Minicamp is D-U-N

The Bills wrapped up minicamp last Friday and the QB storyline that all Bills faithful have been following wrapped up with a "To Be Continued" as Gailey again would not divulge the QB depth chart and only managed to say he's got one in his head but that anything can change. He also went on to say that people should not read into who gets the first reps come training camp next month. So here's what I'm taking home from the minicamp's QB battle... Brohm has made a big impression and is in serious consideration for the starting job. Edwards is the man to beat as of this point, there's no disputing that, but after hearing Gailey's comments about Brohm, it's clear he has at the very least exceeded the head coach's expectations. Here are his words on Brohm: "You know the last two weeks, he's made a jump in my opinion. I thought he practiced well. We'll have to see how it progresses once we get pads on and all that." My prediction is that come training camp the QBs will be Edwards, Brohm, and Fitzpatrick in that order and the heaviest competition will be between Edwards and Brohm.

Again, are any of these three QBs in a good position to bring this team success? If your definition of success is making the playoffs then I say no, at least not in the AFC East. If you define success as improving upon last year's offensive rankings (28th in points per game, 30th in both yards and passing yards per game and 16th in rushing yards per game), not that it would be difficult to improve upon those dismal rankings but I do believe the Bills will claw their way out of the NFL's basement in terms of production so yes they'll be more successful offensively. As for wins, given our difficult schedule it wouldn't surprise me if we had a much more productive offense this year that didn't translate into more wins but I'm not gonna play the numbers game until I see how the team does in pads with a few more weeks to study up on the playbook and heal up our injured players.

What's becoming my favorite battle is the #2 WR spot. Gailey had some high praise for his receiving corps at the close of minicamp and it looks like the #2 receiver's spot is anyone's to gain. Among the qualified candidates are Hardy, Johnson, Easley, Roosevelt, Jones, Nelson... am I missing anyone. I think you can basically count out all the rookies on that list just for lack of NFL experience which leaves you with Hardy and Johnson as the real competitors for the spot. That's not to say that I don't think the rookies will contribute, and as we've seen with teams like the Colts and Vikings of last year, rookie receivers can be a force. Still, Hardy and Johnson have 2 years experience on this squad, that may not mean so much with the coaching changes but they have had time to get to know the (so far) #1 QB, Edwards, and develop a chemistry with other members of the offense. With Hardy's injury last year hampering his development, and with Johnson visibly seeking the advice of Owens on the sideline and on the practice field last year, I see Johnson as a lock for the #2 spot unless Hardy can really step up and make his presence known. Bills insider Chris Brown also sees Roosevelt as a potential #2 receiver and I'd trust someone who's been watching the team come together firsthand throughout the offseason. Here's his take on the QBs, WRs, and RBs through minicamp.

As for the offensive line, who could honestly say they are confident in what we have right now? I'm not going to comment too much on the Bills line as it's no secret the left tackle position is a disaster, but it's at least a little encouraging to know that Wang's injury isn't serious, Bell is ahead of schedule in his rehab, and Meredith is performing well so far. I'm still crossing my fingers on a Gaither trade because not only is he young and talented, but he's NOT INJURED. I'd sacrifice my firstborn to see him signed to a long term deal as a Bill because he would without a doubt add a much needed boost to the offense simply by pluggin' a hole (that's what she said?)

Lynch, my boy, seems to be doing well so far. Gailey, who's probably not too big a fan of his truancy, had nothing bad to say about him. In fact he even commented that Lynch seems to be a quick study, and reports on Bills-dot-com say he's cutting well and he looks quick. I'm hoping to see the Beast Mode of old because I've been an unwavering and perhaps foolish supporter of his but I still think he can contribute to this team. A backfield of Jackson, Lynch and Spiller would be doper than dopesick and I'm eager to see how Gailey intends to use all 3 backs. They're all a threat in the running and passing game and I wouldn't be surprised if each of them had over 100 touches by season's end. Some may think I'm crazy to think Lynch will get that many, but see how his production came along by the end of last season and factor in that he's playing for a new coach who claims to be giving everyone a fair shot and a fresh start and it's not so crazy. Once he got a few games into the season he picked up his game right where he had left off in 2008 and I'll toast to 2010 being the year of the Beast Mode.

