***Official Buffalo Bills 2007 Offseason Thread*** (1 Viewer)

[On The Rocks]

Marshawn Lynch is on WGR right now.

I am ready to get the show on the road.I will be coming in to learn from the vets and learn my role as a team player.I do a lot of things..but I am a RB....so mainly my spot is 7 yards deep behind center.I am comfortable in single back or two back.Paul Poz is something else....I had a chance to work out with him.About his mom: She has been there for me. She is a big part of my success. She deserves a reward. She is moving to Buffalo with me. My mom might have me on shackles to keep me out of trouble.He is in Buffalo right now and the weather is real nice right now.I am looking forward to playing in the snow. I have worked really hard on my pass protection. In high school I never had a playbook. But I learned from my vet teammates and they helped me a lot.My back isn't a problem and the two reported off field incidence are behind me. It is time to move on.The clip of him driving the cart on the field:After the Washington game in OT, our DB returned an interception 80 yards before he was tackled and it looked like he was tired and needed a lift so I went over to pick him up.He talked about what it was like watching the media mock drafts and seeing his stock move up one day and down one day. They asked what he thought happened from one day to another that would make his stock change when he hadn't done anything from one day to the next during the off season:"I found out that a lot of the stuff they talk about on those programs isn't true."

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

I am looking forward to playing in the snow.

you heard him roll his eyes on the radio?

 

[On The Rocks]

I am looking forward to playing in the snow.

you heard him roll his eyes on the radio?

Well I heard some clanking sound in the background so I am assuming that is what it was.

 

[Gottabesweet]

He looked fine because he wasn't playing zone. They had to play zone to hide his incompetence.

Its true Mcgee only played better when they switched the defensive scheme towards the end of the year.Clements also played better this way too. As for Youboty they must be high on him. He's younger and had he come out this year perhaps he would be a first round pick. The same with Ko Simpson.

 

[Gottabesweet]

I bet Lynch has never seen snow. Let alone Buffalo snow.

Remember when Roscoe never saw snow and was afraid to go outside. Needed someone to take him outside and drive him home.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

He looked fine because he wasn't playing zone. They had to play zone to hide his incompetence.

Its true Mcgee only played better when they switched the defensive scheme towards the end of the year.Clements also played better this way too. As for Youboty they must be high on him. He's younger and had he come out this year perhaps he would be a first round pick. The same with Ko Simpson.

that still doesn't help me understand the original statement.if McGee looked fine, why would they need to hide his incompetence? and if playing zone was the reason for his incompetence, why would playing more zone help?

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

I bet Lynch has never seen snow. Let alone Buffalo snow.Remember when Roscoe never saw snow and was afraid to go outside. Needed someone to take him outside and drive him home.

Lynch is from Oakland...I think the climate there is quite a bit different from southern florida.also, I think most RBs like playing in the snow.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Hits kept on coming for Stanford quarterback Edwards

By Mark Gaughan and Allen Wilson

NEWS SPORTS REPORTERS

Updated: 04/30/07 6:38 AM

Three of Trent Edwards’ four seasons as the quarterback for Stanford University were shortened by injury.

That didn’t diminish the respect Buffalo Bills quarterback coach Turk Schonert had for Edwards.

“People talk about him being injury-prone,” Schonert said after the Bills drafted Edwards in the third round. “When I met him at the combine I shook his hand and congratulated him on how many games he actually did play. He got hit that much. They were a bad football team.”

Edwards battled through adversity in college but he steps into what looks like a good situation in Buffalo. The Bills have only two NFL quarterbacks on their roster, and they had a need for a young developing passer.

Why did they use a thirdround pick on Edwards? The Bills said he was much more highly rated than anyone else on their board when they made the 92nd overall pick. There already had been 16 receivers taken when the Bills made their third-round pick. The top nine cornerbacks were off the board. California cornerback Daymeion Hughes may have been the next best choice for the Bills. He went 95th to the Colts.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper had Edwards going at the top of the second round — 34th overall. The Dallas Morning News rated him 37th overall. Mike Mayock of the NFL Network rated him 50th overall.

“He was a guy you didn’t expect to see around at this point in the third round,” said Bills scout Terry Wooden. “He was a guy we couldn’t pass up.”

“He was in our top three or four quarterbacks,” Schonert said.

Bills coach **** Jauron stressed that the selection was no commentary on Bills starter J.P. Losman.

“J.P. is our guy,” Jauron said. “We believe you need depth at that position. We just like the competition behind him for the Nos. 2 and 3 spots. We need that depth.”

Craig Nall, the Bills’ No. 2 QB, still must prove he can stay healthy, in addition to producing on the field. But Losman still must prove he is a playoffcaliber quarterback, too. If either Losman or Nall falters, Edwards offers a talented option. If Losman and Nall both play well, then Edwards gives the team an asset they might be able to turn into trade bait down the road.

Edwards won only 10 of his 31 starts at Stanford. He was sidelined after seven games as a senior when he broke a toe in his right foot.

But NFL teams love quarterbacks with good measurable qualities. Edwards has classic size — he’s 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds — and a cannon for an arm.

“He’s got size, and he’s got a good arm,” Schonert said. “He makes the throws that we have to make in our system. He fits our system. He has very good pocket awareness. He finds check-downs. A lot of quarterbacks don’t. They take off running. They don’t have the poise or pocket presence to find those guys, and he does. He can make all the throws. He’s accurate, and he’s a cerebral guy. He understands coverage concepts and protection concepts.”

Edwards completed 62.7 percent of his passes as a junior and 60.3 percent as a senior. He finished with 36 career TD passes and 33 interceptions.

“He was playing with young receivers, and for the most part he was running for his life,” Wooden said.

• • •

When Pat Hill became Fresno State’s football coach, he adopted the motto “Anytime, anywhere.” The Bulldogs played a lot of major college powers, but always showed up to play no matter how tough the opponent or venue was.

That philosophy was drilled into running back Dwayne Wright, and it will come in handy in his quest to make it in the NFL.

One day after taking Marshawn Lynch in the first round, the Bills used their fourthround pick on Wright. He joined what is suddenly a crowded backfield that includes veteran holdovers Anthony Thomas, Shaud Williams and Fred Jackson.

“I believe that I fit in well,” Wright said during a conference call Sunday. “I love competition. Coming out of Fresno State, we’re taught to play anywhere, anytime. That’s going to push me to play harder. I’ve been through so many obstacles. So this will be just another test to succeed.”

Wright passed a major test by coming back from a torn patella tendon in his left knee two games into the 2004 season. But after sitting out the following year, he returned with a vengeance in 2006 by rushing for 1,462 yards (including a school-record 292 against Louisiana Tech) and 11 touchdowns. His average of 121.8 yards was sixth best in the nation. He also was the Bulldogs’ second leading receiver with 29 catches.

Wright was the lone bright spot on a 4-8 Fresno State team that lacked the passing game to keep defenses honest and the defense to keep the scores close enough to continue running the ball.

“Obviously anytime somebody’s been injured early in their career you want to see how they come back from that,” said Bills scout Marc Ross. “He had a strong season this year. Even when Fresno, which was highly rated going into the season and then they went down losing games, he was the one guy that was playing and running hard throughout the season until the last game. To his credit, he kept fighting and trying to get the job done.”

In addition to his competitiveness, the Bills like Wright’s maturity (he’s married with two children). He also passes the eyeball test. At 5-11z, 228, he is a prototype power back that runs with a physical style.

“He can move the pile and he’s a good runner,” Bills running backs coach Eric Studesville said. “He’s a solid player all around. He does everything well and is physical. We think that he’s going to be good for what we’re looking for.”

• • •

It remains to be seen if John Wendling can play in the NFL, but he sure can jump. During an offseason workout last year, the Wyoming safety took one step and jumped over a 66-inch hurdle (that’s 5 feet, 6 inches). The incredible feat was captured on video tape.

“That was something my weight coach came up with,” said Wendling, whose official vertical leap was measured at 38z inches at the NFL Scouting Combine. “We used to do a lot of vertical work. Obviously you’re a little competitive in the weight room and he started raising it up a little higher to see who could get the highest and I ended up getting to where I was getting up pretty high. So one day, coach said, ‘We’re going to get that on film to see how high you can get.’ It happened to go that way and it worked out really well.”

There is no question the 6-1, 222-pound Wendling is a great athlete (he also runs a sub-4.5- second 40-yard dash). The question is whether his athleticism will translate to the football field.

“In talking to coaches a lot about this kid, he’s got some physical talent,” said Bills scout Brad Forsyth. “He might not have been as productive as those athletic numbers showed. But what they told me is that they really relied on this guy to do a lot of things in their defense. They changed up so many things on this guy from week to week they said he just couldn’t get comfortable back there. They really made him think too much. They will tell you it was really their fault for just not letting this guy play football.”

The Bills hope to get the most out of Wendling, who started 37 of 47 career games at free and strong safety. He finished with 259 tackles, seven interceptions, six forced fumbles and two recoveries (one returned for a touchdown). He also stood out on special teams on return and coverage units.

• • •

The Bills’ final two picks, Boise State Derek Schouman and Oklahoma defensive end C.J. Ah You, will forever be linked in college football history. They were opponents in that memorable Fiesta Bowl won by Boise State in overtime, 43-42.

Bills General Manager Marv Levy coached Ah You’s uncle, Junior, while coaching the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League in the mid-1970s. Junior Ah You also played for Bills scout Joe Haering, who was an assistant of the USFL’s Chicago Blitz.

“He was probably the greatest defensive lineman in the history of the Canadian league,” Levy said. “He was the Canadian league version of Bruce Smith. I hope [C.J.] has those genes.”

http://www.buffalonews.com/111/story/65169.html

 

[ScottNorwood]

Hits kept on coming for Stanford quarterback Edwards

In addition to his competitiveness, the Bills like Wright’s maturity (he’s married with two children).

