Inside The Bills

Gailey on WR corps future

There’s a lot of speculation about the future of Buffalo’s receiving corps and who will still be a part of it in 2011. All of Buffalo top seven wideouts are under contract, and knowing Marcus Easley will be back healthy next season has fans wondering who might be the odd one out.

Most speculate that Lee Evans coming off a career low season could be moved, but that’s not how Chan Gailey sees it.

In an interview on Morning Bull on 103.3 the Edge earlier this week, Buffalo’s head coach outlined his ideal vision for his receiving corps when asked specifically if Evans’ future with the team could be questioned.

“Lee has been a very good receiver and I think will continue to be a very good receiver,” Gailey said. ”The problem was people would double over him and we couldn’t get the ball to anybody else. All of a sudden we were able to get the ball to somebody else (this season). Roscoe started turning his game around, Stevie Johnson had a nice year and some young players came in and produced. We look more to the future as a balance thing instead of having a one, two or three. Everybody wants to say, ‘He’s a one, he’s a two.’ Ideally you’d like all of them to have about 50 catches and 800 yards because that means they can’t key on any one guy.”

Seeing most of Buffalo’s receiving corps prove they can make plays in 2010, Gailey feels any and all of their pass catching weapons can have their number called at any time, meaning more threats for opposing defenses to be worried about.

Evans future

Lee Evans, who had his season cut short by an ankle injury from which he’ll fully recover, is considered by some outside the organization as expendable in light of the emergence of several other receivers on the roster this season. Head coach Chan Gailey doesn’t see it that way.

When asked if he could see Evans not on this roster in 2011, Gailey didn’t see that being the case, but he did not completely rule it out.

“Well I doubt it,” said Gailey. ”But I’m not gonna say anything’s impossible. But when you look at it, to me that group that you mentioned, including Lee Evans, gives us a quality receiving corps going into the season. It’s going to be hard for, if all those guys stay healthy and all of them do what we expect them to do the advantage is they can’t lock in on any one guy.

“The disadvantage is nobody’s going to have any great stats because the ball’s going to be spread around. That’s what happened. They go over and double cover Lee the first half of the season so the other side gets all the catches. That’s kind of what happened. I don’t know how it’s going to work out next year. I just know it’s a much better position we’re walking into this year than we were walking into last year ona lot of spots on the offensive side of the ball.”

Perhaps the reason Gailey is leaving the door open by saying “nothing is impossible”, is because wide receiver has suddenly become the deepest offensive position on the roster with all the young wideouts emerging. Add in the fact that Marcus Easley returns healthy for 2011 and the thinking could be that with so many holes to be filled on the roster at other positions, perhaps dealing from a position of strength could help the team fill a need somewhere else.

I don’t see that coming to fruition, but it would be tough to say anything is certain with a team that still has a lot of roster shaping to do.

Fan Friday 12-31

Happy New Year Bills fans! One game to go and the Bills will be entering their game with the Jets with a skeleton crew due to injury. As a reminder Fan Friday will continue into the offseason so keep your questions coming at AskChris@bills.nfl.net.

1 - Chris,
 
You mentioned in a previous post that Marcus Easley was doing straight line running, which makes it sound like his injury was an ACL. I know with ACLs the time frame is running in a straight line after 4 months or so. Can you ask him what the injury was?
 
Thanks,
Brian

CB: Hopefully you saw our story on Marcus’ progress on Buffalobills.com this week. I did ask him specifically about the nature of the injury and he said there was a lot of loose and damaged cartilage that had to be cleaned out. Technically his surgery was a scope, but it was a significant procedure in terms of what they had to clean up. I did ask him specifically if there was anything wrong with his ACL and he said, ‘No.’ Knowing he’s only four months removed from the injury and already 100 percent the ACL clearly wasn’t an issue.

2 - Hi Chris,
I know it’s early but I was wondering if Andrew Luck is gone come the bills draft pick, do you think the bills would trade back to add some early picks to move along the building of this team since we still have needs on both sides of the ball.  I was thinking if they end up with a top 5-10 pick and move back a few spots and pick up another 2nd or 3rd round pick that we could still end up with a stud defensive player and add to other positions as well such as TE,LB tackle, and maybe a QB to groom for the future behind Fitz like Locker who is really talented but needs to show up all the time rather than sometimes.  I think adding an all around TE one that can catch and block would really help this team as well, it’s a weapon we’ve been missing since Jay Riemersma.  Your thoughts?
 
