Inside The Bills

Whitner: don’t put it on coaches

Donte Whitner made it loud and clear in the locker room after Sunday’s game that the scheme and the coaching staff shouldn’t be taking the heat for the team’s performance Sunday.

“I can honestly tell you that the coaching staff is doing a really great job of preparing us throughout the week,” said Whitner. ”Now, us as players, we have to do an even better job of going out there and executing the game plan, understanding what they are going to do to us each play and not give up things that twe have practiced against. Things that are so simple in the football world.”

Most of the other players in the locker room also credited the coaches for trying to help put them in a position to succeed, but that they the players are not coming through. The Bills are going to need the bye week to right some of the wrongs that have plagued them the first five weeks of the season.

Anxious for a takeaway

The Bills finished the 2009 season ranked first in the AFC and tied for second in the league in interceptions with 28. Through the first quarter of the season Buffalo is still looking for their first INT and it’s not sitting well with the men in the locker room.

”We need turnovers,” said Jairus Byrd. “We have to go out and execute and play our game. We go in with the same mindset (each week), nothing really changes. We’ve just got to execute.”

Buffalo’s lone takeaway came in the New England game in Week 3 when Byrd recovered a fumble that was forced by Drayton Florence. Other than that it’s been slim pickings for the Bills defenders.

”We’re still the same guys, we still have the same guys in here,” said Donte Whitner. ”I know there are a lot of people in panic mode and there’s not a reason to be in panic mode but if we change our mentality on the football field we’ll be a better football team.”



Hoping to answer questions

Donte Whitner is all too familiar with his team’s lack of success in beating the Patriots. They’ve come close the past few seasons, with last year’s Monday Night opener being the latest example. At 0-2 he knows the team has to show more convincing signs that they’re making progress and he believes the lack of success in beating New England only serves as added fuel for that fire.

“We are motivated to beat New England and I know coach won’t say it but I know he wants to be the first to go up there and stop this streak and show whose the master of the game and that he can beat him,” said Whitner. ”And show that you are a good football coach, show that your team is moving in the right direction. Those are all the questions that will be answered if we go up there and get a win against New England.”

Whitner: Laughing must stop

Bills strong safety Donte Whitner said the Green Bay Packers offensive players were laughing at the Bills in the fourth quarter of last week’s game. He also said there’s another AFC East opponent of theirs that has done the same in recent years.

“It happened last week,” said Whitner. ”The Packers were laughing at us. Aaron Rodgers and a lot of those guys were laughing at us toward the end of the football game and that never feels good.”

When asked about the different kinds of losses at the hands of the Patriots over the years, Whitner said the New England players do the same thing.

“Yeah, by the end of the fourth quarter they’re laughing at us,” said Whitner of the Pats after last year’s Monday Night loss to New England. ”It always happens. We can’t keep allowing that to happen. Guys go out there and they work too hard. When you don’t come out the way that you prepare all week and all offseason to come out then there’s obviously something wrong.”

As a follow up Whitner was asked if he thought playing sound football was what was most important in preventing that from happening again and turning the team’s fortunes around.

“We want to get things turned around, but at the same time it’s football teams with grown men laughing at other grown men on the football field,” he said. ”That happened to us in the ball game last week and it happens every time we play New England. So we’ve got to stop that and we look forward to stopping that. We’re ready to beat New England and I know coach wants to go up there and beat New England. So we have an opportunity and what we do with that opportunity is up to us.”

Whitner having fun with T.O. and Ocho

After being called out by Chad Ochocinco last week on twitter, Whitner has responded with a message for Ochocinco and his partner in crime in the Cincinnati receiving corps.

Whitner tweeted the following in anticipation of the Bills’ next preseason game against the Bengals at RWS on Saturday.

DonteWhitner    Hey @terrellowens and @OGOchoCinco did u guys watch our Indy Film yet? Hope so, have a great day guys!

I wouldn’t call it trash talking. Whitner is keeping it cordial, but it’s obvious that Whitner and Buffalo’s secondary is eager to face the self-proclaimed Batman and Robin duo. Especially after what he said when asked about the upcoming game after practice this morning.

“I’m looking forward to seeing T.O. and [Chad] Ochocinco,” he said. ”He sent me a couple messages on Twitter. It’s all a lot of fun, but when we go out there on the football field we expect to go out there and have a great showing against those guys. We feel like we’re one of the top secondaries in the National Football League and we have to go out and show it each and every Sunday.”

