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.
By Tim Graham
If the Buffalo Bills are unwilling or unable to re-sign left
guard Andy Levitre, then there's little reason to get critical of his departure
until we know on whom the club will choose to spend its money.
Buffalo News senior columnist Jerry Sullivan examined Levitre's situation for this morning's paper. The Bills don't have to re-sign Levitre.
From a practical standpoint, however, the Bills would have one more hole to fill without him. They would need
to replace a quality guard who hasn't missed a start since he turned pro in
2009.
NFL.com editor Gregg Rosenthal ranked Levitre the best guard
and ninth-best player at any position in this year's free-agency class.
Continue reading "How easy would it be to replace Andy Levitre?" »
February 28, 2013 - 10:45 AM
By Tim Graham
When the Buffalo Bills rebooted their operations in January,
a point of emphasis was the creation of an analytics department. While no
details have been divulged on how the Bills will implement analytics, a common
usage around the league is in determining contract values.
ProFootballFocus.com, one of the most popular analytics sites,
has applied its metrics to the Bills' 2012 roster to determine who underperformed
and outperformed their salary-cap figures last year.
You can check out PFF for its explanation of each player, but
here are the lists:
Undervalued
- 1. Jairus Byrd, safety
- 2. C.J. Spiller, running back
- 3. Andy Levitre, left guard
- 4. Kyle Williams, defensive tackle
- 5. Alex Carrington, defensive tackle
- 6. George Wilson, safety
- 7. Nick Barnett, linebacker
- 8. Scott Chandler, tight end
- 9. Bryan Scott, linebacker
- 10. Cordy Glenn, left tackle
Overvalued
- 1. Mario Williams, defensive end
- 2. Chris Kelsay, defensive end
- 3. Ryan Fitzpatrick, quarterback
- 4. Brad Smith, wide receiver
- 5. Terrence McGee, cornerback
- 6. Spencer Johnson, defensive tackle
- 7. Mark Anderson, defensive end
- 8. Tyler Thigpen, quarterback
- 9. Erik Pears, right tackle
- 10. Shawne Merriman, defensive end
The Bills already have released two of the PFF's 10 most
undervalued players (Barnett and Wilson). Byrd, Levitre and Scott could become unrestricted free
agents in a couple weeks.
From the overvalued list, the Bills have dumped McGee.
Kelsay announced his retirement Wednesday night. From the free agents on the
list, we safely can assume Thigpen won't be back, Merriman's probably a goner and Johnson isn't worth re-signing.
February 26, 2013 - 1:30 PM
By Tim Graham
The Buffalo Bills seemed to have found a franchise tackle last
year, when they drafted Cordy Glenn in the second round.
But the other tackle spot emerged as a major concern.
What if the Bills were to draft another top-flight tackle in
April to give themselves bookends for years to come?
It's an intriguing thought.
Continue reading "Why the Bills should think about drafting another OT early" »
