Buffalo Bills Review

Got an email from Pete today at theshow@buffalobillsreview.com. Here’s what he said:

And the point that was made about Takeo’s return can’t be made strongly enough. It seems you hear the word “leadership” attached to just about every star player in any sport these days, and it’s hard to really understand just what that means. In this case, the Bills’ official site has it on video. On the site, you’ll find a piece that the NFL Network did on the Bills, as they got ready for last season’s opener w/ the Texans. Watch parts one and two, and you’ll hear and see Takeo get the whole defense pumped up for the game just by being his own fired-up self. It’s a really motivating 9:00 piece that shows how he leads by a simple show of personality…along with the fact that he can flatten people.

I watched the two clips. They are great. And I actually forgot how much Spikes adds to the team. I did not forget what his leadership means, but I did forget what a great player he is. If he comes back completely healthy this year… that is going to be a HUGE lift to our defense. Huge.

So, visit BuffaloBills.com and check out the NFL Network media section, or click the two links below to play the files in your Real player.
Clip 1
Clip 2

Yesterday, Dave & I got to pay a visit to St. John Fisher, along with our families, and several hundred other Bills fans! It was definitely a fun day. Hot, but fun. Training camp is not just about watching a football practice anymore! The whole Bills Store is there, as well as tons of inflatable football fun! We have four tiny people in the family who all had a fantastic day, and so did Dave’s kids (from what I could tell). 🙂 For the money ($1 to ride the public transport to get there) – you can’t beat it.

I put together a slides show (it’s a quicktime movie) of some photos from the day. You’ll see some small Bills fans in there as well. (Doug Flutie and Drew Bledsoe make an appearance or two). Even Jim Kelly. (Though he looks a bit like a 2-yr-old little girl in these photos…) We also got some autographs at the end from Roscoe Parrish (in the photo you’ll see Peerless Price and Sam Aiken… my camera battery died before I could get a photo of Scoe.)

Unfortunately, not much football to report. A bit difficult to get an accurate analysis when chasing around tiny people. But it was definitely a fun, Buffalo Bills day. Hope you get a chance to come out for one!

We won’t be seeing much of this guy this year, but we are about to see the BILLS again!!!

This week marks the beginning of Buffalo Bills Training Camp! The 2006 season has begun!!! (I’m quite excited!) We plan to go at least a couple times to see the new players, maybe meet some of them, and the kids love all the great stuff they have set up for them as well. It’s definitely a family event!

Buffalo Bills Training Camp Schedule <-- CLICK HERE

Welcome back Bills Fans! With this new site design, I figured it was a good time to post some new content as well. 🙂

After hearing the NFL Rants and Raves podcast predict the Bills would finish BELOW the Jets, I had to respond! I sent an email to Steven, one of the hosts, with my predictions for the season. It seemed appropriate to share them here, so here’s my initial, early prediction for the 2006 season:

Here’s what I think on the AFC East:

1. Miami (they’ve made some solid off-season moves, and finished very strong last season)
2. Buffalo Bills (JUST HOOLLLLD ON…. I’ll explain below)
3. New England Patriots (unlike the Dolphins, they seem to be losing more people than they are gaining, but you can NEVER count Belichick out)
4. NY Jets (Steven, I am appalled that you would pick the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS to finish ahead of the Bills…) 🙂

I think people (including me, initially) are looking at the wrong “qualities” from the Bills draft and free agent pick ups. Marv Levy (and Bill Polian) always chose character over flash when he was coach here, and it seems like that is what they are doing now. They chose by position, and character, and apparently they wanted Donte Whitner (and there were rumors, maybe even actual quotes? that other teams just below the bills wanted whitner as well. the espn guys don’t really know everything…) I’ll admit to much befuddlement on draft day, but the picture has become clearer over the weeks since.

The Bills are building a team. Much like the New England Patriots of the past decade or so. Not necessarily big name players (though some might turn out to be) but they are all hard-working, team-oriented guys who will get the job done. Actually, reminds me of the Sabres, who made it to the Eastern Conference finals this year, and there is not a nameable player on the team, I don’t think. All the guys contribute, work hard, and play as a team. That’s what I expect from the Bills.

Now don’t get me wrong… I am certainly realistic. The team did NOT look good last year on many occasions. AND YET, they were in MOST of the games they lost. I honestly think a TON of what happened last year was coaching errors. Seriously… the play calling was… interesting, at best. So with the huge, wholesale changes to the coaching staff, it should be a very different ball game.