Thanks -Showtime.

CB: First of all, Luck even declaring for the draft is still very much up in the air with most reports out west indicating that he’s returning for his senior season. Obviously if his head coach heads to the NFL that could change things. That being said I wouldn’t rule out the Bills trading down, but the bottom line is they need top tier talent that they can put on the field right away and those are usually found in the top 10.

They also needs to fill a lot of holes at a lot of positions, so trading back to acquire more picks has its merit. I think a lot could depend on how the picks in front of them fall and how enamored they might be with prospects that could be available when it’s their turn to pick.

3 - Hi Chris, I have to say I am really proud of the Bills for coming back and playing the way they have played for the second half of the season. Assuming there is football next year, do you see the Bills vying for a playoff spot next year? I mean they might need an infusion of one more draft, but I am impressed with what they have done over the last six games(except for the Minnesota game). What are your thoughts?
 
Tony, Daytona Beach, Fl

CB: It’s really hard to say what this team is going to look like in year two under Gailey and Nix. They’ve got a lot of draft picks to work with and a lot of holes to fill, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. If Nix and his personnel department hit a home run in the draft they could very well be a playoff contender. I just think season two is more likely to be closer to a .500 season. That’s how I see it now. If they get some prime time players in the draft, success could be coming to the Bills sooner rather than later.

4 - Hi Chris,
My question with reagards to Fitz’s relationship with the other 2 quarterbacks. Has Fitz been acting as a mentor towards both Brohm and Brown? Do the other 2 quarterbacks watch film together with Fitz when he’s watching film with the receivers?
 
Rich from Rochacha.

CB: Here’s Ryan’s answer to that very question from this week knowing that Brohm took all the practice reps. He was asked if he’s helped Brian through the week on the practice field and in the film room.

“There’s been a lot of conversation throughout the week and a lot of it has been the same dialogue. He’s had a little bit more of a voice this week because he’s been the one out there taking the snaps in practice. We bounce stuff off each other all week and I try to help him whenever I can.”

5 – Chris,

First of all happy holidays to you and yours. My first question is have you heard anything about Merriman and Nix having any extension talks? I heard he is still attending games (which is not required for IR players) and has even been seen pulling Moats aside to give him tips. That would make a fan such as myself billieve that he is personally interested in Moats’ future or maybe the future of the Bills. Also, many fans see Lee Evans as trade-able with the emergence of Stevie and the group of undrafted free agents, also with Easley and Parrish coming back from IR. So with the size of his contract and the previously mentioned emerging WRs do you think it will/could happen? If so what do you think we could get?
Thank you,
Joe from C.Sq.

CB: Thanks for the well wishes. Haven’t heard anything regarding Merriman and Nix, and my thinking is no one intends to talk to Merriman until they know he’s healthy and can pass a physical, which is not the case right now after he re-injured his Achilles. I saw him last week and his foot was still in a boot.

As for Lee Evans, while fans see him as expendable, I don’t believe the Bills organization feels that way at all. While the young receivers have done a nice job stepping in to fill the void left by Evans and Parrish, I think Evans is a respected receiver by opposing defenses and would afford Johnson more opportunities with teams forced to respect Evans deep speed. None of the young wideouts have Evans’ deep speed.

Fan Friday 12-24

Merry Christmas Bills fans! Here are your questions this week from AskChris@bills.nfl.net.

1 - What about picking up McNabb as a back up?
Tony Smith

CB: I really don’t see this as a viable option for a number of reasons. First, the Redskins, if they do decide to move him, will want a mid-round draft choice in return. I don’t see the Bills parting with a fourth-round draft choice for someone that will serve as their backup QB.

Second, McNabb still believes fervently that he’s a starting caliber quarterback in this league and I would tend to agree.

There are some teams in worse situations at quarterback than the Bills that I believe will pay Washington’s asking price, within reason and make McNabb their starter. But backup does not appeal to McNabb and what you’d have to give up to make him a backup on your roster wouldn’t appeal to the Bills.

2 - Chris,
I was wondering if you could tell me how the NFL determines the draft order among teams with identical records. Is it some statistical category such as conference wins, etc, or do they just automatically do the coin flip?

If it is the coin flip, what do they do if there are 3 teams with the same record?

Thanks, Chris
-Alex

CB: Ties based on record are broken via reverse strength of schedule. So if the Bills and 49ers are tied with 5-11 records at the end of the season, then the league would look at their strength of schedule (winning percentage of their opponents this year). Whichever team has the weaker strength of schedule picks first.

