Buffalo Bills News

Birds QB rumors
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February 8
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"If there is one day in the NFL year when we ought to be free of worrying about Donovan McNabb and the Eagles, it should be Super Bowl Sunday. Alas, such is not the case. We've had reports from ESPN folk who apparently have too much time on their hands, with their network not doing the game. Adam Schefter says multiple teams have asked the Birds about all three of their quarterbacks and three teams have called about Michael Vick. Sal Paolantonio added that three teams - Cleveland, Denver and Buffalo - have had multiple conversations with the Eagles about Donovan McNabb. Don't know the exact teams myself, but I understand there have been a lot of calls, many of them not about any QB in ..."
Reed doesn't make Hall of Fame cut
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February 7
Buffalo News
 
"Buffalo Bills receiver Andre Reed was among 10 finalists today who did not get elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Reed, however, made it farther in the process than he had the previous three years he was among the list of 15 finalists. The Hall's Class of 2010 was chosen during a seven-hour meeting of selectors. The 15 modern finalists are whittled first to a list of 10 and then to a list of five during the meeting. Reed was one of four receivers up for induction. Two of those receivers, Reed and Jerry Rice, made the cut-down to 10. Reed was eliminated in the vote down to five finalists. The players who made the final-five list were guard Russ Grimm, linebacker Rickey Jackson, ..."
Reed makes final 10
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February 7
Buffalo News
 
"Buffalo Bills receiver Andre Reed was among the finalists Saturday who did not get elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Reed, however, made it farther in the process than he had the previous three years he was among the list of 15 finalists. The Hall's Class of 2010 was chosen during a seven-hour meeting of selectors. The 15 modern finalists are whittled first to a list of 10 and then to a list of five. Reed was one of four receivers up for induction. Two of those receivers, Reed and Jerry Rice, made the cut-down to 10. Reed was eliminated in the vote down to five finalists. Reed, who played for the Bills from 1985 to 1999, caught 951 passes for 13,198 yards. He ended his career ..."
Crowd at receiver may hurt Bills' Reed
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February 6
Buffalo News
 
"History suggests Andre Reed's Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy has a great chance for a happy ending. The question for Reed entering the Hall's 2010 selection meeting on Saturday is: When? The Buffalo Bills' greatest receiver made the list of 15 modern era finalists for a fourth straight year. A total of 83 percent of all the men who have made the finalist list eventually have been elected. The challenge this year in Reed's bid is the fact there are four wide receivers on the finalist list. The others are Jerry Rice, Cris Carter and Tim Brown. Rice holds the NFL records in virtually every category for receiving. The last time two receivers were elected on the same ballot was 27 years ..."
George Edwards says Buffalo Bills to switch defenses
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February 5
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 
"For several years, the Bills' offense has struggled to move the ball against any defense, but in particular, teams that play the 3-4 have really befuddled Buffalo. Perhaps that will change in 2010 because apparently the offense is going to get a whole lot more practice against the 3-4. New head coach Chan Gailey announced on Thursday the hiring of George Edwards as his new defensive coordinator, and Edwards came right out and said that the Bills will be switching to a 3-4. "Defensively, we will start from a 3-4 alignment," Edwards said in a statement released by the team. "But we will do what we feel is best for our players. We are not going to give anything away about exactly what we will ..."
Buffalo Bills hire George Edwards as defensive coordinator
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February 5
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 
"George Edwards, who has worked the past five seasons for the Miami Dolphins and has 12 years of NFL coaching experience, has been named the defensive coordinator of the Bills. "We are very excited that George Edwards has joined our staff as defensive coordinator," said head coach Chan Gailey in a statement. "He brings a wealth of experience, not only as a motivator and communicator, but he has been involved with some great schemes and we are excited about him being the head of our defense." And Edwards, in an interview with buffalobills.com, has already decided that the Bills are going to switch to a 3-4 defense. "Defensively, we will start from a 3-4 alignment," Edwards said in a ..."
Chad Ochocinco: Please sign Owens
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February 5
Cincinnati Enquirer
 
