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In one of the more surprising moves this offseason, the Buffalo Bills signed enigmatic receiver Terrell Owens to a one-year, $6.5 million contract today. On one hand, this acquisition makes sense for Buffalo. They need the offensive weaponry. The Bills’ offense the past two seasons has been anemic. They were 30th in total offense two years ago and only improved to 25th in total offense last season. And quarterback Trent Edwards’ first two seasons — while showing flashes of brilliance — were nothing that would make me think he’s on the same path as, let’s say, youngsters like Baltimore’s Joe Flacco or Atlanta’s Matt Ryan. So, they need all the help they can get, even with ample offensive talent in players like receivers Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish, running backs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson and Pro Bowl tackle Jason Peters. And I really like some of Buffalo’s younger receivers — James Hardy, Steve Johnson and tight end Derek Fine. In one possible scenario, Terrell will demand double-team attention and allow his teammates to potentially thrive. But that’s not his style. He’ll demand the ball and the glory.

All that being said, I think this signing is a form of desperation (is it really about ticket sales?) and I don’t think it’s a good fit. Terrell has earned — really earned — a poor reputation as the malcontent diva nobody wanted. And I think this deal got done so quickly because the Buffalo Bills were the only team that wanted T.O. Sure, agent Drew Rosenhaus will tell you other teams were interested in Terrell’s services, but I have to believe Orchard Park, NY would’ve been at the bottom of Terrell’s list of places he’d like to play football. (I guess this is one of the few places T.O. hasn’t burned a bridge with a former coach or owner.) So, I don’t think he had many — if any — other options.

In Buffalo, I think T.O. is in a perfect position to “bully” his quarterback and head coach — something he has become known for. Trent will be entering only his second full season as the Bills’ starting quarterback and he will, most likely, be at the receiving end of many a T.O. rant. And head coach Dick Jauron is one of the more mild-mannered head coaches in the NFL. T.O. will have a license to run his mouth and could destroy any hopes this team had of developing a solid chemistry and making a long overdue postseason run.

Source: BuffaloBills.com, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Buffalo Bills Sign Terrell Owens

Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards‘ workday came to an abrupt halt after just three plays this afternoon. Trent was looking down the gun barrel of Arizona Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson and completed a nice first down pass to rookie receiver James Hardy. But in the process, Adrian delivered a crushing helmet-to-facemask hit that gave Trent a concussion and knocked him out of the game for good. As he was being carted off the field, you could tell Trent didn’t really seem to know where he was or what was happening. It wasn’t a pretty sight. As it turns out, it was a bad omen for the Bills as they lost their first game of the season to the Cards 41-17. Bills head coach Dick Jauron gave a postgame update:

“Trent was responding, but still a bit groggy. Hopefully he’ll be fine as time goes by here.”

It won’t surprise me if Adrian gets a fine and possibly a suspension for the hit. The NFL is particularly protective of their quarterbacks and it’s plays like these that puts the highest profile players out of commission. With the recent emphasis on player safety, Adrian Wilson’s hit will not be taken lightly. As it shouldn’t be. Oddly enough, he wasn’t flagged for any wrongdoing on the play. I like Adrian Wilson. He’s one of the toughest safeties in the league. But he needs to have a better understanding of the rules if he wants to keep the money he’s earning. As for Trent, the Bills are on a bye this week, so he has some extra time to recover from the hit. And my guess is he’ll need it.

Source: BuffaloBills.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Trent Edwards Suffers Concussion

As fortunate as the Buffalo Bills have been with injuries (or lack thereof) this season compared to 2007, the team lost one of their key players today when receiver/kick returner Roscoe Parrish underwent surgery on his thumb that will sideline him roughly 4-6 weeks. Head coach Dick Jauron explained:

“Roscoe we anticipate will be out for a good while. We’re hoping four to six weeks in that range. That obviously sets us back a little bit. But it’s probably as good as the news could be when we first heard about the injury ….. It wasn’t a bone issue. My understanding was it was a ligament issue and there’s no support for the thumb if it moves a certain way. Talking to him today he wasn’t in a lot of pain or discomfort with it. We’re just hoping it heals real fast and we get him back on the field.”

