Look at all the Red Zone TDs! And long-range as well. This guy looks great.
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Category: Current Bills
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Leodis McKelvin Video Highlights
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Xavier Omon Video Highlights
Draft Guys TV – Profile video on Xavier Omon
The 2008 NFL Draft is “in the books” and the Bills came away with 10 new players to add to their ranks. Some fantastic picks, but a bit shocking that there were no trades at all. The Bills didn’t move up, down, sideways, or anyways. Most Bills fans (this writer included) expected to see some sort of deal done with such a surplus of picks. But in the end, the Bills added five new offensive players, and five new defensive players.
Among them are the best CB in the draft, the perfect WR for the Bills, a Corner named Corner, a Division II “Superman”, and the son of Karl Malone! Quite an interesting bunch!
Let’s take a quick glance at the draftees. (click their photos for an in-depth bio from BuffaloBills.com!)
1 – CB Leodis McKelvin – Troy
The Bills chose to stay put at the #11 pick and got arguably the best CB in the draft. The only knock on this guy is that he doesn’t have “great hands”. That seems like something he can learn with time, since the rest of his athletic package is apparently top notch. Fast, great vertical, powerful hitter, quick in change of direction, and he’s a great return man to boot. He compared himself to Devin Hester. (We’ll see if he can actually back that up…)
Some might question the Bills drafting a guy who is apparently very similar to Terrence McGee, but McKelvin was rated by most scouts and other experts as the best CB in the draft, and CB was a position of need for the Bills, so I really like the pick. It will be interesting to see how the return skills are used with McGee and Parrish being two of the better return guys in the NFL. The return game could be pretty exciting in 2008!
2 – WR James Hardy – Indiana
Bills fans (myself included) were thrilled when their team landed Hardy with their second round pick. 6’6″, 220 pounds, 36 TDs, around a 37″ vertical… he is just what the Bills needed to (hopefully) solve their several-season Red Zone drought. Of all the WRs in the draft, Hardy seemed to best fit what the Bills were looking for. There may have been a few names that would make a bigger splash, but Hardy will likely add a half-dozen or more TDs for the Bills this season, and that’s much better than a big-name splash!
3 – DE Chris Ellis – Virginia Tech
Selecting a defensive end from Virginia Tech worked quite well for the Bills a couple decades ago. Of course, he was the number one overall selection in the 1985 draft – which third round pick, Chris Ellis was clearly not – but still Ellis does have that going for him.
There were a number of game changing DEs in the 2008 draft. One of them went to our division rivals, the NY Jets (Gholston). I actually projected the Bills might take DE Derrick Harvey out of the University of Florida in the first round, but they went with McKelvin instead. (Harvey was already gone… Jags took him at #8. So maybe they were going to?)
Ellis is smallish at only 220 pounds, but the Bills touted his run-stopping ability as well as his pass rushing, and ability to avoid being blocked (good hands). I think Ellis may be the sleeper in this draft (if a third rounder can be a “sleeper”) for the Bills, and could bolster what was a pretty pathetic pass rush in 2007.
4 – CB Reggie Corner – Akron
It’s quite obvious by pick #4 that the Bills had targeted the cornerback position as one of their top needs. With the first and fourth selection of the draft, their need at that position was addressed. The best part about this cornerback is that he will be wearing the name “Corner” on his back. 😉
When I was looking up information on Corner, I came across some game photos and recaps of Akron games, and his name was all over them. He was definitely a star at Akron, and it seems the Bills believe he can carry that over to the NFL level. He is in the same mold as our other corners – which is a bit surprising – and also offers some return abilities as well. The line from the Bills staff that stuck out to me was, “Honestly, there aren’t many negatives.” They also commented that he “plays bigger than his size.”
5 – TE Derek Fine – Kansas
The Bills finally grabbed a tight end with their second pick of the fourth round. He’s not what most Bills fans were hoping for – a game-breaking, pass-catching TE – but the Bills say he was “the most complete” tight end in this year’s draft.
Fine also was a special teams star at Kansas, which likely was one of the biggest reasons the Bills selected him to fill their need at TE. Having lost so many players to free agency, or just releasing them, the Bills were also looking to draft players who had experience playing special teams.
Fine joins a TE corp that includes another TE named Derek (Schouman), Robert Royal, Courtney Anderson (picked up from Atlanta via free agency) and a few more. (Including Kevin Everett, actually.) Will be interesting to see who emerges from that group to help stretch the field for Lynch in 2008.