"With free agency set to begin one month from tomorrow, Chad Ochocinco gave his endorsement to adding another big-name receiver to the Bengals – Terrell Owens. Ochocinco earlier in the day told Fox Sport's Jay Glazer that the Bengals were going to sign Owens, who is an unrestricted free agent. Later in the day from South Florida, where he was making the rounds on radio row for Super Bowl week, Ochocinco slightly changed his stance, saying he was in favor of signing the enigmatic receiver. "Eighty one and eighty five, what more is there to say?" Ochocinco said. "I like what we have but I think a veteran presence and giving Carson another target someone of that caliber. Can we not say take an ..."
Bills name Edwards defensive coordinator; hire Whaley as assistant GM
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February 5
Buffalo News
 
"The Buffalo Bills are switching to a 3-4 defense and have turned to a man from a division rival to run it. George Edwards, who spent the past five years coaching linebackers for the Miami Dolphins, is the new defensive chief on head coach Chan Gailey's staff. Edwards, 43, joins the Bills after an aborted trip to the major college ranks. He was hired a month ago to be co-defensive coordinator at the University of Florida. In joining the Bills, Edwards is reuniting with Gailey. Edwards was linebackers coach in Dallas from 1998 to 2001, and Gailey was head coach of the Cowboys in '98 and '99. Meanwhile, the Bills reached an agreement Wednesday on another big move, adding Pittsburgh pro scout ..."
Former Bills QB Reich tutors perhaps NFL's best in Manning
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February 5
Buffalo News
 
"Frank Reich has heard the question in one form or another a hundred times: What's it like having the easiest job in the National Football League? Funny. If they only knew the real story. As quarterbacks coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Reich tutors the most gifted and talented student in pro football — Peyton Manning. Part of what makes Manning great is his insatiable desire to know every detail of his opponents and how to decode the Rubik's cube that is the opposing defensive scheme. It is Reich's job to keep pace with the smartest player in the NFL and to help feed him all the information he craves. "It's impressive to watch him every day, because you see how hard he works and how much ..."
NFL players preparing for 2011 lockout
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February 5
Boston Globe
 
"As collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the NFL Players Association and the NFL owners continue to drag, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said he expects the owners to lock out the players before the 2011 season. Chad Ochocinco, representing OCNN, asked the first question of a press conference this afternoon in which the NFLPA laid out their message. He asked Smith how worried he is about a lockout next season. "On a scale of 1 to 10," Smith said, "it's a 14." Smith said he and NFLPA president Kevin Mawae have informed players to save 25 percent of their paychecks in order to prepare for a lockout. Mawae said negotiations for a CBA have been "frustrating" and moved ..."
Bills name Edwards defensive coordinator
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February 4
Buffalo News
 
"The Buffalo Bills have turned to their division rival, the Miami Dolphins, to find their new defensive coordinator. The Bills have signed NFL veteran coach George Edwards to be their new defensive chief. Edwards coached linebackers in Miami for the past five seasons. He left Miami a month ago to accept a position as co-coordinator at the University of Florida. However, that position proved to be short-lived. In joining the Bills, Edwards is reuniting with Buffalo head coach Chan Gailey. Edwards was linebackers coach in Dallas when Gailey was head coach of the Cowboys, in 1998 and '99."
Whaley leaves Steelers for position with Bills
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February 4
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Steelers pro scouting coordinator Doug Whaley will become the Buffalo Bills' new assistant general manager, according to multiple media reports. Whaley was responsible for scouting Steelers opponents and evaluating pro players. Before joining the Steelers, he was an area scout with the Seattle Seahawks."
Steelers' scouting coordinator takes assistant GM post for Bills
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February 4
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Steelers pro scouting coordinator Doug Whaley has accepted a job as the assistant general manager for the Buffalo Bills. Whaley is in his 10th year with the Steelers."
Bills fan gets 9 years for wild ride outside Ralph Wilson Stadium
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February 3
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 
"A 19-year-old man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for injuring seven people outside a Buffalo Bills game while driving drunk and impaired by drugs. A state Supreme Court judge rejected Brandon McLean's request to place the Clarence resident in a substance abuse treatment program in Buffalo. McLean was charged for a series of hit-and-runs Oct. 11 after he sped out of a parking lot at Orchard Park's Ralph Wilson Stadium, where the Bills had just lost to the Cleveland Browns."
Coming home is special for DeHaven
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February 3
Buffalo News
 columnist Bucky Gleason
"Bruce DeHaven could have slept in Tuesday. He doesn't have any team meetings until next week. Training camp is five months away, the season opener is seven months away and Ralph Wilson Stadium is about 2,600 miles away from his home in Seattle. It sounds like an ideal mental-health day. Instead, DeHaven woke up with the roosters and began his second stint with the Bills with the same passion with which he ended his first. Reached at 7:15 a.m. PST, he was gathering telephone numbers from One Bills Drive so he could text Brian Moorman & Co., to say he's looking forward to working with them. Based on the energy in his voice, DeHaven was ready to bust through a wedge and run back to Buffalo. ..."
Ex-Buffalo head coach Jauron to join Eagles defensive staff
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February 3
Camden Courier-Post
 
