Buffalo (Defense / Buf)

Latest News:

02.24.12

Talks reportedly went well between Steve Johnson's agent and the Bills in Indianapolis on Friday, according to WGR550.com.

Impact:
Bills general manager Buddy Nix has warned that nothing would get done either way Friday and it was just one day in an important series of discussions. However, it sounds like some of the wide gap may have been bridged in this discussion, with Johnson's agent hopeful a deal can be reached. In other news, assistant GM Doug Whaley has said the Bills haven't ruled out the franchise tag either, even though many think the Bills wouldn't lay down that kind of cash for one year on a receiver.

02.19.12

A person familiar with contract talks between the Bills and Steve Johnson has told the Associated Press that the two sides remain "far apart," and adds that the receiver doesn't expect the team to use its franchise tag to retain him.

Impact:
The fact that the sides are talking is probably a good thing, so we won't be too alarmed until/if Johnson officially hits free agency. The sides plan on speaking further this week at the NFL Combine. One thing to take from the story is that it might be a long shot for the Bills to use a franchise tag on Johnson, as that would come at a pretty steep price for one year and the team has other areas it needs to use some money after yet another disappointing season.

02.16.12

Contract talks between the Bills and Steve Johnson's representatives will continue at the NFL Combine next week, according to BuffaloBills.com. Contract proposals have reportedly been exchanged between the two parties.

Impact:
Johnson was in the doghouse a few times last season because he put himself ahead of the team with some me-first celebrations after repeated warnings from the coaching staff. However, everyone generally likes his effort and what he brings to the offense, and Johnson seems inclined to return as Ryan Fitzpatrick's go-to guy. He'll be expensive, but it's starting to lean a bit toward Johnson (who will be an unrestricted free agent soon) returning for another stint.

02.10.12

Fred Jackson, who broke his fibula last season, has been cleared to do all football-related activities, according to BuffaloBills.com.

Impact:
Jackson should be close to 100 percent for anything the Bills do this offseason. Next up is his contract, which has one year left and the Bills say they'd like to extend even though he'll be 31 soon. It'll be interesting to see what type of deal they offer, as he's clearly been everything the team could have hoped for the last few seasons, yet he's old for a running back (even though he didn't get a lot of carries early in his career), and the Bills also have a good second guy in C.J. Spiller.

02.04.12

Bills wide receiver David Nelson has confirmed that Fizpatrick cracked a few ribs during the Redskins game In Week 8 and played through the injury for the remainder of the season, The Buffalo News reports.

Impact:
That and injuries to the offensive line may be the two biggest reasons Fitzpatrick suffered such a drop-off in play down the stretch last season. Including the Washington game, Fitzpatrick had 14 touchdowns to seven interceptions to that point in time, but in the nine games that followed his ratio was an unsightly 10:16. It also seemed like he pressed to much with the depleted Bills playing behind all the time in the second half of the season. Nonetheless, the Bills made a big contractual commitment to Fitz and he can get coach Chan Gailey's offense clicking as good as anyone when the chips fall into place. He'll enter 2012 as the clear-cur starter.

01.29.12

Naaman Roosevelt finished the 2011 season, his second in the NFL, with 16 catches for 257 yards and a score over 10 games.

Impact:
Roosevelt served all over the board, from practice squad guy to anywhere between the No. 2 and No. 5 receiver spot. The local product has done a good job sticking in the NFL as an undrafted free agent so far, but unfortunately he looks like he'll be fringe guy for a while, and if he stays with the Buffalo organization the team already has plans to upgrade its receiver corps, plus Marcus Easley will probably be coming back from an illness. We like Roosevelt's story, but we just don't see him on the fantasy radar in 2012 unless multiple injuries strike.

01.17.12

While Fred Jackson (broken fibula) is likely to still see more of the carries out of the backfield next season, the difference in workload may not be by nearly as much as last season when both were healthy, BuffaloBills.com reports. "I wouldn't call it 50-50, but it's closer to 50-50 than it ever has been because (Spiller's) more confident and we have more confidence in him having experience now," said coach Chan Gailey.

Impact:
There are a few issues in play here that lead us to believe Jackson may not come close to the MVP-type numbers he was putting up before the injury ruined the rest of his season: 1) He'll be 31 in February, and even though there's not a ton of tread on his tires, it's tough to see him staying at such peak form for the long term, especially coming off a major injury; 2) The Bills like Spiller's great speed and know he needs to be involved in the offense in some fashion for the team to have long-term success; 3) Jackson is entering the last year of his contract and the Bills may just passively take him out of the long-term plans if they know he's going to be too expensive as a 30-something back. Some of this is disappointing -- given the great player and teammate Jackson has become -- even though no one but Father Time and the timing of Jackson's contract may be to blame, so while we could see Jackson being a key guy in this offense for another year or two or even three if they can figure out the contract thing, you can't ignore that Spiller has talent and he'll be stealing some portion of carries compared to 2011, where Jackson was pretty much the exclusive guy for 10 weeks.