6 – OLB Alvin Bowen – Iowa State
The Bills focused on defense again with their 5th round selection. This guy seems like a great pick for the middle of the draft. The Bills were looking for a bit of depth at the LB position, but what stands out from Bowen’s college career is his special teams contributions. He led the nation in special teams tackles with 155 during his junior year. He’s an exciting player, whom we’ll likely see a lot of on special teams this coming season.
7 – RB Xavier Omon – NW Missouri State
NFL.com was showing the Bills positional needs as: WR, TE, CB, and RB. That they would say we needed a RB with Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson, and Dwayne Wright was surprising to me. Even more surprising was the Bills using their 6th round pick on an “unknown” Division II running back. He does have a cool name, though.
Little did I know that this little man from NW MO State was a Division II “Superman”! He is the only player in collegiate athletics history to record over 1500 rushing yards in each of his four seasons as a student. He finished his career with 7073 rushing yards, 92 rushing TDs, and 6 more receiving TDs on 90 receptions. He amassed 2,337 yards and 37 TDs in his senior year alone. Quite literally a “man among boys at his level,” as the Bills staff described him.
Omon is excited to contribute wherever he can with the Bills, but this is a fantastic selection if he can produce at the NFL level. He is a Maurice Jones-Drew-like RB with power, and great breakaway speed. Great late-round pick up by the Bills.
8 – OT Demetrius Bell – Northwestern State (LA)
With the first of three seventh-round picks, the Bills bolstered their offensive line by selecting the 6’5″ 300-pounder from Terrence McGee’s alma mater. Bell’s other “claim to fame” is that he is the son of baskteball great, Karl Malone.
Most Bills fans anticipated the team adding a center through the draft, but the Bills liked Bell’s size and athleticism. Definitely a late-round “project”, but always good to add beef to the offensive line.
9 – WR Steve Johnson – Kentucky
Wide receiver (especially a tall wide receiver) was certainly a position of need going into this weekend’s draft. So, with their second to last selection, the Bills chose Kentucky WR, Steve Johnson. Johnson had over 1,000 yards receiving his senior year, and has good size as well at 6’2″ 210 pounds. As you would expect, a seventh round pick is most likely a “project”, but it was good to see the Bills add another tall receiver. Also of note is that he and Bills’ RB Marshawn Lynch are friends from the Bay area, where they are both from originally.
10 – CB Kennard Cox – Pittsburgh
With the second-to-last selection of the entire 2008 draft (and their third and final selection of the seventh round) the Bills selected their third cornerback of the draft, Kennard Cox of Pitt. Cox is a bigger CB at 6’0″ 192 pounds. Some scouts had him projected to play safety in the NFL, but the Bills want to keep him at CB. This is an interesting pick up for many reasons. First, there is now quite a lot of competition at the CB spot for the Bills. Second, his size does make a difference. The rest of the DBs are all quite short, which against tall WRs like Randy Moss, just makes life more difficult. Likely a project as the second-to-last selection in the draft, but a good addition to a very promising draft class for the Buffalo Bills.
As I mentioned last week, the Bills have drafted quite well recently, with a potentially outstanding draft class in 2007. This year’s group – on paper – matches that recent trend, and also seems to perfectly meet most of the needs the Bills had entering the draft. We got two tall WRs, and an excellent CB, and some great special teamers. We may have gotten a bonus star in Omon as well.
It’s a couple months before the season begins in earnest, but Bills fans can be excited about the product their team is preparing to field in 2008. Young players with a year or two under their belt, and a few rookies who will likely contribute right away, as well as veterans hoping to finally experience post-season play as a Buffalo Bill.
This could finally be the year!
Hey folks. Quick post here just to recommend some Bills-related reading. Most of these books (pictured above in a cool little widget from Amazon!) have been in my recent reading queue… I’m hoping to read Kevin Everett’s book soon, too.
Great stories from Bills history, good reads, and a fun way to help the off-season pass a bit more quickly!
Click on the book covers above to check out the books at Amazon. For your convenience, here’s a nice bulleted list, too.
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Buffalo Bills: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments from Buffalo Bills History – Scott Pitoniak
- Stadium Stories: Buffalo Bills (Stadium Stories Series) – Sal Maiorana
- Game of My Life: Memorable Stories of Buffalo Bills Football (Game of My Life) – Sal Maiorana
- Marv Levy: Where Else Would You Rather Be? – Marv Levy
- Steve Tasker’s Tales from the Buffalo Bills – Steve Tasker & Scott Pitoniak
- Standing Tall: The Kevin Everett Story – Sam Carchidi
Happy reading!