OchoCinco calls out Whitner

The Bills won’t see the Bengals until their third preseason game on Aug. 28, but Chad OchoCinco is already making things interesting calling out Donte Whitner in his latest twitter post.

OGOchoCinco    @DonteWhitner remember that year you knocked me out in Buffalo? Im not your friend still, its my turn really soon for revenge.

What exactly OchoCinco means by revenge is unclear, but the knockout shot by Whitner was impressive and by the way legal. Usually OchoCinco is just looking to score touchdowns when he makes these call outs to opponents.

The Bills will also face the Bengals in the regular season in Week 11 on Nov. 21 in Cincinnati, so if something occurs between OchoCinco and Whitner in the preseason game on the 28th, you can bet there will be carry over come Week 11.

Gailey doesn’t believe in luck

The Bills secondary were the beneficiaries of some fortuitous deflections in both the morning and evening practices Friday, but don’t tell Chan Gailey they were lucky plays.

In the morning practice, Jairus Byrd made his second interception of the day catching a deflected pass during red zone work in the end zone for an interception. In the night practice, Bryan Scott got his second takeaway when he ran headlong to pick off a deflected pass during a two-minute drill. But Gailey says while deflected passes may look like a lucky break, they’re anything but.

“I don’t believe in luck,” Gailey said. ”Those guys hustle and if you’re hustling then you make big plays and you get those things and they’re good for you. To me that’s a mark of a hustling defense.”

All in all it was a heck of a day for the safeties with Byrd (2 INTs), Scott (1 INT, 1 FR) and Whitner (2 INTs) all recording a pair of takeaways on the day. The secondary is looking downright scary for opposing passing games.

Where Schobel money could go

For now Aaron Schobel’s contract is still on the books, but once he either retires or is moved via trade, there will be a good chunk of change with which to help the team in terms of personnel.

I believe some of that money will go to some young veterans whose contracts are up after this season. Chief among them is Paul Posluszny. Others include Donte Whitner, Ashton Youboty, George Wilson, Trent Edwards, Brian Brohm and long snapper Garrison Sanborn.

Obviously, the quarterback situation will have to definitively be resolved before determining who might be re-signed long term. By no means am I saying all these guys are going to be re-signed, but those kinds of decisions will have to be made, and the money will be there to pay who they want to pay.

The point is that in rebuilding this roster a good portion of that money from the Schobel contract is likely to go into reinvesting in the young vets whose contracts are up.

Whitner making his best Lebron pitch

Bills safety and Cleveland native Donte Whitner has apparently done his best to convince LeBron James to continue his NBA career in Cleveland.

In one of his latest twitter posts Whitner states that he’s spoken directly to James on more than one occasion.

DonteWhitner  I’ve had the opportunity to tell @kingjames twice in person to “Please stay in cle”..guys help me tell him again! Bronie please stay.

Whitner later tweeted that he believes James at his prime time press conference scheduled for Thursday evening will say he’s following his heart and staying in Cleveland. I’ll believe it when I see it.

Fan Friday 6-18

Only a week left of spring practices and then the layoff before training camp. On to your questions (AskChris@bills.nfl.net).

1 - Chris,
I think James Hardy has a very good chance to become the 2^nd receiver to Lee Evans. He has all the physical tools to succeed and with his tall, lanky frame is the only WR with those attributes. The question is can he put in the necessary work of running route and reading defenses? What do you think?

William
Schenectady, NY
CB: James Hardy is very much a part of the competition for the #2 WR position. He will get legitimate competition however, from draft classmate Steve Johnson and rookie fourth-round pick Marcus Easley. Easley has flashed a very strong set of hands and has a knack for turning in big plays through the spring practices. Hardy has made plays here and there as has Johnson. We’ll know more when the pads go on in training camp when the game gets more physical, but Easley is known as a physical wideout. His youth will not be the deficiency that some might think it would be in a competition like this.

2 - Chris,

Have the Bills examined the Idea of moving Eric Wood back to his natural position of Center? Especially coming off of his injury, it might be a faster way to get him back. It’s not like Hangartner was a Pro-Bowl caliber player last year and if my memory serves me correctly, Wood was Brohm’s Center at Louisville, so they already has chemistry. I’ve been waiting for a dominant center ever since we picked Mccargo instead of Mangold. 

Line would look like this…  Bell, Levitre, Wood, Green, Meredith….Thanks!

