing that a peer does.   As the saying goes treat people the way you want to be treated.

Teams for years have been saying that fans do not matter as much as the almighty dollar.

For many years, and still going on today, teams that did not get a new stadium moved.

That was clear after former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore after unable to get a new stadium.

Also, the Saint Louis Rams, and Oakland Raiders,  left Los Angeles after unable to get a new stadium.

To this day there are currently many teams that are threatening to leave their city if they are unable to get a new stadium.   That includes, the San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and the Saint Louis Rams again. 

Again, why should player be loyal to owners, after they cannot even be loyal to their own fans?

Buffalo Bills Cheif Operating Officer Russ Brandon has apparently taken a hard line stance in the Jason Peters holdout saga.  One that could eventually cost the Bills a shot at the playoffs.

According to Tim Graham of ESPN, the Bills might not be that bad without Peters in their lineup. 

Talk about stupid things the Bills have done over the years, but for them to think that is so far the mother of all stupid things to come out of one Bills drive.

The reason is that it is the preseason, and defenses have not put a specific game plan together against the Bills.  All teams at this point are trying different things to see what plays they execute well, and what they do not.

Blitzing teams will have a feild day against the Bills. 

First, the Bills were not very good against the run.  They will load up the line of scrimmage, and take the run away from the Bills.

Then when the Bills are in long distance third down situations they will tee off on the right side of the offensive line, which is the weaker side of the line.

Even if the Bills use max protection that will not be enough at times.  Current starting right tackle Kirk Chambers is not good enough, and will be chewed up, and spitted out by other teams at times.

Now, with the quarterback Trent Edwards suffering a thigh contusion it is more important than ever to get good pass protection for him. 

Edwards fully healthy is a pocket passing quarterback, and very rarely scrambles.  The way he avoids the rush is the same way as most pocket passers do, and that is move up in the pocket.

However, at first when he returns from the injury Edwards might not have his full mobility.  This meaning that Edwards might not be as fast moving up in the pockey as he usually is, which will allow more hits, and a greater possibility for injury.

If I am Brandon I get off my high horse, and get a contract done, because if the Bills are in the playoff hunt in the middle of the season, and lose Edwards for a significant amount of time, Bills fans will be asking for his head on a silver platter. 

The Buffalo Bills came into this game looking to redeem themselves after a less than stellar preseason opener.  They did that as both units were fantastic in the win against the Steelers.

The over whelming story will be on how the first game went in the Toronto series.  That was more like the Hindenberg blimb blowing up as the in ESPN’s Tim Grahams AFC East blog scalpers could not even sell their tickets for ten bucks. 

However, the real story is how the both first teams units performed in the second preseason game.  That being excellent.

The offense under Edwards was fantastic.  Edwards lead touchdown drives of 67 yards and 90 yards long.  To put icing on the cake both touchdowns were to tight end Robert Royal who caught three touchdowns season last year.

The running game did just as well to as Marshawn Lynch carried the ball five times for 55 yards.   Even back up Fred Jackson did fairly well as he carried the ball five times for 18 yards.

The Steelers had the top defense in the league last year as they allowed only 89.9 yards per a game rushing, and 176.5 passing yards per a game.

Also, the Bills defense held their own.  Overall, the first team defense did its job holding the Pittsburgh offense to one touchdown.

The defense held starting running back Willie Parker to 14 yards on five carries.  The run defense in the main point of emphasis as the Bills run defense was one of the worst in the league.

The passing defense had its up and downs.  The only downer being that the Bills gave up a long passing play that lead to a touchdown, but by that time many of the starters were probably starting to come out.  The positive being that the Bills ball hawking skills were on display again as cornerback Ashton Youboty had another interception on a pass that was tipped by Ko Simpson.

The game comes as a pleasant surprise to many Bills fans.  Before the game many fans were starting to resign to quarterback Trent Edwards struggling again, and the possibility of another quarterback controversy.

Another test comes next week as the Bills on August 24th head to Indianapolis to take on the Colts in what is to be the longest game for the Bills starters.

The Buffalo Bills just completed their first preseason game.  Coming from the game there is one glaring thing coming from it, and that is quarterback JP Losman looks very comfortable with the offense.

