Buffalo Bills
Bills’ Jeff Tuel to show off baseball skills in Toronto
The Buffalo Bills won’t be competing at Rogers Centre until Week 13 this year, but some of the team’s rookies have plans for some north of the border fun a bit earlier than that.According to the team’s official Twitter feed, the first-year players are headed to Toronto on Wednesday for some batting practice with the Blue Jays before catching the game against the Colorado Rockies. One of those players is undrafted free agent Jeff Tuel, who spoke with John Murphy Tuesday about the cross-border trip and his own baseball background.”I’m pretty fired up about it,” Tuel said. “I’ve got a big baseball background so I’ll be swinging for the fences, that’s for sure.”Tuel told Murphy that his experience dates back to his youth, and that he played baseball as much as he did football growing up. Rotating between third base and pitcher, Tuel left the game his senior year of high school to fully dedicate himself to football.”It’s like ridin…
Buffalo Bills sign EJ Manuel, cut Tavares Jackson
Welcome to Circling the Wagons, where we compile the most recent Buffalo Bills news links from the past week or two and offer commentary on what’s to come.
EJ Manuel signs with the Bills.
Good to see the inevitable come to an easy conclusion here. Remember rookie holdouts that took forever? Yeesh. If your team took a guy in the top ten or a QB at all, you were held hostage for months wondering if that guy would even suit up for your team… Read more
Mike Pettine on Hard Knocks Part 1: Pettine is Likes to Fight Guy
When the Buffalo Bills hired Mike Pettine away from the New York Jets earlier this offseason, my immediate thought wasn’t what a huge get the guy probably was for our defense (that was my second thought). No, the first images that came to mind were those of a salty mouthed, bald headed defensive coordinator of the New York Jets who was one of the more entertaining characters on Hard Knocks in the summer of ’10.
After SCOURING the web, I wasn’t able to find any clips of Pettine from Hard Knocks. There’s some “mic’d up” video, but it had a very PR-y feel to it. In order to see what Mike Pettine is really like, you need to see him on Hard Knocks.
Well, here at Buddy Nixon we aim to bring our readers, the raw, unvarnished TRUTH. So below, you’ll find the first of 3 clip compilations of Mike Pettine on HBO’s Hard Knocks.
(Warning: Lots of cuss words in the video below)
The most interesting part is at 45 seconds. For context, the segment had been talking about how while Vernon Gholston had a disa
Bills, Jairus Byrd reportedly not close to getting a deal done
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, there’s been no movement between the Buffalo Bills and safety Jairus Byrd who’s currently holding out after being slapped with the franchise tag.
There hasn’t been any real movement in these talks, according to sources, so based on that alone one might not be optimistic. But, man, the Bills cannot afford to risk losing any good young talent. This ball hawk is a difference maker, and if Buffalo can ever get that pass rush thing figured out, then the opportunities for Byrd to get his hands on the ball only increase. The Bills are sitting on about $20 million of cap space, fourth-most in the NFL, and getting Byrd off the tag will actually create more space for them over time. You don’t overspend like mad on Mario Williams only to let your homegrown talent depart, and franchising again Byrd in 2013 would just be more expensive. It also isn’t exactly the way for a new coaching and front office regime to engender positive vibes in the locker ro…
Fantasy Football Rookie Report: Bills WR Robert Woods
I guess I’ll just be honest right off the bat; Robert Woods will not be someone you draft this season.Woods has incredible talent but there are too many variables that affect his performance. He may be a great mid-season pickup but his fantasy football ranking is in the wind now.The following are some variables that make Woods a horrible draft choice.Funky Quarterback SituationWe’re not sure who the starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills will be at this point of the offseason. This matters in terms of preference, play-type, and accuracy.Too Many ReceiversThere are just too many talented receivers on this football squad. Whoever the quarterback may be, he will have tons of players to throw to which means that Woods will get less opportunities than the average No. 2 receiver. This may also mean that Woods isn’t the No. 2 or three receiver when it’s all said and done this season.Mystery of Doug Marrone’s offenseWe still don’t know what roles each position wi…
Bills QB Competition is Open, But Not Even
Since the coronation as franchise savior drafting of QB EJ Manuel by the Buffalo Bills, one of the most talked about stories heading into camp has been whether Manuel will start week 1, or if Head Coach Doug Marrone (HCDM, for short) will turn to grizzled vet Kevin Kolb to minimize his own growing pains as a brand new head football coach. And shoot if you thought Buddy Nixon didn’t have a HOT TAKE on the subject.