Having 2 kids in your early 20s before you graduate college doesn't exactly scream 'maturity' to me.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Hits kept on coming for Stanford quarterback Edwards

In addition to his competitiveness, the Bills like Wright’s maturity (he’s married with two children).

Having 2 kids in your early 20s before you graduate college doesn't exactly scream 'maturity' to me.

he'll be 24 years old in a couple months so he's older than most rookies.I think being married at that point is certainly a sign of maturity.

also, here's some clips from an interview with him:

Scott Wright: At what point did you realize that you might have a future in football beyond college?

Dwayne Wright: I always believed I had a future beyond college when I was growing up and it's been a lifelong dream for me. I love playing the game and it's not about the money for me. I'm married, I have two kids and if you ask anybody who knows me I'm a humble guy but when it comes to playing football that's it. I love that.

Scott Wright: When you get your first professional paycheck what is the first thing you will buy?

Dwayne Wright: I'm not going to buy, I'm going to invest. First I'm going to make sure my kids have enough money for their college and for their lives. After that I'm not worried about it. I'm just concerned about my kids and my family going through life.

http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/interview...aynewright.html

 

[Gottabesweet]

Hits kept on coming for Stanford quarterback Edwards

In addition to his competitiveness, the Bills like Wright’s maturity (he’s married with two children).

Having 2 kids in your early 20s before you graduate college doesn't exactly scream 'maturity' to me.

He has a long way to go before McGahee status.At least he married the woman though and I'd hope its the same wife - 2kids.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Hits kept on coming for Stanford quarterback Edwards

In addition to his competitiveness, the Bills like Wright’s maturity (he’s married with two children).

Having 2 kids in your early 20s before you graduate college doesn't exactly scream 'maturity' to me.

He's not quite as prolific as Willis McGahee, but give the guy time. He's only a rookie.Edit: Damn, too slow.

 

[switz]

Hits kept on coming for Stanford quarterback Edwards

In addition to his competitiveness, the Bills like Wright’s maturity (he’s married with two children).

Having 2 kids in your early 20s before you graduate college doesn't exactly scream 'maturity' to me.

Huh? You're right - most people in college don't want the responsibility of actually being married, and raising kids.

 

[Gottabesweet]

Hits kept on coming for Stanford quarterback Edwards

In addition to his competitiveness, the Bills like Wright’s maturity (he’s married with two children).

Having 2 kids in your early 20s before you graduate college doesn't exactly scream 'maturity' to me.

Huh? You're right - most people in college don't want the responsibility of actually being married, and raising kids.

The last time I heard someone being told they were mature because they had kids was when D-Wade got drafted by the Miami Heat a few years back. If hes married, with two children, maybe he will stay out of trouble if his relationship status is positive.

 

[GroveDiesel]

Interesting to note that according to the official BuffaloBills.com blogger Chris Brown, the Bills had Trent Edwards as the #2 QB on their draft board. Wonder if they really just didn't like Quinn or if they just really like Edwards.

When draft weekend was over it was hard to argue that Buffalo did exceptionally well on day one when it came to addressing positional needs and acquiring top talent. Lynch, Posluszny and Edwards were each one of the top two players at their positions on Buffalo's board.

 

[switz]

Interesting to note that according to the official BuffaloBills.com blogger Chris Brown, the Bills had Trent Edwards as the #2 QB on their draft board. Wonder if they really just didn't like Quinn or if they just really like Edwards.

When draft weekend was over it was hard to argue that Buffalo did exceptionally well on day one when it came to addressing positional needs and acquiring top talent. Lynch, Posluszny and Edwards were each one of the top two players at their positions on Buffalo's board.

Edwards was #3 on my board, behind Quinn, but barely.

 

[D_House]

I thought Buffalo did a great job in this draft. The first three rounds went about as well as could be expected. I fully expect Lynch to be in the running for offensive rookie of the year. Edwards may be seen by some as a luxury pick in light of the loss of Clements and apparent need for a replacement. But I think that pick speaks to the coaching staff's confidence in the players they have at CB. Obviously I hope Losman works out, but Edwards provides a terrific insurance policy, the threat of competition, and a potential future starter should Losman falter or face serious injury. All this at the most important position on the field.

As for the second day, I found the fourth round pick kind of curious. I guess the staff must have been real high on Wright to go after a third string(?) RB. Seems to me A-train had demonstrated some ability to move the pile last year, so I'm not sure why the staff felt they needed another big back. The fifth was used in a trade last year for Anthony Hargrove, who at the very least provides quality depth on the D-line. He's real popular with fans as well. I was hoping for the Wendling pick, the release of Bowen and shift of Wire to backup LB necessitated depth at safety, and Wendlings athleticism and smarts made him a safe pick and I have no doubt he'll be a significant contributor to the team. I don't know much about the 7th rounders drafted, but from what I have read, they are not likely to make the team.

 

[On The Rocks]

Notes from today's OTA.

From BuffaloBills.com

Day One OTA Notes

by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 5/21/2007 1:30 PM ET

Day one of OTAs for the Bills began Monday as the players began working on their offensive, defensive and special teams schemes. It begins a three week stretch in which the players will be in for padless practices and weight room workouts.

Lining them up

The players jumped right into their work as two of Buffalo's new free agent offensive linemen stepped into starting roles. As expected Derrick Dockery lined up at left guard with the starting unit, while Langston Walker assumed the right tackle position.

"It was great to be around the whole team on the field," said Dockery. "We've got to start building that chemistry somewhere so to get back on the field here the first day was excellent."

Dockery looked fit and trim as he and left tackle Jason Peters worked together on the left side of the line.

Melvin Fowler was back at his familiar center spot and to his right was Duke Preston, who finished the last eight games last season at right guard. He will be pushed at that spot this spring and summer, however, by the likes of Brad Butler, Aaron Merz and Jason Whittle for the starting role. Butler seems to be the early competition as he ran with the second team at right guard today.

The second offensive line unit had Terrance Pennington at left tackle, Merz at left guard, Whittle in the pivot, Butler and then Randy Hand and Kirk Chambers were platooned at right tackle throughout the practice session.

Linebackers

On the defensive side of the ball the linebacking corps figured to see some changes with the departures of a couple of veterans. The top linebacking trio Monday featured Angelo Crowell on the strong side, second-year man John DiGiorgio in the middle and Keith Ellison on the weak side.

Paul Posluszny also lined up at the middle linebacker spot with the second unit and was flanked by Coy Wire and Mario Haggan.

Secondary

While the safety combo of Donte Whitner and Ko Simpson went unchanged, on the outside at corner veteran Kiwaukee Thomas stepped into the vacant right cornerback hole. Terrence McGee assumed his left cornerback spot.

Running with the second team on the corners were Jabari Greer (left) and Ashton Youboty (right). On the third team undrafted rookie free agent Riley Swanson must have made a good first impression as he lined up opposite Eric Bassey.

Swanson was a late undrafted signee two weeks ago and must have shown a thing or two to the coaching staff during the rookie camp as he got on the field before Duane Coleman and Reggie Lewis. Lewis however, did not participate due to a pulled hamstring.

Practice crisp

The players looked ready to get back to work as the practice had a good tempo throughout. The offense was crisp early as the short passing game appeared to be a focus. Although there were a few deep plays attempted.

The defense also had a spring in its collective step as the first unit was very active around the football with players effectively swarming.

Wait your turn

Unlike the rookie camp where the young players got all the time, most of them got a very limited number or reps during practice. The only rookie that saw significant time on the field during team work was Posluszny.

Trent Edwards, Marshawn Lynch and Dwayne Wright were worked in a bit more as the practice wore on, but none of them saw extensive time. John Wendling ran with the third team defense at strong safety.

It looked like it was more of a day for them to absorb everything.

Standouts

On the offensive side of the ball Josh Reed had the most catches of the group, including a sliding catch on a comeback that was disputed by the defense as a legitimate reception. Naturally the defenders thought it was a trapped ball.

Kevin Everett who saw a lot of time in the slot caught a nice pass deep down the seam. Losman hit him with a bullet on his inside shoulder as the play stood a good chance of going for a touchdown in a live football setting.

J.P. Losman also threaded the needle on an underneath throw the Reed that found its way through three defenders.

On defense John DiGiorgio had a strong first day with a pair of interceptions off Losman in 7-on-7 work. The first pick came over the middle on a pass intended for Everett. DiGiorgio leaped and reached high over his head to snare the pass and take it the other way. His second INT came a couple of series later when Donte Whitner tipped a pass intended for Shaud Williams that DiGiorgio came down with and also tried to return.

Terrence McGee had a pass breakup, and Ashton Youboty ran stride for stride with Lee Evans on a go route 40 yards downfield. There was some hand checking along the way.

Good attendance

Day one had almost perfect attendance by the Bills. Top draft pick Marshawn Lynch and fellow running back Dwayne Wright were in town today as their schools' final exam schedule and graduation dates came and went last week allowing them to return and participate.

The only players not in attendance were veterans Aaron Schobel, Anthony Thomas and Darwin Walker and undrafted free agent receiver Scott Mayle who is still waiting on his school (Ohio) to wrap up their exam schedule.

 

[On The Rocks]

Day Two: OTA Notes

Day Two OTA Notes

by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 5/22/2007 2:11 PM ET

Day two of OTAs for the Bills saw the arrival of newly signed cornerback Jason Webster. Wearing jersey number 44, Webster participated in individual drills, but was a spectator for all of the team work on his first day.

"I was just observing and soaking it all in," said Webster. "I've played in this kind of scheme some in San Francisco my first four years. And we played it some in Atlanta, so I'm fairly aware of how to play it."

A-Train arrives

Bills veteran running back Anthony Thomas was on the field for his first practice session after missing Monday's activities. Thomas ran first in the running back rotation and was followed by Shaud Williams with the first unit. Marshawn Lynch and Dwayne Wright saw more reps with the second unit. Fred Jackson didn't see a ton of action.

