December 31, 2012 - 10:48 PM
By Tim Graham
And here's another country heard from ...
ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone will
interview for the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns vacancies.
Syracuse went 8-5 this
season, including Saturday's victory over West Virginia in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
Marrone has been Syracuse's head coach since 2009, going 25-25 in his four seasons.
Before he took over at Syracuse,
he was New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator from 2006 through 2008 and New
York Jets offensive line coach from 2002 to 2005.
December 31, 2012 - 10:35 PM
By Tim Graham
Reports will fly until the Buffalo Bills are settled at head coach and general manager.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports Arizona Cardinals defensive
coordinator Ray Horton will interview for the Bills', Cardinals' and Cleveland
Browns' coaching vacancies.
The Cardinals this year ranked 12th in total defense, 28th
in rushing defense and fifth in passing defense. They were first in
percentage of pass attempts intercepted, fifth in sacks per pass play and second on third down.
Prior to joining the Cardinals last year, Horton spent seven
seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he won two Super Bowl rings. He
also has coached with the Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals and Washington
Redskins.
December 31, 2012 - 9:44 PM
By Tim Graham
There's no mourning period when it comes to coaching
vacancies.
Mere hours after the Buffalo Bills fired Chan Gailey, the
vacancy was said to be coveted by Lovie Smith, himself fired by the Chicago
Bears this morning.
NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported tonight Smith is most interested in pursuing Bills and Arizona Cardinals openings.
Before that report, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah predicted
Smith -- almost in a mock draft spirit -- forecasted the coaches who would fill
the NFL's seven Black Sunday vacancies. Jeremiah guessed Smith would be Buffalo's next coach.
Jeremiah wrote:
"The Bills spent all that money on defense during the
offseason, but the unit proved highly disappointing, ranking 22nd in total
defense and 26th in scoring D. Smith can get the most out of those pricey
defensive pieces. Ideally, you'd pair Smith with a strong offensive coordinator
to get more consistency on that side of the ball as well."
If the Bills have mutual interest, then they could close the deal with Smith sooner than other candidates. The NFL requires clubs to interview at least one minority candidate under the Rooney Rule. The Bills would need to interview only one person if they wanted to hire Smith.
December 31, 2012 - 7:24 PM
By Tim Graham
The Buffalo Bills have confirmed CEO Russ Brandon met with
owner Ralph Wilson today and has returned to Orchard Park,
presumably with a plan in place on how to handle the team moving forward.
The Bills also confirmed General Manager Buddy Nix did not
make the trip, an ominous sign for his future. The Bills fired head coach Chan Gailey and the entire coaching staff this morning.
A Bills spokesman declined to comment on Nix's status
tonight and said no announcement would be forthcoming tonight.
The Bills are expected to address reporters Tuesday at One Bills Drive.
December 31, 2012 - 6:16 PM
By Jay Skurski
Several players in the Buffalo Bills' locker room spoke today of the debt of gratitude they owe coach Chan Gailey, who was fired this morning.
Here is a collection of some of their comments:
Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick: "Chan means a lot to me as a person and as a coach. Before
he took over here, I was kind of the lost journeyman, bouncing around from team
to team. He was the guy that gave me my
first real shot, the guy that showed a lot of confidence in me and has stood by
my side for the last few years. He means a lot to me as a coach and as a person
and he's somebody I'll always respect."
Tight end Scott Chandler: "He pulled me off the trash heap. That guy gave me a chance
to play. He's a guy who's pretty special to me, who I have a lot of respect for."
Receiver Stevie Johnson: "It was a great offense to be in. It was a great offense for
me. I'm happy that I was here. I'm happy that he came here and
I was able to get that opportunity from him. My feelings about coach Gailey, it's
always good. He gave me my opportunity and gave me my chance and I pretty much
took advantage of it. But if it wasn't for him who knows what would've happened?
Receiver David Nelson: "I owe everything I have so far to Chan. He brought me in
when not a lot of people would. He gave me an opportunity. He
continued to stick behind me. A lot of people have doubted me."
Defensive tackle Kyle Williams: "I think everybody in here has a tremendous amount of
respect for Chan. I've been lucky in the sense, the two guys I've had as head
coaches [Gailey and Dick Jauron] are really, really solid, good men. They're
great men to be with. Their yes is yes, their no is no. Obviously we haven't
won enough, which is what it's all about."
December 31, 2012 - 4:02 PM
By Tim Graham
The Buffalo Bills this afternoon announced they've signed
five players to 2013 future contracts:
- Running back Zach Brown
- Tackle Adam Grant
- Defensive end Corbin Bryant
- Defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert
- Linebacker Brian Smith
They are called future contracts in NFL parlance because these previously unattached free agents were signed for next season, not the current season.
December 31, 2012 - 3:58 PM
December 31, 2012 - 3:47 PM
By Tim Graham
Given that we haven't heard from Buffalo Bills owner Ralph
Wilson or General Manager Buddy Nix, we don't know their specific grounds for
firing head coach Chan Gailey.
One of the more notable reasons Bills fans are glad Gailey's
gone is the way he used running back C.J. Spiller this season.
Spiller was a revelation. He ran for 1,244 yards and six
touchdowns and caught 43 passes for 459 yards and two touchdowns.
The problem was that Spiller averaged only 13 carries and
less than three catches a game.
Continue reading "C.J. Spiller wants to give Adrian Peterson a run as top back" »
December 31, 2012 - 3:33 PM
By Jay Skurski
Ryan Fitzpatrick finished the 2012 season 13th in the NFL in touchdown passes, 16th in completions, and 17th in passer rating.
He is, by those statistical measures, a middle-of-the-road starting quarterback in the NFL. That explains why, when asked today whether he'd consider returning to Buffalo as a backup to a new, young quarterback, Fitzpatrick was less than enthusiastic about the proposition.
"I would hate to speculate on any of that. For me personally,
I think I want to play," he said. "That's just who I am. I think I'm a starter in this
league and want to play. I'd hate to play the 'what if' game right now, I
guess."
Continue reading "Ryan Fitzpatrick not keen on possibility of being a backup" »
December 31, 2012 - 3:21 PM
