With free agency a week away, fans around the country are ravenous for personnel analysis.
Even AFC East rivals want to know what the Buffalo Bills are
going to do to patch up their roster for 2013.
Keith Sims, a three-time Pro Bowl guard for the Miami
Dolphins, dialed me into his show on 640-AM in South Florida today to discuss the
offseason state of the Bills.
Among the focal points: the best way to handle Ryan
Fitzpatrick, what Buffalo might do in free agency after last year's disappointing payoff, the prime holes to fill in free agency, how the Bills might
use the eighth overall draft pick and two markets dealing with prolonged mediocrity since their Hall of Fame quarterbacks retired.
Sims referred to me as working for ESPN in addition to The
Buffalo News, but that's all right. It feels good to be remembered.
INDIANAPOLIS
-- Buffalo Bills General Manager Buddy Nix disputed a claim made by former
tight end Pete Metzelaars that the team didn't call him back after
inquiring about the offensive-line position under new head coach
Doug Marrone.
Nix said he asked Marrone to call each coach individually,
and that Marrone followed through with that request.
Nix, speaking at the NFL scouting combine in Lucas Oil Stadium today, said he told Marrone, "At least give them the courtesy of talking to them about [it], and if you've got somebody in mind, and you're
not interested in them, tell them. ... And you talk to
all of them."
If Pete Metzelaars had the chance to improve the Buffalo
Bills, then he would begin by replacing quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
"I don't want to throw Fitz under the bus, but you've
got to get an answer at quarterback," Metzelaars told me. "That's got
to be the No. 1 priority."
Metzelaars has intimate knowledge of Buffalo's offense as the tight ends coach. He
was dismissed along with the rest of the staff when the team fired head coach
Chan Gailey.
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.
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.
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.
