Buffalo Bills 2013: DEFENSE!

The Bills defense in 2012 was vastly improved.

Mario Williams due $6.5 million in 2013. After a season where he had 10.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 37 tackles while playing injured, he will be a huge part of the team in 2013!

Shawne Merriman had 12 tackles, just 1 sack, and no forced fumbles in 2012. Going on 29 in May, the Bills might look to let him go as a free agent.

Marcell Dareus is due over $2 million in 2013. 26 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2012 puts Dareus amoung the Bills best defenders in 2012. Look for him to continue his dominance in 2013.

Spencer Johnson had just 10 tackles and 2 sacks with one forced fumble in 2012. At the age of 31, he will likely not be retained. Jay Ross looks to compete for his job in 2013.

Kyle Williams is due just under $4 million in 2013. He had 27 tackles and 5 sacks in 2012. Alex Carrington had 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble to go with 12 tackles. Both will be back in 2013.

Mark Anderson is due $2.4 million while coming off a season with just 10 tackles and 1 sack. He needs to improve in 2013 for the Bills defense to be better.

Kyle Moore had 3 sacks and 24 tackles in 2012. As an impending free agent, the Bills must make him a priority on defense.

Bryan Scott had 47 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 4 interceptions in 2013. This is one man the Bills have to retain.

Kelvin Sheppard had 56 tackles and two sacks in 2012.

Kirk Morrison had two, that's it, just two tackles in 2012. Give me a break, goodbye. As a backup, he will only return on a really cheap one-year deal.

Nigel Bradham had 37 tackles in 2012. He will return being paid $480,000 in 2013.

Chris White and Greg Lloyd  should compete for a roster spot in camp.

Aaron Williams had 24 tackles in 2012. He is under contract for less than $1 million in 2013. He will be back if he is healthy.

Crezdon Butler had 3 tackles and 1 forced fumble. He is under contract in 2013.

Stephon Gillmore had 52 tackles, 1 interception, and 3 forced fumbles. He will start over Butler.

TJ Heath may be the odd man out.

Da'Norris Searcy and Ron Brooks will battle for the SS spot vacated by George Wilson.

Jairus Byrd will retain his FS spot and be re-signed, and Mana Silva will be on the bench.

Buffalo Bills 2013: Offensive Line

LT Cordy Glenn, a young phenom, will certainly return and provide some sense of stability to the Bills, while Thomas Welch is under a very-friendly $650,000 contract for 2013.

RT Sam Young, making $630,000, will likely retain his starting job in 2013.

LG Andy Levitre, known for his versatility, may be expendable, as Kraig Urbik, one of my favorite Bills, recently inked a 4-year, $15,000,000 extension, and Keith Williams, making $480,000 in 2013, should be a favorite to replace Center Eric Wood if he is not healthy.

Wood, under contract for $2,300,000 in 2013, is coming off a knee/MCL injury, but hopefully should be fine by August. If not, rookie David Snow ($480,000 due in 2013) is ready to go.

Buffalo Bills 2012: Running Backs

The Bills running backs provided a boost to the offense during a down season for Fitz.

CJ Spiller (207 chances for 1,244 yards and 6 touchdowns) provided a good backup to Jackson in 2012, while Fred Jackson (115 chances for 437 yards and 3 touchdowns) was stellar before tearing his MCL in Week 14.

Tashard Choice (47 chances for 193 yards and one touchdown) was a huge disappointment in 2012. At the age of 28 (29 in November), he will almost certainly be let go as a free agent.

FB Corey McIntyre, also an impending free agent, and recently passed his 34th birthday, is a toss-up. With Dorin Dickerson, 10 years his junior, waiting in the wings, it may be time for him to go.

Buffalo Bills: Wide Receiver

The Buffalo Bills wide receivers were pretty good in 2012, despite a less-than-stellar year by Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Star, Number one receiver Stevie Johnson (79 receptions for 148 yards, 6 touchdowns and only one fumble), put up a stellar stat line after signing a major contract in 2011. Provided he stays healthy, he will be a force in Buffalo for many more years.

Ruvell Martin (4/6 for 41 yards) made a small impact in 2012. As an impending free agent, I do not think he will be retained.

Brad Smith (14 receptions for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns) looks to see his role increase in 2013. After signing a four-year contract in 2011, he needs to make a greater impact or risk being released.

