Die Hard Bills Fan

Hello Bills fans. The Buffalo Bills just announced that they have placed linebacker Angelo Crowell on injured reserve. Buffbillsfan posted earlier that Crowell would be out for Sunday’s game because he decided to have his knee scoped just three days before the season. Being placed on injured reserve is not going to sit well with Angelo because this is a contract year for him. The Bills decided to place him on IR because they are short handed at linebacker and were upset that Crowell waited this long for surgery. This is terrible news because Crowell is a great player and the leading tackler on this team. Keith Ellison is once again a starter and will be counted on to fill the shoes of Crowell. Lets hope this is the last of the injuries we will face. I can’t stomach another year like last when 1/3 of the team went down. Go Bills.

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The season is starting in just under 5 days with the Buffalo Bills home opener just around the corner. The game is of course on Sunday, September 7^th when the Bills take on the Seattle Seahawks at the Ralph at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time).

So what am I going to do for you guys out there reading this? Get you pumped for the regular season opener! From now until Sunday I will be covering the Bills as a team and their chances of making the playoffs. First, I will cover the Buffalo Bills defense. I will list the depth chart of the position in my breakdown of the D position by position and give them an overall grade along with some commentary of the team.

DE

1. Aaron Schobel

2. Chris Kelsey

3. Ryan Denney

4. Chris Ellis

5. Copeland Bryan

The Bills have a very solid group of defensive ends on the roster this year. That means they will have a good duo out there on any play seeing as the Bills like to rotate in the freshest players on the D-line… Schobel has made the pro bowl two years in a row but he is trying to improve his sack total for this year after only 6.5 sacks last year, the lowest in his career since his rookie season back in 2001… Kelsey is trying to return to top form after he battled nagging injuries all last season. He underwent off-season surgery on his torn tendon in his ankle… Denney is also trying to return to top form after he had to undergo foot surgery. He was only able to play in 7 games last year due to the injury… Chris Ellis is the rookie DE from Virginia Tech. He was selected by the Bills in the 3^rd round. Ellis could be used as a situational pass rusher and is also good against the run. Fast fact, the last DE selected by the Bills from VT, Bruce Smith… Bryan appeared in only 2 games last season and was later put on the IR in December. Before joining the Bills last season, Bryan was on the Bear practice squad…

GRADE: B

DT

1. Marcus Stroud

2. Kyle Williams

3. John McCargo

4. Spencer Johnson

The Bills are hoping that a healthy Stroud can return to his former pro bowl form. The 6’ 6’’, 306 lb. tackle was brought in to help improve the Bills D against the run which finished near the bottom of the league last season. Stroud will also get some double team attention at the line giving the DEs and LBs some room to run and make plays… The 25 yard old Williams just signed a contract extension this off-season for 3 more years in Buffalo… McCargo, the former 1^st round pick (26^th overall) in the 2006 draft was fined this spring for being overweight. He reported to camp in shape and looks to build into a starting DT… Johnson came over in the off-season as a free agent from he Vikings. He didn’t put up huge numbers because he played behind the monstrous Williamses in Minnesota…

GRADE: B- (Grade will improve after we see how Stroud plays)

MIDDLE LB

1. Paul Posluszny

2. John DiGiorgio

Poz is BACK! After fracturing his forearm in the Bills Week 3 game last year he is back at 100%. The guy just has a nose for the ball and is a great tackler. Through the first 3 games last year, he led the Bills with 26 tackles (remember he didn’t even finish the 3^rd game)… DiGiorgio had a very good year last year filling in for the injuried Posluzny. He had 113 tackles last season to go along with 2 sacks and 1 INT. Provides great depth at the MLB position…

GRADE: B+

WEAK-SIDE LB

1. Kawika Mitchell

2. Jon Corto

Mitchell was an early free agent signing for the Bills. The Superbowl Champion is highly underrated. He had 86 tackles, 4 sacks and 1 INT to go along with 2 forced fumbles. Something to remember, his last game in Buffalo on December 23^rd of last season, he had 2 sacks, forced a fumble, and returned an INT for a touchdown… Corto is the Orchard Park native now on his hometown Bills squad. He was on the Bills practice squad last season…