01.17.12

While teammate Fred Jackson is likely to still see more of the carries out of the backfield next season, the difference in workload may not be by nearly as much as last season when both were healthy, BuffaloBills.com reports. "I wouldn't call it 50-50, but it's closer to 50-50 than it ever has been because (C.J. Spiller's) more confident and we have more confidence in him having experience now," said coach Chan Gailey.

Impact:
Spiller had a big stretch run after Jackson went down with a broken fibula, enough that Bills followers have finally stopped calling the former No. 9 overall selection a bust pick. This could be a big fantasy issue if it truly is going to be a more direct time-share. Even though Spiller might be in the 30-40 percent range once it all shakes out, that might make him one of the more valuable No. 2's in the league, given his speed and the fact that he plays in a decent offense with a good run-blocking offensive line.

01.12.12

GM Buddy Nix implied this week that he prefers Brad Smith in the hybrid role where he started the season before offensive injuries put him in more of a straight receiver role, BuffaloBills.com reports. "I think it's exactly what we thought when we brought him in here," said Nix. "Brad can be a difference-maker if you use him in the right way. I think his versatility is the biggest thing about him and what makes him the most important. We were going along there and running the Wildcat with him and had that in and if you'd look, when our third-down efficiency dropped off was when we had to move him to wideout full-time. So it made it a lot harder. He's good at that. He can do that, he can be your fifth or sixth wideout, he can be a good special teams player ..."

Impact:
Smith's best fantasy days actually occurred when he was used in the role the Bills would prefer him not to be in, and that was as a starting receiver. Even then, his production quickly fell back to Earth and he finished the year with a 20/87/1 line in the running game and a 23/240/1 game in the passing line. That will keep him off your radar, especially if the Bills want his primary use to be Wildcat quarterback, special teams guy, and sometimes receiver. He's very valuable to the team in that role and the Wildcat was tough to stop with him running it, but he simply doesn't touch the ball enough under that setup to pile up meaningful numbers.

01.10.12

Bills GM Buddy Nix feels Marcus Easley (illness) is fully ready to resume his football career, BuffaloBills.com reports. "His problem's been completely solved," said Nix. "They said it would not recur again. So we don't know what we've got. We know he's talented, we've always thought he was. He's a really big, strong, guy, he's 225 pounds who can run. He ran a 4.40. He can run after the catch, we haven't had that much. But to answer your question we've got to see what we've got."

Impact:
The Bills probably won't put such high expectations on Easley entering the 2012 season as they have in the past given that he's missed his first two seasons entirely. More than likely, they'll return Steve Johnson or Roscoe Parrish (or both) and then there might be another free agent signee plus a few carryovers from 2011. So at this point, Easley might just have to earn a spot on the team. However, the skills and speed are there so he's certainly worth keeping on the radar, even if it's for a couple of seasons down the road.

01.09.12

Bills GM Buddy Nix is optimistic the team will be able to re-sign Steve Johnson, who's about to become an unrestricted free agent, and that the touchdown celebration antics that got him benched during the season finale at New England are in the past, The Buffalo News reports.

Impact:
The two sides are talking again though no formal proposals have been exchanged since the regular season. One thing seems clear: the Bills would really be scrambling at wideout this offseason if he were to go to another team, as he's clearly the Bills' best WR and has a few years of chemistry with returning quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Even if the Bills went another route and got a Marcus Colston or a Justin Blackmon, the familiarity clock would be starting back at zero. Assuming Johnson's camp doesn't have unreasonable demands, from our corner the best play would be to spend the money and re-sign him (or even franchise him), where you'd have most of an offense that succeeded for the most part this season returning, and use the high draft picks for a pass rusher or two. Setting clear guidelines as to what strict penalty Johnson would receive if he costs his team again with a silly end-zone display wouldn't hurt, either.

01.04.12

The Bills signed David Clowney to a contract on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.

Impact:
Considering the speedy Clowney didn't catch a pass this season and had just six catches in 2010, this is obviously a depth signing by the Bills, who are likely starting to get their ducks in a row in case Stevie Johnson and Roscoe Parrish hit the free agent market and/or Marcus Easley isn't fully ready for the start of the 2012 season.

01.03.12

Derek Hagan, an unrestricted free agent who appeared in four games with the Bills as an in-season signee, will merit some consideration from the Bills after performing pretty well down the stretch, BuffaloBills.com reports.

