Official Training Camp Thread

[Formerly Allan in MD]

If the posts about Vince are correct (and I have no reason to not believe them), can anyone say that they're shocked? Let's face facts here about our team. We already know that the offense that's being run isn't simple. It is one of the more complex offenses in terms of terminology and systems that exists in the NFL. Vince is a mental midget with the mental capacity of an uncooked walnut. I would say cooked, but he is actually an NFL quarterback, so I have to give him a little credit. He's not quite dead yet. I wouldn't be surprised if he never picks up the offense and simply falls off the roster before the season starts. While he's athletic and can throw and run the ball, if you're starting your decision making with bad reads, you're likely going to be making bad throws. Of all the good stuff the Bills did this offseason, the Young move made me scratch my head. I still don't get it, other than perhaps to scare Fitzpatrick into working harder with Lee.

This doesn't address the question of the actual IQ of uncooked walnuts.

[BRAWNDO]

I forgot Sam Young was on the team.

 

My link

[AJ1]

VY threw 2 picks on opening day of training camp with a brand new team, brand new scheme, and brand new supporting cast?

 

OMG...we are so DOOOOOMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

(Anyone keep track of how many picks Fitzpatrick and Thigpen threw today?)

 

GO BILLLSSS!!!!!

 

19 and 0 baby!!!!!

 

One pick went off a receiver's hands and I couldn't see the other. WRs in general seem to have trouble with VY short passes because of the amount of zip on them. on the other hand, Stevie had a great day. Oh, and CJ and fred looked really fast today.

[Who is Yuri?]

Hate to be the first to say it, but Ryan Fitzpatrick may sling guns better than Jim Kelly, by the end of next season.

[AJ1]

The major thought I take away from day 1 practice is that if the QBs, especially Fitz, took more than 3.5 seconds to get the ball out, there would have been multiple sacks. There was no hesitation by any of the QBs today. And Pears did a very good job on Super Mario.

Edited July 27, 2012 by AJ1

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Are you sticking the fork in VY in his first Bill's training camp practice, because he threw two picks?

No. Luxy's writing off VY because he threw two picks in the very first workout of training camp during a practice that Luxy didn't even witness.

 

Other overreaction takes on Big Cat's links( in parentheses):

 

Sorry, would have got this up sooner (BD party in the office)

 

JOE B (WGR) Rausin only Bill not practicing (Causin is camp fodder, the Bills should have signed Shiancoe, Shockey)

BB.COM: Young to Spiller on flat route big gainer (the transition to the 4-3 is doomed to fail)

 

BB.COM: TJ GRAHAM WITH A GREAT SIDELINE CATCH (blown coverage, the cornerbacks are too young… should have kept Florence)

 

SAL: Donald Jones with the first team (the Bills have no true number two receiver)

 

BB.COM: Merriman smokes Cordy Glenn for a would-be sack (Glenn is a bust, will be moved to guard)

 

BB.COM: Brooks gets a pick off a tipped-pass (Fitz will never be an upper echelon quarterback)

 

BB.COM: Tank Carder gets a pick (Brad Smith is a waste of $4 million/year)

 

Sal: VY throws terrible pick (probably the Tank pick) (Young has the IQ of an uncooked walnut)

 

BB.COM: Brad Smith working exclusively with QB's ($4 million for a backup QB?)

 

JOE B (WGR): Urbrik taking first team snaps at center because they're resting Wood (Wood is an injury-prone bust)

 

SAL: Gilmore guarding Stevie, doing a great job (Stevie's not really a number one receiver)

 

JOE B (WGR) Rhinart at RG and Ubrik at center with Wood out of lineup (the Bills should have drafted David DeCastro)

 

SAL: David Nelson has a nice grab (you can't change throwing mechanics that were developed over years)

 

JOE B (WGR): Sam Young spelling Pears for first team reps at RT (looks like Hairston is going through a sophomore slump)

 

JOE B (WGR): Stevie and Fitz in sync (good to know they weren't just playing video games during Camp Fitz last summer)

 

SAL: Fitzy going to Stevie a lot (Fitz doesn't have confidence in the other receivers)

 

BB.COM: Stevie catching everything (until the regular season starts)

 

BB.COM: Freddie with a big gain. (the Bills linebackers are the team's "archimedes heel")

 

SAL: QB's have struggled with down field throws (the Bills can't complete passes against these young cornerbacks? WTF)

Edited July 27, 2012 by San Jose Bills Fan

[Fan in San Diego]

I got this from Chris Brown's round up

 

“He struggled through today,” said head coach Chan Gailey of Troup. “He looked good (Wednesday) in the conditioning part of it. He struggled today. He’s probably going to be one of those that we watch as time goes on.”