The reason this is done is because that team has what is deemed to be an easier schedule and still could win only five games, while the other team had a tougher schedule and won five games. Hope you can see the logic there.

If all the numbers come out equal then if head-to-head is applicable I believe that comes into play, but there have been instances where it has gone all the way to a coin flip. Rarely does it get past reverse strength of schedule with three teams. One almost always falls out of the tie.

3 - Hi Chris,
 
I am a huge Lee Evans fan and think he is a great WR.  With that said he is a #1 WR but has not been putting up #1 WR numbers. Other #1 WRs get doubles up on and still put up good numbers an catches but Lee’s numbers have dropped.  I am wondering if the team needs to trade Evans for a decent draft pick and try to move Steve Johnson to #1 and try to find another #2 again or draft another WR early. 

I know Evans is a smaller speedy WR which being 5’10” may be the reason he doesn’t get the ball as much in double coverage but I’d like to see the team with capable guys on both sidelines that can get the ball and put up the numbers.  What do you think the issue is there? 

And I’m liking what I see from Justin Blackmon, I think he’ll end up being something pretty special in the NFL, I know we have some capable guys at WR but this kid may be a superstar down the line, any chance we make a move to get him? I am missing the days of the 90s bills when even Steve Tasker was making plays for us and everyone could catch the ball…. but even more recent the moulds and price days as well.  I hope we get back to them soon.
Thanks – Showtime.

CB: For a guy that is a huge Lee Evans fan you have an interesting way of showing your loyalty. Yes, Evans had a down season prior to going on injured reserve with career lows in catches and yards. Moving a guy coming off a season with a downturn in production with a salary his size number one is difficult.

Second, to give up on Evans would be foolish. On a receiving corps that is still largely young you want a veteran presence that has made clutch plays. That’s Evans.

Yes, he has trouble at times with bump and run coverage, but if Johnson is your number one, Evans is a pretty darn good number two.

What confuses me is you talk up Justin Blackmon saying he be special in the NFL, and he may be, but the Bills have guys on their roster now that are making plays. Nelson, Jones and Roosevelt are only going to improve and showing that everyone can catch the ball, you know, like those days you’re for some reason longing for.

I’m not quite sure what you’ve been watching here in the second half of the season offensively, but receiver is going to be the least of Buffalo’s positional concerns this offseason.

4 – Hi Chris,
I am curious about what happens to players once they have been placed on season-ending injured reserve. Do they stay with the team, participate in meetings, workout at the Bills facilities? Or are they allowed to sit out the rest of the season at home if they choose?  I know you’ve probably gotten this question before, but I am particularly curious about Shawne Merriman – is he still even in town? Thanks.
 
Steve from Buffalo

CB: Players typically rehab at the team facility with the training staff during the season. Offseason rehab, some players go home and fly back up periodically for progress checkups and such. I’ve seen everyone here at One Bills Drive from Reggie Torbor to Andra Davis to Marcus Easley to Danny Batten. And yes I did see Shawne Merriman here at the facility last week. Some do still sit in on meetings, particularly young players.

So to my knowledge I-R’d players for the most part stay in town. I’m sure there are exceptions, but I haven’t seen many.

5 - It’s been a gut wrenching season but I think there is definitely progress being made. Credit has to be given to Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey and the staff for there diligence and hard work. It has been great to see so many good young players stepping up and that is partly because they have talent and partly because of good coaching.  
 
Having said that, could you please ask Fitz to shave the beard. Enough already!!!   Thanks Fitz for the good quarterback play.  Please don’t stop running the ball. It keeps defenses honest. 
 
It’s just my uneducated opinion but I want the Bills to keep Eric Wood at center. With two new offensive linemen and Wood at center the O-Line played great against Cleveland.  
 
Thanks, Dale  

CB: There’s no doubt that Coach Gailey has gone a long way in ridding the team of its losing culture, which we have said here many times was probably his most challenging task in year one. Nix and his personnel department have been astute in culling together some talent that holds some good promise through the course of the season (Urbik, Chandler, Rinehart).

With respect to Fitz’s beard you’ll be happy to know it’s going to be clipped after the season is over.

Wood at center is an intriguing option for the team moving forward. He had a solid game against Cleveland, but there were some mental mistakes against Miami in the run game. This week will likely be his last start at center because Hangartner figures to be back for the season finale.