Rookie T.J. Graham (31 receptions for 322 yards and 1 touchdown) is still under a good contract paying him less than $1,000,000 in 2013. Look for him to see an increased roll in 2013 under Marrone.

Marcus Easley had 3 kickoff returns for 75 yards in 2012, and Chris Hogan, the undrafter free agent from Monmouth are expected to add a breath of youth to the receiving corps.

2012 Bills: A Preview

The Buffalo Bills enter the 2012 season with the longest playoff drought in NFL history, 12 consecutive seasons. However, this year is different. I will now break down the roster by position.

1) Quarterbacks-In 16 games last season, Ryan Fitzpatrick was 353/569. That is a 62% completion percentage, a career high for Fitz. The team also signed former Titans draft bust Vince Young to a one-year deal as a backup. Young last season posted a 57.9 completion percentage. Stellar, no. Solid, yes.

2) Special Teams-Rian Lindell was 6/6 from 20-29 yards, 2/3 from 30-39 yards, and 5/6 fom 40-49 yards before being shelved with  shoulder injury in November while trying to make a tackle. In my opinion he is a very underrated kicker. In any event, Dave Rayner is gone (hallelujiah!) and John Potter is being groomed as Lindell's successor. In 72 punt attemps, Brian Moorman averaged 48.2 yards/punt. Brad Smith, the wildcat, averaged 16 yards/game. This seems like a strength for the team now and going forward.

Lindell boots a game-winner against the Patrits in 2011! Holder Brian Moorman is seen in the background.

3) Wide Receivers-Rookie T.J. Graham seems like he is ready, and Stevie Johnson is fully healthy for the season after suffering a groin injury last season and being benched for antics. As long as he uses his head and avoids questionable or stupid moves, (such as mocking Plaxico's shootng himself after a touchdown against the Jets), he will be the same Pro Bowl-caliber player he has been these last few years. Last year, he had 76 receptions for 1,004 yards (his third 1,000+ yard season). Donald Jones, Namaan Roosevelt and David Clowney IV will only add to what is already incredible depth.

4) Running Backs-Star rusher Fred Jackson was going to the Pro Bowl with 934 yards before a fractured fibula cost him the season. Along with CJ Spiller and Tashard Choice, the Bills' running core can be the best in the business.

5) DEFENSE!-Before the season, the Bills released longtime cornerback Drayton Florence. Leodis McKelvin and Aaron Williams, Justin Rogers, Terrence McGee, and Stephon Gillmore will be just fine holding down the fort without him. Jairus Byrd and "Senator" George Wilson are poised for better seasons if they stay healthy. The offensive line of Chad Rinehart, Kraig Urbik, Eric Wood, and Chris Hairston can be great if it remains intact this season. This is Shawne Merriman's make or break year. Make and he can really help the Bills defense overall. Break, and he may find himself cut following the season.

It's now or never for Shawne Merriman.

GM Buddy Nix has beefed up the defense with big signings like DE's Mark Anderson and Mario Williams. With Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams, Arthur Moats, and Dwan Edwards, this team has the potential for a top defense in the league. Nix has also retained the key cogs to continuing the team's success from last year by re-signing Stevie Johnson and extending Fitz and Fred Jackson. When Nix and Chan Gailey came on in 2010 I was skeptical, but they have proved me wrong.

Now, wth all of this joy, optimism, and jubilation over the 2012 Bills, there is one position that is readily up for grabs: Left Tackle.

The Bills lost very few free agents over the offseason, but one that they lost that I wanted back was tackle Demetress Bell. From all accounts that I have heard, including Bills radio voice John Murphy, Cordy Glenn seem like the man of the hour, but we will have to wait and see. Just another reason to keep up with the training camp reports and The John Murphy Show, which premires THIS THURSDAY and will run from 7:00 until 9:00 PM from Monday to Friday through the summer and throughout the season.*

*The show may be preempted by Sabres games.

I am in NO way affiliated with the Buffalo Bills, National Football League, or WGR-AM in Buffalo, New York. Just wanted to get that out there after a few articles with promotions of the show.

                                                                       Cordy Glenn, the job is yours for the taking.