"The Eagles have hired former Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron to coach their defensive backs, according to a report by NFL.com that broke late Tuesday night. Jauron replaces Brian Stewart, who coached defensive backs last season but left to become defensive coordinator at the University of Houston. Jauron was fired in November in the midst of his fourth season in Buffalo. He was also head coach of the Chicago Bears from 1999-2003 and has ties to Eagles coach Andy Reid. Jauron coached defensive backs in Green Bay from 1986-1994. Reid was the Packers' quarterbacks coach from 1992-1994. Eagles sign punter The Eagles signed a punter Tuesday to either challenge the inconsistent Sav Rocca or ..."
Birds reportedly set to hire Jauron
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February 3
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"NFL.com reported last night that former Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears head coach Dick Jauron will join the Eagles as the defensive backs coach. Jauron, 59, will replace Brian Stewart, who left the Eagles to become the defensive coordinator at the University of Houston. In nine seasons as a head coach - 1999 to 2003 in Chicago and 2006 through nine games this season in Buffalo - Jauron had a record of 60-82. Jauron worked with Eagles coach Andy Reid from 1992 to '94 as assistants in Green Bay. The longtime NFL coach also served stints as a defensive coordinator in Jacksonville and Detroit. He finished the 2005 season as the Lions' interim coach after Steve Mariucci was fired. Birds sign ..."
Bills coaches bring plenty of experience
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February 2
Buffalo News
 
"The Buffalo Bills' coaching staff is taking on an experienced appearance. The team confirmed the signing of Bruce DeHaven as special teams coach and George Cortez as quarterbacks coach on Monday. Also added to the staff was Stan Hixon as receivers coach and Adrian White as defensive quality control coach. DeHaven, 61, is a veteran of 23 NFL seasons and spent 13 with the Bills from 1987 to 1999. Cortez, 58, brings 30 years of coaching experience to the Bills. He spent 18 seasons in the Canadian Football League, most recently as offensive coordinator of the Calgary Stampeders. Hixon, 52, enters his 30th year in coaching. He spent the last six as receivers coach of the Washington Redskins. ..."
Bills hire DeHaven for second stint as special teams coach
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January 31
Buffalo News
 
"The Buffalo Bills are bringing back one of the most successful assistant coaches in their history. Bruce DeHaven will return as the team's special teams coach, a league source confirmed Friday. DeHaven, 61, coached the Bills' special teams from 1987 through '99. He spent the past three years as special teams coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Before that he was with the Dallas Cowboys for four years and the San Francisco 49ers for three years. DeHaven lost his job in Seattle when the Seahawks changed coaches. New Seattle coach Pete Carroll opted to bring his special teams aide from Southern California with him to the Seahawks rather than retain DeHaven. The Bills made no announcement on ..."
Gailey got it right by bringing DeHaven back
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January 31
Buffalo News
 columnist Larry Felser
"Twenty-five days from today the roster of the Buffalo Bills will begin to take shape at the annual Indianapolis meat market, at least in the form of a wish list of the top players emerging from college. Buddy Nix, the Bills' new general manager, says he's not here to sell tickets. Well, of course he is, whether he knows it or not. The team's fan base has supported a decade of turkeys and now it wants some concrete reason to have faith and it's Nix's job to produce that concrete reason. The hiring of Chan Gailey as the new coach did not quicken pulses in Western New York, nor did the hiring of most of his assistants except for defensive holdovers George Catavolos and Bob Sanders. Most of ..."
Bills to bring CFL veteran Cortez in as QBs coach
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January 31
Buffalo News
 