I don’t know if three games is enough to convince the coaching staff that he’s a much better option at center than Hangartner, who knows his stuff. But at the very least it’s a great backup plan for Buffalo’s offensive line.

Bills to add a WR?

With Lee Evans on the shelf, possibly for the remainder of the season, head coach Chan Gailey has just four healthy receivers on his roster. Knowing how much the Bills like to run four wide on offense Buffalo’s sideline boss did not rule out adding another wideout.

“We’re going to talk about it,” said Gailey. ”You’d rather not go with just four, especially if you think you’re going to play somewhat of a high percentage of four wides in the game. But sometimes other positions dictate that you can’t go with five so we’ll see.”

The current healthy receivers are Steve Johnson, David Nelson, Donald Jones and Naaman Roosevelt. Paul Hubbard is on the team’s practice squad and was called up for a short time earlier this season.

I-R possibility for Evans

Head coach Chan Gailey said the news was not good regarding Lee Evans’ ankle injury on Sunday after Buffalo’s win over Cleveland. That didn’t change on Monday. When asked if injured reserve is a possibility Gailey said the following.

“It is a possibility, yes,” he said.

Gailey then gave an update prognosis on the veteran wideout.

“I know it’s going to be two (games) and it might even be a struggle for him to get back for the last one,” said Gailey of Evans. “They’re going to give us updates on a daily basis, but it doesn’t look good for him right now.”

Gailey wouldn’t label it a high ankle sprain for Evans, but said he was told it was “like that.”

Evans out indefinitely

Bills WR Lee Evans left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury and is out indefinitely.

“I know he’s going to miss one or two (games),” said head coach Chan Gailey. “I don’t know if he’ll miss the rest of them or not.”

With Evans out for next Sunday’s game in Miami, he will miss the first game of his seven-year NFL career. He was injured in the first half of Sunday’s game while blocking downfield after tight end Jonathan Stupar made a catch on his side of the field and picked up 30 yards after the catch. On Stupar’s way past Evans, who was engaged on a block, it looked like Stupar foot got tangled with Evans, rolling Evans’ ankle on the play.

With only three games left in the season, it’s possible he may not be back before the end of the 2010 campaign.

Fan Friday 12-10

Could be a winter weather mess on Sunday for Bills-Browns. In the meantime we answer your questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net.

1 - Chris,
With everyone buzzing about Andrew Luck being the Bills quarterback of the future, I have two questions.  My first question is, how are Levi Brown and Brian Brohm looking?  My understanding is that the Bills released Trent Edwards to give more snaps to these young guys and see what they are capable of.  So before start saving up for my Andrew Luck jersey, do you think Brown or Brohm have a chance at stepping up into the role of “the future”?  Second question, As well as Fitz has played, I don’t believe he is the long term solution.  BUT, Do you think he is good enough that the Bills will not draft a QB in the first round?  Instead draft a defensive stud like Marcell Dareus (Alabama) to help in the 3-4?
Thanks,
Bob in Jacksonville, FL
(Rochester native)

CB: I think you can count on GM Buddy Nix not pigeon-holing himself into taking a QB no matter what with Buffalo’s top pick. Luck is the pick if he’s on the board. He’s about as sure a thing to come along since Peyton Manning in terms of NFL success. Not saying he’s going to be him, but Peyton had similar sure fire success written all over him when he came out.

Trent Edwards was not cut to give Brohm and Brown more opportunities. He was cut because he wasn’t the answer. Just because he is not doesn’t mean that Brohm and Brown necessarily are. They have to prove that on the field in practice.

I think there’s some upside to Brown, who still has a lot to learn. Brohm I think showed he’s capable in the preseason. But I don’t know that either of them are the future long term starter for this team.

Fitz has done well for himself this season and could help this team in that role again next season (he’s signed through 2011), but adding a top flight quarterback prospect is still a priority for this franchise in the short term.

Again that doesn’t guarantee that the Bills will take one early. That will depend on how the board falls and who they feel is worth an investment that high in the draft. Luck may prove to be the only worthy candidate in that situation, especially knowing Buffalo has several other positional needs (pass rushing LB, OT, ILB, etc.)

2 - Chris,
Watched the Steelers game and was impressed by Alex Carrington’s play.  Looked like he got a good push off the edge, worked well on containment and pretty much held up his end, especially given the amount of playing time he has had.  Do you see the same things and do you see him getting more playing time during the rest of the season?
As always, appreciate your insights.
Jim
Macungie, Pa.