GRADE: B

STRONG-SIDE LB

1. Angelo Crowell

2. Keith Ellison

The 27 year old Crowell is entering his contract year with the Bills. This is the last season of the 3 year deal he signed in 2005. He too is another Bills LB that is highly underrated. He had 126 tackles last season that led the team… Ellison also played significant time last season. He had 39 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 INT in 12 games last season…

GRADE: B+

CB

1. Terrence McGee

2. Jabari Greer

3. Ashton Youboty

4. Leodis McKelvin

5. Reggie Corner

McGee was the clear choice for the #1 corner spot. McGee has 78 tackles and 4 INTs last season in 15 games… Greer looked to be the odd man out with the Bills after they selected a bundle of corners in the draft. He has played hard though and the Bills coaching staff is impressed. He earned the #2 spot for at least the first half of the season… Youboty was another guy that was as good as gone before the preseason but he played hard and had two very good games. He won the nickel corner spot because of his great progress… McKelvin was the #11 pick in this years draft. He has looked so-so in the preseason. He has either made a good play or has completely messed it up. It will be interesting to see whether he plays a lot at all this year. A candidate to play in the dime and quarter packages for the Bills (which they don’t run very much at all)… Corner was a ball hawk in college and had a sharp preseason. The rookie has even be rumored to be ahead of McKelvin on the depth chart…

GRADE: C+

FS

1. Ko Simpson

2. George Wilson

Simpson is looking to rebound after he was injured in the Bills 1^st game last season against the Denver Broncos and then placed on the IR for the year. The 4^th round draft pick from the 2006 draft is looking to have a breakout year and also continue the chemistry with SS Donte Whitner after the two started their entire rookie seasons together… Wilson played in 12 games last season after Simpson and former Bills safety Brain Leonard went down, before of course he went down to injury also. It occurred before the last week of the season. He ended the year with 37 tackles and 2 picks…

GRADE: C

SS

1. Donte Whitner

2. Bryan Scott

3. John Welding

Whitner guaranteed that the Bills will make the playoffs this season. He has been an unofficial team captain since he was drafted. He shows great leadership and also builts team chemistry by having the team over for film watching and he even took McKelvin under his wing during the off-season Hard qualities to find from a 23 year old entering his third season of NFL play… Scott returns for another stint in Buffalo after he played in 15 games last season, most in a special teams role… Same goes for Welding. Will play in the special teams role…

GRADE: B

Overall the Bills defense has a good mix of playmakers and role players. Due to all of the injuries last season, the Bills now have good depth at almost all of their positions. They are a young D that flys to the football. Look for team to improve as an entire unit this year.

Here is the rundown on what I will be covering the rest of the week:

Weds: Bills Offense

Thurs: Bills Special Teams

Fri: Breakdown of the Bills Schedule and Chances of Making the Playoffs

Sat: Game Preview with my Picks of all of the Winners in Week 1

Sun: Game recap with Commentary

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Hello Bills fans.  The Buffalo Bills defeated the Colts last night at the brand new Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.  J.P. Losman led the first team offense to two scoring drives.  The most impressive was the 18 play 94 yard which took over 10 minutes off of the clock.  The drive was capped off by a one-yard by rookie Xavier Omon.  Losman looked great in this game.  He made quick decisions and released the ball on time to his wideouts.  Its comforting to know that we have a more than capable backup quarterback.  Losman should good command and only had one bad throw.  Lee Evans and Josh Reed were his go to guys and Justin Jenkins made a nice grab for a first down.  The offensive line played well and gave Losman plenty of time to throw the ball.  Left tackle Langston Walker held Dwight Freeney in check and is getting better at his new position.  It was scary when he left the field but x-rays were negative on his forearm.  I still would love to see Jason Peters report one of these days so Walker could move back to the right side.  The Defense had a fantastic game last night getting four interceptions.  Ashton Youboty, Keith Ellison, John Wendling, and Reggie Corner all had picks on the night.  The defensive line played well and on the first play of the game Chris Kelsay sacked Jared Lorenzen.  I cant wait to see this team hit the field on September 7th.  Check out the highlights of the game on nfl.com.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fans.  The Buffalo Bills will face the Pittsburgh Steelers tonight at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.  This is the first game out of eight scheduled in the next five years in Toronto.  I wish I was able to watch the game live but will be following it online.  The game also re-airs at midnight on NFL Network.  I hope Coach Dick Jauron lets Trent Edwards and the rest of the starting offense play the entire first quarter.  I want to see Trent attempt more than five passes like he did last week.  Josh Reed and Angelo Crowell will not play tonight.  James Hardy will start at wide receiver and Keith Ellison will start at linebacker for Crowell.  It looks like Donte Whitner will play this week after missing Saturdays game against Washington.  I hope our shortage at tackle doesnt effect some of our key guys playing time.  I dont want to see some of our starting o-line go deep into this one.  Its only the second preseason game so I would rather see our starting units ease into game condition.  Go Bills.   