"The Bills are close to a deal that would bring veteran Canadian Football League assistant coach George Cortez to Buffalo as the team's new quarterbacks coach, according to a report in the Calgary Herald. Cortez, 59, is a 19-year CFL coaching veteran. He has spent the past four seasons with the Stampeders. He also coached in Calgary from 1992 to '94 and from 1997 to 2001. Cortez has been to the Grey Cup five times, winning the CFL title in 1992, 1998, 2001 and 2008. Doug Flutie was his QB during his first stint in Calgary. Lopez also helped develop top CFL QBs Jeff Garcia, Dave Dickenson and Henry Burris. Cortez also coached two years in Ottawa, four in Montreal and one in Saskatchewan."
Stamps offensive guru expected to make leap to NFL
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January 30
Calgary Herald
 
"It's looking like the Calgary Stampeders will need a new offensive co-ordinator for the 2010 Canadian Football League season. It's believed George Cortez is on the verge of accepting an offer to join the Buffalo Bills' coaching staff as the team's quarterbacks coach. Cortez, a 19-year CFL coaching veteran, who spent the past four seasons with the Stamps, was also mentioned as a candidate for head coaching jobs in Toronto and Winnipeg this off-season, but the Buffalo job, under new head coach Chan Gailey, would be too tempting to pass up. Cortez, who turns 59 next month, was in his third stint with the Stampeders, and also held the title of associate head coach under head coach and general ..."
Sports on the Air: Bills' Lynch powers experiment on ESPN
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January 30
Buffalo News
 
"Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch will be part of a unique experiment during ESPN's Super Bowl weekend coverage. Lynch is featured on a 30-minute "Sport Science" special at 7 p.m. Friday. An ESPN release notes that Lynch is part of "a one-of-a-kind test of man versus machine" on the program. The Emmy Award-winning series hosted by John Brenkus uses cutting-edge technology in state-of-the-art scientific facilities "to test the limits of professional athletes and challenge assumptions about them." Lynch is part of an experiment that asks, "Can a running back generate as much power as a diesel engine?" I know what Bills fans are probably thinking. It is hard to imagine Lynch ..."
Bills hire DeHaven for second stint as special teams coach
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January 30
Buffalo News
 
"The Buffalo Bills are bringing back one of the most successful assistant coaches in their history. Bruce DeHaven will return as the team's special teams coach, a league source confirmed Friday. DeHaven, 61, coached the Bills' special teams from 1987 through '99. He spent the past three years as special teams coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Before that he was with the Dallas Cowboys for four years and the San Francisco 49ers for three years. DeHaven lost his job in Seattle when the Seahawks changed coaches. New Seattle coach Pete Carroll opted to bring his special teams aide from Southern California with him to the Seahawks rather than retain DeHaven. The Bills made no announcement on ..."
Does Tebow have what it takes for the NFL?
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January 30
Buffalo News
 
"NFL scouts were loving Tim Tebow, the football player, this week at the Senior Bowl. Many of them, however, were not loving Tim Tebow, the quarterback. It was obvious after a week of practices that the University of Florida star has a long way to go to convince most NFL teams he is going to succeed at the pro level. "I would never sell him short because he's a winner," said one NFC scout who did not want to be named. "But he's going to take a long time to develop, a lot of work to make it — if he ever makes it." That was the majority opinion of scouts from a dozen teams polled during the week. Tebow gets a chance to raise his draft stock today when he quarterbacks the South team in the ..."
Gailey wise to keep two familiar faces
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January 29
Buffalo News
 columnist Allen Wilson
"By now you've seen the men Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey hired to be on his staff. And if you have never heard of any of them, don't feel bad. You're not alone. We won't know how good Curtis Modkins, Bob Bicknell, Joe D'Alessandris, Kevin Patullo and Giff Smith are as assistant coaches until we see them in action. But there are two assistants we know who bring a lot to the table. Retaining the services of secondary coach George Catavolos and defensive line coach Bob Sanders was a smart move. Until we know who the defensive coordinator will be, Catavolos and Sanders stand as Gailey's best hires so far. Some might ask why bring back any assistant from the failed Dick Jauron regime. ..."
Vick to Bills?
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January 29
Buffalo News
 
"Bills fans are dreaming of a possible scenario that would bring Michael Vick to Buffalo next season. Will those dreams be fulfilled? Stay tuned. Numerous national media outlets are speculating that the Bills might make a run at Vick. Head coach Chan Gailey hasn't made his mind up yet on what he'll do with Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm. But Vick would be an upgrade. Vick is still under contract with Philadelphia, but the Eagles may be willing to trade him. If that doesn't work, they could release Vick, who is due to make more than $5 million in 2010. In a way, the move makes sense for the Bills. When Gailey was offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh, he maximized the passing ..."
Gregg Williams delivers low blow
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January 29
Buffalo News
 
