‘Butler, who spent the previous four seasons with the Texans, attended LaSalle High School in Pennsylvania, and he and McDermott were football teammates there. Butler previously spent two seasons, including one as defensive coordinator at Penn State but joined Nittany Lions coach Bill O’Brien in Houston.’
Archives for January 2018
Former Bills receiver Chris Hogan reaps rewards of Patriot standard
‘Even with the Bills, Hogan was always seen as more of an overachieving fringe player than someone who could make a real difference. But that never discouraged him, even after the Bills placed a low enough restricted-free-agency tender on him to make it easy for the Patriots to put together a contract offer they knew the Bills wouldn’t match.’
Frank Reich gets sixth chance for first Super Bowl ring
‘”You don’t take anything for granted. I mean, it’s hard to get to this game, it’s a very competitive league. But when you’re around special people like we are this year here with the Eagles, you know you have a chance. And it’s great to come into an organization that really invests everything they have into getting to this game and winning this game.”‘
Jerry Sullivan: Pats embrace the undrafted and underestimated
‘There are 18 players on the Pats’ 53-man roster who came into the league as undrafted free agents. That’s among the most in the NFL and more than Bill Belichick employed on any of his five Super Bowl championship squads.’
What Buffalo Bills’ Eric Wood meant to teammates Ryan Fitzpatrick, Lorenzo Alexander
‘The saving grace for Wood was that he had some old teammates and friends there. A celebration could still happen behind the scenes. Ryan Fitzpatrick, who played with Wood from 2009 to 2012, was dressed in a t-shirt with Wood’s face on it for the press conference and shared what Wood meant to him afterward.’
Buffalo Bills reportedly hiring John Butler as secondary coach
‘Butler takes over a group of defensive backs that includes Pro Bowl safety Micah Hyde as well as safety Jordan Poyer and cornerback Tre’Davious White, who are coming off impressive debut seasons with the Bills.’
8 reasons Kirk Cousins will be the Buffalo Bills’ starting quarterback in 2018
‘Money will certainly factor into Kirk Cousins’ next home, but the quarterback will also look to join a team that can win now and in the future. Some of the other teams that could pursue Cousins include the Jets, Broncos, Browns, Cardinals and Jaguars. Jacksonville is the most attractive option on the list, but the team may stick with Blake Bortles after the team reached the AFC Championship Game. After Jacksonville, no other team stands out as being more attractive than the Bills. If Buffalo makes a competitive offer, they could shock the league and land Cousins.’
Buffalo Bills dismiss defensive backs coach Gill Byrd (report)
‘Buffalo rolled out four new starters in Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, E.J. Gaines and rookie Tre’Davious White last season. All four players played thrived during their first year in Buffalo.’
5 ways the Alex Smith trade to Washington affects the Bills
‘Tyrod’s reverse value: On the flip side, the deal shows how valuable Taylor would be if he stayed with the Bills. Smith’s cap hit in 2017 will be $17 million but the full details on his extension have yet to be released. He’ll average $23.5 million a year over it. Taylor, who took the Bills to the postseason, will only have a cap hit of $18 million for the Bills next season. If he stays, Buffalo has approximately $30 million in cap space, depending on how the team works out Eric Wood’s retirement on the salary cap. Finishing out Taylor’s deal might be the best option since he carries an $8.6 million dead cap hit next year if the Bills release to trade him. It’s a sticky situation and I don’t envy Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane when I think about it.’
Report: Bills tab John Butler as new secondary coach
‘Butler spent the previous four seasons as the Houston Texans’ defensive backs coach. Butler and McDermott attended La Salle College High School together in Glenside, Pa.’
Stephon Gilmore says God didn’t want the Bills defense to work with him & Ron Darby
‘“I guess God didn’t want it to work out,” Gilmore said.’
Waufle calls it a career
‘Several consultations with his surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, also cast doubts on a full recovery. The doctor confided to Waufle’s wife Kathy that it was the “second worst” foot he had operated on.’
Bills fire defensive backs coach Gill Byrd, hire John Butler
‘Butler spent the past four seasons in the same role with the Texans before being fired after their season ended. He previously worked as a coach at the college level and has ties to McDermott. Both grew up in the Philadelphia area and played on the same high school football team.’
Reports: Bills dismiss DB coach Gill Byrd and hire John Butler
‘Byrd is the father of former Bills’ safety Jairus Byrd. He was hired last offseason to Sean McDermott’s staff. Under his guidance, Bills’ safety Micah Hyde was named to his first Pro Bowl, Hyde and fellow safety Jordan Poyer both earned separate AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors, Tre’Davious White earned a Defensive Rookie of the Month award, and White is a solid candidate for the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.’
2017 Buffalo Bills All-22 in Review: Defensive Ends
‘Some will look at Hughes’ stats from the 2017 season (44 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble) and think that he wasn’t worth the money he was paid. However, the box score story is merely a small percentage of his overall effectiveness on the field, and if you watch him on a play-to-play and game-to-game basis, you’ll realize just how important he is to the defensive scheme.’