LATEST BILLS NEWS

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Friday June 11, 2010

Reed Finds A Job: Josh Reed is no longer a man without a team. He has signed a one year deal with the Chargers. Their GM A.J. Smith said Reed's experience makes him a perfect complement for their team.

Thursday June 10, 2010

Schobel Not Coming Back: Aaron Schobel told the Buffalo News that he is not coming back to the Bills but stopped short in saying he was retiring. He said it is in the Bills hands and if they need him later in the season he would consider coming back. He also said he is fine with the team moving on without him. Schobel said he would not be taking part in the mandatory minicamp later this month. What do you think of this news? Take our poll on our homepage and let us know!

Two More Picks Signed: The Bills have now locked up all of their late round draft picks by signing 6th round pick Arthur Moats and 7th rounder Levi Brown. All five late round picks are now under contract leaving just the top four picks left to sign. Both Moats and Brown got four year deals both approaching $1.9 Million in salary. To make room on the filled roster they released OL Jorge Guerra and DE Will Croner. Front Office Page.

Wednesday June 9, 2010

Wang Injury Not Season Ending: Chan Gailey addressed the media after today's OTA session. He said Ed Wang's injury is not as serious as originally feared and they hope to get him back in time for the final minicamp at the end of this month. He did not elaborate on the nature of the injury but it has been reported to be a high ankle sprain. Roscoe Parrish and Shawn Nelson were among the players absent from today's workout. The team practiced in the fieldhouse because of rain and worked extensively on red zone drills. The team has one more OTA for the week tomorrow afternoon.Injury Page.

Schouman Returns: For the first time since suffered a torn ACL early last season, Derek Schouman took part in team drills yesterday. He said the knee felt good and it was great to be back on the field with his teammates. Chan Gailey is expected to address the media after this afternoon's 90 minute practice. He hopefully will update everyone on the status of Ed Wang who injured his left leg during the weekend minicamp. Reports say it is a high ankle sprain.

Tuesday June 8, 2010

Torbor Outside: In his first practice with the Bills, Reggie Torbor lined up at outside linebacker. He has played both inside and outside in his career but played inside the last two years in Miami. Torbor isn't 100% as he is coming back from offseason shoulder surgery. He says he is 90% back.

Calloway Signs: The Bills now have three late round draft picks in the fold. They signed 7th round pick Kyle Calloway today. Since the roster was already at the 80 man limit they had to release someone. DB Stephan Virgil was the player cut loose.

OTAs Resume Today: The Bills get back to work today with the third week of organized team activities. The team will hit the field from 12:05pm to 1:35pm today, tomorrow, and Thursday. LB Reggie Torbor will be on the field with his new teammates for the first time today after officially signing his contract with the team yesterday. It will be interesting to see where he lines up as he can play inside and outside.

Monday June 7, 2010

Wang Injury Update: Several reports say the injury suffered by Ed Wang on Saturday is not as serious as initially feared. The Buffalo News and Pro Football Talk report that Wang suffered a high ankle sprain and not a knee injury. The Bills have not updated his injury status since the injury occured. Wang had to be carted off the field and couldn't put pressure on the left leg. If it is a high ankle sprain he will likely be back early in training camp. This is very good news because when the injury happened it looked like it could have been a season ending injury. Chan Gailey will speak to the media again on Wednesday and will hopefully have more information. Injury Page.

 

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DiCesare: Lynch undermining his own value

NEWS SPORTS COLUMNIST
Updated: June 13, 2010,

A lot has been written and spoken on a national level suggesting that Marshawn Lynch's absence from the Buffalo Bills' organized team activities is throwing the team into turmoil.

"Distraction" is the word that repeatedly surfaces, the suggestion being that the Bills are unable to progress unless their one-time 1,000-yard rusher joins his teammates on the practice field and lets go of whatever it is that has him malcontent this time around.

