Inside The Bills

Bills on the radio

Here’s the rundown of where you can find Bills players on the radio airwaves Wednesday.

7:00 am – WGR 550 – Kevin Kolb

8:00 am – Sirius XM NFL – Stevie Johnson

4:45 pm – WNML (Knoxville, TN) – Da’Rick Rogers

Bills demanding more of themselves

While there’s little debate that the players and coaches are putting in the time and the effort to make strides each and every day in the OTA practice sessions, they’re far from satisfied. In fact Stevie Johnson wants to see the team kick it up another notch to close out the OTA sessions on Friday.

“I think we need to push the issue a little bit,” said Johnson. ”We’re not coming off a playoff berth. We’re not coming off a Super Bowl. I think we need to push the issue like we’re hungry. We’re out here fighting. Don’t get me wrong we’re out here fighting, but we’ve got to step it up a little bit more.

“We’ve got to stack it up. Coach was just saying you can’t come out here and have a good day today and then fall off tomorrow and come back the next day and then hope it’s good. We’ve got to stack it up. That’s what the winners do they stack it up week by week. We’ve got to do it day in and day out.”

Stevie encouraged by play of young WRs

While Stevie Johnson did get out on the practice field for the first time in about a month Tuesday coming off a strained back, the Bills top wideout has had a good deal of time to observe the young additions at receiver to the Bills roster. Here are his thoughts on the influx of youth at the position.

“I like what I’ve seen out there. They say it’s kind of fast right now, but as far as terminology, which is pretty much the hardest part, they say they’ve got it down,” said Johnson. ”So now it’s just about going out there and playing and they’ve made plays and there are some that have been left out there, but overall I like what I’ve seen.”

Eight of the 11 receivers currently on Buffalo’s roster are 24-years old or younger. Only Johnson (26), Brad Smith (29) and Dorin Dickerson (25) are over 24 years of age.

Hackett: Stevie’s presence helps

Stevie Johnson finally returned to the practice field Tuesday even though it was somewhat random and last minute, but his presence on the field goes a lot further than him being a spectator on the sidelines.

That according to offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who has a very young receiving corps in need of some veteran leadership.

“I think the good thing is Stevie has done a great job being out there and supporting everybody,” said Hackett. ”He’s obviously had to have some growing pains in the new system so he’s been able to get a lot of mental reps. I think being out there helping those guys has been critical for all of them. His presence has been out there the whole time it’s just nice to see him in a helmet from our standpoint.”

Hackett also pointed to Brad Smith as a veteran wideout that helps with the younger receivers.

Stevie back practicing

Bills top WR Stevie Johnson has been held out of spring practices due to a strained back, but he was back in the practice setting Tuesday.

Johnson participated in individual position drills, but did not do any team work.

When asked if he’ll do more in the practices to come, Johnson said they will play it by ear.

Strained back keeping Stevie on the shelf

Stevie Johnson is usually an upbeat, happy go lucky player on the practice field, but being sidelined with a strained back has changed that mood somewhat as he missed the first week of OTAs.

“I’m getting better,” said Johnson. ”It’s just frustrating seeing the guys running around, but it’s getting better.”

Johnson has no idea when he’ll be cleared.

“I don’t know it’s just a timing thing,” he said. ”I’m just doing everything that they’re telling me to. I’m doing the weight room stuff. Of course I’m inside the playbook and when they give me the green light I’ll be ready to go.”

Watching practice Johnson has had the opportunity to watch QB EJ Manuel in action, but he went back to look at some of Manuel’s college tape too. Buffalo’s top wideout is impressed with the rookie QB’s physical skill set.

“Just his overall game. Watching him right now everybody is still in the learning phase so you’re not just going out there playing like you would if you were in the backyard. Watching his film from his college days he’s a dynamic quarterback. He’s big, he can run and throw, he can make every pass. I like it. It’s going to be fun this year. I just can’t wait to get out there with the guys.”

Stevie a spectator

A stained back kept Stevie Johnson from participating in the veteran voluntary minicamp. Johnson unfortunately is sidelined for OTAs this week as well.

Head coach Doug Marrone is expected to provide an update on Johnson after practice.

Marrone: Felt bad Stevie couldn’t work

Bills head coach Doug Marrone naturally was eager to see Stevie Johnson in action during the team’s three-day voluntary veteran minicamp, but that didn’t happen. But Marrone felt worse for Johnson than anything else knowing how hard the receiver has worked this offseason.