 

Nice knowing you Troupe. I'm sure he is going to get cut. Back injuries are so difficult to come back from. You never get rid of a back injury, you just learn how to live with it better. (I have a messed up back from a motorcycle accident and know 1st hand how it goes)

[DrDawkinstein]

Hey all, was at camp today and here's what I took note of. Most of this stuff has already been mentioned but without much comment so here's my two cents...

 

First off, TJ Graham made a couple good catches right from the start, and made the play of the day by coming down with a double-tipped ball as he and the defender were going to the ground. Seeing him live, you wouldnt think there was ever a discussion about size concerns. He's not huge, but hes not small by any means.

 

Stephon Gilmore looks like a big, strong, physical CB. Always has his hands on the guy. Reminds me a lot of the way Revis covers.

 

Fitz had pretty good placement on all of his throws. The deep balls were well placed. The shorter throws werent too high.

 

However, the WRs not getting their hands up soon enough is still a problem. This leads to a lot of balls being tipped up into the air. A lot of INTs came this way last year. If guys like Hagan and Aiken and Jones cant get that timing down, it'll be time to look for guys who can.

 

FACT: Stevie Johnson is always open. Always. And he caught everything that came his way today. Had to come off and get the groin worked on a little, just some stretching, and then came right back in and made some good plays.

 

Vince Young's 1st INT was a result of one of those WR tipped balls (maybe Im wrong on this and a defender tipped it? Thought the WR touched it). The second was an ugly throw that Tank Carder stepped in front of and took for 6. Regardless, his competition is DEFINITELY with Thigpen and not with Fitz. There is no QB controversy here. Even after Young has a chance to work more with the team. It's clear Fitz is well above the rest.

 

I know it's the first day of camp so a lot of line up changes will be made, but here is what we started camp with:

 

Hairston at LT

Willams/Dareus/Williams/Anderson at DL, in that order.

Merriman/Johnson/Edwards/Kelsay as the 2nd line, in that order.

Gilmore/Williams/McKelvin at CB, in that order. McGee sat out most of the practice. I still think his body is failing him and he will not make it through camp. I believe our CBs end up Gilmore, Williams, McKelvin, Brooks, Rogers. We'll see.

 

 

And lastly, and I do mean lastly, we have Troup. When the big guys finally came over to the main field to work into drills, Troup walked a good 50 yards behind with a coach. He stretched his back a bit, and then spent the drills meandering around behind the pack of waiting players with his helmet off. I dont know if it was known he was not 100% yet, but he's just about done.

 

The weather held out and it was a good time. Got me a Dareus jersey, but here's the rub: All of the jerseys in the store have the names printed on them crooked! And it's a good 5-10 degree angle too! Kinda sucks when you can get better quality from dhgate, but I swore I'd buy a jersey if we signed Williams and had to stick with it.

 

That's all I got. SO SO excited that Bills football has officially started! Looking forward to this season more than any I can remember in the recent past.

 

Go Bills!

Edited July 27, 2012 by DrDareustein

[Hapless Bills Fan]

V Young = 2 picks in first 3 attempts.

Ron Brooks and Tank Carder both got picks, don't know if they were the two VY's or not.

 

They were. Both involved Carder - tipped one that Brooks picked, jumped the route on the other.

I hope this boy can tackle and can play the run, 'cuz I think he's got game

 

Highlights up on BB.com

 

Troup didn't practice - Gailey said "he struggled today" (assuming with his injury). Not looking good for Troup.

 

Hey all, was at camp today and here's what I took note of. Most of this stuff has already been mentioned but without much comment so here's my two cents...

 

Thanks for the gouge Dr.

 

>Stephon Gilmore looks like a big, strong, physical CB. Always has his hands on the guy. Reminds me a lot of the way Revis covers.

 

No pads yet, and almost every clip I saw with him he was taking someone to the ground (usually Stevie). That's OK as long as no one gets hurt.

 

> However, the WRs not getting their hands up soon enough is still a problem. This leads to a lot of balls being tipped up into the air. A lot of INTs came this way last year. If guys like Hagan and Aiken and Jones cant get that timing down, it'll be time to look for guys who can.

 

Yep, no question this was responsible for a number of Fitzy's picks. If you can't catch it, DEFEND it - don't tip it, guys. I'm with you 100%. Either get your hands right or get over and get someone who can.

 

>Vince Young's 1st INT was a result of one of those WR tipped balls. The second was an ugly throw that Tank Carder stepped in front of and took for 6. Regardless, his competition is DEFINITELY with Thigpen and not with Fitz. There is no QB controversy >here. Even after Young has a chance to work more with the team. It's clear Fitz is well above the rest.

 

Interesting.

 

>And lastly, and I do mean lastly, we have Troup. When the big guys finally came over to the main field to work into drills, Troup walked a good 50 yards behind with a coach. He stretched his back a bit, and then spent the drills meandering around behind the >pack of waiting players with his helmet off. I dont know if it was known he was not 100% yet, but he's just about done.

