BillsDaily.com Follow the Bills all offseason long right here! Our 2012 front office page is your one stop shopping to all Bills transactions this off season! Our 2012 Draft Page will be your main homepage for all your Bills draft info!
Fitz On Young: Buddy Ryan Fitzpatrick was on SiriusXM NFL radio this morning and spoke about the signing of Vince Young. Fitz said Nix talked to him after they offered Young the deal and told him he's the guy. It made things much smoother that Nix was up front and honest. He met Vince the other day and said he seems like a really nice guy. The biggest thing for Fitz is he knows he's the guy and the players, coaches, and front office have the confidence in him. He knows he has to go out and perform regardless of who the backup quarterback is. He will be out there every week if he's willing and able and wouldn't have changed the fact that he played with a rib injury last year even if they had Young then. There is a buzz around town regarding the optimism with the team but they have to go out and perform like they did early last year. They have had great attendance in the offseason program and they have a great foundation there and a great atmosphere in the locker room.
Bills-Toronto Series Extension Moving Closer: The Bills and Rogers Communication appear closer to an agreement to extend the series of games played in Toronto. The last game of the current agreement will be played on December 16th when the Bills play Seattle. Talks are ongoing and both sides have been optimistic over the past couple of months that an extension will be reached. The Sports Business Journal says a deal is imminent. Supporting those reports is the fact that the series will be put on the agenda at the next meeting of the NFL's International Committee. The new CBA gives this committee autonomy over the series. That meeting will take place sometime over the next month. The new deal is expected to be similiar to the current one but for less money than the $78 Million the Bills received in the initial deal. The current deal gave Toronto one regular season game a season and one preseason game every other year. A preseason game for this year was given back to Orchard Park because of a scheduling conflict with the Rogers Centre.
Young Has Grown:Vince Young was officially introduced to the media at a press conference this afternoon. QB Coach David Lee has been trying to recruit Young since High School and he feels this is a great opportunity for him to make his game better. He worked with Chan Gailey today a bit to learn the terminology and get used to some of the quick drops they use in this offense. He is very happy for a chance to go out and showcase his talents. The goal is to win a championship whatever it takes to get that goal accomplished. He says he's behind Ryan Fitzpatrick 100% and needs to be ready in case he's called upon. He learned it last year and knows how to adjust to it this year. He needs to learn as much knowledge as he can get with the new playbook. Over the years he has matured and has learned how to deal with any situation now. The one year deal gives him the opportunity to go out and play the game he loves.
Polian Date Announced: Bill Polian will put up on the Wall of Fame during the October 21st game against the Tennessee Titans. The date is convenient for Polian because his son Dennis is an assistant with the Titans. Polian becomes the 28th name on the wall and will likely have many alumni of the Super Bowl teams in attendance.
Bills Make Roster Moves: Chan Gailey said yesterday that there were a few tryout players that they liked and they have decided to sign two of them along with one undrafted free agent. TE/FB Dorin Dickerson and safety Nick Saenz were added after performing well over the weekend. Dickerson was a 7th round draft pick in 2010 by Houston and played in seven games for them. Saenz was a three year starter for the University of Houston. The Bills also signed undrafted free agent OT James Carmon from Mississippi St. He moved from defensive line to the offensive line last year. The Bills had one open roster spot so they had to release two players. Off the team are QB Aaron Corp and S Ian Wild. The signing of Vince Young made Corp expendable. Front Office Page.
Rookie Tour: With the rookie mini camp behind them, the rookies are still in town today as they get a tour of the area. The Bills do this every year to help the rookies get acquainted with the sights and attractions of Western New York. The signed players, which includes the bottom six draft picks, stay in town to work with the veterans as the offseason conditioning program resumes this week.
Rookie Camp Comes To An End: The Bills wrapped up their three day rookie mini camp with a single workout on Sunday. Stephon Gilmore has three interceptions in the first three workouts and felt he got a lot better in the camp and looks forward to the future. Chan Gailey acknowledged his top pick did a nice job all weekend long. He said everyone gave a great effort and a couple of the tryout guys impressed the staff. They will watch the film and discuss if there is anyone they want to add to the roster. They have one open spot at this time. There were no injuries of note during the four practices over three days. Depth Chart.