Still absent were defensive linemen Darwin Walker and Aaron Schobel. Rookie free agent Scott Mayle is also waiting for Ohio's final exam schedule to be completed. Rookie free agent punter Chris Jackson is finishing his season with the LSU baseball team.

Not participating

John McCargo and rookie free agent cornerback Reggie Lewis (hamstring) have not participated in any on field activities the past two days.

McCargo is still rehabbing from offseason foot surgery, and worked with the training staff on the sideline Tuesday doing some balance drills to get used to being on his own two feet again.

Also not participating Tuesday was Anthony Hargrove.

O-Line shift

On day one of OTAs Duke Preston was manning the starting right guard spot, but on Tuesday Jason Whittle stepped in for snaps. Preston came in late in the rotation to replace center Melvin Fowler with the first unit as he got most of his work in the pivot today.

It appears that the coaching staff wants to see both Whittle and Preston work at center and at right guard with the first team. Whittle worked as the second team center Monday and worked pretty exclusively at right guard Tuesday. Brad Butler remained in the right guard spot with the second team.

Wilson getting feet wet

George Wilson is still working with the second team defense at strong safety. The position switch is being performed on a trial basis per the coaching staff's wishes. For more on this development you can see the feature story on Wilson posted earlier today.

Wilson appears to know the majority of his alignments and assignments. Adjusting to a play on the fly as it unfolds will take some getting used to for him.

11-on-11

In 11-on-11 team work the offense jumped into their no huddle right away with the first unit. J.P. Losman hit three of his first four passes in the series. The second team went with more of a ground attack with Shaud Williams and Dwayne Wright combining for three carries. Kevin Everett also had a grab over the middle.

In the second 11-on-11 session the defense fared better. Coverage appeared more consistent as Losman and Craig Nall found it more difficult to connect with their receivers.

Ashton Youboty made a nice play when he read the wide receiver screen prior to the snap. He was playing off Roscoe Parrish, but quickly closed the cushion before the snap to jam Parrish. Parrish had to retreat behind the line of scrimmage to get open for the pass. When the blocker came to clear out Youboty, defensive help arrived enabling the defense to record what would have been a tackle for loss.

Overall though Bills defensive backs coach George Catavolos felt Youboty's first day was a bit more steady than Tuesday.

"Yesterday Ashton had a good day in practice," said Catavolos. "Today it wasn't as good as yesterday and that's the consistency that I'm talking about, but he has a lot of ability."

Youboty did get some extra reps when Kiwaukee Thomas left the field briefly after twisting an ankle, but he later returned to practice.

Trent Edwards got a few reps at the end of 11-on-11 work.

7-on-7

Losman's best pass of the day came on a 20-yard out to Everett. Buffalo's quarterback put some nice touch on the ball dropping it over the head of two defenders into the waiting hands of Everett before he reached the sideline on his route. Earlier in the series Lee Evans made a difficult catch in traffic despite tight coverage by Kiwaukee Thomas.

Standouts

John DiGiorgio was again in the right place at the right time Tuesday. Terrence McGee broke up a pass and then it was tipped high in the air by Donte Whitner who didn't have enough time to react to the initial deflection. DiGiorgio was next on the scene and pulled in his third interception in three days.

"I'm just running hard to the ball," said DiGiorgio.

Sam Aiken again made a couple of nice hands catches away from his body in traffic. Roscoe Parrish made a pair of reaching catches, where he had to stretch outside of his body frame to make receptions while running full speed.

Marshawn Lynch made a couple of nice receptions and quickly turned upfield. There is a suddenness to his running style that makes him quicker than he might appear. Dwayne Wright is also more fluid than you'd expect for a so-called power back. He too has a smooth, fluid motion to his running style. They each make catching the ball look effortless.

Getting reps

Riley Swanson continues to get reps with the third cornerback pairing opposite Eric Bassey, although Duane Coleman was worked in some as well.

"Riley is an individual that has caught our eye," said Catavolos. "He has good short area quickness. He's a real bright kid that was coached well in college. You really only have to tell him one time and he tries to get it right in our system."

Rookie free agent strong safety Stacey Thomas got reps with the third team defense as he split time at that spot with sixth-round pick John Wendling.

Rookie free agent receiver Jemalle Cornelius and Aaron Brown got some snaps here and there during the team work sessions. Rookie free agents Trevor Hooper and Jon Corto have been splitting third team reps at free safety.

 

[On The Rocks]

From BB.com

Day Three - OTA Notes

Day Three OTA Notes

by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 5/23/2007 2:51 PM ET

Buffalo's newest addition receiver Donovan Morgan tried to get himself up to speed with the Bills offensive scheme in his first day on the field. Working at the flanker position Morgan was able to make a couple of catches during team work Wednesday, but is still trying to adjust back to the outdoor game.

"It was a pretty fast paced day," said Morgan. "Coming back to the NFL from the Arena league it was a pretty quick pace on the field, but it's something I'll get used to."

Morgan is used to playing on a 50-yard Arena league field.

"A lot of the time when I was catching the ball in Arena I was already in the end zone," he said. "Here I'm reminding myself to finish out the run after the catch. It will all come back to me."

The Bills newest receiver has spent time with the Jets, Houston and Kansas City in his career.

Webster watch

Cornerback Jason Webster got some reps in team work Wednesday after participating only in individual drills Tuesday. He got most of his work with the second team defense at right cornerback as he worked in a three man rotation during the practice session with Jabari Greer and Ashton Youboty.

A couple of times he was matched up one-on-one with Lee Evans. On one play he appeared to give Evans more than enough cushion and Buffalo's top wideout made the reception easily.

On the very next play in 7-on-7 Webster tightened his coverage and was close enough to Evans to affect the outcome of the play. He forced Evans to run to the sideline faster on an out pattern to gain separation and it wound up carrying Evans out of bounds before he could get two feet down to record a legal reception.

Cornerback situation

Jabari Greer got some first team reps at right cornerback Wednesday. That may be due to Kiwaukee Thomas' tender ankle after he twisted it yesterday. Greer and Youboty also flipped sides with Greer playing on the right side with the second unit while Youboty went over to the left side.

"When it comes down to it and the ball is being thrown and plays have to be made, all I can do is go out and try to make those plays," said Greer. "And that's what I'm looking to do."

The top cornerback candidates also got some work in the nickel package today during 7-on-7. Youboty worked in the slot along with Thomas in the nickel while Webster worked on the outside with the second nickel unit. Greer was also part of that mix as was Terrence McGee.

11-on-11

Once again the first series of 11-on-11 team work was all no huddle with J.P. Losman at the controls throughout. Kiwaukee Thomas had very good coverage on Evans on the very first play which forced a high throw from J.P. Losman.

Losman appeared to have more freedom audibilizing plays at the line in this no huddle series and on the second play changed the call twice before the snap. Even though he couldn't see the play clock (it was behind him in the opposite end zone) he got the snap off with one second to spare and ran a run play to Anthony Thomas.

"I'm getting more audibles in there in the run game and the pass game," said Losman. "I think (Coach Fairchild) is getting more comfortable with the offensive line and the receivers. Guys like Lee and Josh Reed and Roscoe know when they're hot and I'm recognizing it and hitting it more. Those are all things that are making him comfortable in giving us more freedom in the offense."

The defense did make its share of plays. Angelo Crowell tipped a Losman pass later in the series. Terrence McGee was effective in blanketing Peerless Price on a go route down the sideline as he disrupted the play enough to make it an incompletion. Donte Whitner and rookie free agent Riley Swanson also had a pass breakups.

Losman did thread the needle on a couple of inside slant plays as he got the ball into some tight windows to Reed and Sam Aiken on a couple of occasions. Buffalo's starting quarterback had a couple of overthrows on the day, but otherwise was steady.

Standouts

The play of the day was turned in by Losman and Evans who hooked up on a bomb down the left sideline that covered 40 yards in the air. Evans got behind Thomas for what would have been a touchdown.

Roscoe Parrish made a few nice catches, one in particular was made against a zone coverage where he found a soft spot and Losman delivered a strike to him. He also beat his coverage deep as he got inside on Thomas, but the pass was underthrown as it fell incomplete.

Defensively there were some good coverage downs by the defensive unit as a whole that earned some praise from defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. Fewell also got upset when a ball that hit the turf was not immediately pounced on by any defender.

Making it worse was the fact that it was the first unit defense during 7-on-7. They're expected to instantaneously get to the ball if it's loose and take it the other way, whether it's an incompletion, a fumble or an interception.

"Go get the ball," Fewell shouted. "That's lazy football!"

Participation

Not participating Wednesday was John McCargo who is still working his way back from offseason surgeries. He continues to do work on the sidelines with the trainers.

Undrafted rookie free agent Reggie Lewis did participate in individual drills with his fellow cornerbacks, but did not do any team work.

"I'll do individual again (Thursday) and then on Tuesday I'm hoping to be full go," he said.

Not in attendance were veterans Aaron Schobel and Darwin Walker. Rookie free agent Scott Mayle and Chris Jackson are still absent as well.

 

[On The Rocks]

This is nice to see. Hopefully a sign of the continued maturity of Losman. I know these are OTA's but any good sign is worth taking note of.

Once again the first series of 11-on-11 team work was all no huddle with J.P. Losman at the controls throughout. Kiwaukee Thomas had very good coverage on Evans on the very first play which forced a high throw from J.P. Losman. Losman appeared to have more freedom audibilizing plays at the line in this no huddle series and on the second play changed the call twice before the snap. Even though he couldn't see the play clock (it was behind him in the opposite end zone) he got the snap off with one second to spare and ran a run play to Anthony Thomas."I'm getting more audibles in there in the run game and the pass game," said Losman. "I think (Coach Fairchild) is getting more comfortable with the offensive line and the receivers. Guys like Lee and Josh Reed and Roscoe know when they're hot and I'm recognizing it and hitting it more. Those are all things that are making him comfortable in giving us more freedom in the offense."