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Hello Bills fans. As free agency approaches, the Bills are an estimated 30+ million under the salary cap. The team also has 49 players under contract going into the 2008 season. This should mean that the Bills will go after a few free agents starting February 29th. The front office spent a lot last offseason to beef up the offensive line. I’m expecting that to be done this year on the defensive line. The two main positions that should be focused on are defensive line and linebacker. Many complained after the team shelled out big contracts to both Chris Kelsay and Aaron Schobel. Kelsay had a disappointing season but was bothered by an ankle injury. Schobel didn’t have as many sacks as he did in 06 but was voted to the Pro Bowl. He improved on every area of his game and if the team can pick up a defensive tackle, both players will have a great season in 08. I would love to see them pursue Albert Haynesworth but I believe he will stay with the Titans. As of right now, Paul Posluszny and Angelo Crowell are penciled in as starting linebackers. The team will look to improve on the weakside position, which is currently being held by Keith Ellison. I like Ellison and think he is solid but he is undersized. My dream would be for the team to sign Lance Briggs. I don’t think that will happen because Briggs is going to get big money and the Bills will state that he is out of their price range. Look for the team to draft a linebacker or pickup an up and coming star. I also have a feeling that the team will sign a wide receiver. I mentioned that they are interested in Ernest Wilford and I believe he wont command that big of a contract. I’m looking forward to free agency and feel the team will address some major needs before the draft. Go Bills.

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Hello Bills fans.  As the Super Bowl approaches, I cant stop thinking about who the Bills will take in the 2008 NFL Draft.  I read an article today on realfootball365 about the Bills coaches interviewing and observing linebackers at this past Saturdays Senior Bowl.  The team is looking for a weakside linebacker to replace Keith Ellison.  I for one liked the way Ellison played but was a little undersized and didn’t make much noise when on the field.  The best linebackers available are Keith Rivers from USC and Xavier Adibi from Virginia Tech.  Putting Rivers or Adibi next to Posluszny and Crowell will do wonders for the Bills defense.  I don’t know if the Bills will take a linebacker with the 11^th pick because I don’t feel that is our most pressing need.  The defense can really use a defensive tackle and a tall wide receiver.  I would love to address both of those needs in free agency and then we will be able to draft Rivers with the 11^th pick.  We will have to wait and see what the Bills front office does once free agency starts.  April cannot come soon enough.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills Fans. All I have to say is that I really like the way John DiGiorgio plays football. He seems to always be around the ball. He never misses a tackle and his speed allows him to get to the outside in a hurry. He has 52 total tackles so far this season and he didn’t play until Paul Posluzsny went down in week three. He also has one sack, one interception, and one fumble recovery. It seems that every game he is always making a play. Whether it be corralling a running back or stopping a receiver from getting a first down, DiGiorgio is turning into a playmaker. I’m not going to anoint him a pro bowler just yet. I have to say that I’m very impressed with the way he plays the game. He is an undersized middle linebacker but makes up for that with his hustle and desire. It also helps that he is playing next to in my opinion one of the most underrated linebackers in the league. Angelo Crowell gets better and better every game. He, Keith Ellison and DiGiorgio make a great linebacker trio. When Poz went down, I was really upset. He was becoming one of my favorites on this team. I didn’t know what to think about DiGiorgio at first. I only saw him play on special teams last season and during the preseason this year. I’m turning into a DiGiorgio fan because I feel that this is a player with a little more experience can be an all-star. Thanks DiGiorgio. Lets get them Bengals.

