Bills News

"The Buffalo Bills’ top three draft choices remained unsigned Wednesday as the team prepared to descend on St. John Fisher College in Pittsford for the start of training camp. The Bills continue to work on contracts for first-round pick Leodis McKelvin, second-rounder James Hardy and third-rounder Chris Ellis. The pace of signings for first-rounders this summer is typically slow, with most negotiations for top picks expected to drag on to the final hours before training camps open. Just nine of 31 first-round picks had signed contracts as of Wednesday evening. Signings had been announced for 15 of 32 players taken in the second round. The Bills are scheduled to report to training camp ..."

"The Buffalo Bills signed third-round draft selection Chris Ellis and sixth-round draft pick Xavier Omon today. Ellis, from Virginia Tech, is a defensive end who was taken 72nd overall. Omon is a running back from Northwest Missouri State who was taken 179th overall. The Bills now have just two unsigned picks, first-round cornerback Leodis McKelvin and second-round wide receiver James Hardy. Ellis and Omon are the seventh and eighth Bills' draft picks to sign with the team. Terms of the deals were not disclosed."

"The Buffalo Bills’ competitive showing in 2007 will save them millions this month when they sign first-round draft pick Leodis McKelvin. By finishing 7-9 last season, the Bills again avoided picking among the first half-dozen selections in the NFL draft. That’s where the astronomical rookie contracts get paid. McKelvin, the cornerback from Troy University in Alabama, was drafted 11th overall. He is expected to sign a deal that should give him lifetime financial security. However, it’s not going to make him one of the top- 10 highest-paid players on the team."

"The Buffalo Bills open training camp Friday at St. John Fisher College, and it will be a very bad sign if unhappy offensive left tackle Jason Peters hasn't signed a renegotiated contract by then. I'm no fan of renegotiated contracts, but Peters is an exception. He signed his current deal before he was converted to left tackle, where he quickly established himself as one of the best in the NFL. It's no surprise that he feels underpaid when two other starters on the offensive line are being paid much more as imported free agents."

"Like a kid at Christmas, Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell was thrilled with the new toys he received this offseason. Now he can hardly wait to see if they all work. “On paper, I like them and non pads I really like them,” Fewell said of free agent additions Marcus Stroud, Spencer Johnson and Kawika Mitchell as well as selections in a defensive-oriented draft led by first-round pick Leodis McKelvin. “But we haven’t played a game yet. We still have to see how everything fits together.” The Bills hope their porous run defense will get better by getting bigger. Stroud and Mitchell were important acquisitions in that regard because they have the size and strength to ..."

"The most uncertain position on the Buffalo Bills’ offense heading into training camp is tight end. Where do the Bills stand at tight end? Even the team’s coaches are eager to discover the answer. “To me, that’s probably the most vital position offensively that we have to find out about in training camp,” said Bills offensive coordinator Turk Schonert. “It’s all wide open right now.” We know where the Bills stood last year at tight end: near the back of the pack. Starter Robert Royal finished with 25 catches for 248 yards. That was the fifth-fewest catches in the NFL for a starting tight end. The Bills got another 25 catches from Michael Gaines, but he’s gone to Detroit. Overall, ..."

"As Brett’s Favre’s mind, to say nothing of his future, seems to change hourly while he confronts his 39th birthday on Oct. 10 and must decide whether he wants to continue playing or reverse his field once again and stay retired, let’s consider the case histories of some other great quarterbacks who were still playing pro football near that age. There are 25 quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame. In the last 50 years, just six of them were starting when they were 38 or more. Only one, the great Johnny Unitas, was still in uniform at age 40. Only two, Unitas and Joe Montana, changed teams so late in their careers as it seems Favre will be obliged to do if he decides to keep on playing."

"Buffalo Bills Experience The interactive games area on the artificial turf field at St. John Fisher Stadium is a highlight of camp for youths. Here’s a rundown on the challenges: Quarterback Challenge –The pressure is on as three receivers are open to catch your game-winning pass. But watch out. There is a “huge” defender who wants to get to you first. Field Goal Challenge –You’re in the final seconds of the game and the coach has sent you out to clinch the game for your team. Can you overcome the pressure and put the ball through the uprights? Football Toss –Lee Evans is on the 20-yard line waiting for you to throw him the ball. Wait. Is that Josh Reed on the 5-yard line? You ..."