On the Bills-Toronto Series

The news is out and the Bills have signed a five-year contract extension to continue the Bills-Toronto Series through 2017. According to various sources, including CBS Sports and Fox News, the Bills will continue to play one game per year in Rogers Centre but the pre-season contest in Toronto will be eliminated completely, citing scheduling conflicts as the reason. According to sources, the Bills will comply to this deal by embarking on a $200 million-plus renovation on Ralph Wilson Stadium at some point, presumably following the 2012 season. The series has been pretty successful. I really never liked the pre-season contest in Toronto anyway, as no one really wants to travel that far for a meaningless game. Kudos to Ralph Wilson and Rogers Communications for getting this done.

The Bills Are Back

...almost. However, I feel I should promote this. Current Buffalo Bills radio play-by-play man John Murphy will take on an expanded role with the Bills. In addition to his play-by-play duties, he will host a talk show on WGR AM Monday-Friday from 7-9 P.M.

NFL Hot Stove

The Buffalo Bills have signed Vince Young, former third-round draft bust for the Tennessee Titans. He spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, whom he famously dubbed the "Dream Team". Young threw for 866 yards and 4 TDs and 9 INTs in 2011. He had a career-low 60.8 passer rating. As long as Young doesn't say anything else stupid, this is a great pickup. As a backup to Fitzpatrick he will almost never play and I feel he can be a solid addition to the team.

The Giants have agreed to a contract with first-round draft pick RB David Wilson.

The Executive Emergence

In 2010, as the Buffalo Bills were in the midst of their slide that ended with a 4-12 record and a record 11th consecutive losing season, it was none other than Chan Gailey and Buddy Nix who were the subject of my wrath. The Bills were notorious for losing their great free agents and replacing them with mediocre players until another great one came along and the cycle repeated itself.

However, by the end of the 2011 season, by which time I had already developed a rift with Jerry Reese, Mike Tannenbaum, Sandy Alderson, and Brian Cashman, over losing players and a precived lack of tending to their own free agents, Buddy Nix was on a roll.He extended star RB Fred Jackson, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, and sat through hard-fought negotiations with Pro Bowl WR Stevie Johnson, while also adding great defensive presence Mario Williams.

Meanwhile, Cashman continued to let much-needed talent slip by his fingers, Alderson was chained up by the Wilpon situation, Reese and Tannenbaum had lost many of my favorite players all-time for their respective organizations.

And then there was one.

Nix stood alone as the only general manager who made an effort to retain the critical pieces that can make the Bills a winning team in a period closer than you may think.

Buddy Nix has so far re-signed all of his free agents except offensive lineman Chad Rinehart and Kraig Urbik (who are both RFA's), as well as added notable players such as Mark Anderson and Mario Williams to beef up the decrepit 2011 Bills defense.

If the Buffalo Bills offense can stay healthy next season, and their offense clicks, the Buffalo Bills will be a force to be reckoned with not only in the AFC East, or even the American Football Conference as a whole.

They will be a force in the National Football League, and emerge from the basement as a playoff contender.

Thank you, Mr. Nix, at being the only GM who cared enough to make his team better through retaining his own talent.

NFL Free Agency News

The New York Jets have traded a fourth round draft pick for QB Tim Tebow. The Jets will likely have either Mark Sanchez or Tebow on the team in 2012, but not both. This seems to seal the fate of Mark Brunell, not likely to return for a third season.

The Bills have re-signed S Bryan Scott.

The National Football League and Roger Goodell have suspended Saints head coach Sean Payton for the entire 2012 season without pay. He also took away their second round draft picks in 2012 and 2013. Payton will lose $7,500,000.

Hines Ward has announced his retirement after 14 seasons. He was released prior to the start of free agency and now awaits his Hall of Fame invitation.

NFL Hot Stove

The Buffalo Bills have finally signed WR Stevie Johnson to a 5-year, $36,250,000 contract. This was right on time and I commend GM Buddy Nix for his work both leading up to this deal (extending Jackson and Fitz) and during the negotiations. A new era in Buffalo is upon us!

The New York Giants have used the franchise tag on P Steve Weatherford. He will earn about $2,500,000 in 2012 if he stays under the tag, and is the third punter in NFL history to receive the tag from any team.

The Patriots have tagged WR Wes Welker.

NFL Hot Stove!

The Buffalo Bills have re-signed K Rian Lindell to a contract extension. Terms were not immediately disclosed. He played well until a shoulder injury in November sidelined him for the season. This deal helps the Bills, bringing back a quality kicker early, letting them focus on more important positions and players to re-sign.