Losman went 7-9 passing for 73 yards and one touchdown.  Losman should have went for a perfect 9-9 passing with two touchdowns. 

The amazing thing is that Losman did it with seemingly the right defensive end in his face all night long, while he was in there.  Thus, showing that he was reading defenses well, which has been a problem in the past. 

Also, I found myself asking one question.  Could of the Bills made the playoffs with Losman at the helf for the final three games?

Yes, Losman before last year had several games of experience with snow being a huge factor in the game.  Also, Edwards was miserable in bad weather.  If that happens again Bills fans are going to be wishing they never pulled Losman.

Simply, you just cannot give up on a guy a little bit into their third full season of starting.  The reason is that it is usually the breakout year for quarterbacks, and wide receivers.

A couple more of the same type of performance from Losman the Bills will have a huge divide in their lockerroom that they themselves created.

With Buffallo Bills tackle Jason Peters holding out for the foreseeaable future many Bills fans are starting to wonder about the playoffs.  What they need to be worrying about is the long term future.

Peters holding out into the regular season would not only spell disaster for the Bills this year, but into the near future.

The reason being is quarterback Trent Edwards.  Edwards is simply a pocket passing quarterback, and no matter how good you are if you keep taking shots you will get hurt.  Even Bills hall of fame quarterback Jim Kelly missed games in the playoffs due to injury.

So, what does it means is if Edwards gets hurt for a significant part of the season JP Losman will get another shot.  

Then if the Losman finally gets, and becomes a franchise quarterback, the Bills would be in a huge spot if they do not get Evans done soon. 

That would mean that after this year one of them is going to walk.  It will not be Peters, since he is still under contract for two more years after this year.  So, who would the Bill franchise tag, and keep.

Either way the Bills are screwed, but hey the only ones that did that is themselves.

So, in the end COO Russ Brandon better get moving, or he could find Bills owner Ralph Wilson’s shoe up his rear.

The Saint Louis Rams and the Buffalo Bills are both in a situation that has a lot of things in common.  With that being said it looks like both players could miss the start of the regular season.

Rams running back Steven Jackson, and Bills tackle Jason Peters, mean a lot to their football team.  Also, both are holdouts, with the same agent Eugene Parker.

The Rams on one hand have a good shot at getting Jackson extension done in time for the season opener.  The reason being that have been in contract talks with Jackson’s agent

However, for the Bills that does not look like it is going to happen.  The reason being that the team has had very little discussions with Parker about Peters, and the team has not even talked to Peters.

Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement players are encouraged to work out new deals when in camp.  For Peters that is not going to happen, and who can blame him.

The insulting part about Bills COO Russ Brandon admission is that he has not once even to bothered to call Jason Peters.   Seriously, how do you not call your franchise left tackle.  

Now, many people will say that Brandon never said that he did or did not place any calls to Peters.  However, if Brandon did place phone calls, then he definately would have used it in his response in an interview on WGR 550 in Buffalo, NY.

In the end both general managers will cave, because if they do not get their guy in, and do not make the playoffs, it will be all their fault.  That could easily get each other fired.

Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher has been seeking a new deal, citing that he has out performed his old one that had four years left on it.  The two sides have reached an agreement that has essentially killed long term deals.

The two sides agreement added one more year, and $25 million in new money to the deal.  With six million of it is for his signing bonus.  Thus bringing the average yearly salary to nine million dollars.

What the Bears did made no sense.  Urlacer did not out perform his contract if anything he maintained his performance level. 

The only areas that Urlacher had career highs in was passes defended (12), interceptions (5), and touchdowns (1).

Urlacher knew what he was getting into when he signed a nine year deal.  What he signed up for was a huge pay day.  Also, knowing full well that he negotiate a new deal later if the open market sky rockets.

What the Bears did was two fold.  First, they killed any deals that are longer than five years.  Secondly, it opened up the door that at any time if you have one great year it gives you the right to ask for a new deal.  That even includes rookie contracts. 

Smooth move Bears you just gave every veteran holdout even more reason to whine, moan, and complain. 

In the words of former hockey player, and former head coach, Larry Robinson, “What a bunch of ffffffffff fricken sissies.” 

Makes it even more the reason to route for Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcus Stroud.  Stroud did not ask for a new contract when he was traded.  All he asked for was a little bit of what was left in his contract to be accelerated in the form of guaranteed money. 

