June 14, 2013 - 8:28 AM
By Tim Graham
The Buffalo Bills wrapped up mandatory minicamp Thursday morning and don't have to report to training camp at St. John Fisher College until the last week of July.
So now what?
"This is not vacation time," Bills pass-rusher Mario Williams said. "You can take a trip or whatever. That's fine. But this six weeks that everybody has is not just go home and eat Doritos."
Continue reading "Buffalo Bills hit six-week break: Have fun, but not too much fun" »
June 6, 2013 - 6:29 PM
By Tim Graham
Ryan Nassib wasn't merely being diplomatic when he expressed a desire to be the Buffalo Bills' quarterback.
He recently reiterated his pre-draft hopes on "Larry King Now," which is an actual thing on Hulu.com.
The Bills instead drafted Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel 16th overall, and the New York Giants took Nassib in the fourth round.
Continue reading "Ryan Nassib wanted to be a Bill, but Giants 'an even better spot'" »
June 2, 2013 - 9:31 AM
By Tim Graham
A couple weeks ago on the Press Coverage blog, ESPN and Scouts Inc. analyst Matt Williamson explained how C.J. Spiller could resemble Reggie Bush more than ever this year.
New Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone was the New Orleans Saints' offensive coordinator during Bush's first three pro seasons.
Bush's per-game averages over that span would've translated into this season stat line: 652 rushing yards and five touchdowns plus 90 receptions for 673 yards and three touchdowns.
We should expect Spiller's rushing total to be higher than that, but the way Bush was used as a receiver is worth noting.
Continue reading "C.J. Spiller looking forward to role as runner-receiver hybrid" »
May 31, 2013 - 1:25 PM
By Mark Gaughan
The defense looked better than the offense today as the Buffalo Bills finished their last voluntary, organized-team activity practice. The defenders were able to force a lot of short, check-down passes from the quarterbacks, and the completion percentages were not real high for any of the Bills' passers.
Second-year receiver T.J. Graham made the offensive play of the day, beating cornerback Ron Brooks down the left sideline and making a 50-yard catch on a throw into the wind from Tarvaris Jackson.
The Bills have had officials on the field for every practice that has been open to the media this spring.
Continue reading "Doug Marrone gives Da'Rick Rogers a talking-to and other notes" »
May 31, 2013 - 10:21 AM
By Tim Graham
I have a feeling Doug Marrone isn't going to ditch his offseason plans to pick up the pace like Dick Jauron did four years ago.
In today's Buffalo News, reporter Mark Gaughan shines a spotlight on the Buffalo Bills' up-tempo offense through the eyes of the offensive linemen.
"You're putting a lot more yards under your feet and just getting ready for an offense that's not gonna stop," Bills tackle Chris Hairston said. "We're going to try to put pressure on all the teams and dictate the tempo and pace. We've done that since we've gotten back here. You're just really pushing yourself to go as fast as possible."
Continue reading "Doug Marrone's no-huddle attack not some Dick Jauron experiment" »
May 29, 2013 - 1:24 PM
By Tim Graham
The new boss is not the same as the old boss when it comes to deploying his running backs.
Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone indicated after today's voluntary workout C.J. Spiller will not be pulled from games in short-yardage, third-down or red-zone situations because of size or skill set.
"My philosophy's always been if someone starts off and they're running well, keep feeding them the ball," Marrone said.
Continue reading "Doug Marrone doesn't view C.J. Spiller as a situational back" »
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 - 8:04 AM
By Tim Graham
Doug Whaley was careful Thursday to include the entire front office when talking about the Buffalo Bills' future.
He spoke about collaborative efforts with president Russ Brandon, football administration vice president Jim Overdorf, coach Doug Marrone and the scouting department.
But in an "NFL Total Access" interview, Whaley staked his claim to the player Buffalo drafted to be their franchise quarterback.
Continue reading "Doug Whaley won't middle Buffalo's big wager on EJ Manuel" »
May 15, 2013 - 1:23 PM
By Jay Skurski
Bills receiver Stevie Johnson doesn't sound overly concerned about it, but is frustrated that a strained lower back has kept him from participating in the team's first three days of organized team activities.
"It's just frustrating seeing the guys run around, but it's getting better," Johnson said today after practice. "I guess this is just a timing thing. I'm just doing everything that they're telling me to, doing the weight room stuff. Of course inside the playbook. Whenever they give me the green light, I'll be ready to go."
Entering his sixth season, Johnson is the second-most experienced receiver on the roster behind Brad Smith. That makes him one of the veteran leaders in a receiver room filled with young players.
Continue reading "Stevie Johnson eager to start building chemistry with his QBs" »
May 14, 2013 - 6:27 PM
By Tim Graham
NFL teams hired eight head coaches and seven general managers this offseason.
All of them are white.
That a minority didn't get one of those jobs was viewed by many as a colossal disappointment -- even a setback -- for NFL diversity.
"It's meaningful," said John Wooten, executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which works with the NFL to promote diversity in front offices and among head coaches. "It gives us a good lift."
The Buffalo Bills, however, are expected to disrupt the shutout by promoting Doug Whaley to general manager soon. Whaley has been Buffalo's assistant general manager under Buddy Nix, who resigned Monday.
The Bills were careful to avoid even mentioning Whaley's name Monday. They wanted the news conference to emphasize Nix's years of service.
But it's one of the club's worst-kept secrets that Whaley will take over for Nix. The Bills announced in February they'd signed Whaley to a contract extension and frequently have hinted at bigger plans for him within the organization.
Whaley, 40, came to the Bills in 2010 after spending 11 years in the Pittsburgh Steelers' front office. His last role with the Steelers was as pro scouting coordinator.
"We had talked to him about going to Buffalo in that position," Wooten told me this afternoon. "He was known and had a very good position with the Steelers, but we told him this was an opportunity, and the Steelers understood the opportunity by not hindering him from going there.
"We felt he should make the move, and we're enthused he made it work out. He has shown great skills, he's a hard worker and he knows the league. Whaley has done an outstanding job."
Wooten compared the switch from Nix to Whaley with how the New York Giants handled the rise of current GM Jerry Reese, a hot commodity before esteemed personnel man Ernie Accorsi retired.
"There was quite a bit of interest in Whaley," Wooten said. "That's why Buffalo stepped up to say, 'Hey, we're going to give you that position. Just stay here with us rather than take an interview.' "
On a league-wide scale, Wooten chooses not to focus on Whaley being the lone minority among the 16 notable job changes. He pointed out many minorities continue to get hired and promoted for jobs just below the top levels.
The Bills hired Doug Marrone to replace Chan Gailey, but the club interviewed two black candidates: former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith and former Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton.
The NFL's Rooney Rule, overseen with help from the Fritz Pollard Alliance, mandates at least one minority candidate be interviewed for every head coach or GM opening.
"We see they're moving toward diversity and inclusion," Wooten said. "We see it working with assistant head coaches and coordinators and front-office directors. The media and the public only see the ones out front, but we see it all the way down the line.
"But what Whaley has done is meaningful to us because it shows diversity and inclusion is moving in a positive way. We're very happy and pleased with it. The relationship we have with the NFL is working."
(Photo: Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News)
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.