(Any recommendations? Leave ’em in the comments!)
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Success
With the NFL draft less than a week away, I was contemplating what would make this draft “successful” for the Buffalo Bills. The past two have been pretty great, actually. Names like Donte Whitner, Ko Simpson, John McCargo, Kyle Williams, have all been contributers. Trent Edwards, Marshawn Lynch, and Paul Posluszny could be franchise players. (And all from one draft!) Even Keith Ellison, Ashton Youboty, Brad Butler, Dwayne Wright, John Wendling, and Derek Schouman have already seen some success at the NFL level.
The Bills certainly draft well.
But part of the success of the past two drafts has been the needs at all of the positions those guys filled. This team has not made the playoffs in nine years, and was in need of a major overhaul – which has pretty much been accomplished. This team does not look anything like the team Marv Levy took over – along with new head coach Dick Jauron – in 2006.
So what would deem this upcoming draft a success? Better yet, what would qualify the upcoming season as a “success”?
I believe that in the eyes of Bills fans, the draft is quite secondary to the accomplishment of returning to the playoffs. Anything short of this is neither a success, nor perhaps even acceptable.
Dick Jauron has assembled his team. He has assembled his coaching staff. (Which hopefully will be markedly improved with the departure of the much-maligned Steve Fairchild.) He had a “successful” 2007 campaign when measured against the incredibly bad fortune his team faced, losing 17 players to season-ending injuries.
They even have a “softer” schedule in 2008 (based on teams’ 2007 records).
This season, the Bills will be successful if they make the playoffs. Anything short of that, while it may be fun and exciting along the way – with a few minor successes – would seem to fall very short of “success”. And, it may cost Jauron his job.
A few very solid moves in the free agency period have put the Bills in a better position heading into the draft. Marcus Stroud and Spencer Johnson add thickness to the Bills’ interior defensive line. Kawika Mitchell brings his athleticism and experience to a young LB core, as well as the experience of winning the most recent Super Bowl.
All good moves to solidify the Bills defense.
Most speculate that the Bills biggest remaining holes – presumably to be filled in the draft – are a second wide receiver, a game-breaking tight end, and cornerback. Opinions vary, of course, but from what I have read, there are not really great options (on the surface) at any of those positions. Many expect the Bills – who possess 10 draft picks in the 2008 draft – to wheel and deal to land some veteran talent via trades on draft weekend.
Whatever the Bills end up doing, whoever they end up adding to their team on Draft Weekend, the 2008 draft – and the 2008 season – will only be a success if the Bills can finally return to post-season play.
In the eyes of this Bills fan, anything short of that will be a failure.
The Bills went a long way toward improving their run defense—as well as their pass rush—by making a trade this past weekend for DT Marcus Stroud, formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Stroud is a big man, but also very quick, and a great pursuer. He’s 6’6″ and 308 pounds. That’s a big man in the middle, something the Bills have been sorely lacking in recent years. And, it has shown as Buffalo’s run defense has been in the statistical cellar for the past three seasons.
The first free agent to sign was Kawika Mitchell from the world champion NY Giants. Mitchell came over to NY from the Chiefs as a free agent in 2007, and then signed a five-year deal Friday to play for the Bills. His style is reminiscent of the great Buffalo Bills LB Darryl Talley. Buffalo fans hope he can match Talley’s energy and accomplishments over the next five years or more.
Now with a solid corp of line backers in Paul Posluszny, Angelo Crowell, and Kawika Mitchell, the Bills turned their attention to the fat guys.
At just about the time the deal for Stroud was announced, the Bills also inked a deal with free agent DT Spencer Johnson of the Minnesota Vikings. Johnson played alongside former Bills DT Pat Williams and Vikings other fat man, Kevin Williams. Johnson joked about his day in the sun being overshadowed by the trade for Stroud, saying he’s used to it with Kevin & Pat.
Even though apparently used to being “second fiddle”, Johnson was also quite happy to be joining a line with Marcus Stroud, and presumably fellow Pro Bowler, Aaron Schobel. Add to that a couple young guys in Kyle Williams (Johnson can’t get away from the Williamses) and John McCargo, as well as Chris Kelsay and Ryan Denney, and the Bills defensive line no longer looks like a liability.
Additions were not the only news out of One Bills Drive this past week. Prior to Friday’s signings, the Bills parted ways with DT Larry Tripplett, as well as several other players leading up to the start of free agency. Gone now are Anthony Thomas, Coy Wire, Peerless Price, CB Jerametrius Butler, G Aaron Merz, and Kiwuakee Thomas.