Joe
CB: I get the sense that the Bills offensive staff believes he can help them the most at guard. Plus they are heavily invested in Geoff Hangartner after signing him as a free agent in the 2009 offseason. Your Brohm chemistry point is valid, but to maintain continuity last year for an offensive line that had none of it last season, leaving him at right guard is probably the best move.

3 - Hey Chris, 

With all the talk of trading Lynch and how they won’t get good compensation for a pro bowl back, why not just trade jackson instead?   His value seems to be at an all time high coming off of a solid season in 09 and the speed/power combination of spiller and lynch should be something special.  Just a though as we could definitely use some more draft picks or a LT.
 
Brett in the hot and sunny AK

CB: I think trading Jackson is absolutely crazy. The man put up the sixth best all-purpose yardage season in NFL history last season with over 2,500 yards. On a team desperate for as much playmaking talent as possible it would be insane to move Jackson.

4 - Chris,

In reading Donte’s comment on the different type of training they are experiencing, and the much more rigorous work outs, do you believe they are on the right track? The last three years were unreal with all the injuries. I remember making a comment to you a couple seasons ago that I thought something had to be going on with their training methods to produce so many injuries. Your comment was that I may be on to something. The Bills have had a very good team as starters each year going in but were hampered regularly with replacement players. Do you think this will be a break out year even though they are rookied up.

Also do you think they can learn this system well enough by mid season to make a strong finishing run to the play offs?

Jim from Chattanooga TN
CB: I think Donte said it all. He said the difference between the training last year and this year is like night and day. Donte feels it will make them more physically resistant to injury. I think the greatest this strength and conditioning staff will have on this team is stamina and endurance. There were several games and leads that were lost in the fourth quarter last year because this team simply wasn’t fit enough. That will not be the case this year. The 2010 Bills will have a lot more left in the tank come the fourth quarter.

5 – Hi Chris,
I was thinking back to the last three years and I think one of our biggest problems was that the offence was too predictable and I realize last year the line was also a big factor (and I honestly expect them to be better this year because they will be used to playing together) on first and second downs we ran it and third down were shotgun plays and we didn’t utilize enough people I think they should use a highly rotational offence meaning using a bunch of different personal combinations like 1 play have lee evans, lynch, and james hardy then on the next play c.j. spiller, roscoe parish shawn nelson and klopfenstein and I was wondering what you thought of what you have seen from the offence so far in ota’s. thank you.

CB: The offense is really in its infancy here in the spring and with a quarterback competition going on as well, it doesn’t cater to developing continuity early. Despite that I think you can bank on Chan Gailey’s offense being extremely multiple. His offense doesn’t have a distinct approach to it and that’s on purpose. There are an endless number of pre-snap shifts and motions and personnel groupings change almost as much. I think for the first time in a long time the Bills coaching staff has one of the better offensive minds in the league.

Whitner on spotting Lynch

Bills safety Donte Whitner addressed his comment on twitter from earlier this week that he saw Marshawn Lynch at the Bills training facility.

“I don’t know when to expect to see him,” Whitner said in regards to participating on the practice field. “I saw him two days ago. Other than that I really haven’t seen him.”

You can watch Donte’s comments right here. The team confirmed that Lynch was working out in the team’s weight room on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

Some jawing at practice

The defense had the better of play on day one of minicamp Friday and it prompted them to challenge their offensive counterparts all the more with some talk.

Donte Whitner got things going when he anticipated a screen play and started yelling, “Screen, screen.”

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick hearing this changed the play and Whitner had a few more words for the offense indicating it was a good idea to change it.

From time to time offensive players told defensive players to simmer down and be quiet. But the defensive players kept egging the offensive players on, and it became all the easier with the number of plays they were making.

Reggie Corner however, made sure to point out that it’s all in the name of good competition.

“It makes it a lot more fun out there for everybody,” said Corner of the chatter back and forth. “Those that talk have to make plays, but it is respectful and it’s designed to get the guy going against you to go harder in practice.”

Practice has been spirited this week and the talking has been part of the reason for it.

Report: Lynch to report Thursday

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter Bills RB Marshawn Lynch is expected to report to OTAs on Thursday.

Here was Schefter’s twitter post to that effect.

Adam_Schefter  Bills RB Marshawn Lynch is in Buffalo, will be participating in the Bills’ OTAs, and is expected to attend Thursday’s OTA session.