 

[On The Rocks]

From BB.com

Day 4 - OTA Notes

Day Four OTA Notes

by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 5/24/2007 1:53 PM ET

Bills quarterback J.P. Losman had his best day of the week Thursday as his accuracy and touch were sharp throughout the practice. Losman had good touch passes on a pair of out patterns to Lee Evans and Josh Reed in which he dropped the ball over or in between defenders.

"We're light years ahead of where were last year at this point in time," said Losman of the offense as a whole. "That's probably the big thing. The confidence is there and everyone is just getting comfortable, critiquing and perfecting all that we worked on last year."

He and Evans hooked up five times during the practice session. They would have also combined for a touchdown had the ball not come out of Losman's hands a bit wobbly on his deep shot attempt to Evans down the left sideline. Evans had beaten Kiwaukee Thomas, but the ball had too much air under it and was intercepted by Ko Simpson. It was Losman's only blemish on the day.

Schobel ETA

The expected time of arrival for Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel isn't any time soon as far as **** Jauron is concerned. He knows these OTA camps are voluntary.

"We anticipate that he will be here for our minicamp here at the end (mid-June)," said Jauron. "We wish he was here with his teammates, but we expect him for the minicamp."

Schobel and Darwin Walker are the only veterans that have not been in attendance.

McCargo update

Defensive tackle John McCargo continues to work on the sidelines with the training staff on balance and agility exercises and he gets used to putting weight back on his surgically repaired foot.

Head coach **** Jauron is satisfied with where things stand on McCargo in terms of his recovery.

"I'm really pleased with it and I am not a doctor, but our medical staff is pleased," said Jauron. "We're hopeful that he'll be back for (training) camp. That's when he's scheduled to be back."

Nickel package

The defense spent a lot of time in their nickel package Thursday, after sprinkling some of it in Wednesday. In the first nickel package safety Jim Leonhard came on as the fifth defensive back. In the second team nickel package Jabari Greer and Jason Webster were the corners with Ashton Youboty playing in the slot.

"I feel like the coaches are trying to find the best five to put out there with Donte, Kiwaukee and I," said Youboty of the slot position. "We're all getting a look and we're all doing pretty well."

Youboty has spent most of his career as an outside corner, but did play inside some at Ohio State when there were injuries in their secondary.

"It's about combinations and who can play what positions," said Jauron. "Who can move inside in the sub package and who can't. You need backups there all the time so we're trying to get that figured out too. It's been good mixing up the nickel packages. We know we're going to face a lot of spread sets."

Linebackers who saw time in the nickel packages were Angelo Crowell, John DiGiorgio, Keith Ellison and Paul Posluszny.

11-on-11

Craig Nall and the second unit offense went against the second unit defense to begin team work Thursday. Nall completed his first three passes including a deep touchdown pass to Sam Aiken, who has had a strong week.

Aiken had Youboty beat on a deep sideline route, but had to wait for the ball allowing Youboty to get back in the play. Aiken however, outleaped Youboty for the ball to pull in the touchdown.

The defense again made some plays. Kiwaukee Thomas had a good pass breakup when covering Evans. Larry Tripplett batted down a pass headed for the flat. Jason Webster got his first interception in practice when he jumped in front of a Craig Nall pass that was intended for Aiken along the sideline.

It appeared as if Aiken thought the play was dead as one of the defensive linemen had jumped offsides prior to the snap on the play. Webster's pick would have gone for a touchdown.

In the second 11-on-11 series the run game was featured more. Anthony Thomas, Fred Jackson and Shaud Williams all got carries before the rookies and Josh Scobey.

Marshawn Lynch seemed to have an extra gear today as he exploded out of the backfield on one carry to the right side of the formation. He had a nice catch that he made behind his body as he was running a pattern toward the sideline.

7-on-7

Again the spread formations and nickel package sets were a focus. The offense was particularly sharp during this session. Losman was 8-for-9, Nall was 4-4 and Trent Edwards was 3-3 passing during the first series of 7-on-7.

Crowell had the only defensive play tipping a pass that was intended for Peerless Price.

Offensively Josh Reed made a nice catch as he climbed the ladder to pull in a high pass. Lynch made a catch in the flat and effectively juked a couple of defenders that couldn't get close enough to tag him in the non-tackle setting.

Near the close of practice some of the players who haven't been getting a ton of reps got an opportunity for some snaps in the second 7-on-7 series. Josh Stamer made a fully extended reaching interception off Edwards and likely would have returned it for a touchdown.

Edwards has been accurate for the most part and has looked good in remaining accurate when throwing on the move. The last two days he's had to roll left while throwing right-handed and hit both targets in stride.

Rookie free agent Riley Swanson also had a pass breakup. Receiver Jemalle Cornelius made a few nice plays.

Rookie favorite

Bills defensive line coach Bill Kollar seems to enjoy getting on his rookie draft picks. Last year he was all over John McCargo day and night. This year Kollar is taking seventh-round pick defensive end C.J. Ah You to task.

Noticing Ah You failing to run to the football even though the play was down the field Kollar barked at Ah You to run and pursue the ball, a requirement in Buffalo's defensive system.

Later he saw Ah You's mind spinning as he was hesitating after the snap.

Kollar's advice?

"Quit thinking and act like you're having fun out here!"

Week 2

The second week of OTAs begins Tuesday afternoon at 2:45. Buffalobills.com will have full coverage on the home page and in the multimedia section. Be sure to check out Bills Focus for a feature on the Bills open offense planned for 2007.

 

[GroveDiesel]

Every year it seems like they love what Aiken is doing in OTAs and camp and yet he never seems to get the playing time in the regular season.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Offense moving fast forward

Continuity expands Bills’ learning curve

By Mark Gaughan

NEWS SPORTS REPORTER

Updated: 05/24/07 6:45 AM

The Buffalo Bills’ offense came out in no-huddle mode in the very first 11-on-11 drill of spring practice this week.

The significance of that was not that the Bills are going to try to reinvent the Jim Kelly K-Gun offense this year. They won’t. They will run the no-huddle on occasion, as they did at times late last year. They might even run it a decent amount if it works well.

The importance of that first drill was it showed how much more advanced the Bills’ offense is compared to last year.

The Bills were installing a new, unfamiliar offense during last May’s organized team activity workouts. This year they know the offense, and they are building on it.

“We’re light years ahead of where we were last year at this time,” said quarterback J.P. Losman. “The confidence is there. We obviously feel more comfortable.”

“Last year J.P. was trying to figure out where the huddle was, what the cadence was, how we call things, what the terminology is,” Bills offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild said.

Continuity should be a huge benefit to the Bills’ attack this year. It’s something that is almost foreign to the Bills’ organization.

This is the first time in four years the Bills have the same offensive coordinator and the same quarterback returning from the previous season. It’s only the second time in the last eight years the Bills have the coordinator-quarterback combination back.

Is it any wonder the Bills’ offense has ranked among the top 10 in the NFL just once in that span?

“If you’ve got no continuity at quarterback and no continuity on the coaching staff, it’s so hard to compete,” Bills coach **** Jauron said. “Clearly, in our division, New England has had all of that [continuity]. We’re a lot more familiar with what we’re doing this year, and it should give us a chance to be a better team than we were a year ago.”

Contrast the Bills’ situation with that of Super Bowl-champion Indianapolis. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is entering his 10th season with the same offensive coordinator running the same scheme.

“I was talking with the Colts’ receivers coach at the [scouting] combine,” Fairchild said. “And he mentioned it seemed like [receiver] Reggie Wayne was kind of a more recent addition to them. But he’s going into his seventh year now. It’s surprising how long that core group has been together.”

The Bills had their third spring practice Wednesday. They have 15 spring practices in all. As they did last year, they will run through all their base plays in practice.

“We’re installing from Square One, but we’ve already had three no-huddle periods where we’ve done some stuff [play calls] on the line,” Fairchild said. “We’ve already had a third down period. We’ve already had some pressure periods where we’re ready to pick up the blitz. Next week we’re heavy into the red-zone work.

“Last year we couldn’t get to any of that [in May]. It was just too hard to install. You had to go much slower, and they couldn’t comprehend it as fast. It’s just a totally different situation.”

As for the no-huddle mode, Fairchild says it’s more of an option this year because of Losman’s familiarity with the scheme. Losman was running it again in Wednesday’s workouts.

“It’ll be part of our offense,” Fairchild said. “Now how big a part will remain to be seen. We’ll see how it goes.”

The Bills can only hope next year will bring a third straight year with the same coordinator and same quarterback. That hasn’t happened in Buffalo since Jim Kelly retired.

“It’s just going to keep getting better every year if you can keep your core group of guys around,” Fairchild said.

• • •

The Bills signed second-year receiver Donovan Morgan. He’s a 6-foot-2, 195-pounder who spent much of last season on Houston’s practice squad. He played in three games for the Texans.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/82998.html

 

[Fiddles]

who do you guys see as wr2 this year? are they really going with reed again?

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

who do you guys see as wr2 this year? are they really going with reed again?

Peerless Price was WR2 last year and almost certainly will be again. Josh Reed is not effective playing outside and is much better off lining up in the slot as WR3. Roscoe Parrish will also see plenty of time in 4-wr formations.The team plans to go with no fullbacks this year so we'll see a lot more 2-TE formations as well as more of the 4-WR sets that were very effective last year.The fact that the Bills have continuity with their coordinator, system, and personnel in the passing game along with improved play from the offensive line and a versatile group of RBs should lead to one of the best offensive seasons they've had in awhile. They have a tough schedule and the defense figures to take a step backwards though.

 

[On The Rocks]

Offense moving fast forward

Continuity expands Bills’ learning curve

By Mark Gaughan

NEWS SPORTS REPORTER

Updated: 05/24/07 6:45 AM

The Buffalo Bills’ offense came out in no-huddle mode in the very first 11-on-11 drill of spring practice this week.