CB: As Chan Gailey has said from the start, Carrington is a bit further along as a rookie against the pass because sacking the quarterback was something he did particularly well at Arkansas State. This is the first time he’s playing in a 3-4, so that’s been an adjustment for him.
Gailey feels he needs to improve against the run a bit, and with Dwan Edwards now lost for the season he’s going to get a lot of valuable experience on the field. I really liked him coming out and I think this kid can be an anchor at end for this team for a long time.

3 - Chris,
I am an avid Bills fan from West Virginia!! (originally from Buffalo). You have been a very big supporter of Lee Evans, and I agree with you that he is a talent!  Would you agree that he may be similar to Trent Edwards in that he demonstrates his physical talent in practice and disappears on game day?  I don’t like that they pay him elite money, and he doesn’t produce as you’d expect.  

With the emergence of Steve Johnson, Donald Jones, and with Roscoe Parrish and youngster Marcus Easley returning next year, do you see any chance that they unload Evans for a low round draft choice just to free up future cap space to reinvest in our front 7 or o-line?  
Thank you and I look forward to hearing your responses!
Jim Eimer

CB: Jim you raise an interesting point. Stevie Johnson’s emergence has unfortunately shed a new light on Lee Evans’ production. He does have trouble getting consistent separation against bump and run coverage and opponents know this. What was once a position of perceived weakness is rounding into a pretty deep group.

As you astutely point out, Easley will return next year and was turning heads in the spring and early in training camp. However, unloading Evans at his current contract level (near $9M per season) would be supremely difficult.
4 – Chris,

Is the NFL Competition Committee going to look at this ridiculous “icing the kicker” stunt, that is employed by NFL coaches, after the season? Time out is called for no other reason than to make the field goal kicker kick the ball a second time -in the hope that he will miss.
  
It is really not fair to call time out after the kicker has gone through his motion and the ball is in the air. Something needs to be done about this!

LeeD
 
CB: I supposed it’s possible that it will be looked at a bit closer now that more coaches are making use of the timeout prior to the snap of the ball. But I’ve talked to Rian Lindell at length about this and he maintains it’s a non-issue for kickers. Here’s what he said about opposing coaches forcing you to kick it a second time with the timeout call.

“It really is a little like golf if you get to re-tee it after the first shot,” said Lindell. “I would think the second shot would probably be better. You get to see how the ball travels if the wind is blowing and if it’s carrying well. And there’s enough time there to go to the sideline and then come back on.

“I think fans believe that we’re obsessing over the kick through the whole timeout, but really I’ve been thinking about that kick since the offense got the ball. It’s not just all of a sudden I’m spending extra time thinking about it. So an extra 30 seconds is not a big deal.”

Lindell has said that other kickers in the league feel the same way. If you remember the only reason he missed that second 53-yarder against Kansas City was because his foot hit the ground before the ball and catching all that dirt slowed the momentum of his follow through. And that kick still hit the upright.

Personally I don’t like it. It cheapens the game, but if kickers don’t mind it, I don’t think it’s going away.

5 - Hi Chris,

I am curious about the nature of football players like Shawn Nelson and Percy Harvin having migraines. Is this football related or genetics? It would be great if you could shed some light on this. Thanks!
Much appreciated.

Stephen A. Naetzker

CB: Being a migraine sufferer myself (2-4 a year), which is not even close to those that Harvin or Nelson experience, I know a little bit about migraines. First of all, research has shown that migraine headaches are often hereditary and affect three times as many women as men.

If one parent has these severe headaches, children have a 50 percent chance of also having them. If both parents have migraines, the chance for a child to be predisposed to migraines goes up 75 percent. Even if a distant relative has migraine headaches, a 20 percent chance exists that any offspring will be prone to migraine headaches.

In talking with Shawn I know his mother suffered from migraine headaches so he was at increased risk to have them as well.

But there are a lot of triggers for migraines as well , such as stress , change in the weather, changes in air pressure (flying in planes), bright sunlight, flickering light from TVs or computers, odors or fumes and eating habits.

As you see there’s a wide range of triggers and migraines themselves range widely in severity. Just know that migraines are now classified as a chronic illness, not a headache. They’re not fun and they can be extremely debilitating. Hope that helps.