Bills SS Donte Whitner also tweeted that Lynch was in the building at One Bills Drive Wednesday. Lynch however, was not in attendance at practice, so it’s likely that he visited with teammates after practice.

Fan Friday 5-28

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone. Just take a minute to remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
First week of OTAs is in the books. Let’s get to your questions (AskChris@bills.nfl.net).

1 – Hi Chris:
 
    I was wondering if you think that Jamon Meredith has a shot at becoming the starting right tackle for the Bills this year?  I know his play was limited in 2009, and it looked to me like he struggled against Julius Peppers, but he also looked as though he might have potential based on what I saw in the other games he played in.
 
Thanks,

Rick

CB: Meredith is actually going to be pushing Demetrius Bell for the starting left tackle position. At least that’s how things are shaping up after the first week of OTAs. Meredith was working with the starting unit at left tackle with Bell still rehabbing from surgery.
Though your memory of Meredith’s play is struggling against Julius Peppers you need to know that his first three career starts were made in Buffalo uniform last season, without the benefit of a training camp or prior knowledge of the Bills offensive scheme. He had a month to prepare and then he was suddenly starting. So under the circumstances I thought he did pretty well. I thought his first career start against the Jets at the Meadowlands last season was a pretty good one.

Meredith also looks bigger and stronger through the shoulders and his upper body. We’ll see what kind of difference that makes and how much he’ll push Bell come training camp.

2 - Hey Chris,
My question to you is Buddy Nix in an interview said they were talking about moving up in the draft after selecting Spiller at #9. Did you ever find out from Buddy what player that they were targeting that he said was gone so they just stood still and never made a trade?
JON
Tampa, FL

CB: I don’t know for certain, but I strongly believe the only player they were considering other than Spiller was Russell Okung the offensive tackle from Oklahoma State. Had he still been on the board when the Raiders were on the clock at eight, I think they would’ve made a deal to move up and get him. But when he went to Seattle at six, that was obviously no longer an option.

3 - Hey chris,
 
The Bills have 3 safeties that can play in byrd, whitner and wilson. So who are the two that the Bills think can be the starters right away and is there a chance that one of those guys moves to CB? Also the linebacker corps need something too with another OLB do you think that Davis can be that guy or can Harris come into that spot?

CB: I think you’re forgetting about Bryan Scott, who is a more than capable safety as well. So that’s four right there, all with experience. Right now Whitner and Byrd are the starters in OTAs. Scott and Wilson are the reserves. It’s going to be an interesting competition. I don’t believe any of them are fit for moving to corner at the NFL level, and they have good depth at that position anyway.
As for OLB Davis is strictly an inside guy. Outside with the ones right now it’s Kelsay on the strong side with Maybin and Chris Ellis sharing first team reps on the other side.
4 – Chris,
In the past it seems as though we have given receivers a ‘cushion’ which allowed them to get 5-10 yards pretty much at will.  Do you see the new 3-4 defense coming with more press coverage?  I think Leodis and McGee can handle it particularly Leodis with his size.  I am tired of hearing about Revis island.
 
 
Regards,
Steven J. Huber

CB: I think you can bank on seeing a lot more press or man coverage in George Edwards defensive scheme. Players have already been commenting on how much more man coverage calls they’re getting in their 3-4 scheme. They’re excited about it, and it makes sense. With one of the deepest units on the roster it makes sense to ask the secondary to man up more.

5 - Hi Chris,
 
It seems as though most draftniks thought the Bills got very good value for just about all of their selections, with the exception of Torell Troup. It also seems that most of these people believed the Bills should have taken Mount Cody at that spot. I have more faith in the Bills’ organization than in these analysts, so I don’t have any problem with the pick, but can you touch on some of Troup’s qualities that made the team value him above players like Cody or Linval Joseph, who I know you were high on?
 
Thanks,
 
Brad

CB: What Troup offers that Cody does not is the ability to play all three downs. Cody is a two-down run defender and nothing more. Plus his weight issues and work ethic issues are going to make you wonder just what you’re going to get on every snap. The guy has also had conditioning issues.

You’ll never have to worry about what you’re going to get out of Troup. He’s more than capable athletically and has a work ethic that Cody does not come close too. He’s not going to be pushing the pocket for sacks, but he relishes the dirty work. As for Joseph I did like him as a prospect. I think his peak however is further away than Troup’s.

Whitner hears the chatter

Donte Whitner had been traded close to a dozen times via media speculation this offseason. He’s read all of that and heard the negative feedback from fans. In the end though he’s glad he’s still a Bill.