The significance of that was not that the Bills are going to try to reinvent the Jim Kelly K-Gun offense this year. They won’t. They will run the no-huddle on occasion, as they did at times late last year. They might even run it a decent amount if it works well.

The importance of that first drill was it showed how much more advanced the Bills’ offense is compared to last year.

The Bills were installing a new, unfamiliar offense during last May’s organized team activity workouts. This year they know the offense, and they are building on it.

“We’re light years ahead of where we were last year at this time,” said quarterback J.P. Losman. “The confidence is there. We obviously feel more comfortable.”

“Last year J.P. was trying to figure out where the huddle was, what the cadence was, how we call things, what the terminology is,” Bills offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild said.

Continuity should be a huge benefit to the Bills’ attack this year. It’s something that is almost foreign to the Bills’ organization.

This is the first time in four years the Bills have the same offensive coordinator and the same quarterback returning from the previous season. It’s only the second time in the last eight years the Bills have the coordinator-quarterback combination back.

Is it any wonder the Bills’ offense has ranked among the top 10 in the NFL just once in that span?

“If you’ve got no continuity at quarterback and no continuity on the coaching staff, it’s so hard to compete,” Bills coach **** Jauron said. “Clearly, in our division, New England has had all of that [continuity]. We’re a lot more familiar with what we’re doing this year, and it should give us a chance to be a better team than we were a year ago.”

Contrast the Bills’ situation with that of Super Bowl-champion Indianapolis. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is entering his 10th season with the same offensive coordinator running the same scheme.

“I was talking with the Colts’ receivers coach at the [scouting] combine,” Fairchild said. “And he mentioned it seemed like [receiver] Reggie Wayne was kind of a more recent addition to them. But he’s going into his seventh year now. It’s surprising how long that core group has been together.”

The Bills had their third spring practice Wednesday. They have 15 spring practices in all. As they did last year, they will run through all their base plays in practice.

“We’re installing from Square One, but we’ve already had three no-huddle periods where we’ve done some stuff [play calls] on the line,” Fairchild said. “We’ve already had a third down period. We’ve already had some pressure periods where we’re ready to pick up the blitz. Next week we’re heavy into the red-zone work.

“Last year we couldn’t get to any of that [in May]. It was just too hard to install. You had to go much slower, and they couldn’t comprehend it as fast. It’s just a totally different situation.”

As for the no-huddle mode, Fairchild says it’s more of an option this year because of Losman’s familiarity with the scheme. Losman was running it again in Wednesday’s workouts.

“It’ll be part of our offense,” Fairchild said. “Now how big a part will remain to be seen. We’ll see how it goes.”

The Bills can only hope next year will bring a third straight year with the same coordinator and same quarterback. That hasn’t happened in Buffalo since Jim Kelly retired.

“It’s just going to keep getting better every year if you can keep your core group of guys around,” Fairchild said.

• • •

The Bills signed second-year receiver Donovan Morgan. He’s a 6-foot-2, 195-pounder who spent much of last season on Houston’s practice squad. He played in three games for the Texans.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/82998.html

For those that don't regularly visit the BuffaloBills.com site they have an every other day video clip. A couple of days ago they showed Dockery and Walker at the first OTA. Langston Walker looks FAT.Dockery refers to him as "Big Langston".

"Building Chemistry" clip.

 

[Grigs Allmoon]

who do you guys see as wr2 this year? are they really going with reed again?

Honestly, I expect it to be much like last year. And, that really means no true #2 WR. They rotate their WRs so much that the only one who sees consistent action is Evans, but even he would be on the sidelines with another WR (or two) in the game from time to time. I think Price, Reed, Parrish will all get pretty equal play time, for the most part. Although, I am getting the impression Losman likes Reed, so maybe he will get a slight, very slight edge in targets relatively speaking.

 

[GroveDiesel]

who do you guys see as wr2 this year? are they really going with reed again?

Honestly, I expect it to be much like last year. And, that really means no true #2 WR. They rotate their WRs so much that the only one who sees consistent action is Evans, but even he would be on the sidelines with another WR (or two) in the game from time to time. I think Price, Reed, Parrish will all get pretty equal play time, for the most part. Although, I am getting the impression Losman likes Reed, so maybe he will get a slight, very slight edge in targets relatively speaking.

I actually have this feeling that Parrish is going to be getting the most time as the #2 WR by the end of the season. Losman seems to have a pretty good connection with him. He may be playing the #3 WR but will be getting the #2 fantasy stats IMO.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Rookie back off on the Wright foot

Fourth-round pick has backer in Wilson

By Mark Gaughan NEWS SPORTS REPORTER

Updated: 06/02/07 6:50 AM

Rookie running back Dwayne Wright can feel especially good about landing with the Buffalo Bills this spring.

Like any rookie draft pick, he knows he ended up in a city where he is wanted. No team drafts a player it doesn’t like. Wright, however, can take some added confidence in the fact he has a big booster in the top man in the organization — Bills owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr.

Wilson liked what he saw of Wright on videotape before the draft. When it came time to make the 111th overall choice, the Bills had several players on their draft board with even grades whom they considered. General Manager Marv Levy said it was a very close call. Wilson’s strong conviction about Wright essentially tipped the decision in favor of the big running back.

“He mentioned that to me,” Wright said with a smile after a Bills practice session this week. “He told me I was one of his favorite picks. I feel honored for that because a lot of people passed me up because I’m a big back. I’ve got the opportunity to come in, work hard and see where it goes.”

The 5-foot-11, 222-pound Wright has made a good impression through two weeks of spring practices.

He was characterized before the draft as a hard-running, between-the-tackles prospect. He had gained 1,462 yards last fall for Fresno State during his redshirt junior season.

Yet Wright has shown on the Ralph Wilson Stadium turf that he has good feet for a big man. He’s agile in making his cuts. He shows burst to the outside, and as advertised, he runs with aggressiveness.

“He’s a little bit quicker in person than I thought he was on tape,” said Bills running backs coach Eric Studesville. “When you get him out here, you can see he has the ability to get down the field and run.”

That’s something Wright is eager to show. Fresno State had a young quarterback last season, and Wright was the main offensive threat.

“A lot of people thought I was a power back,” Wright said. “At Fresno State we were a power-based team so we ran a lot of inside zone runs due to the fact we had a lot of injuries. A lot of people [defenses] loaded the box on us. So by the time I got to the second level, I’m already in a crowd. So I couldn’t use the speed that I have.”

Wright also can catch passes. He had 29 catches for 221 yards last year.

“I liked him in college because he was a complete back,” Studesville said. “I thought he was a good athlete. I thought he was big. He had power. I thought he was very solid and effective in protection, and he caught the ball well. We’ve seen those things here. He’s a smart guy.”

Wright, a San Diego, Calif., native, suffered torn knee ligaments in the 2004 season and sat out all of 2005. He worked in the weight room during his time off.

“My playing weight before the injury was 205-210,” Wright said. “After, it was 225. I put about 15 pounds on and I still played the same.”

Running back is a position where rookies tend to make an impact quickly. If Wright can catch on fast, he could join Anthony Thomas as a powerful complement to rookie first-round draft pick Marshawn Lynch.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/89426.html

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Bills notebook

Fall leaves Royal with sprained shoulder

By Mark Gaughan NEWS SPORTS REPORTER

Updated: 06/02/07 6:50 AM

The Buffalo Bills will get a little longer look at some of the younger tight ends on the roster the next two weeks.

That’s because starting tight end Robert Royal is out for the last two weeks of spring practice due to what’s described as a sprained shoulder.

Royal suffered the injury Thursday when he fell to the turf after making a catch over the middle then getting tangled up with a defensive back in incidental contact. He left the field favoring his shoulder. Royal watched Friday’s practice from the sidelines with his left arm in a sling.

Bills coach **** Jauron said the injury will not require surgery and that Royal will be fine for training camp at the end of July.

“He’s got a shoulder injury . . . it’s more of a sprain,” Jauron said. “He won’t be involved any more in our [organized team activities] and we’ll just see how it is.”

• • •

The Bills completed their eighth voluntary “organized team activity” of the spring Friday.

The team worked a lot on red zone offense and defense during the week. The offense looked particularly good in seven-on-seven drills inside the 20 on Friday. Second-year tight end Kevin Everett caught touchdown passes from all three quarterbacks — J.P. Losman, Craig Nall and Troy Edwards. Also contributing red-zone TD catches were Josh Reed (from Losman), Donovan Morgan (from Nall) and Sam Aiken (from Edwards).

Linebacker Angelo Crowell stopped the offense on its two-minute drill with an interception of a hook-route pass from Losman. . . . Lee Evans once again proved he is a hard man to overthrow by running under a pretty Losman bomb down the sideline in 11-on-11 drills. Morgan and rookie free agent Jemalle Cornelius made nice catches in traffic over the middle.

The Bills have four more days of voluntary practices next week. Then they have three days of mandatory practices June 11-13. All workouts are closed to the public.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/billsnfl/story/89436.html

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Day Eight OTA Notes

by Chris Ostrander, Contributing Correspondent Last Updated: 6/1/2007 4:31 PM ET

After falling awkwardly on his shoulder in Thursday's OTA, Robert Royal was in a sling watching from the sidelines during Friday's workout. While Royal will not participate in the rest of the OTAs the injury is not believed to be serious, and will not need surgery, according to head coach **** Jauron.

"I don't know the technical term for it," said Jauron. "It is more of a sprain, according to Bud. We are very optimistic long term."

Despite the injury to Royal, Jauron has been pleased with the performance of his team through the first two weeks of OTAs.

"Our on field stuff has progressed well," said Jauron. "It's been a terrific two weeks and we have got two weeks to go."

The team's work ethic is one thing that has stood out to Jauron through these first two weeks.

"I love our team attitude," he said. "Our group of guys are not afraid to work. They want to be a good team; we just need to make ourselves a good team."

Attendance was good again, with only Roscoe Parrish (quad) joining Royal on the sidelines. It was the second day of practice that Parrish has sat out of this week.