Out with Kiwuakee, in with Kawika.
Rumors abound now on the offensive side of the ball, with vists from free agents Alge Crumpler and WR Bryant Johnson said to be happening this week. Nothing is confirmed regarding any offensive signings, but the Bills are known to be looking at the tight end position as well as adding a big, tall number two wide receiver.
Just as in 2007, the Bills have made some very fast moves with their available cap money, and in general, it seems Bills fans—and the Bills front office and coaching staff—are even more pleased with the first crop of free agent signings in 2008.
The 2007 Buffalo Bills season might very well be remembered for the many shortcomings and failures that seem to be plaguing the organization in the first decade of the two thousands. Whether it’s the laundry list of injuries – seventeen players on injured reserve by the end of the season? – including the life-threatening, paralyzing injury to TE Kevin Everett, or the many gaffes by the Bills coaching staff – there is plenty to forget from the Bills eighth straight season without a trip to the playoffs.
However, this season had it’s share of memorable moments as well.
Being the eternal optimist, and preferring to look at the sunny side of life, I thought it fitting to wrap up the third season of the Buffalo Bills Review with some favorite moments from the season that was. I can’t cover them all, but this is a pretty comprehensive list of the significant, the amazing, and the just plain fun plays and events from the season past for us Bills fans.
Trent Edwards
When the Bills selected Trent Edwards in the 2007 draft, I admit, I was perplexed. It was a good pick, and I did applaud the Bills for, if nothing else, landing a good backup that could benefit us (later) in a trade.
Boy was I wrong!
From the get go this guy was obviously better than we fans thought. He impressed in pre-season, but that’s just pre-season. He then got an early chance to show his stuff in maybe the worst situation imaginable – in New England, with very limited preparation going into the game.
This is where my list begins. Here are my Trent Edwards highlights from the 2007 season.
- On his first drive as an NFL QB – thrust into the game by an injury to the starter – Edwards moves a struggling offense efficiently and impressively against the vaunted New England Patriots. The Bills scored a TD on the drive and held what would become one of the only leads on the Patriots all year in their perfect 16-0 season.
- In Edwards first start in Week 4 at home against the NY Jets, he again moves the ball efficiently, and observers notice that there is something special about this kid. He just has “it”, people were saying. Apparently the coaches believed this as well as a normally conservative coaching staff elected to not only go for a TD on 4th down on the goal line, but to call a play-action, roll out pass to TE Michael Gaines. That play showed extreme confidence in the rookie, showed what Edwards is capable of, and showed that Losman was on his way out.
- In an emotionally charged game following the death of Washington Redskins’ safety Sean Taylor, the Bills were able to stay in the game against an obviously fired-up Redskins team. Very late in the game, with the Bills down only two points, Edwards needed to drive a good chunk of the field to even get his team in field goal range. Showing poise beyond his youth, Edwards moved the team, completing a perfect, laser pass to Josh Reed across the middle of the field, setting up a makeable 51-yard field goal attempt for his kicker, Rian Lindell. Clutch pass, perfect pass, Bills win.
- The hated Miami Dolphins were coming to Buffalo, in December… winless. It was a Bills fan’s dream. And Edwards did not disappoint. The rookie tossed up FOUR TD passes in the game, throwing three in the first half, and the fourth was a 70-yard bomb (in the snow!) to the speedy Lee Evans.
Marshawn Lynch
Aside from the surprise of our third round pick, Trent Edwards, there was the expected great play of our first round pick, Marshawn Lynch. He was the second running back taken in the draft – behind Adrian Peterson, in whom the Bills were also interested, and he did not at all disappoint!
Some Lynch highlights from the 2007 season include:
- In his very first game, on his very first NFL touchdown, fans in attendance at Ralph Wilson Stadium could tell that Lynch was something special. On a run off to the right side, Lynch showed his speed, his agility, his shiftiness, and most of all his POWER. He went into what he calls “Beast Mode” and literally carried three Denver Broncos several yards into the end zone. As Bills play-by-play voice, John Murphy exclaimed, “Marshawn Lynch would not be denied!” Great sign of things to come.
- In a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at The Ralph, Lynch not only dominated on the ground, posting the first 100 yard game of his career, he also passed for a touchdown! On a drive where he carried six straight plays to move the Bills into scoring range, the half-back option pass was the perfect call, and worked just like they drew it up! (Soon after throwing the TD pass, Lynch also ripped off a 50-plus yard TD run!