"Gregg Williams wasn't liked very much by fans when he coached the Bills. Their dislike for him will be even greater after comments he made during a recent appearance on sports-radio station 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, Tenn. Williams, the Saints' defensive coordinator, revealed that the Bills wanted to get quarterback Drew Brees in second round of the 2001 draft but were unable to trade up from the 46th spot. Williams added he is now glad the Bills weren't able to pull off the trade. He also made it clear that he's glad to be out of Buffalo. "I'm kind of at that point and time in my career where the three W's are the most important choices that I make from now on in coaching: What am I ..."
Nix, Gailey are not buddy-buddy
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January 29
Buffalo News
 
"Buffalo Bills General Manager Buddy Nix goes way back with Chan Gailey. When Nix was defensive coordinator at Southern Mississippi in 1973, he coached against a University of Florida team quarterbacked by Gailey. Nix says the history between him and his new coach could not be more irrelevant. "Listen, I didn't take this job to hire my buddies," Nix said. "I hired him because he's the best coach for the job." Nix emphasized his strong conviction in Gailey this week and shed more light on his thought process for picking the new coach. "It had nothing to do with past acquaintances or good friends," Nix said during a break in practices for the Senior Bowl. "It has to do with fitting the ..."
Bills hire five assistant coaches
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January 28
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 
"Several of Dick Jauron's former assistant coaches have landed new jobs around the NFL, but two of them will not have to pack their belongings and leave Buffalo. Chan Gailey, the Bills' new head coach, began filling out his staff on Wednesday by hiring five new assistants, and he also announced that he is retaining two of Jauron's coaches, defensive backs coach George Catavolos and defensive line coach Bob Sanders. "Right now we are happy with the coaches that we have been able to get on the staff," Gailey said in a statement released by the team. "Ultimately, we want to make sure we get the right guys; great teachers, great communicators and the right kind of people for the Bills. These ..."
Bills GM Nix feels at home in scouting mission
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January 28
Buffalo News
 
"Buddy Nix was in his comfort zone Wednesday afternoon. The Buffalo Bills' new general manager was sitting halfway up the stands at Ladd-Peebles Stadium watching the South team of college all-stars practice for Saturday's Senior Bowl. Nix has been scouting football players for going on 50 years. He's confident he's going to get it right when it comes to picking the new Bills rookies in April's draft. "It's based on a body of work," Nix said. "If you get a guy who's always done it, I think he'll continue to do it. These one-year wonders who you think nobody else has found? They're probably going to get you in trouble. "I've seen it tried and failed and I've seen it done right. You can get it ..."
Bills hire five assistants, retain two others
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January 28
Buffalo News
 
"Less than two weeks into his new job as the Buffalo Bills' head coach, Chan Gailey's staff is beginning to take shape. And Gailey wasn't kidding when he said last week that some of the assistants wouldn't be recognizable names. As expected, Curtis Modkins was hired as the Bills' offensive coordinator. He'll also be the running backs coach. Other staff hires were Bob Bicknell (tight ends), Joe D'Alessandris (offensive line), Kevin Patullo (offensive quality control) and Giff Smith (defensive assistant). Gailey is retaining secondary coach George Catavolos and defensive line mentor Bob Sanders from the previous staff. Catavolos will remain in the same job, but the Bills didn't make Sanders' ..."
Bills hire five assistants, retain two others
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January 28
Buffalo News
 