They have also hired former Colts assistant Pete Metzelaars as their Tight Ends Coach.

Former Ravens RB Ricky Williams has announced his retirment.

And finally, New York Giants TE Travis Beckumtore his ACL during the Super Bowl. It is unknown if he will be prepared for next season.

Pro Bowl 2012!

On Sunday, the NFC and AFC will face off in the Pro Bowl. Besides having a number of talented personalities on their side, I will detail why I believe the AFC will come out on top...



The AFC squad is highlighted with QBs Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, and rookie sensation Andy Dalton in for Tom Brady. The running back crew includes Maurice Jones-Drew and Willis McGahee. With a LOADED receiving core, even without Welker, and a defense including Jets LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

The NFC is headlined by rookie sensation Cam Newton, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers. With wide receivers including Larry Fitzgerald, and future Hall of Fame TE Tony Gonzalez, as well as a defense that includes Clay Matthews.

Even though the NFC is coming off of a victory, I expect the AFC to come out on top in the long run.

AFC FULL ROSTER
QB: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Philip Rivers (Chargers)

RB: Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), Willis McGahee (Broncos), Ryan Matthews (Chargers)

FB: Vonta Leach (Ravens)

WR: A.J. Green (Bengals), Mike Wallace (Steelers), Brandon Marshall (Dolphins), Vincent Jackson (Chargers)

TE: Antonio Gates (Chargers), Jermaine Gresham (Bengals)

T: D'Brickashaw Ferguson (Jets), Joe Thomas (Browns), Ryan Clady (Broncos)

G: Ben Grubbs (Ravens), Marshal Yanda (Ravens), Brandon Moore (Jets)

C: Nick Mangold (Jets), Chris Myers (Texans)

DE: Elvis Dumerville (Broncos), Dwight Freeney (Colts), Antonio Smith (Texans)

IL: Richard Seymour (Raiders), Geno Atkins (Bengals), Paul Soliai (Dolphins)

OLB: Tamba Hall (Chiefs), Von Miller (Broncos), James Harrison (Steelers),

MLB/ILB: Ray Lewis (Ravens), Derrick Johnson (Chiefs)

CB: Champ Bailey (Broncos), Darrelle Revis (Jets), Jonathan Joseph (Texans)

FS: Eric Weddle (Chargers), Ryan Clark (Steelers)

SS: Brian Dawkins (Broncos)

P: Shane Lechler (Raiders)

K: Sebastian Janikowski (Raiders)

LS: Jon Condo (Raiders)

ST: Montell Owens (Jaguars)

KR: Antonio Brown (Steelers)


NFC FULL ROSTER
QB: Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Drew Brees (Saints), Cam Newton (Panthers)

RB: LeSean McCoy (Eagles), Matt Forte (Bears), Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)

FB: Michael Robinson (Seahawks)

WR: Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Steve Smith (Panthers), Greg Jennings (Packers), Roddy White (Falcons)

TE: Jimmy Graham (Saints), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons)

T: Jason Peters (Eagles), Joe Staley (49ers), Jermon Bushrod (Saints)

G: Jahri Evans (Saints), Carl Nicks (Saints), Davin Joseph (Buccaneers)

C: Ryan Kalil (Panthers), Scott Wells (Packers)

Defense
DE: Jared Allen (Vikings), Jason Babbin (Eagles), Julius Peppers (Bears)

IL: Jay Ratliff (Cowboys), Justin Smith (49ers), B.J. Rajj (Packers)

OLB: Clay Matthews, III (Packers), DeMarcus Ware (Cowboys), Chad Greenway (Vikings)

ILB/MLB: Patrick Willis (49ers), London Fletcher (Redskins)

CB: Charles Woodson (Packers), Brandon Browner (Seahawks), Charles Tillman (Bears)

FS: Earl Thomas (Seahawks), Kam Chancellor (Seahawks)

SS: Adrian Wilson (Cardinals)

P: Andy Lee (49ers)

K: David Akers (49ers)

KR: Patrick Peterson (Cardinals)

ST: Corey Graham (Bears)

LS: Brian Jennings (49ers)

That means that the four members of the New York Jets will be New York's only representatives in the Pro Bowl, as the Giants will rest for the Super Bowl and the no Bills have been selected. That being said, as previously stated, I believe that the AFC will win this year.