"Everybody has questions. How soon can quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco start in Atlanta and Baltimore? Where does Brett Favre play in 2008, if he plays at all? Is there another team such as the New York Giants that will come out of the shadows at playoff time to seize the Super Bowl? There are no ready answers in July and August. Training camp is a time to grind, but it's also a time for optimism. Let's set the stage for the NFL's 89th season."

"Yes, the Bears have some issues as they head into training camp this week. But they are not alone. Each of the 32 teams in the NFL will be trying to answer deep questions, tie together loose ends and bury ghosts of the past. Here is a look at the other 31:"

"Former Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett collected the Jimmy V ESPY Award for Perseverance on Wednesday night. The award is named for the late North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano. Everett suffered what was thought to be a paralyzing spinal cord injury during the 2007 season opener, but after rehabilitation, he is walking again."

"The New England Patriots didn't do much this off-season, which is why not much has changed in the American Football Conference. New England did lose All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel, but otherwise looks like the same team that went 16-0 last season. The Patriots have won 20 regular-season games in a row, dating to a 21-0 loss at Miami on Dec. 10, 2006. They have broken their own NFL record of 18 consecutive victories set in 2003-04. The Indianapolis Colts, the San Diego Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't change much in the off-season, either, which is why they are given the best shots to challenge the Patriots for AFC supremacy this season."

"One day last week, I tuned into ESPN to hear what the NFL analysts had to say about the Buffalo Bills in their mini-preview of the league's teams. Steve Levy, the host, informed us "when you think of Buffalo you think of the three 'W's - winter, wings and Whitner." At the time it was 85 degrees in Buffalo but Levy was still alluding to our overworked reputation for rough winters, a subject beaten to near death by the national sporting media for more than 40 years. The reference to Donte Whitner, the Bills' fine young safety? Whitner is moving comfortably into a leadership role in his third pro season but I suspect he is not yet a totally familiar name in the households of ESPN ..."

"Marshawn Lynch was all smiles Saturday. In fact, the biggest burden he endured was a comical situation in which a child was draped around Lynch's legs as he tried to demonstrate a football drill. Lynch, the Buffalo Bills running back and a former Cal and Oakland Tech standout, was back home to conduct a free football clinic for about 500 children, and there were no signs that he's still feeling the stresses of the last six weeks. "That was an unbelievably stressful time, and all I had was prayer," said Lynch's mother, Delisa. "I told him that he has to do what he has to do, and in the end, justice always prevails. Look at him now.""

"Tickets for the first two Buffalo Bills night training camp practices, July 29 and 31 from 7 to 9:05 p. m., will be made available Friday, the team said. Tickets for all night practices are complementary and are available at buffalobills. com, ticketmaster.com and Western and Central New York Ticketmaster locations. Fans ordering tickets on the Web will be charged a $1.75 per order "print at home" fee. There is a limit of six tickets per person for the practices. Ticket availability for the final five night practices - Aug. 5, 7, 11, 17 and 19 - will be announced each Tuesday beginning next week."

"The Buffalo Bills today announced the signing of the fifth of their 10 draft picks, receiver Steve Johnson. Johnson was the teams' second of three seventh-round draft selections (224th overall). Terms of the deal were not announced."

"Jerome Bettis lofted his putter and pointed a few feet right of a hole some 20 feet away on the sloping practice green at Brierwood Country Club in Hamburg. "I should be aiming way over there," he told his friend. Then, as the retired Pittsburgh Steelers running back struck the ball, Kevin Everett tilted his head and tried to will his buddy's ball home. "I see it, I see it, I see it," Everett said, laughing. Everett, the former Bills tight end who suffered a spinal cord injury last September that initially left him paralyzed, was unable to play in the inaugural Kevin Everett Golf Classic on Monday."

"The Buffalo Bills and defensive tackle Kyle Williams agreed to a multiyear contract extension Thursday. The Bills did not release the terms of the deal, but NFL Network reported it was a three-year extension worth $14.5 million. Williams was entering the third year of a four-year contract he signed as a rookie in 2006. He was scheduled to make base salary of $445,000 under his former deal. He is now signed through 2012."

"The Bills on Tuesday announced the signing of seventh-round draft selection (219th overall) Demetrius Bell. Bell was the team's first of three seventh round selections. Terms of the deal were not disclosed."

"NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did his best today to allay fears of Buffalo Bills fans over the team's foray into Canada. Goodell, speaking to reporters before taking part in a question-and-answer forum at Chautauqua Institution, offered full support to the team's plan to play eight games in Toronto over the next five years. "The efforts going on to regionalize the team I think are strengthening the team and making the team more successful in Buffalo," Goodell said. "I think that's what's positive, and I think that's what the fans should understand. It's good for the Bills and I believe it will be good for the fans overall." Goodell said he does not agree with the perception that the ..."

"The Buffalo Bills took care of one more offensive lineman Wednesday. Right guard Brad Butler signed a multiyear contract extension, which gives the Bills three offensive linemen who are happy, healthy and signed to long-term contracts. Derrick Dockery and Langston Walker are the other two. Center Melvin Fowler is entering the last year of his contract. Then, of course, there is left tackle Jason Peters, who has three years remaining on his deal but wants a new contract. Because he skipped all of the team?s spring practices, Peters? status remains the biggest contractual uncertainty hanging over the Bills this summer."

"Rookie tight end Derek Fine signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills today, the team announced. The team also said it had signed offensive guard Brad Butler to an extension of an undisclosed length. Butler is entering his third season with the Bills since being drafted out of the University of Virginia. Fine was the second of the Bills' two fourth-round picks in April's NFL Draft."

"Buffalo Bills guard Brad Butler worked this offseason as an intern for famed politician Jack Kemp in Washington, D. C. Butler was stunned by the fact several people asked him what connection he had to Kemp, the former Congressman, cabinet member and vice presidential candidate. "I would answer that I played for the Buffalo Bills, and they still didn't get it," Butler said. "He has affected so many people's lives and done so much after football, that a lot of people don't even realize he was one of the best Buffalo Bills ever. I was blown away by that. I think that should be the goal of anybody who wants to try to be successful after football.""

"The Buffalo Bills have sold out individual-game tickets to six of their seven games in Orchard Park, the team announced today. The only game for which tickets still are available to fans who are not season ticket holders is the regular-season finale against the New England Patriots on Dec. 28."

"Every now and then someone I meet on the streets or in the supermarkets asks me where I get ideas for my column. My usual answer is "from people like you and I need one for Sunday. What's your suggestion?" Today's came from an old friend, Don Barnett, a longtime Buffalo sports fan and currently a member of the Western New York Sports Hall of Fame advisory committee. Like a legion of Western New Yorkers, Barnett is an admirer of the late Tim Russert, especially Tim's devotion to things Buffalo, primarily the Bills. Barnett got to his point quickly. "Wouldn't he be perfect for the Bills' Wall of Fame?" he asked."

"Entering his third NFL season, strong safety Donte Whitner has already established himself as one of the Buffalo Bills' most prominent leaders. It's a role he takes very seriously. That's why Whitner is letting rookie cornerback Leodis McKelvin stay at his home in Hamburg this offseason. Whitner's goal is to shorten McKelvin's professional learning curve. "It's no mystery. We didn't pick him No. 11 overall in the draft to sit on the bench," Whitner said. "We picked him at No. 11 because he was the best corner available, he's a unique talent and he can definitely help this football team."

"When the pads go on and the hitting begins next month, look for the young guns to draw the most fire. If quarterback is the most demanding position in any team sport, inexperienced passers face the toughest challenge of all - especially if the franchises they represent are poised to make some noise. Oakland's JaMarcus Russell and Kansas City's Brodie Croyle won't be under that degree of pressure because the Raiders and Chiefs are afterthoughts behind San Diego in the AFC West. But for Trent Edwards, Jason Campbell, Matt Leinart and Tarvaris Jackson, fans and teammates are ready to analyze every training camp snap to judge whether these young quarterbacks are the real deal or merely ..."

"Mornings are the worst time for Kevin Everett. That's when the pain is at its most intense, when he's reminded that things probably will never be the way they once were. "I'm still faced with challenges," he said. "I pray every day that things will get better. I've got to cope with 'em the best way I can in everyday life." He knows he shouldn't complain. Lord knows, it could have been so much worse. He thanks God every day that he can walk and talk and do the things thousands of others can't. Therein lines the contradiction. "I want people to know I'm blessed," he said. "You've got to maintain your faith in the good times and the bad.""

"Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch is expected to plead guilty next week to an unspecified charge stemming from a hit-and-run accident involving his SUV, Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark said Friday. Clark declined to detail the charge but said a tentative plea agreement assumes Lynch was driving his 2008 Porsche Cayenne when it hit a woman crossing a Buffalo intersection early May 31, leaving the victim with a bruised hip and in need of stitches. There was one other person in the SUV at the time, Clark said. He would not say who it was."