The Buffalo Bills offense was one of the worst in the league for several years.  Finally, that could change as a offense being installed fits the offensive personel.

Outside of second round draft pick James Hardy, the Bills have nobody that is over six feet tall, that plays a significant role that is.

The main point of contention about a West Coast offense is getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hands to gain some positive yards.  Also, yards after the catch is an important part of the offense, due in part a lot of the passes are short.

The Bills have players that do have tremendous ability with yards after the catch.  Receivers Roscoe Parrish and Lee Evans do just that, because of their blazing speed.  Also running back Marshawn Lynch is a load to bring down.

The only problem that can be foreseen about this offense is the tight end position.  In this offense the ball is spread out, and thrown to whoever is open, and the tight end position has been unreliable even when open.

One of the problem last year with the tight end was the Kevin Everrett was lost due to his spinal coard injury, and he was a going to be a big part of their passing offense last year.  Robert Royal has proven to be unreliable, due in part to a pass that he caught in the endzone wide open, and still came down out of bounds.  That was due to him n ot paying attention to where his feet were.

The one good thing is that they drafted tight end  Derek Fine also used a lot in the Kansas Jayhawks passing offnese.

In the end the Bills should be a force to reckon with on offense.  If they are anything but that, then the whole coaching staff could be at risk to be fired.

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams received a contract extension today worth $14.5 million, with $5.7 of it guaranteed.  The contract leaves everyone wondering WTF is going on.

The Bills defense was the worst in the league last year.  One of the reason was that Williams was not that good. 

So, why did they give him a contract extension?  The answer is that they think Williams is on the verge of becoming a superstar in the league. 

So, lets compare him to former Bills defensive tackle Pat Williams, who was elected to the Pro Bowl this past season for his performance with the Minnesota Vikings.

Pat Williams last year started all 16 games, while recording 62 total tackles, with 43 being solo, and 19 assisted, along with recording two sacks.  Kyle Williams started in all 16 games, while recording 41 total tackles, with 28 being solo, and 13 assisted, along with also recording two sacks.

Also, people must remember that the market place for defensive tackles was just reset only last month.  That contract was four years for $40 million dollars. 

So, in the end as many people may not like it, but the current market place of contracts for average defensive tackles is $5 million per a year. 

The New Orleans Saints signed defensive end Will Smith to a six year $70 million dollar contract extension today.  That deal  makes the Aaron Schobel deal that he did last year look like a bargain.

Schobel redid his contract last year, and the Bills are shrewd for making that deal.  Schobel over the pasy three season has recorded 32.5 sacks.  Smith over the past three season has only recoreded 26 sacks.

Talk about holy crap, but the deal that the Saints did was completely stupid.  How can you give someone that much money for not averaging in double digit sack numbers.

Thanks Saints you just made our day.

The Buffalo Bills have one big thing, in addition to signing their draft picks, left to do before the season.  That is getting Lee Evans signed to a long term deal.

The contract offer is a great bit of news to Bills fans.  After the Danny Briere and Chris Drury saga last year the last thing Buffalo fans want to hear is another key player walking away from one of their teams.

This is the one area that the Bills have always been good at.  Last year they redid the contract of Aaron Schobel, and also resigned Chris Kelsay.

The only thing that Bills fans can do is sit, wait, and hope that Evans will take the offer, or at least work something out by the start of training camp. 

 http://boomp3.com/listen/bz4dho5/kk-bills-may-thirteenth

Buffalo Bills fans, since the beginning of the offseason have been positive for the most part.  Today, they got their first dose of bad news, and the season has not even started.

The Bills took wide receiver James Hardy in the second round in this past National Football League draft knowing full well that Hardy had a temper.  That temper has already flared up as a neighbor saw Hardy pull a gun on his father during an argument.

Hardy was not charged with any crime, since he has a permit to carry the gun, and nothing happened to his father.  The last Bills rookie to be charged with a crime before their rookie season was runningback Travis Henry.

There are two sides to the coin.  The first one being that the incident shows that Hardy has psychological issues that need to be resolved with some professional help.  If does not get that then it will be a matter of time before he gets suspended under National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell for something off the field.