Special teams focus

Once again practice started with more special teams work. Kick return and field goal blocking were the focal point of the special teams portion of practice. While no actual kick returns were made, the same Marshawn Lynch was again amongst the group of return men standing in the end zone.

Webster spells Thomas

Part way through the 11-on-11 portion of practice Kiwaukee Thomas left the action to get ice taped on to the upper part of his leg, although it is unclear what he may have injured. Again Jason Webster stepped into replace him as the cornerback opposite Terrence McGee.

No Huddle

The Bills continued to work on the no-huddle offense as Losman was 2-4 in the time spent in the package. He showed terrific touch as he gunned a pass in to Donovan Morgan on a post pattern. Morgan bobbled the ball but managed to hold on for the reception. The second team didn't find much more success as Eric Bassey made a nice pass break up as he punched the ball out of Morgan's hands on one play. In addition the second team defense snuffed out the two screens run against them.

Red Zone

Kevin Everett was the favorite target of all three quarterbacks during red zone 7-on-7. Everett made three catches for three touchdowns including a nice grab as J.P. Losman squeezed the ball between two defenders. Losman was 9-10 passing with the touchdown to Everett. Craig Nall went 4-4 with two straight touchdowns, one to Everett and the other to Donovan Morgan. Trent Edwards made some very nice passes hooking up with Everett for a touchdown in the seam on his first pass of the drill.

The red zone offense has been a focal point this week as the coaching staff has recognized the importance of playing well on both sides of the ball inside the twenty.

"We weren't particularly successful in that area a year ago," said Jauron. "It was a concentration for the spring and we will continue to spend time down there."

Shut down coverage

Despite the successful red zone offense the defensive coverage continued to cause trouble for the offense in the middle of the field. During the two minute offense the defense forced four straight check down passes from J.P. Losman. Jim Leonhard then got through the pass protection for a touch up sack. On the following play Angelo Crowell ended the first team offense's possession with a jumping interception of a pass intended for Peerless Price. Jabari Greer and Terrence McGee also got into the action as they both barely missed getting interceptions off of Losman.

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell was vocal again on Friday seeing his defensive unit succeed against the pass. After forcing yet another check down pass he yelled "Beautiful job."

Week 3

The third week of OTA begins on Tuesday at 10:30. Buffalobills.com will have full coverage on the home page and in the multimedia section.

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=4832

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Day Seven OTA Notes

by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 5/31/2007 1:43 PM ET

Things were changed up a bit Thursday in practice as there was a lengthy walk-through session and an extended special teams period. Players worked on kickoff coverage alignments, wedge formations and punt protections.

An interesting note was Marshawn Lynch was one of the featured kick returners during that segment of practice. Shaud Williams was also in the kick return group.

Webster gets more reps

Buffalo's newest cornerback Jason Webster got almost all the first team reps at the right cornerback spot. Part of it was due to a reduced workload for Kiwaukee Thomas Thursday, but he performed well for the most part.

"I think it's good any time you can get out there, whether it's with the ones or the twos just getting a feel of the defense and a feel for the guys playing next to you," said Webster who has been with his new teammates for a little over a week. "It really does help. I'm just trying to correct the mistakes of the day before and contribute to the team's success."

Webster showed an ability to maintain tight coverage throughout the progression of a receiver's route on a consistent basis in extended action. On the few balls that were completed against him he wasn't more than a half step off the receiver. But for Webster that's not good enough.

"As a defensive back I don't like when receivers catch balls," said Webster. "I don't want to settle."

Even defensive coordinator Perry Fewell had to assure Webster after one play that even though he gave up a completion he channeled the receiver properly to the inside where he had help for a 'would-be' tackle.

11-on-11

Early in the team portion of practice Robert Royal caught a nicely thrown ball from J.P. Losman deep down the seam. Unfortunately there was some accidental contact near the end of the play as two defenders came at Royal from different angles to 'tag up tackle' the tight end. Royal was shaken up on the play and was forced to leave practice. He left the stadium under his own power holding his left shoulder. We anticipate more word on Royal's condition Friday.

Keith Ellison almost had an interception when he got his hands on a Craig Nall pass over the middle, but he made up for it later in practice in 7-on-7.

Again the defensive units had some solid coverage downs which forced the quarterbacks to roll out of the pocket a few times to buy time.

Losman's best pass was made on a crossing pattern by Peerless Price. Price took his route all the way across the field and Losman hit him in stride right before he reached the sideline.

7-on-7

The defensive coverage was even better during this segment. Ellison kind of set the tone when he picked off a Losman pass over the middle early in a red zone series. There was another down where the coverage was so sound that Losman had to throw the ball away.

That earned the defense some praise from defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.

"I like it! I like it men," he shouted.

Trent Edwards even bobbled a ball because of coverage. He was about to pass it and then saw coverage close the window just as he was about to throw and tried to bring it back down and lost the handle.

Lynch and Wright flash

Marshawn Lynch and Dwayne Wright haven't been getting a ton of reps, but they have made their presence felt.

Lynch on the very last play of 11-on-11 took a hand off at the five-yard line on an outside running play. It was a race to the pylon from the middle of the field and no defender was able to lay a hand on him as he scampered into the end zone.

Wright meanwhile seems to have a knack for instinctively knowing where the cutback lane is going to be. He's almost running through it before it's completely there. His anticipation is impressive to watch. Wright has earned praise from running backs coach Eric Studesville for seeing those lanes which can often translate into big gainers.

Pepper game

At the end of practice Fewell had his defensive players break off into position groups. The defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs all formed groups of four. Each group had a football and in the same spirit of the old pepper baseball game the players would quickly catch and dish the ball off to one of the other three players in their group. It would continue until someone dropped a ball or couldn't handle a delivery.

Each position group whittled down their numbers until there was one player left from each position group. The defensive linemen accused their own Aaron Schobel of cheating.

The final three were Schobel, John DiGiorgio and George Wilson. DiGiorgio went out on the first toss which came like a laser from Schobel. Wilson however, eliminated Schobel on the next toss to emerge as the winner.

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=4824

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Bills June minicamp on NFL Network

May 30, 2007 Posted By: Chris Brown | Time: 3:40 PM ET | Link

JUNE MINICAMP ON NFL NETWORK: Buffalo's last day of June minicamp will air on NFL Network at 8pm on June 13. We'll have full coverage on Buffalobills.com all week, but additional coverage can be found there for those that have NFL Network out there.

---

Pennington starts at LT

May 29, 2007 Posted By: Chris Brown | Time: 5:13 PM ET | Link

PENNINGTON STARTS AT LT: With Jason Peters absent Tuesday, Terrance Pennington got the nod at the starting left tackle position. Duke Preston started at right guard with Brad Butler behind him with the second unit. Jason Whittle was at backup center. Preston and Whittle have been rotating back and forth every other day at the two positions.

---

Wire is quickest of the LBs

May 24, 2007 Posted By: Chris Brown | Time: 1:16 PM ET | Link

WIRE IS QUICKEST OF LBS: Just watching individual drills closely the past couple of days, it's apparent to me that Coy Wire is the quickest in the linebacking corps. His lateral movement is superior to everyone else's. Granted he's probably the lightest of the bunch which no doubt helps, but you can see it when they're all taking turns doing the same drills.

Wire has been playing mainly strong side LB this first OTA week, but that won't necessarily be his primary position. Wire is playing there because the staff wants him to learn all three LB positions in this system. Every LB on the roster must learn at least 2, but the staff feels Wire has the mental makeup to handle 3. Ideally I'd expect him to be a weak side LB.

The next quickest LBs in this defense after Wire in my opinion are John DiGiorgio and Keith Ellison. Again two of the lighter guys in the group, but don't discount their athleticism. They are quick.

---

Ellison adding muscle

May 23, 2007 Posted By: Chris Brown | Time: 2:47 PM ET | Link

ELLISON ADDING MUSCLE: In an effort to be stronger against the run this year, second-year LB Keith Ellison is looking to carry more muscle on his frame after playing at 225 pounds last season. Ellison has added four pounds of lean muscle and is now 229 pounds. He's looking to get a shade over 230 pounds when all is said and done. He feels that will still let him maintain his speed and agility and hold up better against the run.

http://buffalobills.com/blog/index.jsp?blogger_id=1

 

[bigmurd]

Rookie back off on the Wright foot

Fourth-round pick has backer in Wilson

By Mark Gaughan NEWS SPORTS REPORTER

Updated: 06/02/07 6:50 AM

Rookie running back Dwayne Wright can feel especially good about landing with the Buffalo Bills this spring.

Like any rookie draft pick, he knows he ended up in a city where he is wanted. No team drafts a player it doesn’t like. Wright, however, can take some added confidence in the fact he has a big booster in the top man in the organization — Bills owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr.

Wilson liked what he saw of Wright on videotape before the draft. When it came time to make the 111th overall choice, the Bills had several players on their draft board with even grades whom they considered. General Manager Marv Levy said it was a very close call. Wilson’s strong conviction about Wright essentially tipped the decision in favor of the big running back.

“He mentioned that to me,” Wright said with a smile after a Bills practice session this week. “He told me I was one of his favorite picks. I feel honored for that because a lot of people passed me up because I’m a big back. I’ve got the opportunity to come in, work hard and see where it goes.”

The 5-foot-11, 222-pound Wright has made a good impression through two weeks of spring practices.

He was characterized before the draft as a hard-running, between-the-tackles prospect. He had gained 1,462 yards last fall for Fresno State during his redshirt junior season.

Yet Wright has shown on the Ralph Wilson Stadium turf that he has good feet for a big man. He’s agile in making his cuts. He shows burst to the outside, and as advertised, he runs with aggressiveness.

“He’s a little bit quicker in person than I thought he was on tape,” said Bills running backs coach Eric Studesville. “When you get him out here, you can see he has the ability to get down the field and run.”

