Archives for February 21, 2009

‘The Bills have long prided themselves on drafting players of high character. In two short seasons, running back Marshawn Lynch has single-handedly ruined that reputation.’

‘Tender offers for restricted free agents have soared in recent years to compensation levels of $2.8 million, $2.2 million, $1.545 million and $1.01 million this year. In the case of players like DiGiorgio and Jenkins, who made the Bills roster as undrafted rookies, a more affordable option is to sign these types of players outright to modest long-term deals. It means no other teams can talk to the players. For the player, it means some security.’

‘The Bills top brass and coaches are in Indianapolis for the annual scouting combine. High on their list are defensive end prospects, including Texas’ Brian Orakpo, Florida State’s Everette Brown, LSU’s Tyson Jackson and Penn State’s Aaron Maybin. Each would project as good value with the 11th overall pick with Maybin moving up a lot of draft boards.’

‘”Scouting college players today is difficult because of where the college game has gotten,” said Bills offensive coordinator Turk Schonert. “You can see this guy is athletic, this guy is fast, this guy has good hands, but as far as technique goes, receivers running the route tree. Sometimes they’re very limited in the routes that they run, so how do you know?”‘

‘The outcome of the gun charges could play a role in whether Lynch gets suspended for violating the league’s player conduct policy.’

‘It’s believed the Bills have made a substantial offer to Greer. However, Greer has been waiting five years for the chance to be an unrestricted free agent. Given the demand for cornerbacks, Greer can’t afford to not see what offers are out there for him.’

‘”He did a lot of good things,” Schonert said of Edwards. “He made some young mistakes. He had some things happen to him that caught him off guard in some games and he struggled. But he regained his composure in some games. Like the Denver game. He started off really bad, missed some throws. But he rebounded and he played very well and we won the game.”‘