On the other hand the news will undoubtedly bring whispers to the NFL that Hardy is a real bad man, and one not to be messed with.  That will give the Bills a distinct advantage over whoever is covering Hardy, because that king of reputation will make defenders shy away from him.

Im the end hopefully Hardy will overcome his childhood issues.

 http://boomp3.com/listen/dpgqpnb/kk-billls-may-fifth

Buffalo Bills fans have recently got the news that the Bills will receive $78 million from Rogers Communication.  However, Bills fans need to think twice if the Bills are going to go on a shopping spree.

Even with the Bills needing to sign wide receiver Lee Evans the Bills cannot just go and spend the money.  The main thing is that the Bills do have some overhead expenses that they need account for in the money.  That being players base salary, transportation of the players. and equipment,  to the games, and so on and so forth.  So, they cannot just blow their money right away.

Now, that does not excuse the Bills from paying Evans.  The Bills can estimate out of the money what will be profit.  Then, they can in turn take that profit, and sign Evans, or linebacker Angelo Crowell.

The real question is will they resign Evans.  Evans has proven that he is a top notch player, but he has not had the numbers yet to justify a huge contract.

So, in the end will Bills owner Ralph Wilson agree to sign Evans to a huge contract?  Most likely yes, but not after a long time negotiating with Evans agent.

The Buffalo Bill are in a good position to get a player that will have an immediate impact on a young team.  With that said the Bills will not limit their options at the 11th pick in the first round of the upcoming draft.

Simply put the Bills will take a guy that they like, while also filling a need at the 11th pick.  “We do the board vertically and horizontally,” Modrak said when asked about the direction the team would go with their first-round pick. “If there’s a position that is strikingly open to us and there’s a guy in another position that we’ve addressed or we feel we’ve addressed, the leaning would be to that person,” according to WGR 550’s website.

The fact of the matter is that you cannot just address need at the 11th pick.  There is to much money for that to be the case in this position.  If there is a player they love then they have to take him.  If not then trade down, and and get to the right spot that you can get the player you like to fill a need.  However, that is not always the case.

In the end the Bill will take the player that they love best.  They do not have to get a wide receiver in the first, since wide receiver has become a position that is about getting the best receiver in the draft, and not what round.  After all New Orleans Saint wide receiver Marques Colston was drafted in the seventh round of the 2006 draft, and he has back to back 1,000 yards receiving years, along with over 70 catches both years.

So, who might the Bills take to fill the wide receiver position?  Nobody knows, especially with the drama that unfolded with draft prospect  wide receiver Malcom Kelly.

The Cincinatti Bengals, and the Baltimore Ravens received the highest amount for compensatory picks, with both teams receiving four each.  If those teams, and other compensatory picks adward winners, were smart they use those picks to move up.

Compensatory picks are given to teams that lost more free agents than they signed.  Those picks are at the end of each round starting with the third round.  However, those picks rarely pan out, except the third rounders. 

The smart thing to do is to parlay them into extra picks in the higher rounds.  The reason is that players that have the most impact on a team are within the first three rounds of the draft.  Usually, in rounds four through seven if you were to find a starter for your team you be winning the lottery, because it is that much harder to find starters in those rounds.Es

Teams at the end of the first round, and beyond are willing to trade down, because the money is not that crippling as in the beginning of the draft.  Es[ecially the better teams, because they do not have a lot of holes to fill.  Good teams trade down to get picks in future drafts, so that way if they have a bad year they can bounce back much easier. 

The teams that will most likely to use their picks for trades will be the Ravens, and the Buffalo Bills.  Both teams did very little in free agency.  The two reasons for that is that they both beleive in building through the draft, and both teams starters are all locked up.  The Bills had no starters to resign, and the Ravens only have Terrel Suggs to deal with.

Both teams are picking high in each round due to not so great years.  The Ravens big problem was quarterback, and the Bills was quality at the defensive tackle position. 

The Bills addressed their problems through a trade for Marcus Stroud, and free agency.  Their only other problems are a quality starting tightend, and a complimenting receiver for Lee Evans, and he must be tall, since all the other wideouts are shorter than six feet.

So, when it comes to the draft look for some movement from the compensatory pick winners.