"The Buffalo Bills announced that group tickets will be available Saturday to the preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Aug. 28 and the regular season games against the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 30 and New England Patriots on Dec. 28. Individual game tickets for the other five Bills regular season games in Ralph Wilson Stadium ? against Seattle, Oakland, San Diego, the New York Jets and Cleveland ? are sold out."

"The Buffalo Bills and the Rogers Centre have unveiled a Bills Toronto Series logo that will be featured on patches placed on the team's home uniform for all eight games played at Rogers Centre as part of the series over the next five years. The new mark features artistic elements of Rogers Centre, CN Tower and the Bills signature mark, the charging buffalo. The Bills Toronto Series logo was created in cooperation with the NFL, Buffalo Bills, Rogers Centre and CN Tower Corporation."

"Daren Stone, the former Lockport High School defensive back who is now a strong safety for the Atlanta Falcons, was arrested in downtown Atlanta on Sunday morning and charged with driving under the influence, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported today. He was released about 5:30 p.m. Sunday after posting a $1,591 bond, an official with the City of Atlanta jail confirmed to the newspaper. Stone is expected to meet with Falcons officials today to discuss the incident."

"With parents who were teachers and six children of his own, Andrew Cappuccino appreciates a teachable moment. The orthopedic surgeon and spine specialist was thrust into the national spotlight after he helped save the life of former Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett this past season. So when Marshall Brennan, a sixth grader at Emmet Belknap Middle School, wrote him a letter asking some questions about Everett's injury and injury prevention for young athletes, Cappuccino eagerly took the opportunity to speak to him and his classmates. Thursday morning, the Lockport resident discussed his career, medical care and Everett's health situation with the sixth graders."

"By now we are long accustomed to professional athletes acting as royalty, being compensated with obscene amounts of money, treating ordinary citizens as serfs and sometimes acting as though laws, in the words of the late Leona Helmsley, "the Queen of Mean," are for the "little people." But Marshawn Lynch's after-midnight hit-and-run adventure, the puddle allowed to expand into a lake, begs another question: Where do these royal jocks find their lawyers? Straight from the cast of "Law and Order?" If you have seen the popular television series or any of its gazillion reruns, you know what I mean."

"Aaron Schobel is not one to show a lot of emotion. The Pro Bowl defensive end would rather express himself through his play than with his words. But with the additions on defense this offseason, even the low-key Schobel is excited about the Buffalo Bills? chances of putting a much better unit on the field. ?I like what they did last year with the offense, and they?ve done it again this year with the defense,? Schobel said during the Bills? minicamp. ?Put it all together and see what happens.?"

"Rookie receiver James Hardy was one of three Buffalo Bills players subpoenaed Thursday to testify before a grand jury looking into a hit-and-run accident involving running back Marshawn Lynch's SUV. Besides Hardy, the Bills' second-round draft pick, rookie receiver Steve Johnson and second-year offensive lineman Christian Gaddis also were subpoenaed, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to The Associated Press. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person is not authorized to release that information."

"Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron didn?t tell his players he was going to end minicamp a day early, but they figured it out when they saw a note on the locker room bulletin board Thursday morning. ?It said on the board to pack our bags for camp after practice,? middle linebacker Paul Posluszny said. ?So we kind of got the hint.? Jauron?s surprise was given away, but it didn?t diminish how good the players felt about getting their vacations off to an early start."

"The Buffalo Bills announced today they have released quarterback Luke Drone and tight end Teyo Johnson. Johnson has been out of the game for two seasons but he was a second-round pick out of Stanford in 2003. With Robert Royal set as the starting tight end this year, Johnson was competing with draft choice Derek Fine, free-agent pickup Courtney Anderson as well as second-year pro Derek Schouman for playing time."

"The Buffalo Bills have not had too many backup players in their history as colorful as Mitch Frerotte. The reserve offensive lineman cut a distinctive figure on the field with his long blond hair, tattoos and elaborate face paint while a member of the Bills? team in 1987 and from 1989 through ?92. Frerotte, 43, died unexpectedly in his home in Kittanning, Pa., on Wednesday. He died of a heart attack, according to cousin Gus Frerotte, a Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback."