Lee on Stevie

Lee Evans has been in the league long enough to experience some hardships of his own, so he knows what Stevie Johnson has to do to get over his highly publicized overtime drop in the end zone that could’ve won the game Sunday.

“He’s taking it hard,” said Evans Monday after film review. “He understands what’s going on, but I told him the only way to get through it is come through the work week and get over it and not dwell on it. He has to figure that out and I think he will.”

As bad as Johnson felt for letting his teammates down on that play, Evans believes there’s another layer to his disappointment.

“Part of it is embarrassment,” said Evans. “It’s definitely something to learn from. But the bottom line is it either makes you a better player or it doesn’t. I think he’ll be better for it.”

Lee seeing more passes

Lee Evans went most of the first half without a catch, but come the second half Ryan Fitzpatrick had Evans involved for the third straight week.

Evans finished the game with five receptions for a team-leading 56 yards. The Bills top wideout with five catches vs. Jacksonville and six against Baltimore, now has three straight games with five catches or more.

Sunday marked the first time that has happened for Evans since the 2007 season.

Steve Johnson also has a three-game streak right now with five-plus catches.

Johnson ties team mark

Steve Johnson’s 4-yard TD catch helped him tie a team record Sunday.

Johnson became just the fourth player in team history to catch a touchdown pass in five straight games.

The other three Bills to pull it off were Elbert Dubenion (1964), Eric Moulds (1999) and Lee Evans (2004). Evans did it in his rookie year.

Fan Friday 10-22

It’s another week of your questions. Let’s get right to them (AskChris@bills.nfl.net).

1 – Chris:
I know the trade deadline has passed, but wouldn’t now be the time to move veteran players (i.e. Lee Evans) to a team like the Chargers or even the Patriots IF the Bills could get multiple picks?  By the time the Bills are ready to become competitive Lee Evans may be starting the downside of his career, and I believe the Bills expect (WR) Marcus Easley to become his replacement.  Buddy Nix did say he would like to collect more picks to build this team and the only way to do that would be to move assets now that may not help the team when it is ready to win in the distant future.
 
Joe Badaszewski
Blasdell

CB: I don’t think moving Lee is a wise move, even this offseason, for a couple of reasons. First, I think because Evans has played on an unsuccessful unit, his value around the league would be depressed from what it should be and thus the Bills would likely be unable to get fair market value.

Second, if the Bills have a quarterback of the future on this roster next year that they drafted high, you’re going to want a veteran receiver on this roster that said QB can rely on. Don’t underestimate the value of that for a young signal caller, and it’d be hard to get a better receiver for a youngster to lean on than Evans.

2 - Reebok is no longer going to be the supplier of the NFL jerseys and Nike is taking over due to contract expiration. So what are the chances of the Bills getting new jerseys for the next season since most fans are in consensus that our current jerseys are ugly, most want either new jerseys, a modern version of the 90s jerseys, or the throwbacks full time.

Joe From Buffalo

CB: Nike will be taking over with jerseys, but not until the 2012 season, when the current deal with Reebok expires. New Era will also be taking over for hats.

Nike has promised to “dramatically change” the NFL uniform, but they’re referring more to the performance aspects of the jerseys (breathability, body cooling technology, etc).

Nike has no latitude to make any uniform modifications to any NFL jersey whatsoever, but I would anticipate that there will be some NFL teams that apply for jersey modifications in conjunction with Nike coming on board in 2012.

And that would need to be done sooner rather than later knowing that applying to the league for uniform modifications is a 12 to 18-month process. Whether the Bills are in that number remains to be seen.

3 – Chris,
We’re in a “hybrid” 4-3/3-4 which makes no sense at all. We have Kelsay running around in space trying to defend the pass, and we have Maybin bull rushing OT’s and getting buried. No pressure on QB’s, no solid run defense, and no ball hawking defensive backs (0 Int’s for defensive backs this year). This defense ensures that we’re terrible in every phase.
 
At what point are Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey going to hold our defensive coaches accountable the way they have held our personnel accountable?
 
Joe

CB: I think whenever a team undergoes a dramatic scheme change struggles have to be anticipated. The struggles were not expected to be this severe by anybody including the coaching staff, but there’s no getting around the deficiencies.

I think the heavier run front with four down linemen is a good idea. The only thing I wouldn’t mind seeing is lining up Kyle Williams at end and Marcus Stroud inside. Williams is the kind of player that could do just about anything you need a lineman to do. I’d be real interested to see what he could do on the edge in that look.

