Press Coverage

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

Let's not panic. We're only in April. Training camp is three and a half months away.

And if Jairus Byrd misses some voluntary workouts -- or even mandatory minicamp practices in June -- the Buffalo Bills' world won't spin off its axis. The guy's a two-time Pro Bowler entering his fifth NFL season.

Neither he nor the team will suffer.

Then again, don't assume everything will be just peachy.

NFL.com reporter Ian Rapoport wrote Sunday night Byrd will not attend the Bills' voluntary workouts this week absent a long-term deal. The Bills used their franchise tag on Byrd, but he wants security and won't risk injury without a contract.

Again, the process is in its nascent stages. But this also could be an early step on a drawn-out saga.

Byrd's agent is Eugene Parker, and that guy doesn't fool around.

Parker, you may recall, represents former Bills tackle Jason Peters.

Although Peters still had two years left on a previously restructured contract, dissatisfaction and Parker's refusal to bend on what he felt his star client was worth forced the Bills to trade Peters in April 2009 to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles then gave Peters a six-year contract worth about $60.6 million.

Of the eight players who were given the franchise tag this year, only Byrd and Denver Broncos tackle Ryan Clady have not signed.

The franchise tag for safeties is a guaranteed one-year contract of $6.916 million if Byrd opts to accept it. But why would he? Free-agent safety Dashon Goldson signed a four-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers worth a reported $41.25 million with $22 million in guarantees.

Peters also was coming off his second Pro Bowl season at the time. Since the trade he has been chosen for three more Pro Bowls and has been voted All-Pro. The draft picks the Bills received for Peters became center Eric Wood, tight end Shawn Nelson and linebacker Danny Batten.

I suppose you can argue whether the Bills won that trade because fans came to loathe Peters -- mainly because of the way Parker manipulated the situation with holdouts and threats -- and Wood is a fan favorite.

But you must agree Parker did everything he could for his client and without fear of public opinion.

That's something to consider with Byrd's contract situation moving forward.

By Mark Gaughan

We interrupt this football blog to give a University of Louisville-focused preview on this weekend's NCAA Division I men's basketball FInal Four in Atlanta.

Bills center Eric Wood has been closely following his alma mater on its run toward what the Cardinals hope will be a third NCAA title (the others came in 1980 and 1986).

Despite the fact the Cardinals are favored by 10 1/2 points over Wichita State in Saturday's semifinal, Wood said he is not taking an appearance in Monday's final for granted. That's especially considering Louisville just lost guard Kevin Ware to a broken leg in the regional final Sunday, putting more pressure on guards Peyton Siva and Russ Smith.

"No - Ohio state was pretty confident going into Wichita and they shocked em," Wood said. "With Ware out, that leaves us pretty thin in the backcourt. We’ve got to keep Siva and Smith out of foul trouble. Some of their freedom has to do with having a guy like Ware that can come off the bench and not really miss a beat and they can be super aggressive. They may have to change their game a tiny bit."

Continue reading "Wood bleeds Louisville red " »

By Tim Graham

I've wondered out loud how a team can miss 13 straight postseasons and claim to rebuild through the draft yet fail to re-sign the players who develop just as they hoped they would when drafting them.

I asked Andrew Brandt, an ESPN business analyst who handled player contracts and the salary cap for the Green Bay Packers, how the moribund Bills could connect on a second-round draft pick such as left guard Andy Levitre and not be able to re-sign him.

The problem, Brandt explained, is that the Bills should have addressed Levitre's future a long time ago.

Continue reading "Is Buffalo's front office allowing itself to get out-leveraged?" »

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'" »

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?" »

By Tim Graham

Which Buffalo Bills players would you dump to clear more room under the salary cap for 2013?

Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan cast a spotlight on the Bills' salary-cap situation in today's paper and listed the top dozen cap figures for the upcoming season.

Gaughan reported Buffalo's decision to lop linebacker Nick Barnett and safety George Wilson from the roster puts it $20.9 million under the NFL's projected $121 million cap.

Factor in how much the Bills will need to spend on their draft class and to retain players such as safety Jairus Byrd, and the Bills don't have much wiggle room to re-sign left guard Andy Levitre or bring aboard noteworthy free-agent help.

So take a look at the Bills' top 12 cap figures and vote for the one player you'd most want to dump.

By Tim Graham

The New York Jets' coaching staff has been showcasing Aaron Maybin to the rest of the team as an example of how they want their players to approach the game.

This is the same Aaron Maybin the Bills drafted 11th overall in 2009 but cut after two seasons. He's the same Aaron Maybin who, in his first training camp in 2010  (he held out as a rookie) touched off a brawl when he knocked running back Fred Jackson down from behind in a no-tackle practice, causing center Eric Wood to yell "Give back some of that money you ain't f------ earned!"

But with the Jets, Maybin has remained a favorite of head coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine.

"The guy has been tremendous," Ryan said in a transcript the Jets disseminated Sunday. "Mike Pettine did a great job [Saturday]. He showed [a film clip of] Aaron running to the football like he does. He said 'Guys, as teammates you have to be embarrassed because this guy embarrassed the other 10 guys that were out there at that time.'

"They might have been thinking they were going hard, but this guy reminds me a little of [two-time Pro Bowl defensive end] Michael McCrary in the fact that when I had this young man in Baltimore, he was relentless. That's the way Aaron plays.

"He goes 100 miles an hour. ... He doesn't play with any brakes. He doesn't slow down until he runs into something. That's who he is, and that's who he's been since he's been a New York Jet."

Bills head coach Chan Gailey told me at the 2011 NFL owners meetings that Maybin's failures with the Bills weren't for lack of effort. That seems to jibe with the player Ryan and Pettine are coaching now.

Maybin didn't have any sacks in his two seasons with Buffalo. He was a healthy scratch on occasion and started only one game because the Bills wanted him to be an all-around outside linebacker. With the Jets last season, he recorded six sacks and forced four fumbles as a situational pass-rusher.

Ryan was asked if Maybin might get more playing time as a three-down outside linebacker.

"I could definitely see that," Ryan said. "He's going to earn that, and you have to earn your way out there, and I think he's on his way to earning more reps and more responsibility from us."

Maybin is a weird story angle for Bills fans. The consensus when the Bills cut him was "Good riddance." He was tough to root for because of his cocky persona and invisible production. I get the sense Bills fans still are glad he's gone even though the team didn't get anything in return.

But as long as he's with the Jets and getting Ryan excited, then there's reason to dread facing Maybin twice a year. He's now one of those villains Bills fans can't stand to see doing well.

(Photo: Julio Cortez/Associated Press)