‘Seattle coach Pete Carroll recognized Farwell as coaching material while he was playing. Farwell spent his final Seahawks season on the sidelines after suffering a serious groin injury in preseason. Rather than reaching an injury settlement with him, Carroll opted to keep Farwell on the injured reserve list and use him in a mentoring/coaching role for the special teams. Seattle reached the Super Bowl that year, losing to New England in the final game.’
BillsBeat - January 18, 2019
Kyler Murray among early-entry QBs Bills can hope become draft darlings
‘Since the Bills are out of the quarterback market, the more QBs taken ahead of them in the 2019 draft, the better.’
Bills Hall of Famer Jim Kelly gets clean bill of health at latest checkup
‘Jill Kelly said the results “took a bit longer than usual because of all the reconstruction Jim has had inside his mouth. They wanted to be certain that all was good.”’
Former Bills lineman Joe O'Donnell dies at age 77
‘O’Donnell moved back to Milan after his playing career and served as an assistant coach on the high school football team for several decades. He’s a past winner of the assistant coach of the year award from the Michigan high school coaches association. The football field at Milan High was named in his honor in 2009.’
Bills quarterback Josh Allen inspired by Patrick Mahomes' early success with Chiefs
‘“Absolutely I do think it can happen,” said Allen, who played in 11 more games as a rookie than did Mahomes. “Kudos to him for having such a great season. He’s having a season that quarterbacks dream of. He’s a really good dude, an outstanding player and I’m really happy for him. I definitely think that it can be attained by a young quarterback and why not me? That’s what we all strive to do, to win games and have a fun time doing it. That’s something we’ll be chasing here, not the stats or the MVP or whatever, but winning football games and hosting the AFC Championship.”’
Josh Allen's growth and o-line's struggles: Q&A with Bills OT Jeremiah Sirles
‘”When I walked in there I didn’t know any of those receivers besides Kelvin (Benjamin). I hadn’t heard of any of them before. So to watch Zay become close to our number one receiver towards the end of the year – if there was a go-to moment it was going to Zay Jones. Seeing that role that he stepped into with Kelvin leaving and Terrelle Pryor leaving, with opportunity really staring at him in the face and he grabbed it. It was awesome to see.”‘
Bills hire new special teams coordinator
‘Farwell replaces former special teams coordinator Danny Crossman . Crossman was fired this past offseason.’
2018 Buffalo Bills All-22 in Review: Interior Offensive Line
‘It’s somewhat fitting that the top graded player from the 2018 season was the one to be benched in favor of the youth movement. Though, when you consider that Ducasse is five-plus years older than John Miller and only performed marginally better, it’s hard to argue against the Bills seeing what they had in Miller throughout the 16-game season.’
Bills Hall of Famer Jim Kelly gets a clean bill of health
‘”Hope this reminds you that THIS (whatever your “this” is) is NOT the end of the story. Immeasurably more is always in store for those who hope in the Lord!” said Jill Kelly in the post.’
Wife: MRI comes back clean for Jim Kelly
‘In an Instagram post, Jill Kelly says: “We finally got back the results from Jim’s recent MRI…CLEAN! Thank GOD! It took a bit longer than usual because of all the reconstruction Jim has had inside his mouth. They wanted to be certain that all was good…”‘
Bills hire Heath Farwell as special teams coordinator
‘Last season, the Bills special teams unit struggled allowing opponents an average of 21.2 yards on kick returns — 9th worst in the NFL. They also ranked 30th in the league in punting while rotating between Colton Schdmit, Corey Bojorques and Matt Darr. They ranked 31st in net punting yards, averaging 39.2 per punt.’
Bills name Heath Farwell as special teams coordinator
‘Farwell, who excelled on special teams as an NFL player for 10 years, has spent the last three years coaching special teams. He was the Carolina Panthers assistant special teams coach last season and he spent 2016-17 as an assistant special teams coach for the Seattle Seahawks.’
Bills remember AFL Champion OL Joe O’Donnell
‘It was with heavy hearts that the Buffalo Bills learned that two-time AFL Champion offensive lineman Joe O’Donnell passed away on Thursday at the age of 77. A staple on the team’s offensive line, and a respected voice in the locker room during his seven seasons with the club, O’Donnell will forever be remembered for his unmatched work ethic and dedication to his teammates.’
