National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

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

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

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

In the first of eight games the Buffalo Bills will play in Toronto through 2012 (five regular season and three preseason), the first team offense looked very sharp in a 24-21 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Quarterback Trent Edwards was 9-of-11 for 104 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a critical 22-yard run from his own endzone. Tight end Robert Royal caught both of those TD passes from Trent. Wide receiver Lee Evans had three catches for 55 yards. And despite missing Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters (still a training camp holdout), the offensive line was outstanding in both protection and run-blocking. With or without Jason, this group will ultimately be the key to Buffalo’s offensive success or failure this season. Trent Edwards concurred:

“We did a good job up front stopping their front four. There was plenty of time to throw the ball and that allowed our receivers to get open down the field, and allowed me plenty of time to be accurate with the ball.”

The play of the game was Bills rookie first round Draft pick Leodis McKelvin’s 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Buffalo already has one of the NFL’s best return team duos in Terrence McGee and Roscoe Parrish, but Leodis is getting a lot of work in the preseason so he figures to get into the mix down the road. With a near-sellout crowd of 48,400 fans in attendance at Rogers Centre (pretty good for a preseason game), it was a great start to the series with the game coming down to the final play.

Source: BuffaloBills.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Bills Beat Steelers in Toronto Series Debut

Buffalo Bills WR/KR Roscoe Parrish signed a multi-year contract extension yesterday. Terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed. He already had a deal that ran through 2008, but the Bills stepped up and took care of business for the NFL’s leading punt returner (17.5 yard average) who was happy with the news, but more excited about his team’s playoff chances:

“It’s a good feeling to be wanted and I’m glad I’m going to be part of this organization moving forward, but the main thing this week is Cleveland and getting us into the playoffs ….. It’s always good to be in a situation where you can help contribute on offense and special teams. I’m kind of encouraged with where everything is going with this offense. Trent (Edwards) is doing a good job of learning the offense more and more and me as a young receiver and Trent as a young quarterback we’re trying to all stay on the same page with him like me, Josh Reed and Lee Evans.”

Roscoe has become a bigger part of the Bills’ offense as the season has progressed. He’s been involved not only in three-wide packages but also base packages with Lee Evans at times. And he’s recorded a touchdown in three different categories this season — rushing, receiving and punt return. The Bills just need to be careful how they use Roscoe. He’s 5′9″ and 170 pounds. That means he’s not going to be able to take the same beating Lee Evans and Josh Reed receive without being negatively affected by it. Undoubtedly, returning punts should be his specialty. Offensively, he has a place, but the team needs to be clever with him and find spots where they can utilize his speed and quickness most effectively.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Roscoe Parrish Gets Contract Extension, Buffalo Bills WR/KR Signs Multi-Year Deal

When Buffalo Bills TE Kevin Everett went down with a potentially life-threatening, temporarily paralyzing spinal cord injury on a special teams play in the team’s first game of this 2007 season against Denver, it left not only the Western New York community but the entire country at attention on his road to recovery. Not long after that opening game, Buffalo-based New Era Cap Company, the largest sports-licensed headwear company in the world, created the “KE85″ cap in Kevin’s honor. New Era Corporate Communications Manager Dana Marciniak gave me all the details.

How did the idea for this cap come about? Well, it was actually Brian Moorman’s idea. He came to us and wanted to know if we could make a cap honoring Kevin. And that’s really all we needed.

Is it true Brian and some of the other Bills players were involved in the design? Definitely. Brian, J.P. Losman, Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish all came to our headquarters one night after practice and sat with one of our designers. They decided everything from the style of caps to the colors to the actual design. And, of course, the phrase on back (keep reading below). They were here for about an hour and had fun looking at — and trying on — all the caps!

How many versions are there to choose from? There are five! We have the signature 59FIFTY, which is the fitted cap; our 39THIRTY, which is a stretch fit cap; two adjustable styles and one just for women — it’s made to fit women’s heads perfectly!

You mentioned the phrase on the back: Adversity Introduces us to Ourselves — a powerful statement. I know. The guys took about a week to come up with it and it really does hit home. It’s something we can all relate to.

And the proceeds go to Kevin’s charity? Yes, his charity, which will support spinal cord research, is still being established, but every penny will go right to that.

Have you heard from Kevin or his family on what he thinks of it? We’ve heard he loves it and can’t believe we made it for him. WGRZ (Channel 2 in Buffalo) actually has a reporter down there this week talking to Kevin and she brought a cap with her to get his family’s reaction! So watch for it.

His story really seems like a miracle, especially in how far he has come after the initial prognosis. Absolutely. And the caps are not only to raise money, but to let him know he’s not forgotten by the team or the fans!

Where can fans get the caps? They’re only available in our flagship store in Buffalo, NY. But if there are Buffalo fans out there who really, really want one, they can send me a check (made out to Kevin Everett) and a note with what style they want (the 59FIFTY is $20, all the others are $15), I’ll get one out to them. The address is: New Era Cap, Attn: Dana Marciniak, 160 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202.

Photo by David Kindervater

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Adversity Introduces Us To Ourselves: New Era Cap Honors Buffalo Bills Kevin Everett

Image details: Denver Broncos v Buffalo Bills served by picapp.com

Podcasting the National Football League, Podcasting the NFL

In a tumultuous week for the Buffalo Bills, the team lost their season-opener to the Denver Broncos by one point in the final second; three starters went down with serious injuries; and reserve TE Kevin Everett faced a life-threatening situation after a special teams hit left him temporarily paralyzed. In the debut of our BIGPLAY RADIO NFL PODCAST Home Team Edition series, I spoke with Bills WR/PR Roscoe Parrish about how the team was coping.

[display_podcast]

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Interview: Roscoe Parrish