This is a huge blow to the Bills special teams unit and to the receiving corps, but it will mean more snaps for two high-profile rookies who will try to fill-in while Roscoe is on the mend. Leodis McKelvin is expected to assume the punt return role and James Hardy should see more work as a receiver. I think both will perform admirably, but you don’t replace Roscoe Parrish. He is one of the best punt returners in the game and as cliché as it sounds, a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He’ll be missed.

Source: BuffaloBills.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Roscoe Parrish Out 4-6 Weeks

After last Sunday’s lopsided 34-10 Kickoff Weekend win over the Seattle Seahawks, I cautioned those who were excited about the 2008 Buffalo Bills starting their season 1-0. Clearly, as a healthy and retooled team, the Bills are better than last season. But the Seahawks were banged up and I couldn’t really tell if the Hawks were that bad or if the Bills were that good. I felt I would learn a lot more about these Bills after a tough road test in stifling heat against the Jacksonville Jags this afternoon.

Well, the Bills passed that road test in a hard-fought 20-16 win. The defense held the potent Jags running game to 98 yards and second-year quarterback Trent Edwards came of age today. In fact, this game could be a defining moment in his season — maybe even his career. He had impressive numbers (20-of-25 passing for 239 yards and a TD). But with the game on the line, his 37-yard completion to receiver Lee Evans and subsequent seven-yard touchdown pass to rookie James Hardy were perhaps the most important completions he’s made in his young career. I know there’s a long way to go in this 2008 season, but you can go ahead and get excited now. I think the 2-0 Bills are for real.

Source: NFL.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Are the Buffalo Bills for Real?

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

Less than 24 hours before the the Buffalo Bills open their 2008 training camp in Rochester, NY, the team agreed to terms with rookie wide receiver James Hardy today. This is significant because not only do I feel James will be a integral part of the 2008 Buffalo Bills, I believe he’ll make an impact as one of the best rookies to enter the National Football League this season. Naturally, head coach Dick Jauron likes what James brings to the team:

“Having a big receiver helps us. You can cover him and he can still be open. He can out-reach defenders for the ball. He can out-jump defenders for the ball in the red zone. In my opinion, very seldom does the jump ball occur except in the red zone, but reach is a big thing in our game and he’s got reach.”

Rarely does a rookie wide receiver make a big splash (it’s more likely in year three if it’s going to happen at all), but I feel James has the potential to be one of those players — a superstar at this level in his first year. At 6′5″ he seems to tower over most defensive backs. That, in part, makes his red zone potential otherworldly. Plus, James has a great chance to start opposite WR Lee Evans, so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to make catches all over the field. And take this into consideration. James has been mentored by Bills safety Donte Whitner (one of my favorite players), so his NFL learning curve won’t be quite as steep as most rookies. I think his success will be immediate.

Source: BuffaloBills.com, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

James Hardy Signs With Buffalo Bills

Today was the last official day for the media to be working at the NFL Scouting Combine. Only one head coach made an appearance today — Detroit Lions leader Rod Marinelli. And Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian also stopped by. The final group of players to speak with the media were defensive backs. And LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey took his turn at the presser podium, making up for a missed opportunity yesterday because he was involved in a battery of tests at the hospital. I think he also wanted to clear the air regarding the rumors surrounding his attendance and ailing leg:

“I’m never surprised. I always try to set myself up to hear wild things. Some stuff I just wonder where people get it from. Even the reports saying I was not coming. I don’t know where that came from. It is what it is. I’m just trying to enjoy myself and make sure I’m taking care of my responsibility. Everybody is going to have their opinion on what they think about me and my game, but as long as I’m taking care of my business, that is all that matters to me ….. I have not missed a game since I got to LSU. Everybody gets bruised up. That’s the way I look at it. Who does not go through a season without getting bumps and bruises? I don’t think it’s an issue at all. I’ve played every game since I’ve been at LSU, my whole four years, so I do not think it’s a problem at all.”