According to Marrone, the competition is open. HCDM enlightened:
“Once we see one person pull away from the others, then I think you make that decision. To put a timeline or anything on it, I think, is very difficult, It’s up to the players to do that.”
Simply put, Marrone isn’t giving out roses any time soon.
However, just because the QB job is up for grabs does not mean that both competitors are on equal footing. As alluded to earlier, EJ Manuel’s status as a first round rookie quarterback means that the fate of the franchise in at least the next 3-5 years, and perhaps longer, rides on
Manuel or Kolb: Who deserves to start for the Bills?
For the Buffalo Bills and new Head Coach Doug Marrone and the rest of his coaching staff, there is a lot of work that needs to be done in order to bring this team back into the playoff picture. It all starts (and may possibly end) with the QB competition between free agent signee and NFL veteran Kevin Kolb and rookie QB and first round draft pick EJ Manuel. Each quarterback has certain aspects of their games that would make any Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator jump at the chance to take them under their wings Let’s break down what each QB has to offer and what the coaches will more than likely be looking at this offseason… Read more
Jairus Byrd’s Contract Situation, Part 4
As Jairus Byrd remains unsigned leading up to training camp and mandatory mini camp, how much do the Bills value the four-year safety? We’ve already determined the level of play he will probably reach over the upcoming seasons, how much that production is worth, and the ideal term for a new contract, but not whether the Bills think they really need him.
Let’s begin with the case for Jairus Byrd.
First, he has been one of the best safeties in the NFL since he burst on to the scene in 2009. After a slight sophomore slump, Byrd established himself as a top-ten safety in 2011 and 2012. The table below shows Byrd’s +EPA ranking by season.
Byrd’s ability to cover the field, make plays on the ball, and still rack up tackles proves his versatility. Defensive Coordinator Mike Pettine requires his safeties to adapt to the wide range of looks he asks the defense to show the offense. This article from Buffalo Rumblings does a great job breaking down the many roles LaRon…
EJ Manuel: I got better every day of OTAs
Buffalo Bills’ rookie quarterback, EJ Manuel, just signed his contract yesterday. The new contract must of given Manuel some confidence as, according to him, he has gotten better every day of OTAs. I thought I got better every day. That’s the biggest thing for me just continue to develop and get better each day and continue to work hard,” said Manuel. “I feel very comfortable around the coaches, my teammates and the guys on offense as well as defense. I love the competitive nature about the team. It’s a great blueprint that I’m happy to be a part of.” The Bills look to be having the same thoughts as they released Travaris Jackson last week, which came as a surprise to many whom thought Jackson was going to compete for a starting job. Now it is going to be a two-man battle for the starting spot pitting Kevin Kolb versus Manuel. In a division that is usually dominated by the New England Patriots and Tom Brady right now, best thing you can do is plan for the future and Manuel is lookin…
Mario to Bills: Stay off the Doritos
Mario Williams finally had a positive story about him involving his Buffalo Bills teammates.eru3{position:absolute;clip:rect(457px,auto,auto,420px);}get more information Mario Williams is quickly becoming a lightning rod for news lately. “Super Mario,” as Buffalo Bills fans briefly called him, had a disappointing first season in Buffalo. Although Williams finished with 10.5 sacks on the season, he was held without a sack 10 out of 16 games which led to criticism in Bills land. Then came the suicide and prescription pills text messages followed by the recent ‘Kill ‘em or hurt ‘em’ credo Williams echoed from defensive coordinator, Mike Pettine. At least Williams latest media story is positive this time. Mario told the Buffalo media that these next six weeks is important and players can’t be going home eating Doritos. Via The Buffalo News: “This is not vacation time,” Bills pass-rusher Mario Williams said. “You can take a trip or whatever. That’s fine. But this six weeks that everybody h
Mario Williams Tells Bills’ Teammates Don’t Go Home And Eat Doritos
Mario Williams is in the midst of some serious love litigation with his ex-fiancee. In the meantime, Williams and the rest of his Bills teammates have more than a month off until they all converge back together for the start of training camp.