Not much more to say on minicamps. The defense looks pretty good and players seem to be adjusting well to their new positions, ie Kelsay. I think all of Bills nation has their sights on Maybin and will be livid if he does not do something big this season, but as of now I don't think you can gauge where he's at. If if had to prognosticate, I'd say he won't be a starter at least at the beginning of the season, but I think he'll grow into the position by season's end and will have at least 5 starts.

All for now, I'm just gonna end this post with a happy birthday shout-out to my Mom. This is from me and Marshawn.

SU in the draft

Just a quick note about the Orange. Dilettante NBA fan that I am, I have little to offer in NBA commentary, however I couldn't help publicly congratulating both Wes Johnson and Andy Rautins for being selected to the Wolves and Knicks in the draft last week. Minnesota seems to love the Orange these past 2 years taking Johnny Flynn and Wes in back to back years. Wise move as both are very complete players. I'm curious to see if Johnson can step up his D in the NBA now being out of a 2-3 zone. He may be better suited for man to man but no arguing he brings a great offensive game. As for Rautins, I've heard that some people think he's as developed as he'll ever get, but seeing him go from part-time perimeter threat to the Orange's undisputed leader all the while rehabbing from an injury that kept him off the college court for a year, I'm thinking he'll put in the work on and off the court to be a threat in the NBA. On the Knicks too, he has a great opportunity to get some playing time as who knows what their roster will be with all the trade rumors going around. I wish them both the best, and as always GO ORANGE

Brohm battling for #1 on depth chart?

According to reports coming from Bills minicamp, Brohm has put on a strong showing and has demonstrated excellent execution and understanding of the offense while the assumed man-to-beat, Edwards, struggled throughout his time commanding the offense. There's still plenty of minicamp left to go but it's interesting to hear that already the QB battle is heating up and the #3 has shown #1 potential from the gate. I'm waiting to see video of minicamp, but you can check out the report from Joe Buscaglia of WGR here. Another battle may be unfolding amidst the linebackers as well, as Chris Brown reports from buffalobills.com that Kawika Mitchell, now healthy and practicing, took on some play-calling duties that had been left to Davis and Poz throughout OTAs. Seeing as he'll most likely be used outside, there's no reason why all 3 of them can't be on the field at once but who will be commanding the defense? You can check out his coverage of the first day of minicamps here. One last note, Eric Wood seems to continue to progress ahead of schedule which is great news for our Frankenline. I'll keep my eyes peeled for some video coverage and will continue to comment about minicamp when I get the opportunity.

End of OTAs

Today marks the final day of OTAs before the start of mandatory training camp and here are some things weighing on my mind, be it for the good or for the bad.

#1) RBs. Marshawn Lynch. He finally returned but seemed hardly poised and hungry to hit the ground running. I'm glad he's back and anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge fan of his, but if the Bills do keep him (which I'd like to see) he won't be their #1 back and if he doesn't get his head on straight he may not even be #2. I don't think this assessment should surprise even the most casual Bills fan. I like what Spiller brings as both a RB and WR and even special teams contributor. I can only imagine he'll be everywhere this season, and I'm looking forward to Jackson picking up where he left off last year. If Marshawn gets his head in the game, the Bills may have the most potent backfield in the NFL (O-line being one major consideration in regards to that statement).

#2) Aaron Schobel. Self-declared near-retiree. It's clear both he and the coaching staff do not expect him to be on the roster come September and even if he does decide to take another stab at it, he'd be hard pressed to make a positional change and learn a new defensive scheme. He's well behind the curve as is if he does decide to return; if you think he'll be on the roster come September consult a psychiatrist soon. Thanks for the good times Schobel.