Polian To The Wall: Another member of the Super Bowl era is going on the Wall of Fame this year as the architect of those teams, GM Bill Polian will be the 28th man going up, he was fired after the third Super Bowl. The fact he is no longer working for another team makes this the right time to put him up. He said, "I told Mr. Wilson I really couldn't find words adequate to express my gratitude and happiness. It's a milestone in my life and a milestone in the life of my family. ... I have such a warm spot in my heart for Buffalo and all the friends we made there and all the wonderful times we had there. It's just marvelous to come back and have this opportunity." Wilson said, "his tremendous ability to bring to our team so many outstanding players was the perfect complement to Marv Levy's superb coaching talents. When you see the names on the Wall of Fame -- Kelly, Thomas, Hull, Smith, Reed and so many others -- it just seems appropriate that Bill's name is included". The game he will be honored has not been announced.
Day One Rookie Camp: The Bills held their first workout of the rookie mini camp yesterday. They have two more workouts today and one more tomorrow. Both rookie tryout quarterbacks were about even. Stephon Gilmore had the first interception of the camp. Chan Gailey said all the players are talented they are really looking for a good work ethic and how quickly they retain information. Gailey said the offensive line looked good in the huddle and definitely bigger but it's too early to evaluate them. 6th round pick Mark Asper lined up at center while Cordy Glenn manned the left tacle spot.
Thoughts On Young: Many people feel Vince Young will be a distraction by causing a quarterback controvery. The Bills couldn't have made it more clear that he is here to add competition to the backup quarterback spot. A position they desperately need help in. He will not be a distraction because the team will not let it become one. This is Ryan Fitzpatrick's team and Young is here to help the team if Fitz goes down for any length of time. What do you think? Take our poll on our homepage and let us know!
Bills Sign Young: The Bills announced this afternoon that they have agreed to terms on a contract with Vince Young. He will battle Tyler Thigpen for the backup QB job. Terms were not disclosed but it is reportedly a one year deal worth $2 Million but has $1 Million in playing incentives. Young tweeted after the announcement, "Thanks to Buddy Nix and Coach Gailey for giving me the opportunity to come in and play and compete. I am looking forward to playing with guys and helping where I am needed. I have always respected the Bills organization and am looking forward to being a part of the team." Buddy Nix said in a statement, "We think adding Vince to our roster will create more competition for the backup quarterback position, he brings with him some unique physical abilities that most are aware of and that will make the competition interesting. It’s all about improving our team.”
Young Still A Possibility: Vince Young left Buffalo without a contract after his workout last week but that doesn't necessarily mean he won't be in a Bills uniform in the fall. His agent told WKBW-TV via email that "Buffalo is still an option". ESPN reports that at least one other team has shown interest in him. Young may be waiting out the market to see if more interest in his services develop.
Bills Sign 6 Draft Picks: It is much easier to sign draft picks these days than it used to be under the old CBA thanks to the rookie wage scale. As the rookies gathered at One Bills Drive yesterday to prepare for the start of the three day rookie mini camp today, six of the nine draft picks signed contracts. All but the top three draft picks are now under contract less than two weeks after they were drafted. Terms were not disclosed on the deals signed by Nigel Bradham, Ron Brooks, Zebrie Sanders, Tank Carder, Mark Asper, and John Potter. They are all likely four year deals since that is the mandatory minimum under the CBA. All nine draft picks, 10 undrafted free agents, 4 practice squad players from last year, and 21 invitees will hit the field today for workouts.
Rookie Camp Starts Tomorrow: The Bills hold their rookie mini camp this weekend starting on Friday. The 9 draft picks, 10 undrafted free agents, and 21 tryout players make up the 40 players that will take part in the camp. There are two open roster spots so the tryout players will be looking to make an impression. The Bills may look to sign the best one or two invitees. The 21 players include two cornerbacks from the University of Buffalo including Domonic Cook who was with the Bills last summer. The list also includes Division III standout QB Alex Tanney. The Monmouth College (Illinois) passer is a you tube sensation thanks to his video of trick throws. He was highly productive at his level in college.
