Fans Excited On Day One: It was packed at St. Johns Fisher College for the first two practices of the 2009 training camp. The enthusiasm was very high as everyone was excited to see Terrell Owens in a Bills uniform. Owens encouraged the fans to get loud and then signed autographs after practice. The offense started off fairly well this morning considering it was the first practice of camp. Owens and Lee Evans both performed very well in the morning catching seven balls each according to the team's website. In the afternoon session the defense got the better of the battles recording five interceptions. The picks were by Ashton Youboty, Paul Pozluszny, Donte Whitner, Pat Thomas, and Leodis McKelvin. The offensive play of the day according to the team's website was a 50 yard touchdown bomb from Trent Edwards to Owens.
Player Battles: With the pair of rookie guards still holding out Seth McKinney and Kirk Chambers got a head start on the starting job battles. Not any real surprises with where people lined up. 7th round pick Ellis Lankster appears ahead of 6th rounder Cary Harris as he got more reps. Reggie Corner seems to have the first shot at the starting nickel corner spot.
Stroud Hurt: Marcus Stroud appeared to tweak his left hamstring and was pulled from the afternoon practice session. He was the main banged up player on day one. Ryan Denney left the morning workout after getting poked in the eye but he returned in the afternoon. Young RB Justise Hairston hurt his leg during warm ups this morning and did not practice all day.
DiGiorgio Waived: The biggest news from day one of training camp was the team waiving John DiGiorgio after he failed his physical. WRs James Hardy and C.J. Hawthorne were put on the active physically unable to perform list. They can come off the PUP list whenever they are healthy enough to play. DiGiorgio suffered a torn ACL week 6 last year and it hasn't responded well. He reportedly had microfracture surgery two weeks ago which means he won't be healthy until after this season. Hardy suffered a torn ACL late last season and it isn't a surprise he isn't ready to go. He hopes to be ready for the final preseason game. Hawthorne had surgery on his foot this offseason. Injury Page.
Nelson Signing Official: The Bills made the signing of Shawn Nelson official leaving just the top four picks unsigned after day one of camp. Nelson's agent confirmed the deal last night. Nelson was on the field this afternoon after missing the morning session finalizing the deal.
Camp Underway Today: Training camp gets started with two practices today one in the morning and one in the afternoon. As of the first practice session the top four picks were unsigned. We will have a complete camp report and any contract updates later on this evening.
Friday July 24, 2009
Bills Working Around The Clock: Russ Brandon told the media tonight that they will work around the clock to try to get the remaining draft picks signed. Brandon said there is continual dialogue between all parties but it takes two to get a deal done. He admitted starting camp a week early is a variable tha tmakes it more difficult. He hopes to have the tp picks in cam and they are talking every hour on the hour and they are hopeful they can get all the deals done in the next 12 hours. They want to get the deals done but need to stay within the framework that they set.
Nelson Agrees: Associated Press reports that Shawn Nelson has agreed to a four year contract with the Bills. That is according to his agent. Nelson becomes the fourth pick to sign with the Bills leaving the top four picks unsigned. The players continue to trickle in to St. Johns Fisher College with a few talking to the media. To a man they all say Terrell Owens is not a distraction and he will add to the excitement of camp.
Players Report: All players under contract are required to report to St. Johns Fisher College by midnight tonight. The players will trickle in all day but five rookies may not be there as more than half the draft class remains unsigned at this time.
Thursday July 23, 2009
Rookie Signings Update: The players report to camp tomorrow but more than half of the draft class remains unsigned. The top five picks, including four in the first two rounds, remain unsigned. It will be very difficult to get all or even most of them signed by the time the players hit the field on Saturday morning. Draft picks are normally signed by where they were drafted and the money is normally slotted by the amount of money picks around them get. The Bills are starting camp earlier than most teams and have the entire team reporting tomorrow which is earlier than any other team in the league. The reason for this is the extra preseason game in Canton. This makes it much harder to get the top picks under contract as only two first round picks and four second rounders have been signed so far. First day drafted players will begin signing in earnest next week when the Bills camp is in full swing.
Wednesday July 22, 2009
Harris Signed: The Bills have signed 5th round draft pick Nic Harris bringing the total to three picks signed with the top five picks still left. Players report to camp on Friday with the first practice coming Saturday.
Wilson Hopes For Playoffs: Ralph Wilson took part in a chat session on NFL.com to talk about his upcoming induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Wilson said he feels this team has the talent to make the playoffs but luck is also involved. He would love for the team to make the playoffs for the passionate fans of the team. He also feels Terrell Owens is a great addition to the team and he's a great guy who brings a great deal of buzz since he's a national figure that the team hasn't had in many years.
Losman To UFL: It's official, J.P. Losman will be one of the marquee players of the new UFL. He will play for Jim Fassel's Las Vegas franchise. Losman would rather play in this league than sit on the bench in the NFL. He hopes this will get him back to the NFL as a starter and is looking forward to the opportunity. Fassel hopes to get the most out of Losman's talent.
Night Practice Tickets: The Bills announced yesterday that tickets for the night practices on July 30th and August 6th will be made available on Friday morning at 9am at six Western New York Tops Markets. As with all night practices, tickets are free. As we reported yesterday, the July 30th practice will feature the unveiling of the new throwback jersey as part of the 50th anniversary celebration that will take place after the practice. The players will model the jerseys and a special video will be played. Players will be introduced and will talk on stage. There will also be a fireworks display.
Tuesday July 21 2009
Jersey Unveiling July 30th: As we have been reporting on our important dates section of the homepage, the team will unveil their 50th anniversary jersey during the night practice on July 30th. Tickets for that practice will be distributed Friday morning at 9am. This practice will have a whole 50th anniversary celebration.
Players Report Friday: Training camp is just around the corner and Bills Daily will cover it extensively like we have for over a decade now. We will have updates several times a day including player quotes and more. Check out the camp schedule that will be constantly updated on the homepage. We will also let you know when the site is updated if you follow us on twitter. Also remember to check our latest news page on our mobile site. The team will be busy before the player report on Friday as they need to sign their top six draft picks. We will keep you updated when players sign all week long.
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