 

Chan said he was struggling today. I don't think it looks good for him. There's no question we'll be cutting guys we'd rather keep, and even if he improves, he'll be playing "catch up" with the guys who've been there from the start.

Edited July 27, 2012 by Hopeful

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Hey all, was at camp today and here's what I took note of. Most of this stuff has already been mentioned but without much comment so here's my two cents...

 

First off, TJ Graham made a couple good catches right from the start, and made the play of the day by coming down with a double-tipped ball as he and the defender were going to the ground. Seeing him live, you wouldnt think there was ever a discussion about size concerns. He's not huge, but hes not small by any means.

 

Gilmore/Williams/McKelvin at CB, in that order. McGee sat out most of the practice. I still think his body is failing him and he will not make it through camp. I believe our CBs end up Gilmore, Williams, McKelvin, Brooks, Rodgers. We'll see.

 

And lastly, and I do mean lastly, we have Troup. When the big guys finally came over to the main field to work into drills, Troup walked a good 50 yards behind with a coach. He stretched his back a bit, and then spent the drills meandering around behind the pack of waiting players with his helmet off. I dont know if it was known he was not 100% yet, but he's just about done.

 

Got me a Dareus jersey, but here's the rub: All of the jerseys in the store have the names printed on them crooked! And it's a good 5-10 degree angle too! Kinda sucks when you can get better quality from dhgate, but I swore I'd buy a jersey if we signed Williams and had to stick with it.

Thanks for the great report, Dr. D.

 

The discussion about Graham's size came from a handful of people who seem obsessed with the idea that he's a Roscoe Parrish clone. Sometimes people get crap stuck in their heads and can't get it out.

 

I also am doubting that McGee will be able to stay healthy. He's been an excellent Bill and I'm pulling for him but we're gonna be fine at CB with or without him, IMO.

 

Troup, Wood, and McGee were the big medical question marks entering camp. Chris White also was a bit of a question mark.

 

As far as your jersey purchase, I wouldn't have done it if the quality control was bad. To spend that much money, you'd better get a flawless product. And you could have kept your vow without buying one of the (imperfect) jerseys they had at camp. Anyways, you shouldn't spend that money to settle for inferior quality (there's a Bills joke in there somewhere).

 

Anyways, thanks again.

 

 

 

 

[DrDawkinstein]

Struggled is a nice way of putting it, from what I saw. Basically, he didnt hold up, or got beat up, through the Line drills. Mind you they were just with tackling dummies, no real banging going on. After that, he might as well have been a waterboy.

 

Just watched Chan's interview and when he says "He'll be one of the ones we have to watch from now on", that is the beginning of the end. They arent evaluating whether he is a 2nd or 3rd stringer. They are watching to decide how quickly they should cut him.

 

As FiSD said, you dont get rid of back injuries. But the Bills look like they are getting rid of theirs soon.

 

As far as your jersey purchase, I wouldn't have done it if the quality control was bad. To spend that much money, you'd better get a flawless product. And you could have kept your vow without buying one of the (imperfect) jerseys they had at camp. Anyways, you shouldn't spend that money to settle for inferior quality (there's a Bills joke in there somewhere).

 

 

I already have the letter written, and know exactly who in the FO/Customer Service I'm sending it to.

 

And yes, we all made the "typical Bills " comment.

Edited July 27, 2012 by DrDareustein

[THATS KILLER ORANGE JUICE]

This doesn't address the question of the actual IQ of uncooked walnuts.

 

 

Haha little did he know its 126... now hes got egg on his face.. who wants an omelet??

[THATS KILLER ORANGE JUICE]

No. Luxy's writing off VY because he threw two picks in the very first workout of training camp during a practice that Luxy didn't even witness.

 

Other overreaction takes on Big Cat's links( in parentheses):

 

Although your one of the first ive seen to say it and TOTALLY AGREE we shouldnt have gotten rid of d florence...

 

Dude you are the debbiest of downers... its day 1 and your life obviously sucks... god forbid there was a little bit of rust to knock off... every reporter ive read and friend that saw the practice said promising positive things... you dont have one good thing to say about probably the best team buff has seen in 12 or 13 years.. jump the ship dude nobody wants you here.. if they make the playoffs your gonna be the first guy in san jose to tell all your friends "see guys! I knew it! The bills are back!" Chooch

Edited July 27, 2012 by THATS KILLER ORANGE JUICE

[Dr. K]

Although your one of the first ive seen to say it and TOTALLY AGREE we shouldnt have gotten rid of d florence...

