Archives for July 2015

'With Williams' release, the Bills only have six offensive linemen with NFL experience and just four guards. At this point, Richie Incognito and rookie John Miller look like safe bets to win starting jobs at that position.'

'Alex Carrington, Corbin Bryant and Michael Buchanan are all likely battling for two spots once Dareus is back from his one-week suspension. Depending on how many linebackers the Bills keep, Buchanan may not be entirely safe, but the Bills will likely part ways with either Carrington or Bryant once Dareus returns.'

'"I'll definitely be ready to practice," Watkins said Tuesday at his youth football camp at Erie Community College. "It's really about me just going and having fun. I'll be at practice ready to go. I'll be full go. I'll be prepared to go out there and make plays."'

'The Bills struggled running the ball last year in finishing with 1,482 yards rushing, a franchise low in a 16-game season. Buffalo also lacked a player who topped 100 yards rushing in a game for only the third season in team history, and first since 1979.'

'Williams had missed all of OTAs and minicamps this offseason recovering from back surgery. He signed a four-year, $13.5 million deal with the club last offseason. He was scheduled to make a base salary of $1.875 million this season plus bonuses totaling $600,000.'

'The 22-year old Watkins is excited be re-joining his teammates on the field. "I can't wait," he said. "That's really why I'm here, to play football. I can't wait to get back to it and start training camp."'

'Regardless of the change in defensive schemes from 2014 to 2015, Dareus has the skill to continue to dominate the opposing offensive line. He can line up at defensive end, defensive tackle, nose tackle, or really anything you could think of along the line, and he'd still be a matchup nightmare for whoever he goes up against. At only 25 years old, Dareus still has room to grow — which is a scary thing for the opposition.'

'Gilmore certainly came into his own during the 2014 season, and in Rex Ryan's system that leaves his cornerbacks on an island in man-to-man coverage, Gilmore quite could possibly become a household name. He is not a finished product yet, but, if he continues to work with defensive backs coach Donnie Henderson and defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman, he has everything you want to become a star in this defensive scheme. Now, it's all on him to get to that next level that the Bills hoped he would when they selected him in the first round.'

'All have their flaws, and none of the three have been able to complete 60 percent of their passes during their career. Cassel has the most experience behind center, but it's Taylor whose running ability may gel best with new head coach Rex Ryan's desire to focus on ground-and-pound, ball-control offense that limits mistakes.'

'While EJ Manuel was drafted by the former regime (with input from current GM Doug Whaley and current team President Russ Brandon), Ryan isn’t tied to him. This regime did bring in Matt Cassel in a trade with Minnesota for two low round picks. He would be the perfect choice for a game manager to get the ball in the hands of the abundant playmakers on offense while controlling the ball to allow the defense to win games for them. This was the formula Rex Ryan used to get to two straight AFC Championship games with Mark Sanchez at QB.'

'Williams was signed as a free agent on March 12, 2014. The 2014 season was his seventh in the NFL.'

'“I think they all have something to prove—how they’re going to be in this system—we’re going to find out,” said Ryan. “Some quarterbacks flourish in certain systems and I believe all three guys will have a chance to be successful. I hope that’s the case. Hopefully that decision is going to be tough, in a good way, not that this guy wins it by default. We’re going to have a good competition.” '

'“I knew they were serious about it once they told me they wanted me to play safety only,” he said. “I knew it was real then. It’s been fun, to be honest with you. I’m looking forward to it. It’s like starting all over again, learning a new position, the nuances of it and all that. It’s like I’m a rookie all over again. So I’m excited about it. I want to see where it can take me.”'

'Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Harvin are presumably locks. Beyond them, who knows?'

'In recent months, Brandon had become increasingly involved with the Sabres’ business operations. Other members of the Bills’ front office, such as senior vice president of media and content Marc Honan, have already been doing Sabres-related work in addition to their Bills responsibilities.'