"Watching Kirk Chambers line up at the critical left tackle position during the first day of the Buffalo Bills' mandatory three-day mini-camp on Wednesday is not what offensive coordinator Turk Schonert had in mind as he tries to rebuild the team's moribund offense. But that's the hand Schonert and the Bills have been dealt now that Jason Peters has decided not to report to the team because he is unhappy with his present contract. He'll be fined for his absence, at the most, $8,638 for missing one or all three mandatory sessions, according to the NFL Players Association."

"It was a beautiful day at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Wednesday. The sun was shining and the players were going through their paces on the field. From the looks of things all would seem to be well in the Buffalo Bills' world. But it isn't. This has hardly been an uneventful offseason for the Bills. They have dealt with accusations that rookie wide receiver James Hardy wielded a firearm and running back Marshawn Lynch's prolonged silence about his possible involvement in a hit-and-run incident. Even the team's public address announcer is in legal trouble. And then there's the matter of Jason Peters."

"The Buffalo Bills will be in the unusual position of setting the market value at a position during their contract negotiations with Jason Peters. Peters skipped the Bills' mandatory minicamp practice Wednesday because he wants a new contract, and it's obvious the Bills will have to make the left tackle the highest-paid player in team history to satisfy his demands. Left guard Derrick Dockery and defensive end Aaron Schobel top the Bills' salary list with contracts that average $7 million a year. The cost for Peters figures to be higher. A lot higher. Peters is better than Dockery and plays a more important position on the offensive line, protecting the quarterback's blind side."

"Mitch Frerotte, a backup offensive lineman on three Buffalo Bills Super Bowl teams in the early 1990s, has died after being stricken in his mother's home in his hometown of Kittanning, Pa., about an hour northeast of Pittsburgh. Frerotte died Wednesday evening, possibly after suffering a heart attack, authorities said today."

"Buffalo Bills left tackle Jason Peters was a no-show today at the first of three mandatory minicamp practices the team held. Peters wants a new contract in the wake of the outstanding season he had in 2007. The 6-foot-4, 340-pounder was named as a starter to the Pro Bowl for the first time. He also was a second-team All-Pro pick by the Associated Press and a first-team All-Pro pick by Sports Illustrated."

"He seems to make a play in every practice, earning the praise of his coaches and teammates alike. When the work is over and the players leave the field, he remains to catch extra passes from the Jugs machine. When you are a seventh-round draft pick you better make an impression early and often. If it was Steve Johnson?s intention to get the Buffalo Bills? attention, he is succeeding."

"Former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Tom Catlin has died. He was 76. Catlin died Saturday at a hospice in Seattle of complications stemming from recent surgery, said his brother, Charles Catlin, who added that his brother recently had Parkinson's disease. Catlin was defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills from 1978 to 1982 and was assistant head coach under Chuck Knox in '81 and '82. He was the brains behind the "Bermuda Triangle defense" that helped lead the Bills to the playoffs in 1980 and '81."

"The Buffalo Bills moved a step closer to selling all of their tickets for the season over the weekend. The Bills sold all of the individual-game seats for five of their seven games at Ralph Wilson Stadium after their first week of individual-game sales to season ticket holders. Those games are against Seattle, Oakland, San Diego, the New York Jets and Cleveland, the team announced. The Bills are setting aside an undisclosed number of seats for more season- ticket sales, which will continue through Aug. 28."

"The Buffalo Bills have sold out individual tickets for five of their seven home games at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The team announced today that individual seats for the Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns are sold out. In addition, the Bills have crossed the 52,000-seat mark for season-ticket sales. Last season the Bills' season-ticket total was 48,236. The Bills still are setting aside an undisclosed number of seats for season-ticket sales, which will continue through Aug. 28. The sellouts of individual seats come after season-ticket holders were allowed last week to purchase additional seats to individual games."

"The Buffalo Bills have sold out individual tickets for five of their seven home games at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The team announced today that individual seats for the Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns are sold out. In addition, the Bills have crossed the 52,000-seat mark for season-ticket sales. The Bills still are setting aside an undisclosed number of seats for season-ticket sales, which will continue through Aug. 28. The sellouts of individual seats come after season-ticket holders were allowed last week to purchase additional seats to individual games."

"Kyle Williams has never been afraid of a little competition. After all, he did keep Glenn Dorsey ? the best defensive tackle in college football last year and the fifth overall pick in last April?s draft ? on the bench for two seasons at LSU. So when the Buffalo Bills acquired veteran defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and Spencer Johnson, Williams didn?t bat an eye. ?I think it?s good,? he said after Friday?s organized team activity. ?It?s like that old saying, ?Competition makes you better.?"