Whitner said he’s taken all that negative energy and used it as motivation in preparing himself for what he hopes is his best NFL season.

“It affected me, but I think in a positive way,” said Whitner of all the talk about him. ”I haven’t missed a day of offseason conditioning. Right now I think I’m in my best shape since my rookie year. I just have a chip on my shoulder. It’s not a negative thing it’s a positive.

“It’s not taking things for granted. It’s going out there and doing whatever I have to do whether it’s being first in every sprint from conditioning to lifting the most. That’s my mindset and my focus and it’s just a positive fuel thing. It’s nothing negative. I’m glad that it happened. I’m glad that I read some of those things, and I’m glad that I’m still here so we’ll see what happens this year.”

Whitner is currently running as the first team strong safety in Buffalo’s defense.

Defensive scheme more complex

In speaking with a lot of the defensive players the past few days, to say that Buffalo’s new defensive scheme is more complex would be an understatement.

Coming from the Tampa 2 system to the new 3-4 under defensive coordinator George Edwards it’s pretty clear that the Bills will have a lot more to throw at their opponents this season and the players could not be happier.

“In the coverage it’s a lot of better,” said Donte Whitner. ”We previously played the Tampa 2 and it’s just spot dropping and breaking on the football. Now everything that we do basically turns into man.

“No matter what coverage we’re playing, we don’t play regular cover two. There might be a spot here and there, but we’re doing so much now. We’ve put more in the last two days than we had in our playbook the entire season last year. We’re putting in about eight different defenses a day, so we’re up to 24 or 25 now before we return on Tuesday.” 

Whitner and his defensive teammates like what they’ve seen and heard from Edwards and believe they’ll have an opportunity to dictate play more to their opponent instead of reacting.

“Coach Edwards really understands what we have to do in terms of downs and situations and putting players in position to make plays and get teams in third and long so we can play with these teams and have some fun,” Whitner said. ”That’s what we’ve been working on straight out the gate. He said he’s not going to slow down with his installs. We welcome it. It’s been fun so far. We’ll see where it goes.”

After the first week of OTAs it’s hard not to think that this year’s defense will be far more dynamic. Defensive backs have been making a ton of plays on the ball this first week and Donte believes it’s the byproduct of simply playing a lot more man coverage, something that the DBs on this team are more than capable of handling, but never had the chance to do much of in the past.

Whitner up front about conditioning

With the first week of OTAs in the books, Donte Whitner and his teammates that were here last year have been indoctrinated by the new coaching staff as to how they’re going to prepare for football under Chan Gailey. According to Whitner it’s completely different from what they did in the past.

“Even if we thought we were working hard before, it’s a lot harder now,” said Whitner. ”So it’s almost like a welcome to the NFL type of thing. The weight room its totally different thing from the way we lift, the style of lifting, the things we do, the running. It’s almost going back to college knowing how hard you work and running the gassers. That’s what it’s going to take for us to win everybody in top peak shape. We’ve been in the top 3 the past couple of year in injuries. That should help us, so I think we’ll be pretty good.”

When specifically asked by a media member if the camps under the previous coaching regime were too easy Whitner was of the opinion that they were.

“I don’t want to ruffle any feathers, but I would say yes,” he said. ”I really feel like that, now looking at the way we work now and the way we worked collectively before yes, totally yes.”

Whitner done with twitter?

Bills safety Donte Whitner and a host of other NFL players all keep fans up to date on their twitter accounts. Whitner however, is tired of dealing with the numbskulls that keep trying to drag him down.

Whitner posted this entry several hours ago.

DonteWhitner  Bye bye twitter 4 good

He has since posted the following.

DonteWhitner Never put ur faith in friends. Only family

After getting in touch with Donte by text he confirmed that the negative feedback he gets is what prompted him to bid farewell to the twitter world. And it’s hard to blame him. In many cases it’s a lose-lose situation for players because if they respond to negative feedback to defend themselves they’re seen as thin skinned.

Fan Friday 4-16

Less than a week to go until the draft. Let the rumors fly.  As a reminder next week Fan Friday will take a hiatus as we will be providing frequent Inside the Bills blog updates during rounds two and three of the NFL draft. Fan Friday will return on April 30.
Here are your questions this week. (AskChris@bills.nfl.net).