Where this team captain thinks the Bills need to improve the most plus 5 things you missed on OBL
‘“I think the biggest thing is red zone efficiency,” he said. “We were the No. 2 defense but in the red zone we were probably low 20s if I had to guess off the top of my head. We need to be able to prevent teams from scoring touchdowns and minimizing them to three points.”’
Josh Allen: Bills are ‘looking to build something special’
‘“The one thing I really want to tell them is ride the wave,” Allen said. “There’s going to be ups, there’s going to be downs. You’re not going to be perfect, so don’t expect to be perfect. Obviously, you want to strive to be perfect, but things aren’t going to go your way all the time.””
Shaq Lawson was improved in 2018, but should Bills invest a fifth year in him?
‘“We’ll go back and watch all of Shaq’s stuff,” Beane said. “His professionalism went leaps and bounds this year. He really worked hard, and I saw a guy putting the effort in not only on the field, but he brings juice and energy to our practice like I didn’t see a year ago. (Defensive line coach) Bill Teerlinck tells me he brings it to the meeting room, as well. I think we’ll continue to watch him, how he handles the off-season, how he comes back in here, but I’m happy for him and his success.”’
NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico thinks Bills’ Josh Allen ‘energized organization’ in 2018
‘“Josh got off to a start similar to a lot of rookie quarterbacks over the years where there were some things that he saw that were new for him,” McDermott told Tirico on the podcast. “Then you fast forward to the last five, six games when he came back off the injury and really was a different quarterback.”’
Unmasked: Lifelong Texan, die-hard Buffalo Bills fan lives life to the fullest
‘“I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. Never have my whole life,” Pancho admits. “Never done recreational drugs. Find a 39-year-old like that and a Bills fan.”’
Capaccio: How the Bills should approach free agency with all that cap space
‘Let’s not forget how the team got in the situation they were in in the first place when Beane arrived. He said from the day he was hired that it would take two years to fix the cap mess. That resulted in having to eat close to $70 million of dead money this past season. Now, in his own words, “that’s fixed,” but that doesn’t mean Beane is, nor should, just start writing blank checks to average players just because they play wide receiver or offensive line.’
2018 Buffalo Bills All-22 in Review: Cornerback
‘In 2017, Tre’Davious White took over a starting role for the Bills as a rookie and became one of the best at his position in the league. In 2018, White was an at times dominant player that allowed the Bills to change the way they called their defense and improved his overall GPA from his rookie season.’
Bills Today: This Bills OL became a leader in 2018
‘Bodine matched Wood’s level of play on the field, and in his own way, he was able to match Wood’s impact off the field, as well. Wood was renowned as a positional leader in Buffalo, someone who other offensive linemen went to for guidance.’
BillsBeat - January 17, 2019
Lorenzo Alexander re-signs with Bills for what he says will be his final NFL season
‘“We like Lorenzo and appreciate all that he’s done for this organization. I’m about keeping those types of guys around,” Bills General Manager Brandon Beane said at the team’s end-of-season press conference. “I think we all in here can agree – he can still play.”‘
Bills sign OL Jeremiah Sirles to one-year contract extension
‘Sirles, 27, is a 6-foot-6, 315-pounder who joined the Bills in September off waivers from Minnesota. He played in 12 games, making five starts, although that total comes with an asterisk. Four of those starts were as an extra tight end in a run-heavy formation to start the game, and Sirles played sparingly the rest of the way. He did make one start at right guard in place of John Miller, that coming in Week 13 against Miami.’
Buffalo Bills re-sign Lorenzo Alexander to contract extension
‘“At some point,” Alexander continued, “you have to walk away from the game and start the second half of your life. And for me, the end stage of my career, having a family that has been acclimated to this culture and been accepted after bouncing around a couple years, it just made sense for us to get something done early, know where we’re going to be at, know what our kids’ school is going to look like. All that stuff that gets overlooked in these negotiations.”’
NFL mock drafts: 7 players the Buffalo Bills could take in the first round
‘Yes, it is January and the NFL Draft is still three months away, but early versions of mock drafts are starting to pop up and have the Buffalo Bills looking at several positions — with defensive line, offensive line and wide receiver leading the way — with the ninth overall pick.’