It starts with stopping the run and they’re looking for a way to shore that up. If they can then it will create more obvious passing situations, and defensive coordinator George Edwards can get more aggressive with blitz calls, which will lead to some hurried throws and more opportunities to make plays on the ball. Hopefully you see how it all fits together, but as Chan Gailey has said, if you can’t stop the run none of the other stuff even matters.

Once they can address that, they can address some of their other shortcomings.
4 - Chris, what happened with Danny Batten?  He was another late round pick who was projected to play at OLB.  I know he was injured early in training camp or OTAs, but is he still on the roster?  If he is, is there any chance he makes it back into the fold this year?

John
Youngstown, NY

CB: Danny Batten sustained a severe shoulder injury in training camp that required surgery and was put on injured reserve before the season even started.

The labrum in his shoulder was almost completely torn and he had a couple of ligaments that were damaged as well. One was almost completely torn and the other was partially torn. The head of his arm bone was also compromised (the part that fits into the shoulder socket).

But Batten has done very well in his rehab. Just this past week he began resistance training as he’s now allowed to lift light weights with his surgically repaired arm/shoulder.

He’s also been shifted to an inside linebacker position, which he is studying up on in the classroom. Batten is expected to be full go for the start of the team’s offseason conditioning program next March.
5 - Hello Chris,
I had a question for you, since Ralph Wilson has come out and said a QB is our first priority, is he ready to make the investment and pay the 50 to 75 million that it would take to sign a first round draft pick at QB? Why does Buddy need to go on the road, all we need to know is about three QB’s and I’ve been able to watch them from home every Saturday Arkansas, Washington and Stanford.
 
Thanks,
Michael

CB: First, it’s unclear what kind of salary commitment an NFL owner will have to make to a high draft pick because there is the possibility of a rookie cap being instituted as part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. So Sam Bradford’s deal this past summer, which included $50 million guaranteed may soon be a thing of the past.

With respect to Buddy Nix’s going out on the road to scout quarterbacks and prospects at other positions, it’s a necessary part of the scouting process. If you believe you learn all you need to know about a player by watching him play in games you’ll miss the mark far more than you think.

How they play is a big part of the evaluation process, granted, but knowing a prospect’s practice habits, what makes them tick, family background, leadership ability, etc. cannot be accurately gleaned off of game tape alone. As Nix says himself, you have to “smell their breath.”

And the only reason you believe there are just three worthy QB prospects in the draft is because the so called draft experts wrote as much. If you think Buddy Nix is going to take his cue as to who to scout from the media, then you don’t know Buddy Nix.

Getting jump on Baltimore

The Bills are cleaning up some of their own shortcomings with their own execution and doing a bit of self-scouting, but they’re also making sure they carve out some time during their bye week practices to get a jump on Baltimore.

“We had a couple of periods of competition against each other just trying to create speed on the field,” said Gailey. ”Then, we took a good look at Baltimore for a couple of periods. Other than that, we’re just trying to get better at the basics.”

“I think the way that it’s set up we can attack different things each day and at least be able to get a jump on Baltimore, which is obviously the biggest thing at hand in the next couple of weeks,” said Lee Evans.

Evans to fire up his Badgers

Lee Evans will still be on a football field on this bye weekend, but his job will be more motivational.

Evans is headed back to his alma mater in Madison, as his #18 Wisconsin Badgers host #1 Ohio State for a 7 pm (ET) kickoff Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.

“I’m going to be an honorary captain,” said Evans, who was the first player in Wisconsin history to gain over 1,000 yards receiving in a season, doing it twice in his Badgers career.

Evans will be out on the field for the coin flip Saturday and provided his travel schedule allows address the team prior to the game. When asked who will win the game the receiver had an incredulous look on his face that he was even posed the question.

“Wisconsin,” he said. “C’mon now.”

Evans clan always on hand

As Lee Evans appears in his 100th career game as a Bill on Sunday, there will be a solid contingent of 83 jerseys in the stands from Bedford, Ohio as well.

Evans’ entire family has made the 180-mile weekend trip up to Buffalo for just about every home game the past six-plus seasons.

“All the home games they’re here,” said Evans. ”They have a great time with it. It’s great to see them after games. My family is a football family so they have a ton of fun with it and I do too.”

Evans said his family also travels to nearby road games as well so there’s a good chance they’ll be in Cincinnati for the Week 11 matchup with the Bengals.