"Less than two weeks into his new job as the Buffalo Bills' head coach, Chan Gailey's staff is beginning to take shape. And Gailey wasn't kidding when he said last week that some of the assistants wouldn't be recognizable names. As expected, Curtis Modkins was hired as the Bills' offensive coordinator. He'll also be the running backs coach. Other staff hires were Bob Bicknell (tight ends), Joe D'Alessandris (offensive line), Kevin Patullo (offensive quality control) and Giff Smith (defensive assistant). Gailey is retaining secondary coach George Catavolos and defensive line mentor Bob Sanders from the previous staff. Catavolos will remain in the same job, but the Bills didn't make Sanders' ..."
Whitner wants Ravens QB Troy Smith
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January 27
Baltimore Sun
 (scroll down)
"Buffalo Bills free safety Donte Whitner is lobbying his team to trade for Ravens backup quarterback Troy Smith. Whitner, who played with Smith at Ohio State, posted on his Twitter account Tuesday: "I think we should get Troy Smith to be our QB, please!" and "Troy is a proven winner and leader!" Smith's agent requested a trade earlier this month."
Upgrading 4-3 defense easier than switching to 3-4
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January 27
Buffalo News
 columnist Mark Gaughan
"Buffalo Bills fans should be apprehensive about a move to a 3-4 defense. It's a hard transition to go from a Tony Dungy-style 4-3 defense to a 3-4 scheme. The biggest difficulty is it's hard to find an elite nose tackle to clog the middle. The 3-4 also ideally puts big men — 285 pounds and up — at defensive end. If they're 295 pounds, even better. The inside linebackers should be in the 240-pound range. The outside linebackers should be athletic guys in the 255- to 265-pound range. One could argue that it's a bit easier to find outside linebackers at 255 pounds who can rush the passer than to find elite defensive ends at 270 who can rush the passer. Nevertheless, in the 4-3 defense, ..."
Bills passed on several Pro Bowlers
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January 27
Buffalo News
 columnist Jerry Sullivan
"I can't remember the last time I watched a Pro Bowl. It's the worst of the all-star games by a mile. But somehow, the NFL has made an irrelevant event even worse by staging it the week before the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl players are out, of course. Some 30 players have been replaced for one reason or another. Tom Brady is the latest quarterback to decline. Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger withdrew. Ryan Fitzpatrick, anyone? So as an alternative, I've assembled my own Pro Bowl squad. It's a team of stars who could have been chosen by the Bills during the Tom Modrak era, if not for management's uncanny gift for dubious draft picks and ill-advised trades. Modrak has been running the ..."
Charges Dropped Against Bills' Whitner
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January 27
Yahoo! Sports
 
"The Buffalo News reports charges have been dropped against Bills safety Donte Whitner(notes) in an Ohio case dating to last April. Whitner completed a "selective intervention program," which included meeting with a probation officer over the past three months. Police in Cleveland arrested Whitner during an incident outside a nightclub."
Report: Bills to hire Giff Smith as LBs coach
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January 27
Buffalo News
 
"Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey will look to his former Georgia Tech staff for another assistant coach. The Bills have hired Georgia Tech assistant Giff Smith to be their outside linebackers coach, according to several Georgia newspapers. Gailey, who coached the Yellow Jackets from 2002 to 2007, hired Smith in 2004. Smith has served since then as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. Smith has 19 years of experience in college coaching. Before his Tech stint, he spent five years as an assistant coach at Tulane. He never has coached in the NFL."
Upgrading 4-3 defense easier than switching to 3-4
Comment
January 24
Buffalo News
 columnist Mark Gaughan
"Buffalo Bills fans should be apprehensive about a move to a 3-4 defense. It's a hard transition to go from a Tony Dungy-style 4-3 defense to a 3-4 scheme. The biggest difficulty is it's hard to find an elite nose tackle to clog the middle. The 3-4 also ideally puts big men — 285 pounds and up — at defensive end. If they're 295 pounds, even better. The inside linebackers should be in the 240-pound range. The outside linebackers should be athletic guys in the 255- to 265-pound range. One could argue that it's a bit easier to find outside linebackers at 255 pounds who can rush the passer than to find elite defensive ends at 270 who can rush the passer. Nevertheless, in the 4-3 defense, ..."
Bills' youth well served by mature coaching staff
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January 24
Buffalo News
 columnist Larry Felser
"You say you're an angry Bills' fan and you're not going to take it any longer? No more frustration and heartache? No more fighting the traffic to the stadium in Orchard Park from September through December to witness a solitary offensive touchdown by the home team, if you're lucky? Then what do you plan as a replacement recreation? Stamp collecting? "Hey hon! I just found a Sierra Leone with the flag printed upside down! We may be rich!" You may not have been elated when the Bills selected Chan Gailey as their new head coach, preferring a younger man with a resume of more recent vintage, but keep in mind that in Ralph Wilson's mind Gailey is a comparative youth. When Wilson formed the ..."
Has Gailey found his OC?
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January 24
Buffalo News
 