That’s something Wright is eager to show. Fresno State had a young quarterback last season, and Wright was the main offensive threat.

“A lot of people thought I was a power back,” Wright said. “At Fresno State we were a power-based team so we ran a lot of inside zone runs due to the fact we had a lot of injuries. A lot of people [defenses] loaded the box on us. So by the time I got to the second level, I’m already in a crowd. So I couldn’t use the speed that I have.”

Wright also can catch passes. He had 29 catches for 221 yards last year.

“I liked him in college because he was a complete back,” Studesville said. “I thought he was a good athlete. I thought he was big. He had power. I thought he was very solid and effective in protection, and he caught the ball well. We’ve seen those things here. He’s a smart guy.”

Wright, a San Diego, Calif., native, suffered torn knee ligaments in the 2004 season and sat out all of 2005. He worked in the weight room during his time off.

“My playing weight before the injury was 205-210,” Wright said. “After, it was 225. I put about 15 pounds on and I still played the same.”

Running back is a position where rookies tend to make an impact quickly. If Wright can catch on fast, he could join Anthony Thomas as a powerful complement to rookie first-round draft pick Marshawn Lynch.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/89426.html

This is quite interesting...

 

[On The Rocks]

OTA notes from today.

Looking over the past week of OTA notes, JP Losman has looked pretty impressive.

Day Nine OTA Notes

Last Updated: 6/5/2007 3:04 PM ET

The final week of OTAs began Tuesday and there were some impressive plays turned in by the offense with Roscoe Parrish one of the more impressive performers. But the defense had its share of plays too.

Wilson settling in

George Wilson's transition from receiver to strong safety got another boost Tuesday when he picked off an errant throw by Craig Nall. The pass was overthrown and Wilson leaped up to snare the throw and promptly took it the other way.

"I have to make a play to gain the respect of my teammates on the defensive side of the ball," said Wilson. "Making a play lets them know that I can fit in over here and make plays even though I'm from the offensive side of the ball. Making plays gives the coaches something to talk about in those staff meetings."

Wilson will be the first to tell you he isn't all the way there yet, but he's made progress and is now tied with John DiGiorgio for most interceptions during the OTAs with two.

Lineups

Jason Webster looks to getting more and more of an opportunity to stake a claim to the right cornerback spot as he again got the majority of the reps there Tuesday. Part of it is due to the limited play of Kiwaukee Thomas who did not practice. However, no other corner rotated in and took reps with the first team on the right side.

Duke Preston was again at the right guard spot with the first unit while Jason Whittle manned the center spot with the second team. The two linemen continue to rotate every other day between the two positions.

On the second unit free agent signee Kirk Chambers appears to entrenched at right tackle. He and practice squad player Walter Stith had been rotating earlier in the OTA sessions the past couple of weeks, but that rotation has diminished considerably.

John DiGiorgio is still playing middle linebacker with the first group and looks comfortable with the pre-snap calls and reads. Second-round pick Paul Posluszny has steadily gotten the feel for making calls prior to the snap, but was fighting his way through some calls during the two-minute drill when things happen a lot faster.

"There is still a lot of stuff to learn," said Posluszny. "Each day the more I'm coached and the more I practice I get a little bit better each day, but there's still a lot to improve on."

Losman's reads

J.P. Losman was strong in the decision making department Tuesday. Buffalo's quarterback wasn't forcing passes downfield electing to check it down when it was warranted as the defense had some good coverage downs.

His best play of the day was in the 7-on-7 red zone portion of team work. On the first play of his series Losman dropped back and looked off safety Ko Simpson enough to gun a pass over the middle to Roscoe Parrish who slipped behind Simpson on a post pattern for a touchdown.

On a 4th-and-4 play during a two-minute drill Losman quickly recognized a safety blitz and hit his 'hot' receiver Parrish to diffuse the threat of the additional pass rusher and got a first down. He was 6-8 in the two-minute segment of practice.

11-on-11

Lee Evans caught a deep ball from Losman early in the segment, but if it were live football Simpson likely would have made a play on the pass as there was too much air under it allowing the defense to close on the ball and Evans. Simpson pulled up so as to avoid contact in these non-padded practices.

Marshawn Lynch made a nice catch in the flat on a low pass from Losman. Lynch somehow got his hands beneath the ball before it hit the turf to make a reception.

Donovan Morgan continues to show some ability as he got good separation on Jabari Greer and made a big play to get the second team offense into the red zone during their two minute period of 11-on-11.

On the defensive side of the ball, Ryan Denney tipped a Losman pass up in the air, but couldn't quite pull it down for an interception. Angelo Crowell had a pass breakup as did John Wendling who could have had an interception in the end zone had he been a half-second quicker.

7-on-7

The best move was turned in by Parrish who had a strong day in his return from a strained quad. In a one-on-one situation with Donte Whitner in space after making a reception in the flat, Parrish faked outside and jumped inside of Whitner with the strong safety unable to get a hand on him. Parrish bounded into the end zone for what would have likely been a touchdown with no defensive help behind Whitner.

Bills receivers coach Tyke Tolbert, who typically cheers on and encourages all of his receivers shouted 'Whoops!' when Parrish juked past Whitner. In Whitner's defense Parrish is virtually impossible to catch when out in space with him and no help.

Lynch dove to pull in a low pass for a touchdown reception from Losman to cap a red zone series. Losman gave Lynch praise for making a difficult grab to score after the play was over.

Spectating

Those who watched most or all of practice as a non-participant were John McCargo, Robert Royal and Thomas.

 

[GroveDiesel]

OTA notes from today.

Looking over the past week of OTA notes, JP Losman has looked pretty impressive.

I'm actually not so sure about that. There are a LOT of mentions of tipped passes and INTs. That's a little disconcerting, especially since the Buffalo secondary isn't exactly all world right now.

 

[On The Rocks]

OTA notes from today.

Looking over the past week of OTA notes, JP Losman has looked pretty impressive.

I'm actually not so sure about that. There are a LOT of mentions of tipped passes and INTs. That's a little disconcerting, especially since the Buffalo secondary isn't exactly all world right now.

The best QB in the NFL playing against the best D in the NFL for practice.....errors are bound to happen.

 

[On The Rocks]

OTA Notes from Wednesday's Practice

Day 10 OTA Notes

by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 6/6/2007 3:03 PM ET

Bills Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Schobel was back at practice Wednesday after not making it out to the Tuesday session. Attendance for the Bills on the whole has been impressive with the only consistent absentee being Darwin Walker.

"We've had great participation and great enthusiasm," said head coach **** Jauron. "By in large our team is in terrific shape conditioning-wise for this time of year. I give them a lot of credit, but we need the work."

Thomas back at CB

Kiwaukee Thomas was still limited in practice Wednesday, but in the reps he did take during the walk through segments he was lined up as the starting right cornerback. During the live scrimmage portions of team work Thomas yielded the position to Jason Webster.

The defensive staff was also mixing their sub package combinations again Wednesday as they try to nail down the personnel groupings they like the most. Last year Buffalo relied heavily on their nickel package with very little dime package play. But some dime looks have been sprinkled in more through the course of the past few days.

Run game

The Bills ground attack took on a greater focus in the team portions of practice with an emphasis on the inside running game. Anthony Thomas and Marshawn Lynch saw the most action, with Lynch making some eye-popping cuts and decisions.

On one off tackle play Lynch froze Ashton Youboty who was trying to hold the outside edge and got caught flat-footed. Lynch quickly darted inside and past the cornerback for what would have been a big gainer in a live football setting.

Anthony Thomas' rushes were inhibited by a pumped up defensive front. On the first play of 11-on-11 Thomas tried to rush up the middle, but Donte Whitner got penetration off the edge to blow up the play.

Four plays later Kyle Williams won a one-on-one battle with Jason Whittle, who was playing right guard with the first unit, and tagged Thomas in the backfield effectively ending the play.

Thomas also found very little running room on an outside run play that the defensive front was able to string out.

Fred Jackson got a handful of reps as did fourth-round pick Dwayne Wright. Shaud Williams and Josh Scobey were used sparingly.

11-on-11

The defense kept big plays to a minimum Wednesday as their pass rush was effective. Coy Wire had a 'would-be' sack as he beat tight end Matt Murphy in a one-on-one matchup to tag up Craig Nall.

Eric Powell had a pair of sacks in the second 11-on-11 series both of which came on J.P. Losman.

Other good defensive plays were turned in by Keith Ellison who broke up a pass intended for Kevin Everett. Jim Leonhard got into the offensive backfield quickly from the back side of a run play by Lynch and tagged him up. The defensive line effectively sniffed out an end around. Terrence McGee had a pass breakup on a throw intended for Peerless Price.

J.P. Losman did pull the defense offsides on one play with a hard count. On the whole Losman was accurate with just one overthrow on the day that was almost intercepted by Ko Simpson.

7-on-7

Peerless Price was a popular target of Losman's during this segment as he was gaining good separation on crossing patterns. He had three catches during this portion of team practice.

Jason Webster however, stripped him of the ball after one of his receptions and it was scooped up by John DiGiorgio who took it the other way much to the delight of defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. Rookie free agent Riley Swanson also chipped in with a pass breakup during the series.

Donovan Morgan pulled in a pair of touchdown receptions from Losman and Trent Edwards. Roscoe Parrish tip-toed into the front right corner of the end zone before getting bumped by Jabari Greer on a pass from Nall, and Sam Aiken had a touchdown grab from Losman.

Wright looked smooth in catching and taking a swing pass up the field and Lynch looked elusive when he sneaked underneath an attempted 'tag up' tackle by Angelo Crowell to get to the second level on a run play. Lynch was also held by linebacker Thaddaeus Washington when he was running a pass route and was getting good separation. It led to an incompletion, but a flag likely would have been thrown.

O-line shuffles

Again Jason Whittle and Duke Preston swapped right guard and center spots with Whittle working with the first unit Wednesday, while Preston assumed the backup center spot.