The Buffalo Bills have been searching for different streams of revenue, which prompted the experiment with Toronto.  That idea has people confoundedly confused, considering that the Bills have never sold the naming rights to Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The main reason that Bills owner Ralph Wilson Jr. has not sold the naming rights to the stadium is that the sale of the naming right would not be enough to be worth while.  However, that is not the case anymore as the Dallas Cowboys, according to The Dallas Morning New’s Suzanne Marta, will break the record deal of 20 years, $400 million dollars.  The record is held by the New York Mets, and New Jersey Nets.

Even if the Bills were to bring in one quarter of the $400 million that would still mean $5 million a year for the Bills.  They probably will get more, considering that the Indianapolis Colts sold theirs to Lucas Oil on their new stadium for $120 million for 20 years.

For the Bills to get that kind of money they would have to build a new stadium, which would have to be fully funded by the government.  The reason being that Wilson has stated publicly that building a new stadium would be detrimental to the team, since it would raise ticket prices.

However, that idea would be welcomed with open arms in an instant.  Downtown Buffalo is in the opening stages of their downtown revitalization project.  City of Buffalo mayor Byron Brown, and Erie County executive Chris Collins have stated that a new stadium is needed.

The fact is that Wilson does not want a naming right deal, because it would force the next owner of the Buffalo Bills to commit to Buffalo till at least 2012, which is when the lease on Ralph Wilson Stadium expires.  The reason of not committing to Buffalo is, because it is in decline.  However, Buffalo is one of the poorest cities in the USA.

The fact of the matter is that Wilson is an out of touch with reality owner that does not understand that if he stepped up, and work with the city he could help turn around the city of Buffalo, and bring in more revenue at the same time.

San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith, and former head coach Marty Schottinheimer never got along.  The reason became clear as day after his comments on Kassim Osgood wanting a trade.

Osgood has made the Pro Bowl twice as a special teams player, and had only two receptions all of last year.  With that Osgood expressed his dissatisfaction with the team over his lack of opportunity to play wide receiver, and asked for a trade.

in his response to Osgoods comments Smith said this, which appeared in an article in San Diego Union-Tribune, “Originally, I was unaware of Kassim’s unhappiness,” Smith said. “Now that I fully understand his position, I’m sure after his contract expires his agent will do everything possible to make his client happy by finding a team that wants Kassim as a wide receiver first, special teams (player) second. He will not be traded, and we fully expect him to honor his contract. Kassim has made a career and business decision and I respect that. He’s a great kid, and I wish him the best.”

Seriously, Smith is an ass, and thank god he left Buffalo with John Butler, because Bills fans would not put up with crap like that.  It is not like it is an unreasonable request, especially after Smith traded for wide receiver Chris Chambers.  Also, Osgood is not even the kickoff or punt returner on the team, but Smith comes off as he is too valuable to replace.

In his comments he stated that he did not know that Osgood was dissatisfied, untill he said so publicly.  Holy dumbass Batman, but that takes the cake.  How the hell does a general manager not know how his players feel.  The answer is a person who comes off as an a**hole, who nobody wants to talk to if they do not have to.

In the end it is only a matter of time before Smith finds himself on the unemployment line, especially if the Chargers were to have a really bad season.

At this time last year Buffalo Bills fans were hearing how offensive coordinator  Steve Fairchild was going to open the offense.  Now the same thing is being said by SI.com’s Don Banks.

Banks is stating that new Bills offensive coordinator Turk Schonert will be much more aggressive in his play calling.  Banks cited Schornert reintegrating the fullback as part of the proccess.

Pretty much every Bills fan is saying in their mind as they read that they will believe it when they see it.  Many fans have that right, eventhough Schonert is not Fairchild.

Schonert should have no problem giving quarterback Trent Edwards more audible control.  After all one of Edwads stong suits is being able to read defenses, which he showed game in and out last season.  

What many fans do not realize that quarterbacks must be allowwed to audible if an offense is going to be successful.  The problem is that when a quarterback cannot audible, then he must run the play that is called no matter what, even if it is a play that is bad against what the defense is running.

In the end what will make or break the Bills being able to open the offense is how the draft goes.  The reason is that if the Bill use the first pick on a tall wide receiver, then Edwards will be given the green light to throw deep more often, especially to the tall wide receiver side.