 

Dude you are the debbiest of downers... its day 1 and your life obviously sucks... god forbid there was a little bit of rust to knock off... every reporter ive read and friend that saw the practice said promising positive things... you dont have one good thing to say about probably the best team buff has seen in 12 or 13 years.. jump the ship dude nobody wants you here.. if they make the playoffs your gonna be the first guy in san jose to tell all your friends "see guys! I knew it! The bills are back!" Chooch

 

You are sarcasm impaired. SJBF was making fun of such negative fans.

[John from Riverside]

I am just glad we do have Spencer Johnson if Troupe is not able to overcomethe backinjury.......I think spencer is an excellent backup

[bowery4]

I am just glad we do have Spencer Johnson if Troupe is not able to overcomethe backinjury.......I think spencer is an excellent backup

I would think it will be Edwards (same size as Troupe), IMO Johnson will make the team but as a back up end this year.

In anycase I think DW likes Edwards not so sure about how he feels about Johnson or Carrington who seem to have similar skill sets (both able to play DT or DE). I would guess Edwards vs Troupe is one battle and Carrington vs Johnson is the other. JMO

[nucci]

Although your one of the first ive seen to say it and TOTALLY AGREE we shouldnt have gotten rid of d florence...

 

Dude you are the debbiest of downers... its day 1 and your life obviously sucks... god forbid there was a little bit of rust to knock off... every reporter ive read and friend that saw the practice said promising positive things... you dont have one good thing to say about probably the best team buff has seen in 12 or 13 years.. jump the ship dude nobody wants you here.. if they make the playoffs your gonna be the first guy in san jose to tell all your friends "see guys! I knew it! The bills are back!" Chooch

You're new here so you get some slack but SJBF is a big fan and the whole post was sarcasm.

[THATS KILLER ORANGE JUICE]

My goodness... after looking it over i just noticed the "other overreaction statements" part... im super embarrassed lol i promise im jot a dousche or sarcasm impaired hahah just misread the post... and sj bills fan, my apologies

[nucci]

My goodness... after looking it over i just noticed the "other overreaction statements" part... im super embarrassed lol i promise im jot a dousche or sarcasm impaired hahah just misread the post... and sj bills fan, my apologies

np, enjoy the board.

[Just in Atlanta]

Hey all, was at camp today and here's what I took note of. Most of this stuff has already been mentioned but without much comment so here's my two cents...

 

First off, TJ Graham made a couple good catches right from the start, and made the play of the day by coming down with a double-tipped ball as he and the defender were going to the ground. Seeing him live, you wouldnt think there was ever a discussion about size concerns. He's not huge, but hes not small by any means.

 

Stephon Gilmore looks like a big, strong, physical CB. Always has his hands on the guy. Reminds me a lot of the way Revis covers.

 

Fitz had pretty good placement on all of his throws. The deep balls were well placed. The shorter throws werent too high.

 

However, the WRs not getting their hands up soon enough is still a problem. This leads to a lot of balls being tipped up into the air. A lot of INTs came this way last year. If guys like Hagan and Aiken and Jones cant get that timing down, it'll be time to look for guys who can.

 

FACT: Stevie Johnson is always open. Always. And he caught everything that came his way today. Had to come off and get the groin worked on a little, just some stretching, and then came right back in and made some good plays.

 

Vince Young's 1st INT was a result of one of those WR tipped balls (maybe Im wrong on this and a defender tipped it? Thought the WR touched it). The second was an ugly throw that Tank Carder stepped in front of and took for 6. Regardless, his competition is DEFINITELY with Thigpen and not with Fitz. There is no QB controversy here. Even after Young has a chance to work more with the team. It's clear Fitz is well above the rest.

 

I know it's the first day of camp so a lot of line up changes will be made, but here is what we started camp with:

 

Hairston at LT

Willams/Dareus/Williams/Anderson at DL, in that order.

Merriman/Johnson/Edwards/Kelsay as the 2nd line, in that order.

Gilmore/Williams/McKelvin at CB, in that order. McGee sat out most of the practice. I still think his body is failing him and he will not make it through camp. I believe our CBs end up Gilmore, Williams, McKelvin, Brooks, Rogers. We'll see.

 

 

And lastly, and I do mean lastly, we have Troup. When the big guys finally came over to the main field to work into drills, Troup walked a good 50 yards behind with a coach. He stretched his back a bit, and then spent the drills meandering around behind the pack of waiting players with his helmet off. I dont know if it was known he was not 100% yet, but he's just about done.

 

The weather held out and it was a good time. Got me a Dareus jersey, but here's the rub: All of the jerseys in the store have the names printed on them crooked! And it's a good 5-10 degree angle too! Kinda sucks when you can get better quality from dhgate, but I swore I'd buy a jersey if we signed Williams and had to stick with it.

 

That's all I got. SO SO excited that Bills football has officially started! Looking forward to this season more than any I can remember in the recent past.

 

Go Bills!

Great wrap-up.