Other than Glenn Dorsey, the talk of the day has been Arkansas RB Darren McFadden’s blazing 40-time as RBs, QBs and WRs worked out. Already considered one of the top prospects (and maybe the best overall athlete) in this Draft class, Darren ran a 4.33-40. I really didn’t expect him to get that good of a time. A 4.43 maybe. But, this was something to see. Darren was a blur. Somehow, that number was not the day’s best among running backs, though. East Carolina’s Chris Johnson ran a 4.24-40. This was nothing new for Chris. He is one of the fastest athletes at this Combine and a player teams are very seriously going to consider given his impressive collegiate stats and speed. One example — he had 408 total yards against Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl. And he’s comparing himself to Brian Westbrook. Sounds about right.

The quarterbacks impressed. My feeling that a bunch of these guys are going to make solid NFL QBs was supported by their workouts today. Joe Flacco showed off his big arm and speed for such a big guy. I thought Chad Henne (especially out-routes and deep throws) and Colt Brennan (20 of 21) also threw well. John David Booty looked sharp, especially on his long passes. He might be the most NFL-ready QB in this class. Brian Brohm showcased his accuracy, even on 45-yarders off seven- and five-step drops. Joshua Johnson is also a quarterback to watch. He was really off my radar screen until I saw his workout. Plus he ran the fastest 40-time (4.55) among the QBs. Matt Ryan (Boston College) and Andre Woodson (Kentucky) watched the action. Matt chose not to workout and Andre was nursing a hamstring.

The wideouts were a speedy bunch as five players came in under 4.4 in the 40. DeSean Jackson not only had the fastest 40-time (4.35) but he ran good routes and caught everything near him. He impressed me. One knock on him is his size (he’s a buck 70), but I think NFL’s team can utilize him much like the Bills use Roscoe Parrish or the Bears use Devin Hester. He’ll have a role for some NFL team in the fall. Indiana’s James Hardy is one of my “sleeper” picks if you can even call him that. In an NFL Network interview he admitted to needing to work on his blocking and route running, but this guy is going to be a good one. With his big frame, I think he has the potential to be unstoppable in one-on-one matchups.

Here are the winning numbers for quarterbacks, running backs and wideouts in their drills:

Quarterbacks – Bench Press (Bernard Morris, Marshall, 18); Broad Jump (Brian Brohm, Louisville, 9′7″); Vert Jump (Joshua Johnson, San Diego, 33.5″); 3-Cone Drill (Joe Flacco, Delaware, 6.82); 20-yard Shuttle (Alex Brink, Washington State, 4.19); 40-yard Dash (Joshua Johnson, San Diego, 4.55).

Running Backs – Bench Press (Jerome Felton, Furman, 30 and Carl Stewart, Auburn, 30); Broad Jump (Carl Stewart, Auburn, 11′2″ and Anthony Alridge, Houston, 11′2″); Vert Jump (Carl Stewart, Auburn, 39″); 3-Cone Drill (Ray Rice, Rutgers, 6.65); 20-yard Shuttle (Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois, 4.18); 60-yard Shuttle (Matt Forte, Tulane, 11.49); 40-yard Dash (Chris Johnson, East Carolina, 4.24).

Wideouts – Bench Press (Eddie Royal, Virginia Tech, 24); Broad Jump (Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina, 11′4″); Vert Jump (Keenan Burton, Kentucky, 38.5″); 3-Cone Drill (Harry Douglas, Louisville, 6.57); 20-yard Shuttle (Arman Shields, Richmond, 3.96); 60-yard Shuttle (Arman Shields, Richmond, 10.87); 40-yard Dash (DeSean Jackson, Cal, 4.35).

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL Scouting Combine 2008: Day Four