"Radio station XTRA 910 in Phoenix is reporting that Arizona Cardinals running backs coach Curtis Modkins will be the Bills' offensive coordinator. The Bills haven't made any official announcement on Chan Gailey's staff hires, but Modkins' connection with Gailey runs deep. Prior to working in Arizona, Modkins spent the 2008 season with Kansas City, where Gailey was the offensive coordinator. Modkins served an NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship in the summer of '99 with the Dallas Cowboys when Gailey was the head coach and worked for Gailey at Georgia Tech, coaching defensive backs in 2002 and running backs from 2003-07."
Pees a DC candidate?
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January 24
Buffalo News
 
"Bills head coach Chan Gailey hasn't named a defensive coordinator yet, but according to the Boston Herald, former New England DC Dean Pees is in the running for the job. Pees spent the last six years in New England, including the last four as defensive coordinator. He originally joined Bill Belichick's staff as a linebackers coach. Pees' contract expires after this season and he chose not to return. But he said he would keep his options open if other teams came calling."
Report: Modkins to be named Bills offensive coordinator
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January 24
Buffalo News
 
"New Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey may have taken the first step toward filling out his staff. According to radio station XTRA-910 AM in Phoenix, Arizona Cardinals running backs coach Curtis Modkins will be hired as the Bills' offensive coordinator. Modkins joined the Cardinals after spending the 2008 season in Kansas City, where Gailey was the Chiefs' offensive coordinator. Modkins also served an NFL minority coaching fellowship in the summer of 1999 with the Dallas Cowboys when Gailey was the head coach and worked for Gailey at Georgia Tech, coaching defensive backs in 2002 and running backs from 2003-07."
More coaching moves for Buffalo Bills
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January 22
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 
"As you would expect in a time where there is a changing of the guard with an NFL team, One Bills Drive has been a busy place this week. On the heels of the hiring of head coach Chan Gailey on Tuesday came the news — at nearly midnight Wednesday evening for some strange reason — that pro personnel director John Guy was fired. And Thursday, running backs coach Eric Studesville officially joined the staff of the Denver Broncos in that same capacity, and wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert hooked up with the Carolina Panthers. Guy's ouster was a move Bills fans have been hoping for. The 58-year-old joined the Bills in 2001, hired by then team president Tom Donahoe. Despite a spotty record in ..."
Mel Kiper Jr. likes QB Jimmy Clausen for Buffalo Bills
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January 22
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 
"Well-respected NFL college draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN is among those who agree that the Buffalo Bills should make finding an above-average quarterback the top priority. iper's new 2010 mock draft has Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen going No. 9 to Buffalo. I hope he's right. He believes Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford will be the No. 4 overall pick by the Washington Redskins. If the Bills pass on Clausen, Kiper thinks he'll go to Seattle No. 14. Many people believe the other top-need position for the Bills is offensive tackle. Kiper's projections on the four top tackles: Russell Okung (Oklahoma State) No. 5 to Kansas City, Anthony Davis (Rutgers) No. 8 to Oakland, Trent Williams ..."
Wilson thinks Gailey the right man for job
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January 22
Buffalo News
 
"Buffalo Bills owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr. thinks new head coach Chan Gailey is the man to turn around both his football team and its perennially miserable offense. "The last few years we haven't been able to score from the 2-foot line," Wilson said Thursday from his home in Michigan. "Chan Gailey, I think, is going to be a good head coach," Wilson said. "We like him because he's had a lot of experience at being a head coach and as an assistant coach on the offensive side of the ball." Gailey, 58, was introduced as the Bills' 15th head coach Tuesday. His head coaching experience consists of two years with the Dallas Cowboys and nine years in the college ranks. His most recent head-coaching ..."
Quarterback quandary calls for a quick fix
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January 22
Buffalo News
 columnist Bob DiCesare
"The phrase "the future is now" typically implies that a franchise has amassed talent in such quantities that it's well-positioned for a breakthrough. For Buffalo Bills fans the adage means that time is growing short. The realists among us recognize that the Bills probably aren't all that long for Buffalo. Whether we're talking one year, three or five, the fact is the franchise is ultimately destined for the auction block. And nothing but a magnanimous billionaire with deep and abiding ties to Western New York will prevent it from moving elsewhere. That narrows the list down to ... ? The idea of rebuilding this franchise through the draft, of adhering to an orderly progression, no longer ..."