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Hello Bills fans. I just want to say congratulations to Jabari Greer for winning AFC defensive player of the week. He had a really good game against the Jets last week and with his interception and setup what would be the winning touchdown. This week the Bills secondary will be tested. They go up against a real good receiving corp. Dallas has Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd, and Jason Witten. Jabari Greer and Terrence McGee have their work cut out for them. It is also going to be extremely hard covering Witten. He is a favorite target of Tony Romo. I hope either Keith Ellison or Angelo Crowell can disrupt some over the middle passes to Witten. I’m curious to see the game plan that defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has in place. I think we should play aggressive and take some chances. Our defensive line has to stop the run and force Dallas into a lot of third and longs. It will be tough to do but this being our first Monday night game at home in 13 years, I’m sure the crowd will cause some false starts by the Cowboys offense. Donte Whitner also needs to have a big game this week. He will be switching back and forth during the game from strong to free safety. Hopefully Whitner can come up with an interception and breakup a few pass plays in this one. Lets go Bills.

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Hello Bills fans. There is some potential great news for the Bills defense. Linebacker Keith Ellison practiced today and could be ready to go for Monday night’s game. It was said that Ellison did not experience any pain and was full go at practice. Ellison is a very good cover linebacker and it will only help the defense. I wish Posluszny didn’t get hurt because I really wanted to see him, Ellison, and Angelo Crowell on the field at the same time. Ellison had a high ankle sprain that has sidelined him for the first four games. It would be a big boost if he can go against Dallas. In other news, starting strong safety Donte Whitner is moving to free safety this week due to the injury to Jim Leonhard. Bryan Scott is starting at the strong safety position. He is better suited for that role. I feel Whitner will do a great job and will be excellent in supporting both Jabari Greer and Terrence McGee against the high-powered Cowboys offense. Defensive end Anthony Hargrove is eligible to return to the team this week. The Bills have yet added him to the 53-man roster. Look for that to happen in the next few days. I believe they have until Sunday to do so. I am happy that Hargrove is back. He brings energy to this team. It will also be good for our defensive end rotation. Having Hargrove spell both Schobel and Kelsay will make both stay fresh for the entire game. After the bye, defensive end Ryan Denney should be back. This will be yet another boost to our defensive line. Denney is just as good in my opinion as Kelsay. Can’t wait to finally get a little help on the defensive side. Go Bills and lets show the national audience what we are made of.

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Hello Bills fans. The Bills have made a few roster moves today. They have placed backup offensive lineman Jason Whittle on injured reserve. To take Whittles place on the roster, linebacker Kevin Harrison was signed. Harrison spent most of last year on the practice squad. He was released during the final cuts in September. He will most likely play special teams because of the release of Josh Scobey. The Bills have also signed defensive tackle Orien Harris to the practice squad. To make room for him, they released offensive lineman Nevin McCaskill. Look for the Bills to add another offensive lineman to the roster. The only reserves we have healthy are Duke Preston and Kirk Chambers. I still can’t believe how many players we have put on IR this season. The list continues to grow. Whittle joins Ko Simpson, Jason Webster, Al Wallace, Paul Posluszny, Kevin Everett, and Aaron Merz. I can’t believe we are only going into week four. With all of the injuries we have, I would think it was the end of December. In other news it looks like newly signed linebacker Leon Joe will get the start on the outside. John DiGiorgio will take over the middle and Angelo Crowell will be on the other outside position. I don’t know about you but I cant wait for Keith Ellison to come back. He might be back for the Dallas game. He was jogging today in practice and hopefully he can be ready for next week. We could really use all the help we can get. Lets Go Bills

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