Press Coverage

By Tim Graham

Two of the strongest traits EJ Manuel brings to the Buffalo Bills are intelligence and a quarterback's charisma that makes his teammates want to play with him and for him.

So did Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Bills legend Jim Kelly is aware of this. But when it comes to finally finding a franchise quarterback to replace him, Kelly sees potential in Manuel's arrival.

The Bills' opening-day quarterback will be the 11th starter since Kelly retired, and the list is ugly.

Continue reading "Jim Kelly 'tired' of being Bills' standard, rooting for EJ Manuel" »

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?" »

By Tim Graham

The Buffalo Bills lost another free agent.

Kyle Moore, a surprise performer last year on a disappointing defensive front, signed a one-year contract Monday with the Chicago Bears.

Moore, despite being inactive the first four games, started seven straight games in November and December. Moore made 24 tackles, three for losses. He notched the first three sacks of his career.

Analytics website ProFootballFocus.com rated Moore 25th in pass-rushing among all 4-3 defensive ends who played at least 25 percent of their teams' snaps. The site tallied 23 quarterback hurries for Moore, tying him for 30th in the NFL.

Moore had arthroscopic knee surgery in January, but a source informed The Buffalo News the Bills wanted to re-sign him. But last month's acquisition of linebacker Manny Lawson might have made Moore expendable.

Moore was a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fourth-round draft choice in 2009 and eventually landed on the Detroit Lions' practice squad, from where the Bills plucked him in November 2011.

An update accounting of the comings and goings on Buffalo's roster in free agency:

Players who have re-signed

• • Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson
• • Running back Tashard Choice
• • Tight end Dorin Dickerson
• • Colin Brown
• • Linebacker Bryan Scott
• • Cornerback Leodis McKelvin

Players whose rights have been retained

• • Tight end Mike Caussin
• • Safety Jairus Byrd

Players who have joined

• • Quarterback Kevin Kolb
• • Defensive tackle Alan Branch
• • Linebacker Manny Lawson

Players who have departed

• • Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (Tennessee Titans)
• • Wide receiver Donald Jones (New England Patriots)
• • Wide receiver David Nelson (Cleveland Browns)
• • Guard Andy Levitre (Tennessee Titans)
• • Guard Chad Rinehart (San Diego Chargers)
• • Defensive end Chris Kelsay (retired)
• • Defensive end Shawne Merriman (retired)
• • Defensive end Kyle Moore (Chicago Bears)
• • Linebacker Nick Barnett
• • Cornerback Terrence McGee
• • Safety George Wilson (Tennessee Titans)

By Mark Gaughan

The base value of the contract Kevin Kolb signed with the Buffalo Bills is $6.1 million over two seasons.

Kolb's deal could be worth up to $13 million in total money, but he will have to hit a lot of incentives to reach that amount.

For practical purposes, Kolb's deal is worth $3 million this year and $3 million next year, a league source reports. He gets a $1 million signing bonus and a base salary worth $1.65 million this season. He has a $250,000 roster bonus if he is on the 46-man roster for the season opener. He also has about $100,000 in workout bonuses in this year's total.

In 2014, the contract calls for a $1 million roster bonus and a base salary of $2 million.

In short, the Bills signed Kolb for less than they would have paid to keep Ryan Fitzpatrick. The BIlls also were offereing Fitzpatrick a $3 million per year deal, plus significant incentives. But they were offering Fitzpatrick a four-year contract. Fitzpatrick wound up signing a two-year, $6.5 million deal with Tennessee.

By Mark Gaughan

The Buffalo Bills and Kevin Kolb look like they could be a match made out of necessity … or perhaps mutual desperation?

The Bills need more insurance behind whatever rookie quarterback they pick in the NFL draft. Right now they have only veteran Tarvaris Jackson and Aaron Corp on the roster. Kolb needs to land a job before the draft, because teams usually are much less enthusiastic about veterans once they stock their roster with rookies.

The Bills reportedly have interest in Kolb, sources tell ProFootballTalk.com. The Bills currently have the least amount of competition at quarterback of any NFL team.