“Is there an area of disappointment? Absolutely. But my disappointment is not that I wanted to see Stevie Johnson out there,” said Marrone. ”My area of disappointment was Stevie worked extremely hard. When he came back and was with our weight coaches, really from what I heard he’s the best he’s ever been and really put a lot into it. And we had conversations prior to this and I was very excited. My disappointment is for him because he put a lot into it to get himself ready to get out here with a new staff.”

Johnson was again held out of practice Thursday, but he believes there’s plenty of time to get up to speed with the new offense.

“We’re still early.  I’ll have time, they’ll have time also to get the chemistry down,” said Johnson. ”It’s still early. Nothing too big I guess to worry about.”

Stevie not practicing

Stevie Johnson hoped to practice on this last day of the Bills voluntary minicamp, but his back would not let him.

Johnson was held out of practice again Thursday due to a back strain.

It happened during individual drills on Tuesday. Johnson called the injury minor.

Stevie on shelf with back strain

The Bills receiving corps turned in some good plays on Wednesday, but they were without their top wideout.

Stevie Johnson pulled up early in Tuesday’s practice during individual drills and was held out of practice Wednesday.

“Just day to day right now, nothing too serious,” said Johnson. “It’s like a mild strain—my back. Nothing groin. It’s kinda wild, I came out of a cut during a warmups and just a little tweak.”

Johnson, who has been training harder than he ever has this offseason was not happy he could not participate.

“It’s very disappointing to the point where I’m out here watching the guys having fun, running around like this,” he said. “Not too much, because it’s nothing too serious, like how my groin was. So, I’m not too frustrated. But just seeing the guys run around, that’s the thing that I’m mad about.”

Johnson is hoping he can practice Thursday.

NFL.com mock goes WR for Bills

The draft prognosticators at ESPN both went guard for the Bills at eighth overall. Now NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has a receiver going to Buffalo, but not the one you might think.

He has West Virginia WR Tavon Austin going to the Bills with the eighth pick. Here’s his synopsis.

Heyward-Bey to visit with Detroit

Despite Stevie Johnson’s best efforts to recruit Oakland free agent receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, he’s now on his second free agent visit in as many days somewhere else.

A day after visiting with the Indianapolis Colts, Heyward-Bey is reportedly visiting with the Detroit Lions today. That according to the Detroit Free-Press. After the dismissal of Titus Young and Ryan Broyles ACL injury, Detroit needs an outside complement to Calvin Johnson.

Buffalo is also looking for a legitimate outside receiving threat  to allow them to move Johnson into the slot.

Heyward-Bey to visit Colts

According to the Indianapolis Colts official team website the team is hosting Oakland free agent WR Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The visit is supposed to take place from Monday night into Tuesday in Indianapolis. Heyward-Bey, a former first-round pick of the Raiders, was released by Oakland on March 12th.

Heyward-Bey (6’2″ 216) is coming off a 41-catch season with 606 receiving yards and five touchdowns. The outside receiver is certainly the type of vertical threat that can stretch a defense.

The Colts are looking for a third wideout to join Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton in their receiving corps.

Bills WR Stevie Johnson has been actively trying to recruit Heyward-Bey even spending some time with him this past week.

No. 1 overall seed hot in Bills Bracketology

Stevie Johnson’s alley-oop grab was ranked No. 1 for a reason. Bills fans are coming out strong in support of the play, helping the catch cruise to a victory yesterday in the 1st battle of the quarterfinals of Bills Bracketology. He came away with 74% of the vote as Leodis McKelvin’s coast-to-coast touchdown took the remaining 26%.

Second round action continues today as a Donald Jones TD picks a fight with the higher seeded McKelvin punt return during Thursday Night Football at the Ralph. It should be a close game, so cast your VOTE NOW!

Bills Bracketology “Marches” into 2nd round

With yesterday’s win over the 15th seeded Bryan Scott pick-and-roll to the endzone, C.J. Spiller’s dynamic 3rd seeded touchdown run against the New York Jets becomes the last team to move into the 2nd round of Bills Bracketology. Spiller won handily with 86% of the vote.

Today’s first quarterfinal battle between the No. 1 and No. 9 seeds reads like an easy win for Stevie Johnson, but it’s March, and there’s always potential for a sprinkle of madness!

