May 22, 2013 - 12:34 PM
By Tim Graham
When it comes to the latest sports cards, nothing drives the market like hot rookies.
For a change, the Buffalo Bills have them this year.
The Bills haven't been too relevant in the industry. The Bills have misfired on many picks, and some of their best either played positions that simply don't appeal to collectors (linemen, defensive players) or took time to develop.
Continue reading "MemoraBillia: Collectors should gravitate to Buffalo's rookies" »
May 21, 2013 - 7:20 AM
By Tim Graham
When examining depth on the Buffalo Bills' roster, many analysts find receiver to be shallow.
NFL.com recently rated the worst position groups and listed Buffalo at wide receiver. On the Press Coverage blog last week, we discussed how troubled Buffalo would be if Stevie Johnson were unavailable.
Behind Johnson, the talent is mediocre or unproven.
All that said, ESPN and Scouts Inc. analyst Matt Williamson loves what the Bills are doing at receiver. He sees a collection of talent that can enter a game in various situations and give defenses problems.
Continue reading "Analyst takes contrarian view, bullish on Bills receiving corps" »
May 17, 2013 - 9:36 AM
By Mark Gaughan
The Buffalo Bills' addition of University of Texas receiver Marquise Goodwin does wonders for the team's 4x100-meter relay squad, which is a mythical unit, of course.
Goodwin, a third-round draft choice, ran a time of 4.27 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. the second fastest of any player at the combine since 2006.
Bills running back C.J. Spiller loves the addition of speed to the roster. But he's not ready to acknowledge he's not the fastest man on the roster.
Spiller's electronically timed 40 figure from the combine was 4.37 seconds. However, hand times put him at 4.27 that day. Goodwin said he has been timed in 4.24 manually.
Who would anchor the Bills' 4x100 relay team?
Continue reading "C.J. Spiller says he still anchors Bills' 4x100 relay team" »
May 15, 2013 - 10:08 AM
By Tim Graham
In the three years Buddy Nix was general manager, the Buffalo Bills significantly enhanced their depth at almost every position.
The club didn't scrimp on backups as much. Gone were a bunch of special-teamers who couldn't play a regular position.
The results, though, didn't reflect the added talent.
Under new guidance, the Bills have decided to start over while trying to focus on young talent that could turn into something later. They've gotten rid of veteran starters and are willing to take a chance on inexperienced players hopefully on the make.
Look up and down the roster, and you will see a lot of positions that are dependant on emerging youth.
In Tuesday's video report from One Bills Drive, we glimpsed how capricious the team is at wide receiver behind Stevie Johnson. In this morning's paper, Mark Gaughan wrote about Buffalo's youth at cornerback.
With that in mind, I want to ask who you think the most indispensible Bills player is for 2013.
Which player's absence would provide the most trouble for the team's success?
If you click the "Other" option, please take a moment and jot the name of the player you'd vote for in the comments section below.
May 13, 2013 - 2:33 PM
By Tim Graham
How will we remember Buddy Nix's tenure as Buffalo Bills general manager? With the help of beat reporter Mark Gaughan, we look back on the past three seasons and four drafts under Nix.
Here are his five biggest hits:
Continue reading "Looking back: Buddy Nix's five biggest hits as Bills GM" »
April 26, 2013 - 10:36 PM
By Tim Graham
Whether or not they can score touchdowns on a consistent basis is unknown, but if a track meet ever breaks out at Ralph Wilson Stadium, you can expect the Buffalo Bills to win some medals.
For the second year in a row, the Bills drafted a smallish track-and-field receiver in the third round. They selected Olympic long jumper Marquise Goodwin from Texas tonight. They traded up last year to draft North Carolina State sprinter T.J. Graham.
Goodwin ran the fastest 40-yard dash at this year's NFL scouting combine, clocking in at 4.27 seconds. It was the second-fastest combine time since Chris Johnson set the record at 4.24 seconds in 2000.
Continue reading "Bills grab Olympic talent in third round with WR Marquise Goodwin" »
April 26, 2013 - 10:37 AM
By Tim Graham
The Buffalo Bills know something nobody else does?
That idea alone is fascinating.
The chance of it being true is small based on the organization's track record. But maybe -- just maybe -- the Bills were smart to name EJ Manuel their franchise quarterback.
And if that decision is proven to be correct, while gathering two additional draft picks, then the possibilities are endless.
Continue reading "Will new Bills QB be moribund organization's Manuel ignition?" »
April 18, 2013 - 7:48 AM
By Tim Graham
Kevin Kolb didn't have much backfield help with the Arizona Cardinals the past two years. Beanie Wells and LaRod Stephen-Howling were his running backs.
Meh.
I asked Kolb what he thinks when he views C.J. Spiller on film.
"Explosive," Kolb replied with a smile after Wednesday's voluntary workout at One Bills Drive. "Yeah, super-explosive. He's truly a bounce in every step, and there's very few of those around."
Continue reading "C.J. Spiller's uncommon skills delight Kevin Kolb " »
March 11, 2013 - 5:28 PM
By Tim Graham
Bracket season is upon us. We're about to see them everywhere because that's what gets crammed down our gullets this time of year.
Just this morning, I determined what to have for breakfast by assembling a bracket of all available foods in my kitchen. Top-seeded Cocoa Puffs were upset in the semifinals once I realized there were only crumbs left in the bottom of the box. That cleared the way for fourth-seeded bagel to take the title.
Also today, EA Sports unveiled its brackets for the Madden NFL 25 cover. Winners will be determined by an online vote.
As an anniversary edition, there are "old-school" and "new school" brackets. The "old-school" side is comprised of a retired legend from each team except the Houston Texans. The "new-school" side proposes one active player from each team.
After two years with wide receiver Stevie Johnson as the Bills' candidate, running back C.J. Spiller got the nomination.
The choice is an indication of what the NFL's pop-culture community thinks of Spiller's emerging star power.
Spiller is the 13th seed in his regional and will square off against fourth-seeded Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant in the first round.
Below this post, you can see video clips of what Spiller will look like in the new game.
Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly is the seventh seed in his regional and will be up against 10th-seeded Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis.
Three-quarters of the No. 1 seeds are San Francisco 49ers: Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Colin Kaepernick. Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is the other.
March 5, 2013 - 1:06 PM
By Tim Graham
Buffalo Bills receiver Stevie Johnson was bewildered to learn remarks he made on Jim Rome's radio show before the Super Bowl created such waves in Western New York.
"I didn't hear from nobody about it except for C.J. Spiller, who told me, 'They're blowing up back in Buffalo about the workout comments,' " Johnson said. "I went, 'What workout comments?' "
Johnson said he was -- and still is -- taken aback to know folks were upset about his training methods.
Johnson told Rome that he disregarded the Bills' offseason program and that his offseason conditioning regimen has consisted of playing basketball and roadwork in his hometown.
Continue reading "Stevie Johnson claims workout comments 'way overblown'" »
Tim Graham returned to The Buffalo News in 2011 after covering the NFL for three years at ESPN and for one year at the Palm Beach Post. Before that, the Cleveland native spent seven seasons on the Buffalo Sabres beat for The News and was president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
@ByTimGraham | tgraham@buffnews.com
Buffalo native Mark Gaughan started working at The News in 1980 and has been covering the Bills exclusively since 1992. He is president of the Pro Football Writers of America, and he is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee.
@gggaughan | mgaughan@buffnews.com
Jay Skurski joined The News in January 2009. The Lewiston native attended St. Francis High School before graduating from the University of South Florida. He writes a weekly Fantasy column in addition to his beat writing duties.