As for the QB… we had chances to get better QBs. I have to trust all of those football guys, who would like to keep their new jobs in Buffalo, and didn’t have anything invested in the picks (like Mularkey and Donahoe) when they say that they like their QBs. Perhaps Losman was just super green last year? Perhaps it was the coaching? Perhaps (no, for sure) they were not playing as a team? Perhaps it was everything together?

Take another look at the Buffalo Bills guys, I think you’ll be surprised.

Oh, a final record prediction you ask?

Week 1: at NE – W (yes, the Bills tend to shock people on opening day. no matter who or where they are playing, I think they have a fantastic opening day record… expect the same on week 1)

Week 2: at MIA – L (Sept, miami, Bills often lose… Dolphins should be a better team, esp at this point of the season)
Wk 3: NYJ – W (Again, Steven, what were you thinking? Jets finish 2-14 at BEST) 🙂
Wk 4: MIN – W (Even as bad as they were last year, Bills were much better at home. Home crowd, Dante-less vikings… Bills win.)
Wk 5: at CHI – L (I could go either way on this one… Jauron will want the win)
Wk 6: at DET – W (Ummm… It’s the Lions …)
Wk 7: NE – W (Sorry guys… I really think it’s possible (I know, highly unlikely) that we win BOTH games against the pats this year… home games, Bills do well)

Wk 8: bye (They should do ok this week….)

Wk 9: GB – W (So long, Brett… has he ever won in Buffalo? I don’t think he has…)
Wk 10: at IND – L! (See!? I am a realist…) 🙂
Wk 11: at HOU – W (actually, I think this could go either way… but I think the Bills are better than the Texans, even with Moulds on the other side)
Wk 12: JAX – W (Jacksonville has a knack for winning in Buffalo… but late November… I’m pickin the Bills!)
Wk 13: SD – W (Sorry guys… SoCal and WNY in December don’t mix. Look for a near reversal of last year’s SD/Buf contest…)
Wk 14: at NJY – W (HA!!! Jets finish ahead of the Bills! HA!!!)
Wk 15: MIA – W (I actually think this one might be one of those games that moves to the primetime slot. Both teams will be vying for the top spot in the East.)
Wk 16: TEN – W (we have FOUR warm-weather teams at HOME from Nov 26-Dec 24!!! Dude… you gotta LOVE that schedule!!)
Wk 17: at BAL – L (you can’t win em all…) 🙂

FINAL RECORD in 2006???
12-4

You heard it here, folks. TWELVE and FOUR.

I think the Fins will also finish about 12-4, and since I figure they’ll win the division, they’ll either have tie breakers, or, I will likely miss a game or two.

Definitely, Bills will finish between 10 and 12 wins this year.

Am I out of my mind? Perhaps. But I really do think we’re going to see an amazingly strong season from the Bills, which will stand in stark contrast to the 2005 campaign. Softer schedule, all new faces, new coaching and management. All of these things will lead to better success (pending a few uncertainties right now).

I can’t wait!!!

So here we are. It’s the Monday after the draft. Going into the past weekend, there was a decent amount of excitement due to our fairly high position in the draft. Eighth pick overall ain’t too shabby. Defintely should be able to get a premeire player at that spot. Someone who will be around for a long time, visiting the Pro Bowl a time or two.

With great anticipation (and limited resources) I continually refreshed the page when it was our turn to select, hoping to see some stunning trade, or a fantastic pick. Both defensive linemen whom most experts picked (including us, if you can call us “experts”?) were still available, so the question was simply which one would they take? Finally, one refresh brought forth a name. When it first came up, I actually thought it was a mistake. In all of the mock drafts I had read for all of the teams, I had never seen this player’s name. So, it must be a mistake.

But, refresh after refresh, it was still there. Donte Whitner – Strong Saftey – Ohio State.

WHAT??!?!? A player NO ONE had even mentioned was our 8th Pick of the DRAFT?!?!?!?

Oh my.

So I picked up the phone and called Uncle Josh. I knew he was around and watching. There was no answer, so I left my incredulous message on his machine. A few hours later, I received his equally incredulous message on my machine. We were both aghast at such a pick. We knew the Bills have made some pretty wacky picks in the past, but…

Amazing.

It’s now Monday morning. Cooler heads (may) prevail. I figured I would take a stab at my first impressions of the draft.

I have already mentioned my first reaction to this pick. After listening to the press conference with the three head honchos, I can understand why they liked Whitner, but… the 8th pick?? Seems a bit paranoid to think he wouldn’t have been there by even our regular second round pick. I imagine he’ll be a solid player, but selecting him at this spot still has me scratching my head.