Buffalo Bills sign LB Lorenzo Alexander to 1-year contract extension
‘“We like Lorenzo and appreciate all that he’s done for this organization,” Beane said. “I’m about keeping those types of guys around. Lorenzo – I think we all in here can agree – can still play.”’
A look at the 64 Bills
‘For the team’s loyal fans, braving the early winter weather to root the Bills on, it was another season of disappointment. But few people could have been as disappointed with where the team ended up than the 64 players currently on Buffalo’s roster, including players on reserve and those who closed out the season with injuries.’
Alexander re-signs with Bills for what he calls final season
‘”I think we have something being built here that’s special,” he added. “I think next year we can really make a run, and at this point, that’s what it’s all about for me.”‘
Veteran LB Lorenzo Alexander re-signs with Bills
‘A team captain, Alexander was the Bills’ selection for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in the each of the past two seasons.’
Bills re-sign Alexander to one-year deal
‘One of the biggest impacts Alexander has had with this Bills team is his role as a leader in the locker room and on the field.’
Bills re-sign Jeremiah Sirles
‘Sirles’ most attractive attribute is his versatility. After being signed during the season after his release from the Carolina Panthers, he played mostly tackle, but some guard, and often lined up as an extra offensive lineman in heavy sets. That’s a nice thing to have on any roster, so it’s no surprise the Bills were interested in retaining him.’
Buffalo Bills, Lorenzo Alexander agree to one-year contract extension
‘As offseason decisions go, the Bills electing to re-sign linebacker Lorenzo Alexander was quite frankly a no-brainer — regardless of cost.’
2018 Buffalo Bills All-22 in Review: Defensive End
‘Another year has gone by, but the story with Jerry Hughes remains the same. He is, without question, one of the best players on the team and has been basically upon his arrival from Indianapolis.’
Bills' Lorenzo Alexander signs 1-year contract extension
‘The 35-year-old finished 2018 with 74 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two interceptions and forced a fumble. Alexander played in all 16 games last season and has not missed a game since coming to Buffalo in 2016.’
Zo is back for one more go
‘Alexander said via conference call Wednesday that the team wanted his leadership back and he wanted to get a deal done quick so his family knew where he would be next season.’
Lorenzo Alexander signs a contract extension with the Bills
‘“Obviously, I’m invested,” he told the media. “I’ve been here three years, I’m invested in the community. I’m invested in this team and this organization. I would like to be able to continue to play here and be able to retire here.”’
Lorenzo Alexander is prepared to make a special run with the Bills in his potentially final NFL season
‘“Fortunately enough for me, I built up enough of a reputation as a leader and a good guy that I was given another chance in Oakland. Then here when I came to Buffalo, things fell my way, and when I got the opportunity to play, I went out there and did what I do as far as playing hard. If you understand how to play in this league, plays eventually come your way and you have to take advantage of them. I’m definitely fortunate and blessed to be having this opportunity at the age of 36 now, because many guys don’t get to play this long in the NFL.”’
Bills sign OL Jeremiah Sirles to one-year deal
‘Jeremiah Sirles joined Buffalo’s roster in late September. His experience at both guard and tackle made him a Swiss-army-knife for the Bills, as he saw time across the offensive line throughout the season. He started five games for Buffalo in the 2018 campaign, finishing the season as the back-up center.’
Bills Today: ‘Continuity’ the reason why Bills’ defense has found success
‘“That’s probably the biggest part of our success is just that continuity,” Alexander said. “It’s the carryover, the comfort, the confidence in knowing who your coaches are, knowing the team, pays huge dividends. You can just look at my play from year one in this system to year two, I got a better idea of what the scheme was asking me to do, and the coaches learned how to utilize my talent to best fit this scheme.’
BillsBeat - January 16, 2019
One start confirmed Bills QB Matt Barkley's belief: He belongs in the NFL
‘“I haven’t really been in a place like enough to get that cohesiveness with the receivers or with the offense, like I had in college,” Barkley said. “Hopefully this is a place that can happen. You get to know your guys and you’re able to take the offense to the next level.”’