1 - Chris,
 
Because our OL was not all that great last year, what is your opinion on the following draft scenario:
 
1st     Brian Bulaga or Trent Williams OT
2nd    Cam Thomas NT
3rd    Jon Asamoah OG could be used as OT
4th    Anthony Dixon RB
5th   John Skelton QB
6th  Linval Joseph NT
7th  Seyi Ajirotutu WR
 
I think this really addresses our needs, and solidifies out OL and DL especially with the new 3-4 D.
 
I know a lot people would not like this, but we have to get strong up front before anything !!!

CB: You’re preaching to the choir on fortifying the lines first. I’d be ecstatic if those first two picks come to fruition. Asamoah might not be there in the third and East Carolina’s Linval Joseph definitely will not be there in the fifth round. In fact he might come off the board before Thomas in round two. That guy is a beast. Positionally I think you’re on the money for the most part, although Chan Gailey made it clear he’s seeking a third down change of pace back that has more elusiveness to his game than Dixon, who moves the pile.

2 – Chris,
Do you think Cody out of Alabama would be a good nose tackle? I think we might be able to get him in the 2nd round.

Can’t wait for the draft. Tired of seeing everybody and their mom’s mock draft that keep coming out everyday.

Best,
Josh

CB: I think Cody will be a very effective run stuffer in the NFL. How can he not be? The man is enormous. That however, could also be a problem. He had issues with his endurance in college. In a lot of games he rarely played more than 35 snaps. He was a two down player in college and figures to be that in the NFL where the speed of the game is likely to get him winded even quicker.

Knowing he’s a two down player only I’m not sure every NFL team would be willing to invest a second-round pick in him, but I’m sure there are two or three teams willing to do that. Whether the Bills are one of them remains to be seen.

3 - Hey Chris,
What do you think are our chances of getting Jared Gaither from Baltimore? Heard they lowered their  choices to an early 2 rd pick.

CB: There are rumors that it would take less than the first-round tender he was offered. What worries me are the reported work ethic issues with Gaither. It might just be a case of a guy that doesn’t get it yet being that he’s still so young and takes his talent for granted. But the Bills have some quality work ethic players on their front line right now. If they believe Gaither could disrupt that chemistry they might not look to acquire him at all.

Knowing the Bills have probably done their due diligence on Gaither in terms of character and work ethic, if he fits the bill and Buffalo doesn’t have the chance to take one of the top three offensive tackles at ninth overall (Bulaga, Okung, Williams), then I think making a move for Gaither becomes a greater possibility.

4 - Hey Chris,
Do you think if Bulaga is off the board that the Bills take Dez Bryant rather than take their chances with Anthony Davis or Trent Williams? At least Dez Bryant is the safe pick to pair up with Lee Evans and then just grab an OT at 41 or trade up. Also do you think Dexter McCluster will be on the board when the bills pick in round 3?

CB: If Bulaga is off the board and Trent Williams is still there I think they leap on him. Personally I think the Bills would be happy with any one of the top three tackles (Okung, Williams, Bulaga). I do not think they would take Anthony Davis at nine due to the fact that he’s 20-years old and a little immature. Dez Bryant is not the way they’re going to go. It would be similar to adding Terrell Owens last year. You haven’t fixed the line so no QB will have time to throw to any of those guys.
I’m not sure McCluster will still be there in round three. Could go late second round.

5 - Hey Chris,
I have a some questions for you concerning the Bills defense.
 
Do the Bills and their new coaching staff see playing Byrd at free safety and Whitner at strong safety a possibility? What position is Bryan Scott going to play this year? Is he going to be strong safety or linebacker? If the Bills were able to go to a Byrd/Whitner combo at both safety positions do you think we could see a trade with George Wilson or Bryan Scott involved?  Thanks for your time.  Go Bills!
 
Tony
Knoxville, TN

CB: Head coach Chan Gailey has defended Donte Whitner this offseason after he was the subject of trade rumors. He has been quoted as saying that Whitner is the starting strong safety and I believe free safety is Byrd’s job to lose. Bryan Scott will compete with Whitner. Linebacker is off the table for him. George Wilson will also compete at strong and free safety.

Whitner pulling for McNabb

Bills safety Donte Whitner made it clear that he wouldn’t mind having Donovan McNabb on his roster.

In one of his more recent twitter posts Whitner appears to have his fingers crossed.

DonteWhitner    I hope D+nvan McNabb comes to us. He’s great..

Whitner in a subsequent post also shared that his mother and McNabb’s mother are good friends as both serve on the NFL Moms committee.