- Another GREAT example of “Beast Mode” was on the two-point conversion play following a hard-earned TD run against Miami which would tie the game up late in the fourth quarter, Lynch was hit hard by the Dolphins defender, and even knocked backwards. Always up for the challenge, Lynch twisted and turned and pushed and lunged forward into the end zone for the tying points. Lynch also drove the Bills into field goal range on the subsequent Bills possession – earning the final needed yards with a sprained ankle that would keep him out for the next three weeks. Pure Beast Mode!
- In his first game back after the injury, Lynch again faced the Dolphins and showed no sign of weakness in his ankle. Lynch rushed for 107 yards on his “bum” ankle. This was amazing enough by itself, but making the day even more fun was backup running back Fred Jackson rushing for 115 yards on the day! Two 100-yard rushers against the Dolphins. Nothing could be better!
Monday Night Football, October 8th – vs the 4-0 Dallas Cowboys
One of the more memorable games of the years was the Bills first Monday Night home game in something like thirteen years! The place was rockin’ like never before, and the Bills showed up to play against a team they seemed to be far outclassed by. And, in the end, Bills fans will remember the insanity of the final minutes that stole the victory from them, but the game did have its moments…
- On cocky young Dallas QB Tony Romo’s first pass, undrafted free agent WR-turned-FS, George Wilson, intercepts and returns the pass for a touchdown! That set the tone for one very wild evening at The Ralph, and was a career highlight for Mr. Wilson (that would be George…) as well I’m sure!
- Seeing Tony Romo so flustered as to throw FIVE picks and even fumble once – very Eli Manning… – was just simply a highlight of the year. I don’t care if the Bills lost the game, that was definitely a highlight. The Bills defense was opportunistic that night to say the least!
Random Memories
There were many more great memories from the 2007 season. They are a bit more random, so I’ll list them individually below in no particular order.
- Willis McGahee’s much-anticipated return to Buffalo was probably not what he hoped it would be. The Bills did allow him one drive on which he scored a 46-yard TD, as well as racked up over 70 yards (finished with 130-something, I believe). I’m still convinced he had enough friends left on the team that they let him have that one drive, just to be nice. 🙂 The rest of the day the Bills defense pretty much shut him down, and the Bills won 19-14.
- On his first punt return of the season, Roscoe Parrish took the ball 74 yards for the touchdown. The tiny return man would end up leading the league in punt-return average for the 2007 season!
- Late in the year, the Bills had a chance to still make the playoffs, but needed to beat the Giants and the Eagles to do that. They had the Giants at home, and took an early 14-0 lead! The Giants came back to tie the score, and appeared to be going for more until the defense stiffened and forced the Giants to decide whether to go from the one yard line, or kick the easy field goal. They chose to go for it, and on 4th down, John McCargo knifed his way through the Giants offensive line and made a HUGE tackle for a loss. Great play, great stand.
Kevin Everett Returns
My final – maybe favorite? – memory from the 2007 Buffalo Bills season is probably the best because it is fairy tale ending of one of the worst moments of the year. Yes, there were some ugly football moments, but the ugliest life moment happened on the opening kickoff of the second half of the first game. Kevin Everett made a crushing tackle on the Denver Broncos return man, and he never got up. The stadium was silent, and there was a giant knot in my stomach as I had seen the whole thing, and knew exactly what was going on.
Days went by and the reports were not good. Fractured vertebrae and definitely won’t play football again. Might not walk again. Might not live. Hit this young team hard. Very hard. I’m pretty sure it affected their performance in at least the next game.
But then the weeks went by and the reports improved. A lot! Incredibly, what was once life-threatening was turning into a miraculously speedy recovery! Reports began to circulate late in the season that Everett would actually return to Buffalo and walk out on the field for the Bills’ final home game against the Giants!
Well, there was no public appearance by the quiet Bills tight end. But, he did return to Buffalo. Perhaps his walking into the Bills locker room inspired the fast start the Bills saw that day, but whether it affected the play on the field, it certainly affected the players personally. It was the storybook ending to a rough, unprecedented injury-riddled season for the Buffalo Bills.
Whether you will remember the losing record, or the injuries, or any or all of the fun moments listed above, the 2007 Buffalo Bills season was certainly memorable. And with some impressive play by rookies and other unknown players, as well as many players who didn’t even really get a chance to play in the 2007 season, 2008 is looking promising for the Bills. With a few off-season moves, and a new offensive play caller, this back-to-back 7-9 team could surprise some folks next year. Could be impressive.