It’s about consistency

Talking to the players in Buffalo’s locker room after the loss to Green Bay the offensive players know what’s lacking.

“We played well at times and at times we didn’t,” said Fred Jackson. ”I think we just need to be consistent. Everybody needs to be consistent and do their jobs, myself included. When it is time to make a play we need to step up and make a play.”

“We wanted to come in here and try to be physical and run the ball and I think we did so at times,” said Lee Evans. ”We just didn’t play very well offensively to really give ourselves a chance. We wanted to do some things and try to switch things up.

“They did some things defensively and they made adjustments and we just didn’t execute our adjustments very well. That’s really the bottom line. We didn’t play very well together and never really put back to back drives together.”

2nd WR role taking shape?

The Bills third preseason game could solidify some starting roles that have been hotly contested through the course of the preseason. One could be the number 2 receiver role where Steve Johnson has been atop the depth chart since training camp opened.

Top wideout Lee Evans believes the man for that role has become clearer as the preseason has worn on.

“I think it’s pretty much starting to define itself, and it has to because after this game it’s pretty much all downhill until Miami,” said Evans. ”I think what you’ll see in this game is probably what you’ll be getting. One of them will have to step up and make plays and that’s basically the bottom line.  But I think it’s starting to define itself now.”

 When asked if he’s confident that the team’s number two wideout will be able to draw attention away from him in the passing game, Evans didn’t address his level of confidence that it would happen. He simply said it has to happen.

“I think they know they have to and I think they know that this is an opportunity for them to show who they are and what they’ve got,” said Evans. ”That’s the way they have to look at it and put it upon themselves to go out there and make plays. I think if they take advantage of this opportunity, and see it as an opportunity, then they’ll be able to step up and make plays. That’s really what it’s going to be about.”

The only real contender to unseat Johnson at this late stage of the game appears to be Chad Jackson, who led the team in receiving in last week’s preseason game.

Evans still wants more consistency

While their last preseason performance against Indianapolis was good, in no way is Lee Evans and his teammates satisfied.

Heading into tonight’s game against Cincinnati (6:30 pm kickoff), Evans and his fellow starters on offense are striving for a sharp and cohesive effort.

“I think we have to be a lot more consistent,” Evans said. ”This preseason game we’ll play a lot more and we’ll get a lot more looks. I think it just comes down to making plays, executing, taking the good with the bad, keep rolling and making plays when we get the opportunities. I just look forward to coming out here and having a lot of consistency. If we can play consistently then we’ll be alright.”

Evans on his TD play

Lee Evans 69-yard touchdown was the longest pass play of the night in Buffalo’s 34-21 win over Indianapolis. Here’s how he saw the scoring play.

“It was just a play action play,” he said. ”They kind of bit up on Steve (Johnson) coming across and I was able to spring free and Trent (Edwards) just layed it out there, let me run up under it and it was a well-executed play.”

Evans was glad the team was able to turn in some big plays, knowing they often mean the difference between winning and losing.

“It’s good to get some big plays, get that type of stuff on film, get that type of feel for the offense because we certainly need them, they don’t come that often,” Evans said. ”When you have the opportunity to do it, you take advantage of it.”

Trent more vocal

Trent Edwards looks more comfortable in his role as the starting quarterback, and his teammates are noticing.

Edwards has been more vocal with his teammates, has been more apt to approach his receivers in between series to discuss things that may have just happened or just to make sure they’re on the same page. He’s also been more encouraging of his teammates if they make a good play.

“He’s matured as the quarterback and as the quarterback you need to be a leader,” said Lee Evans. ”He’s definitely a lot more vocal this year, a lot more vocal in camp and I think it just goes to show just how much more confident he is. If he plays well then usually the offense plays well.”

“You’ve got to have a good relationship with your quarterback because he’s not going to see everything and vice versa,” said Roscoe Parrish. ”If you beat your guy on a route you’re not going to come to him and say, ‘Dang why didn’t you throw me the ball.’ You just let him know that you had your guy and when you watch film you talk about it. It’s all just about staying positive with one another.”

In years prior it may have proven more difficult for Edwards to assert himself knowing there were clear favorites in the locker room that preferred J.P. Losman as the starter or due to the fact that he wasn’t a proven QB. This year Edwards isn’t getting bogged down in all of that and has simply chosen to fill the role of leader and move forward. We’ll see how that helps to lift the offense as a whole in the coming days when the preseason begins Friday night, but the positive signs are on the rise.