OK, now see… we traded up to get this pick late in the first round (26th overall). We already had the 8th pick, and BOTH of the top defensive linemen prospects were still available. That is what boggles my mind. We could have gotten Whitner here, AND Ngata or Bunkley. The one thing that gives me hope is that the Bills are notorious for finding no-name gems from small schools in the draft. We’re hoping to see a lot of that from this draft, I think.

After trading our second round pick, and one of our third round picks to get the 26th overall choice (which we used to nab the popular John McCargo, before he was no longer available) we selected another cornerback. Uncle Josh is higher on Youboty than on Whitner, so that’s a positive. But what’s the deal with all these DBs?

It was this pick where I first was confident that the Bills’ brass had completely lost their mind. But with such obvious insanity, I began to question whether I knew the team at all? It was quite obvious by round four that the Bills felt they needed defensive back help. At least fresh blood back there, or something? So as to not completly lose my mind, I began to try to trust Marv and Co. that this was the best direction for our team’s rebuilding…

But… 3 out of the first 4 picks were DBs???????

With their first pick of two in the 5th round, the Bills chose another defensive lineman. That’s good. We need some interior line help especially. In these later rounds, it’s pretty much anybody’s guess as to who will do well in the NFL and who won’t. He has good speed and instinct. Probably a good choice here at the 134th pick overall.

YES!!! An OFFENSIVE LINEMAN!!!! It took us 5 rounds, 6 picks and the 143rd overall pick to get one, but we found one!!! Actually, I think this is a good pick. From what I read on him he’s definitely a good lineman. NFL.com writer, Gil Brandt said, “He played right tackle at Virginia because D’Brickashaw Ferguson was the left tackle, but everybody thinks he can be a left tackle in the NFL.” Sounds good to me.

Not too sure about this pick (again, hard to tell in these later rounds) but we could use another linebacker. Especially if Takeo can not come back to full strength. Still… seven picks now, and only one OL? That is surprising indeed. Guess the Bills felt they needed defensive help.

Again, the Bills have two 7th round choices, and we finally see more offensive linemen. In fact, they used both of their final two selections on offensive linemen. Pennington is a big guy! He’s 6’7″ and 325 lbs! Sounds like good tackle material. Another “House” Ballard, perhaps?

Rounding out the Bills’ nine picks in the 2006 draft is another offensive lineman. This time, an interior guy. The Bills need help everywhere on the line, so this is a good position to draft. As for the player, I know next to nothing about him. Apparently he has a good frame for a guard, but lacks speed.

With a pretty good amount of free agent acquisitions, and nine selections in the draft, the Bills have definitely brought an significant influx of new talent to the team. The first reaction is certainly one of surprise. No one could have picked Donte Whitner as the Bills’ first choice at the 8th overall spot. But, after several rounds, it became quite apparent that DB was the top priority for the team. We’ll see if that priority was warranted.

Stay tuned to the BuffaloBillsReview for our official Draft Show coming later this week. We’ll have a special guest with us, Andre Smith, a sports writer from Deleware. Dre has been on the show before, and has some good, in-depth draft knowledge to add to the BBR team, so we’re looking forward to it.

Leave your comments on the draft here, or take our polls in the sidebar, or call the hotline 716-989-4180 and join us as we review this year’s draft!

Peerless Price is a Buffalo Bill again! The WR agreed to terms on a new contract with the team, rejoining the Bills’ new Offensive Coordinator, Steve Fairchild. Fairchild was with the Bills for Price’s last year with the Bills, when he had his biggest NFL season. In 2002, Price pulled in 94 catches for 1252 yards and 9 touchdowns, all of those are career highs.

Price was cut before the start of the 2005 season by the Atlanta Falcons, and later lst year joined the Dallas Cowboys, and his old QB partner, Drew Bledsoe. Peerless never really fit in there, either, and found himself on the Free Agent list here in 2006.

With Moulds moving on to Houston, the Bills were looking for some veteran help at WR, and think they have found that in Price. Fairchild was an offensive assistant in 2002, and is excited to have Price back in his receiver corps.

This is an interesting pattern developing at One Bills Drive. First the team brough back Marv Levy to head up the team. Then a few coaches (like Fairchild) who have had tenures with the Bills prior to this season. Now they have re-signed Peerless Price. In a recent article, former QB Jim Kelly spoke of taking a more official role with the team in the coming season.