Could even make the playoffs?
But we get ahead of ourselves. Another season is in the books, time for a short break, and then the Bills start building for next season. For now, let’s just take a moment and enjoy the memories!
It’s almost too good to be true. This year, Steve Fairchild has been much maligned for the Buffalo Bills’ offensive production – whether deserved or not – and many fans were calling for his head. Well, they got their wish… in a manner of speaking.
Instead of relying on the ever-faithful, ever-loyal Dick Jauron to make the tough decision of firing the mostly ineffective Fairchild in the offseason and moving on to someone else, the Bills offensive coordinator was wooed by another team to take their head coaching spot. For Bills fans, it couldn’t get any better.
Now that Fairchild has been offered perhaps his dream job – head coach of his college alma mater, Colorado State University – where will the Bills look to fill the vacancy? The Bills are reporting that Fairchild will likely remain with the Bills through the end of the season, and Steve Fairchild has confirmed that himself with a statement released today. But even if he should need to leave before that, they won’t fill the vacancy until after the season is over.
Frustrated Bills fans lament owner (and President) Ralph Wilson’s apparent unwillingness to spend money on coaches, with Buffalo not usually bringing in a top name – and top dollar – head coach, or other coaching staff. The Bills track record would seem to suggest that the Bills will promote from within, or hire a coach with little to no name recognition, but there are some big names out there being tossed around by excited Bills fans.
First, Marty Schottenheimer, the former San Diego head coach and former Buffalo Bills linebacker. He has always been an offensive-minded coach and many have been calling for Levy or Wilson to replace Jauron with Schottenheimer. Personally, I don’t know that Marty would be a good fit as offensive coordinator due to the very reason most fans want to bring him in. His “name recognition” would seem to overshadow Jauron as the head coach. Doesn’t seem to be the best fit.
Another “big name” being bantered around is Steve Mariucci, currently with the NFL Network. Steve was head coach in Detroit, and before that (and more successfully) with San Francisco. Definitely an offensive-minded coach, and would be an interesting choice. However, Mariucci may be waiting for a head coaching opportunity.
Those wishing to promote from within the organization have suggested shuffling around some of the offensive coaches, like Turk Schonert (QB coach) and Alex Van Pelt (offensive quality control). Either have been named (by fans) as possible candidates for the Offensive Coordinator spot. Admittedly I do not know much about Turk Schonert, so I don’t know what his qualifications would be, but as a former QB, and a former Bill… I wouldn’t mind seeing AVP promoted to the OC spot.
Others have thrown out former Buffalo Bills greats like Jim Kelly and James Lofton to take the offensive reins. Lofton is currently the WR coach at San Diego, and has been considered for some head coaching jobs in the NFL recently, including the opening for the Bills prior to Dick Jauron taking over that spot. Jim Kelly was essentially the offensive coordinator during the Bills’ Super Bowl years (calling his own plays on the field), so that selection would make sense – except that Kelly has often said he does not want to coach.
Finally, as we said on the Buffalo Bills Review a few weeks ago, I would like to recommend Rich Gannon. Gannon is currently a color commentator for CBS and just did a fantastic job analyzing the Bills offense and specifically their QB (Losman) during the game in Jacksonville. Gannon played QB for a long time in the NFL and led several very productive offenses. He would be an interesting choice for a “lesser known” coordinator, yet someone from the outside.
What the Bills really need to decide is who can assume the position and move the team forward. Right now, the team is moving forward, and they don’t want to take a step or two back with whoever they hire. Will it be someone from within, to minimize the learning of a new system? Or, since the offense has had an almost record-breaking level of futility this season, would bringing in a new coordinator with a new system actually be the better move to continue moving this team forward?
Whatever the Bills decide, the focus right now needs to remain on the final three games of the season. Starting with the game in Cleveland this week. The Bills are in an excellent position to advance to the post season for the first time since 1999.
It would be a shame to ruin that by thinking about next season’s offensive coordinator.
RELATED LINKS:
Fairchild Expected To Stay Through End of Season (BuffaloBills.com)
Bills Assistant Fairchild to Return to CSU as Coach (ESPN)
Statement from Steve Fairchild (BuffaloBills.com)
A friend sent me a link today to a story about Kevin Everett’s recovery from Sports Illustrated this month. It’s such an amazing story! How can you go from paralyzed to WALKING in three months??? It really is a miracle. I know it’s modern science too, but I think God must have had some part in it, cause this doesn’t happen for everyone!
Great stuff about a great guy who is a Buffalo Bill. Go Kevin!