#3) QBs. Flip a three-sided coin on this one. I know the staff says all 4 QBs have a fair shot at starting, but unless Levi gives them something incredible he'll be on the practice squad this fall. To me, it's a 3 horse race and my prediction is that the depth chart will go Edwards, Fitzpatrick, Brohm in that order. Edwards has stepped up and shown some quality leadership and been a workhorse off the field. I still don't trust his confidence or his ability to avoid concussions but the latter should be mitigated by a more stable O-line. I see Edwards as the number one, and Fitz and Brohm not far behind and both quite capable of running the offense. I don't foresee GREAT production from any of these QBs, but I could foresee GOOD production from any of them, which is a step in the right direction.

#4) WRs. Remember that Owens guy? Me too, wasn't bad, no hard feelings, but the Bills have a solid corps of young wideouts this year, all of them hungry for playing time. This is one of the positions I feel best about on the Bills because we still have Evans (#1), and Parrish (slot), and the #2 could be filled by Hardy, Johnson, Easley, or even Roosevelt, though I think with their experience in the NFL it'll likely be Hardy or Johnson filling that role. Either way I'm satisfied.

#5) Lines. If you want a headache try and analyze the Bills D-line. With the transition to 3-4 I don't think you can really get a good idea of how the line is working until the pads go on, and even then we may have to wait until the preseason. I do like the FA addition of Edwards, and the pickup of Carrington. I'm more worried about the NT and whether or not Troup can hold the nose at the next level. On the offensive side, another headache. Rehabbing starters like Wood and Bell really haven't had much time to get into the swing of things. I'm encouraged that Wood is back on the field, but it's discouraging to see that Wang has already suffered an injury, no he's not a starter but it'd be good if we had some healthy guys backing up the starters so we don't have a repeat of '09.

#6) LBs. The addition of Davis was key for getting a veteran player from a 3-4 to teach the position to the incumbent players. I feel like with Kawika back on the field and our already solid players at that position our LBs should have a good year. To what degree Harris and Maybin will be big contributors at that position has yet to be seen but I like the way both of them have been putting in the work required to compete for starting positions. One thing I think will be a lot better this year is the pass rush. We've got some strong, quick players in the box, if they can stop the run too it'll be a great year to be on D.

#7) DBs. No problems here, just keep on keeping on. Like McKelvin coming back; we've got a deep defensive backfield which should perform great particularly in nickel and dime packages but we also have the talent to defend one-on-one and do some interesting blitzing schemes with George Wilson.

#8) Special Teams. Look for the return game to kick it back up to the top 5 in the league this year with Spiller most likely taking some of the return duties. I think the new staff will like Parrish back out there too, and if not there's still McKelvin and Jackson. Moorman and Lindell shouldn't have any problems either.

All in all, I'm optimistic about this team. If nothing else, they appear hungry and ready to fight for wins unlike the 4th-quarter-collapsing Bills of the Jauron era. Personally, I'm crossing my fingers for the return of B3@$+ |\/|ô|)3 because I love the way he plays the game, but he's got a long road back to the field. Let the positional battles begin. Training camp starts tomorrow.

Happy Father's Day everyone.

First post

Never blogged a day in my life, nor had I ever wanted to until I realized I have way too much time on my hands and I've been reading up on my Buffalo Bills for at least a couple hours a day. So I figure maybe I'll throw in my two cents because, well, I can. I'm an avid sports fan, at least of most sports, and football is my number one. My family's had Bills season tickets for longer than I've been alive, and I was basically raised in section 141 at the Ralph (RIP Rich Stadium). Now, college graduate that I am, I'm working in the heart of Pats country, Boston. Good city, don't get me wrong; passionate fans and all, but not like Bills fans. Being here, I'm clinging to my Bills heritage and doing my best to represent WNY in the best way possible: by being an obnoxious, die-hard, Bills fan and letting people know it. I'll bring my commentary on the new staff in OP, the offseason, the season, my predictions, nostalgia, anecdotes, and anything else NFL that might concern the Bills-faithful. Keep your eyes peeled for the occasional Syracuse Orange post as well. Shout out to JFlan, inspiration for this blog. Check his blog out here, always good for some well-composed, researched news on all sports. Commentary on OTAs to follow.