“As the coach of the overall number one seed in the NCAA tournament I understand the pressure Stevie feels to perform, but we’re both ballers, so I’m confident we’ve got this,” Louisville Coach Rick Pitino might have said about this matchup. (Read which current Bills player is supporting Pitino and his Cardinals in their tournament run.)

While you’re filling out your brackets in the next few days, make sure you stay tuned to buffalobills.com for close battles between some of the best plays of the 2012 season. VOTE NOW for your first quarterfinal favorite!

Stevie wouldn’t mind adding Heyward-Bey

Bills WR Stevie Johnson knows his team is in the market to add an outside receiver so they can move him into the slot. Johnson has been checking who is available and wouldn’t mind adding a Raiders receiver that was recently released.

Knowing Darrius Heyward-Bey was released by the Raiders, Johnson doesn’t mind doing recruiting for his team.

“As far as the recruiting goes I want the Bills to be on top,” Johnson told Buffalobills.com. ”Whether it’s this player or that player these guys are elite athletes. You put them on our team then you have an all-star. I’m not saying we’re going to get everybody, but DHB was recently released from the Raiders. Why not? Hey DH come check out Buffalo. Come take a visit or something and hopefully something works out. What I’m saying doesn’t mean the Bills are going to do it. I want to bring the Bills to the playoffs and hopefully a Super Bowl so why not recruit?

Heyward-Bey had 41 receptions for 606 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in 2012.

Stevie wins first Bills Bracketology matchup

Monday’s Bills Bracketology matchup was a battle of David and Goliath, and Goliath won.

In our madness kickoff game, the No. 1 seed, ‘Stevie’s alley-oop catch vs. Seattle,’ bullied the No. 16 seed, ‘Stephon Gilmore’s ‘diaper dandy’ interception,’ to an 83% to 17% landslide victory.

As Dick Vitale might say, “The diaper dandy was no match for that Yeevie, baby!”

With that win, Stevie’s catch will move into next week’s second round of Bills Bracketology madness, and will play the winner of today’s 8-seed vs. 9-seed matchup. Anything could happen in this battle of equals, so vote NOW for your pick between the 8^th seeded play, ‘Spiller crosses up the Arizona D for the TD’ and the 9^th seeded play, ‘Leodis takes it coast-to-coast vs. Kansas City.’

VOTE NOW: Bills Bracketology

WR Gibson will not return to Rams

St. Louis impending free agent WR Brandon Gibson will apparently hit the market at 4 pm Tuesday. Both the Rams and Gibson have both given indication that the two will not be getting together on a new contract this offseason.

That according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which is reporting that Gibson believes he has a better chance to land a number two receiver role somewhere else. The Rams reportedly consider him little more than third or fourth receiver in their offense.

Gibson had 51 catches last season, but St. Louis is interested in making use of their recent draft choices at receiver and give bigger roles to Brian Quick, Austin Pettis and Chris Givens. That’s why it’s not expected that Danny Amendola will be back the Rams next season either.

The Dolphins have reportedly expressed strong interest in Gibson.

Bills WR Stevie Johnson has admitted to recruiting Gibson for the Bills as he and Gibson share the same agent.

Stevie trying on some MMA training

Recently retired Bills DE/LB Shawne Merriman was a proponent of it, now Stevie Johnson is trying his hand at mixed martial arts training.

That according to FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer, who tweeted a list of NFL players and prospects that were training at his MMA facility today in Los Angeles.

Had great group today in my MMA Athletics: Kyle Rudolph, Stevie Johnson, Kyle Long, Andre Branch, Brian Banks, Kirk Morrison, Braxston Cave

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) March 7, 2013

Johnson has committed himself to a fully supervised offseason training regimen in an effort to be even more productive than he has the past three years with three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Bills free agent Kirk Morrison was also among those mentioned.

Why Stevie is tight with FA WR Gibson

Appearing on NFL AM Wednesday morning Stevie Johnson openly tried to recruit St. Louis free agent WR Brandon Gibson to sign with the Bills when free agency opens next Tuesday. No word if the Bills are interested, but there’s a bit of a back story to the recruiting.

Gibson has the same agent as Johnson, so the two have gotten to know each other pretty well. According to the USA Today there will be some demand for Gibson’s services right in Buffalo’s own division with just about every AFC East team needing reinforcements at receiver.

Gibson had 51 catches last season for a career-high 691 yards and five touchdowns. Johnson called him “a stud.” Gibson is 25-years old and entering his fourth NFL season.