"It's tough, but it's good," said Preston of alternating days between the two positions. "I think it's good to have the reps and the opportunities at both so you're ready at both because you never know what's going to happen."

Practice squad player Walter Stith worked back in with the second unit at right tackle as the shuffle between him and Kirk Chambers continued. Chambers worked at left tackle on the third unit after getting more of an opportunity at right tackle with the second unit the past couple of days.

Scary moment

During one of the last series of 11-on-11 Lynch made a reception out in the flat and it appeared as if Crowell, who was assigned to cover him on the play, slipped and lost his footing just as Lynch was coming at him. It led to an accidental collision that upended Lynch. Fortunately both players came through it fine.

 

[On The Rocks]

Mandatory Mini-Camp Day 1 Notes

Everything I read about John DiGiorgio from the OTA's the last couple of weeks is he isn't ready to just hand the starting MLB spot to Poz. I have a prediction that Youboty will be starting opposite of Terrance McGee by mid-season.

Minicamp Notes: Day 1

by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 6/11/2007 1:08 PM ET

The Bills mandatory minicamp picked up right where the three previous weeks of OTA workouts left off as the players pressed forward with their preparations for training camp and the 2007 season.

"It was full go," said J.P. Losman. "We've been full go for three weeks, but today was the first day where we didn't have any installation. We got to run the same plays over and we were sharp on our game. We've got to do that for two more days."

Walker absent, Mayle back

The only absentee at the mandatory minicamp was defensive tackle Darwin Walker. Bills GM Marv Levy commented on the Walker situation Monday.

Meanwhile rookie free agent Scott Mayle who had missed the entire three weeks of OTAs due to a final exam schedule at Ohio University was back on the field practicing for the first time since the rookie camp last month.

"They put a lot of stuff in since I've been gone," said Mayle. "Just trying to catch on a little bit. Thought the first day went well, I caught a couple of balls out there. I'm slowly getting back into it."

The speedy wide receiver tried to stay sharp while away by running the routes he learned in the rookie camp in early May. Mayle got a respectable number of reps with the third team.

"The best way to learn is to get in there and keep trying," Mayle said. "I haven't messed up yet. Hopefully I don't."

Mayle also got some reps at the beginning of practice as a punt returner.

"They told me I was going to be doing it during rookie mini camp," he said. "I've got a lot of speed to help out back there. If they need me back there I can definitely help out."

Clocked as low as 4.38 in the 40, Mayle returned kickoffs in college.

Lynch getting more first team reps

Bills top pick Marshawn Lynch continues to accumulate reps with the first team offense. After Anthony Thomas was given his handful of plays first, Lynch was in right after him getting carries during team work.

"We're doing a lot of the same things that I did at Cal with coach Tedford," said Lynch. "Lining me up at receiver, making catches out of the backfield and getting carries. I feel good about all that I'm being asked to do."

Lynch continues to show a shifty style that has made it difficult for defenders to get a hold of his jersey in this non-tackle football setting.

McCargo update

John McCargo continues to make progress in his return from foot surgery. The defensive tackle is still working mainly with the Bills training staff on the sidelines during practice, but is now jogging and on Monday participated in some individual positions drills.

McCargo worked with teammate Tim Anderson on some body positioning work and did some pass rush practice jogging half speed at a line of tackling dummies with the other defensive linemen.

Right cornerback update

Kiwaukee Thomas lined up at right cornerback with the first unit during the walk through portion of practice, but when team work began Jason Webster got most of the first team reps at the position. Thomas got reps with the second unit, while Ashton Youboty was sprinkled in with the ones and the twos on that side of the formation.

11-on-11

Early on the offense focused on the ground game with Thomas getting three carries in the first series. When Losman went to the air Lee Evans, not surprisingly, was his most popular target. Evans caught four of Losman's first seven passes.

There were a couple of times when Losman hung onto the ball longer than normal and with the pass rush exhibited by the defense a couple of the plays may have resulted in sacks if it were live football.

Roscoe Parrish and Josh Reed also made their share of plays in the passing game. Parrish caught a deep ball from Craig Nall that found its way between Kiwaukee Thomas and safety George Wilson. He also caught a pass from Nall that was initially tipped by defensive end Eric Powell.

Losman was working the hard count well on Monday. He drew a couple of defensive linemen offsides with his cadence.

Defensively there were a couple of stuffed runs with Coy Wire and Anthony Hargrove making some good reads. John DiGiorgio effectively flew to the football on a pass over the middle to Shaud Williams. He arrived so quickly that had it been live football there would have been a big time collision. The defense also had what would have been a tackle for loss on another run play.

7-on-7

Peerless Price and Dwayne Wright were among the more frequent targets involved in the passing game during this period of team work. The tight ends were more involved during this segment as Brad Cieslak, Kevin Everett, Matt Murphy and Derek Schouman all had receptions.

Jason Webster turned in the most impressive defensive play breaking up a pass intended for Evans on a deep crossing pattern.

Practice time changed

Tuesday's minicamp practice time was pushed back to 10:45 and will run 90 minutes.

 

[On The Rocks]

Bills Sign 3rd Round Pick - QB Trent Edwards

This is a late report with no information on the length of the deal, but it is good to hear they got this deal done well before camp opens.

Bills Sign QB Edwards

Last Updated: 7/10/2007 9:56 PM ET

The Bills have come to terms with third-round draft choice Trent Edwards. The two sides had been in negotiations for a few weeks before finalizing the agreement late Tuesday.

Bills Vice President of Football Administration Jim Overdorf, who has been the sole negotiator with the Edwards camp, was pleased to reach an accord more than two weeks prior to the start of training camp.

"Trent's agent recognized that getting this done early was beneficial and it enables Trent to now concentrate on football," said Overdorf.

Edwards main hurdle is to quickly absorb Steve Fairchild's offensive scheme and keep up with what will be an increased pace at training camp in terms of play installation if he is to push veteran Craig Nall for the backup quarterback job.

"It just depends on how Trent comes back from this layoff because we won't wait for him when we come back," Fairchild told Buffalobills.com regarding the offensive installation. "But if he's able to hold onto some of that knowledge from the prior OTAs in the spring and he can keep up then yeah he can compete for it. But it will depend on him."

"I'm just trying to learn as much as I can pretty quickly," said Edwards near the close of offseason workouts. "They threw a lot at us offensively and it's brand new terminology and progression of reads. I'm just trying to get a feel for the coaches and the players as quickly as possible."

The Bills are still pinching themselves that they were able to land Edwards at the bottom of the third round, when Buffalo never thought he'd be an option late on day one of the draft based on where they had him graded.

"We were happy to draft Trent because we had him very high on our draft board," said Bills owner Ralph Wilson.

Edwards is the second of Buffalo's seven draft picks to sign joining seventh-round pick C.J. Ah You who signed in mid-June.

 

[On The Rocks]

Bills sign 4th rounder Dwayne Wright today.

They are expected to sign Poz later today.

If Poz signs, that will only leave Lynch as unsigned.

And Darwin Walker, who apparently is content going back to Philly and being released.

 

[Sleeper 43]

So does Josh Reed do this every year or did he make some changes this off-season? I saw him on NFL network's mini-camp coverage and he looked pretty ripped for a wr and was catching so nice balls.

 

[Gottabesweet]

Walker will probably walk even though we sent him an offer and he did not get back to us

I hope Lynch signs but I see them getting him into camp before the first day of padded practice.

 

[Gottabesweet]

So does Josh Reed do this every year or did he make some changes this off-season? I saw him on NFL network's mini-camp coverage and he looked pretty ripped for a wr and was catching so nice balls.

Yes

 

[ceo3west]

So does Josh Reed do this every year or did he make some changes this off-season? I saw him on NFL network's mini-camp coverage and he looked pretty ripped for a wr and was catching so nice balls.

Yes

Hey Awinagainov, off topic, when is Regier going to get off his ### and sign some free agents?? Need to get much bigger on D, move Kalinin & say good bye to Kotalik. Too mucj $ tied up in these guys for little return.

 

[On The Rocks]

Bills sign 4th rounder Dwayne Wright today.

They are expected to sign Poz later today.

If Poz signs, that will only leave Lynch as unsigned.

And Darwin Walker, who apparently is content going back to Philly and being released.

UPDATE: Poz is signed!

 

[D_House]

Starting lineup announcements made recently:

Rookie Marshawn Lynch is listed as the #1 RB on the Buffalo Bills website. How this translates to workload is still unclear.

Rookie Trent Edwards has earned the #2 QB spot. Craig Nall was released, it appears the Bills will go forward with just 2 active QBs.

Brad Butler will start at RG, making the O Line look like this:

LT-LG-C-RG-RT

Jason Peters-Derrick Dockery-Melvin Fowler-Brad Butler-Langston Walker

That makes 3 new starters on the O-line. My opinion that all the new personnel are upgrades, but these guys have not been playing together for long, so I don't expect much improvement in blocking until later in the season.

For IDPers, Paul Posluzny will get the start at MLB, with weak side LB Coy Wire taking the injured (high ankle sprain) Keith Ellison's spot.

 

[Keith Lewis]

Brad Butler will start at RG, making the O Line look like this:

LT-LG-C-RG-RT

Jason Peters-Derrick Dockery-Melvin Fowler-Brad Butler-Langston Walker

Thanks, I wanted to put names to the worst Offensive Line in the NFL. Pretty expensive for a 1.7 YPC.

 

[D_House]

Brad Butler will start at RG, making the O Line look like this:

LT-LG-C-RG-RT

Jason Peters-Derrick Dockery-Melvin Fowler-Brad Butler-Langston Walker

Thanks, I wanted to put names to the worst Offensive Line in the NFL. Pretty expensive for a 1.7 YPC.

I don't put much stock into preseason play. For one thing, I don't think this lineup had that many (if any) snaps together, since Butler was injured for much of the preseason, and Jason Whittle and Duke Preston were getting significant snaps at C and LG. Regardless, Miami's line is the worst.