Impact:
Hagan finished with a 24/252/1 line in 10 games between the Bills and Raiders. As much as the Buffalo coaching staff likes what he brings to the table, everything else seems to imply more of a fifth or sixth receiving role if he was to be part of the 2012 Bills. However, injuries and what the team decides to do in free agency and with UFA Stevie Johnson could change the plans a bit. But we'd be surprised if Hagan is anywhere close to the top-60 wideouts once September rolls around.

01.03.12

Fred Jackson is almost fully recovered from a broken fibula that ended his season after Week 11, BuffaloBills.com reports. "The leg is doing good," he said. "I just talked to the doctors. I've got about a week and a half before I can start doing everything like normal. That's good and as soon as I can get back doing everything I will. That's the plan. I want to jump right back into it like nothing happened."

Impact:
Jackson was on his way to being a top fantasy producer for 2011, especially when you consider where he was drafted, prior to the injury. He's also looking for a new contract, which creates a sticky situation for the Bills. As good as a teammate as Jackson is and as great as he's been on the field, he holds very little leverage because he's still under contract for one more year, he'll be 31 in February, and now the Bills know they have some talent behind him in C.J. Spiller. We hope Jackson ends his career in Buffalo, but Spiller's big finish to the season may have cost Jackson a lot of money this winter.

01.03.12

Scott Chandler, who went out in the second quarter of Sunday's loss at New England with a knee injury, will not require surgery, The Buffalo News reports.

Impact:
Chandler's strong first half went south this season, as all six of his touchdowns were in the team's first eight games, partly due to an injured ankle. He's an unrestricted free agent following the season, but he doesn't have much of a resume other than a few strong games with the Bills this season, and it seems like both the player and the team would be happy if he re-signed with the Bills, where he'd likely be the No. 1 tight end again next season.

01.02.12

David Nelson caught two balls for 23 yards in Sunday's loss to New England. He was targeted four times.

Impact:
Nelson finishes his second season with a 61/658/5 line, a lot more than most could have envisioned in early September. But he took advantage of injuries and proved he's a legitimate NFL receiver and red-zone target after going undrafted in 2010. Nelson's probably more suited toward the third receiver slot, so it'll be interesting to see if the Bills bring back Roscoe Parrish, an unrestricted free agent, next year.

01.02.12

C.J. Spiller rushed 13 times for 60 yards in Sunday's loss to the Patriots. He also caught four balls for 40 yards and a score.

Impact:
Thanks to Fred Jackson's season-ending injury and the evolution of his own skills, Spiller won a number of fantasy championships with a big stretch run, especially when you consider he was on the waiver wire in a lot of leagues due to poor early production. Spiller finishes his second season with a 107/561/4 line in the running game, and 39/269/2 in the passing game. He'll likely start the year as a backup to Fred Jackson, but the days where he was barely used seem like they might be a thing of the past, and he might even be able to compete for the top job outright.

01.01.12

Scott Chandler was injured in the first half of Sunday's loss to the Patriots and did not return. Coach Gailey said he did not know the severity of the injury and the tight end will be re-evaluated Monday, BuffaloBills.com reports.

Impact:
Chandler struggled with injuries the second half of the season, but he still finished with a 38/389/6 line, far beyond what anyone could have expected in September. The Bills have a lot of other holes to fill in the offseason, and the team seems happy with what Chandler brings to the table, so he seems to be a decent bet to be the clear-cut starter heading into next season. If anything, the Bills might be more prone to bringing in a more capable backup than they currently have on the roster.

01.01.12

Ryan Fitzpatrick finished with 307 yards passing with a pair of touchdowns and four interceptions in Sunday's season finale against the Patriots.

Impact:
The game was pretty much a microcosm of Fitzpatrick's season, as he started out on fire as the Bills built a 21-0 lead and then had a rough time the rest of the game, partly because of missing players (Stevie Johnson was benched and Scott Chandler was lost to injury). Even with the hiccups and all those nasty interceptions in 2011, overall Fitz was fantasy winner compared to where he was typically drafted, as he started every game and finished with 3,802 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. The Bills like to throw it around a lot, so with a healthier team next season he should remain a productive second tier quarterback.

01.01.12

Steve Johnson was benched after scoring on an 18-yard touchdown reception Sunday and getting an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Patriots.

Impact:
What could have been a big Week 17 for Johnson against a leaky New England secondary ended on much more moderate terms (4/40/1) thanks to something he's been warned about before by the coaching staff. Also of interest is that Johnson's contract is up after the season, though we'll note that neither the player nor coach Chan Gailey seemed particularly upset at one another. It was more a case that Gailey made a team rule after his last incident, and Johnson thought he could get away with unveiling a "Happy New Year" slogan on his T-shirt without penalty like he was able to do in similar fashion last season. Apparently that's not the case, but we have to ask, based on Johnson's past why is he even flirting with a gray area?

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