The Arizona Cardinals released Kolb earlier this month in a move that resembled the Bills' release of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Kolb was cut loose just before Arizona was due to pay him a $2 million bonus.

Kolb, who turns 29 in August, has had too many injuries to step in as the favorite for a team's starting QB job. He played in only five games last season, getting knocked out for the year in Arizona’s Week Six loss to the Buffalo Bills due to detached ribs and a sprained shoulder. Kolb suffered a serious concussion that caused him to miss the last three games of the 2011 season. He missed two games in the 2010 season due to a concussion, as well. He played nine total games in 2011 and five in 2010. His overall record as an NFL starter is 9-12.

Besides the Bills, the teams with the most unsettled quarterback situations are Oakland, Jacksonville, the New York Jets and Arizona. Oakland’s starter, Carson Palmer, might be released if he does not accept a pay cut. Terrelle Pryor is Oakland’s backup. Jacksonville's top two QBs are Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne. The Jets' list includes Mark Sanchez, David Garrard, Greg McElroy and Tim Tebow. Tampa Bay could use a backup quarterback. The Bucs have Dan Orlovsky behind entrenched starter Josh Freeman. Arizona is left with Drew Stanton, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Lindley and John Skelton.

A total of 48 different players started NFL games at quarterback last season, which actually represented more stability than normal in an NFL campaign. Many years see more than that number starting games. There were 63 different starters, for instance, in 2010.

By Mark Gaughan

The Buffalo Bills gave the Vince Young experiment a shot last summer. It looked like he had the No. 2 job locked up after a good showing in the third preseason game. Then he did little in the preseason finale and was released by former coach Chan Gailey in favor of ... Tyler Thigpen.

Young still is looking for another chance to revive his NFL career, and former NFL star quarterback Donovan McNabb thinks he belongs in the NFL.

McNabb on the NFL Network Tuesday:

"He deserves a second chance. Quarterback play has been really declining by a lot of different teams. A lot of guys are restructuring contracts [and] releasing their quarterbacks.

"Give him an opportunity to get back on his feet and also get himself established in this league. He was able to apologize to [coach Jeff] Fisher and move on with his life. Give him an opportunity,  bring him into camp and show his talents once again. He did it at the Texas Pro Day [Tuesday]. Obviously, a lot of eyes were focused on him. He was able to elevate and show he is still working hard to get back be an elite quarterback."

Continue reading "Donovan McNabb thinks Bills could use Vince Young" »

By Tim Graham

How Fred Jackson is like most Buffalo Bills fans: He wants them to sign some players, too.

How Jackson is unlike most Bills fans: He's not frustrated by the team's lack of recent activity.

Jackson is aware there are holes all over the Bills' roster, but he's willing to let the front office apply the spackle without criticism from him.

Continue reading "Fred Jackson eager for Bills signings, yet willing to be patient" »

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 Mark Gaughan

Ryan Fitzpatrick might have sacrificed some money -- but probably not a lot -- in rejecting the Buffalo Bills and accepting a two-year contract with the Tennessee Titans.

Fitzpatrick's deal with Tennessee is for $6.5 million, and he will make $3.25 million this year, according to the Nashville Tennessean. The Titans' plan is for Fitzpatrick to back up third-year man Jake Locker.

The Bills offered Fitzpatrick a four-year deal that averaged $3 million a year and included incentives that would have given him the chance to make up to $4 million more a year, according to a source familiar with the talks with Buffalo.

Continue reading "Titans to pay Ryan Fitzpatrick $3.25 million this year" »

By Tim Graham

The Tennessee Titans want Ryan Fitzpatrick to be a backup, but they realize they might have to play him if starting quarterback Jake Locker, vulnerable on the run, gets banged up.

"I think he understands his role," Titans coach Mike Munchak said today of Fitzpatrick, the former Buffalo Bills starter. "We made a decision last year after training camp that Jake's going into camp and our OTAs knowing that he's the quarterback."

Locker, the eighth pick in the 2011 draft, started 11 games for the Titans last year. He missed five with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder.

Continue reading "Titans coach Mike Munchak: Ryan Fitzpatrick 'will know his role'" »