Archives for February 2015

'McCown, a 12-year veteran, reportedly chose between the Browns and Bills, because they were the only ones offering him a chance to be a starter.'

'The Bills have been connected to Darrelle Revis ever since hiring Rex Ryan. Ryan and Revis loved working together in New York, and there's plenty of reason for Ryan to want to bring one of the best cornerbacks in football to Buffalo. But will the Patriots let him go? They are reportedly prioritizing bringing him back, but it won't be easy with safety Devin McCourty also needing a new contract. If he becomes available, I expect the Bills will at least kick the tires on Revis, because that's what Ryan does. That said, odds are better that he won't end up in Buffalo.'

'According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the 35-year old McCown signed a three-year contract with the Browns to compete with Johnny Manziel for the starting quarterback job. He was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier in the month after accruing a 1-10 record in 2014. In his career, McCown thrown for 61 touchdowns to 59 interceptions.'

'Another NFL source said McCown is likely to sign a one- or two-year contract that would pay him about $5 million annually, the amount 10-year veteran Kyle Orton received for the one-year deal he signed with the Bills shortly before the start of the 2014 season. Orton took over for EJ Manuel after the fourth game and made 12 starts. A day after the season, Orton announced his retirement.'

'The study, “Alleviating Competitive Imbalances in NFL Schedules: An Integer-Programming Approach,” will be presented Friday at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston.'

'The photos are for real, though the make and model of the truck are unclear. In his opening press conference, Ryan said he wanted to live where the most snow falls in Western New York. He's now more than equipped to deal with whatever the Buffalo winter throws his way.'

'According to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News, the talks between the two sides have escalated to salary numbers as the Bills are making a push to sign McCown. After visiting with Buffalo on Feb. 16, McCown left without a contract and has since spoken with the Chicago Bears, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. But according to Carucci, a deal between the Bills and McCown could be done by Friday.'

'Ryan is immersing himself in all things Buffalo. He rocked a Thurman Thomas throwback jersey at last week’s NFL Scouting Combine, had his infamous tattoo changed from Gang Green to Buffalo blue and now this. Maybe he’ll show up to OTAs wearing one of those Buffalo wing foam hats.'

'A person familiar with discussions told The Associated Press on Thursday that contract talks are taking place between the two sides.'

'After more than year of coding, number-crunching and a few failures along the way, Kyle Cunningham and Niraj Pandy developed an algorithm that comes close to matching — and in some cases improving — a schedule the NFL produces annually.'

'McCown, a third-round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2002, has played for six teams in 13 seasons. He started 11 games for Tampa Bay in 2014, completing 56.3 percent of his passes for 2,206 yards, 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.'

'“I got a hold of him via text,” said Jackson. “I told him it was fun to watch everything he was going through. I’m very excited for him. It’s a lot of fun to see him get that attention and showcase his ability. He said he’s loving every bit of this process.”'

'“It always sucks to be on the sideline and not be able to get out there and play,” he told host John Murphy. “I was rehabbing, attending meetings, getting back into the flow of the game. So I wasn’t completely out the whole year. I was able to get in there and watch film and be around the guys, which was nice.” By the end of the 2014 season, Alonso was able to travel with the team to road games.'

'"Searcy is going to be a little challenging because we have paid Aaron Williams, and there's some money tied up in that position, and Searcy may probably garner starting money at safety," Whaley said. "That's going to be a little more challenging getting that done just because of the cap space used on that position."'

'"There's a possibility that I could be in a Bills uniform," Spiller said. "We never know how this situation is going to play out. The organization knows that I want to be there, so pretty much the ball is in their court. At the same time we're going to weigh all our options and see what suits me best. The biggest thing is you want to go somewhere where you're wanted. That's the biggest thing. That's pretty much how I'm approaching this thing. I'm looking forward to it."'