Perhaps we’ll see Jim returning to QB this season? That would put an end to the supposed controversy. He can’t be older than Vinny Testeverde, or Brad Johnson, who started again last year for their former teams. Put #12 back at the helm, maybe bring back WR Don Beebe. He says he can still outrun all of the players where he coaches high school football. Darryl Talley was looking for a coaching job. Perhaps the Bills could hire him.

Not sure where this will all lead, but in the end, I do believe Price is a good addition to the team. Assuming a similar scheme to when he was here (modified for whomever may be our starting QB) and that he can play at or near the level he was at in 2002, things could be looking good for the Bills on offense. The move is likely good from a fan perspective, since Price was a popular player, and will be remembered for the great season he had with the Bills.

Let’s hope all of these great Bills of the past can pick up where they left off, and maybe we’ll even see the playoffs come January?

That would be priceless. Or, would it be “peerless”?

Click to Read a BuffaloBills.com Article about Peerless Price

Well this feature will not be weekly anymore, due to my other responsibilities in life, but there was enough stuff this week (and enough time before the next show) that I thought I’d offer our take on the latest Bills’ news, as well as some links to pertinent articles.

2006 Schedule Released
I posted an article about the schedule yesterday, along with some links, so I’ll direct you to that (immediately below this entry). Suffice it to say, the three December home games (and one in late November) against warm weather teams is a huge bonus for the Bills. The three opening games against division opponents, with two on the road, will be a difficult challenge, but as some Bills players believe, could also quickly put the Bills in a great position within their division. An unlikely 3-0 start would definitely give them a great jump on the season.

We’ll also likely be part of Brett Favre’s farewell tour, with the Packers coming to town on November 5th.

The Bills are not scheduled for a nationally televised game, but that could change if one of their late season games happens to be a good matchup. The NFL is going with a flexible schedule for the first time this year, and will determine the nationally televised NBC game of the week once the first 10 weeks have been played.

Further Reading..
BuffaloBills.com Official 2006 Schedule
BuffaloBills.com [4/6] Bills Announce 2006 Schedule
BuffaloBills.com [4/6] Bills Schedule Hist Divisions Hard

Eric Moulds Traded To Houston Texans

It’s finally official. Eric Moulds has been traded to the Houston Texans for a 5th round draft choice in this month’s draft. Levy was quoted as saying there was nothing the Bills could do. They had hoped to keep Eric, but he wanted to be traded. There was obviously some bad blood between Moulds and the Bills, but overall Moulds is leaving on good terms.

Moulds signed a $14M deal over 4 years, with a $5M plus signing bonus. To my knowledge, that’s less than the Bills were offering him in a restructuring deal, but I am bad with numbers. Moulds was also slated to be the number two recevier with the Bills next season, giving way to 3rd year receiver, Lee Evans. That did not sit very well with #80, as he still considers himself a #1 receiver in the NFL. He might get that opportunity with the Texans who were a dismal 2-14 last year.

Moulds looks forward to the frest start and predicts that the league will not be seeing the “same old Texans”. “We’re going to put on quite a show,” claims the Texans’ new receiver.

Moulds played ten seasons in Buffalo and was a fan favorite during his time here. Many fans will be anticipating the matchup on November 19th, when the two teams will face off in Houston.

Further Reading..
BuffaloBills.com (4/7) – Bills Officially Trade Eric Moulds
NFL.com (4/6) – Texans Complete Trade for WR Moulds

Ralph Wilson’s Campaign For Fair Treatment
Bills President and owner Ralph Wilson gave a press conference today in which he detailed his recent visit with New York Governor George Pataki. Wilson is not happy with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in March between the NFL owners and the Player’s union. Some of the stipulations of the agreement are not “fair” to smaller market teams, Wilson alleges.

“We need to get some political influence,” Wilson stated, saying that he had requested that Gov. Pataki get involved in petitioning the NFL to ensure the fairness of this deal.

There has been some specualtion that the Bills would move out of Buffalo. Wilson did not deny that, however he said he will fight hard to keep them in this city. Wilson also emphatically stated that he does not with to sell the team.

Further Reading..
WGR550.com [4/7] – Ralph Wilson Concerned About The Bills’ Future

Bits and Pieces

• Bills 2006 Free Agent Moves
• BuffaloBills.com – Levy Ends Losman Trade Rumors

That’s a wrap for the this edition of TheRunDown. If you have any Bills news from this week, or comments on stuff we covered here, please add your comments below!