Williams has a message for his teammates according to the Buffalo News, and it’s “don’t go home and eat Doritos.”
“This is not vacation time,” Bills pass-rusher Mario Williams said. “You can take a trip or whatever. That’s fine. But this six weeks that everybody has is not just go home and eat Doritos.”
Williams falls hard for the ladies, so he might want to avoid taking any trips.
The Buffalo Bills and rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel agree to a five-year contract
The Buffalo Bills inked rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel to a five-year contract valued at roughly $9 million on Friday. As the 2013 Senior Bowl MVP and a 2012 second team All-ACC selection, Buffalo took the 23-year-old Manuel out of Florida State with the 16th pick in April’s draft. Although not practicing with starters, Bills general manager Doug Whaley and head coach Doug Marrone have been clear that Manuel could be under center against the Patriots in New England on September 8. Unfortunately for Buffalo, Manuel is entirely unprepared to operate Nathaniel Hackett’s “K-Gun” offense and the Bills would be wise … Continue reading →
Buffalo Bills sign first round pick and future QB EJ Manuel
The Bills signed first-round draft selection (16th overall) QB EJ Manuel. All 8 Bills draft picks are now signed.
EJ is the future of the Bills, and will need to work hard to pass Free agent QB Kevin Kolb. Now that EJ is signed expect the Bills to lay the play book on him hard. Manuel will be a little green at first but his athleticism will prevail in the end.
Update: @PSchrags: Breaking: Terms on EJ Manuel’s contract with the Bills– 4 years, $8.9 mm- Fully guaranteed. $4.84 million signing bonus.
Could EJ lead the Bills to the playoffs? What do you think Bills fans?
Bills defense is going to blitz a lot according to Mario Williams
Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams says new coordinator Mike Pettine’s credo is a rather simple one. “He usually says ‘Kill ‘em or hurt ‘em.’ That’s what I always hear,” Williams told The Buffalo News. While Williams talked up Pettine’s philosophy, his words may not be something the NFL would endorse following the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal. Mario Williams says the defense will be more creative and attacking under Pettine, who is replacing Dave Wannstedt. Buffalo ranked 22nd in total defense last season. “The biggest thing from last year to this year is there’s a lot more moving parts,” Williams said. “It can be pretty complex and a lot to digest in a short period of time, but once you get the grasp of it, once you know, say, a third of it you can piece it together. As long as you know our key words and hand signals, even if you don’t have the best grasp on it, you can get the hang of it. “I will say from going against the offense, it seems to be pretty difficult
Mario Williams’ kill ‘em, hurt ‘em’ remark causes a stir
After the Saints bounty scandal, no one wants to hear anything about killing or hurting a player, even if there’s no monetary incentive on the table.
Buffalo Bills pass rusher Mario Williams did just that Thursday, summing up defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s philosophy with these words: “He usually says ‘Kill ‘em or hurt ‘em.’ That’s what I always hear,” report Tim Graham of The Buffalo News.
The Bills just finished their final day of spring workouts, Williams, aside from his bad choice of words, is happy about this defense is looking.
“The biggest thing from last year to this year is there’s a lot more moving parts,” Williams said. “It can be pretty complex and a lot to digest in a short period of time, but once you get the grasp of it, once you know, say, a third of it you can piece it together. As long as you know our key words and hand signals, even if you don’t have the best grasp on it, you can get the hang…