There's a major flaw with this theory. In order to qualify as a distraction a player must first be perceived as significantly relevant to the team's success, someone with abilities that if withheld can't be adequately replaced. The holdout of Jason Peters could have qualified as a distraction because it left a gaping hole at left tackle and raised serious questions about who could fill the void.

Lynch is a lesser matter. The Bills have tired of his juvenile act. The first-round selection of Clemson running back C.J. Spiller is recast as a pick made on need if the organization has decided that Lynch has worn out his welcome, which is likely the case. General Manager Buddy Nix won't say as much because he can't say as much since voicing disappointment and worse is the surest way to undermine a player's trade value. But let's be realistic. Lynch hasn't matured despite run-ins with the law and a league suspension. How long are the Bills supposed to wait for him to become team-minded and civil?

This latest maneuver, the dodging of OTAs, is the freshest example of Lynch's ego run amok. He hasn't spoken to the matter, but presumably Lynch is in a funk over the drafting of Spiller, an acquisition that pushes the former feature back farther down the depth chart. Presumably Lynch wants a trade, which is understandable and would serve the best interests of both parties. The Bills don't need him, and they most certainly are tired of carrying his baggage and wondering, "What's next?"

Lynch fails to recognize that he bears responsibility to help facilitate a deal. If he shows up to OTAs, if he at least feigns the part of a good soldier, it would be a salve on his sullied reputation and better situate the Bills to make a fair deal. Instead, by holding out, Lynch has further distanced himself from an organization from which he seeks the favor of a new start and heightened the wariness of potential suitors.

The Bills have angled for a second- or third-round pick in return for their former first- round pick, while a fifth-rounder's looking more like market price. The blame for his meager value falls predominantly on Lynch, a free spirit who's one more off-field transgression from a suspension of eight games or longer. However, the Bills can't shuck all responsibility. There were warning signs at Cal, which upon investigation the Bills dismissed as incidental, a gross misjudgment considering Lynch's pattern of questionable behavior persists. Misreads are nothing new to the Bills, who also failed to get adequately inside the heads of Mike Williams, Erik Flowers and, it appears, John McCargo.

Jackson and Spiller support Lynch's decision to skip the OTAs, with Jackson noting that the workouts are voluntary.

"He doesn't have to be here," Jackson said. "I've talked to him every other day and he's working, too. He's trying to get in the playbook as much as possible, get as many mental reps as he can. We all know that this is about what we can do and what we're doing here so that's what we're focusing on and I'm sure when he comes back he'll be ready to go."

Lynch stopped in for a workout at Ralph Wilson Stadium recently. And then he left without making contact with new head coach Chan Gailey. While it might be argued that Gailey could just as easily reached out to Lynch, the plain truth is that the onus is on the troublesome running back to approach his boss out of common courtesy. Lynch is the one who's proven of questionable character. By keeping his distance he did nothing to refute common perception.

Spiller was asked about the impact of Lynch's absence during a national radio interview Thursday. His response?

"We don't go into our meeting rooms having five- or 10-minute sessions about the guys that are here or not here. We got to focus on that guys that are here and try to correct the mistakes that we're making."

Lynch hardly qualifies as a distraction. Teammates would like to see him around because he brings a competitive fire. They'd like to see him around in the name of the unity they're seeking to cultivate. But if he's not around ... oh, well.

"There's great things about Marshawn being here," Jackson said. "We like to compete with each other. He definitely pushes me. There's always something about him being here that's definitely a positive thing. As far as the distraction, it's not going to distract me or anybody on this team. Distraction is definitely not the right word. We have to be focused on what we're supposed to do when we're in the game. And I think that's what everybody here is focusing on, getting their jobs down and what they have to do. Somebody not being here isn't going to affect that."

If Lynch wants a trade to soothe his ego then joining his teammates should be his next course of action. And if he continues to ride solo, it diminishes his trade value. The Bills have to be careful here. Peters got his way but, unlike Lynch, he had leverage. It's not in the best interests of the organization to give in again. Unless Lynch chooses to cooperate, it could well suit the Bills to keep writing him checks while his career wastes away.