Mike32282
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Posts posted by Mike32282
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Personally, I'm somewhat mystified about how Ruvell Martin is still on the team. I wouldn't be surprised if they gave him up to keep a second kicker in Potter.
Thanks for the update! One more practice!
I've been thinking the same thing. I'd keep Potter no matter what. He makes that big of a difference on special teams. If it costs Ruvell Martin his job, so be it.
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Thanks for the post. Good info.
Also, be careful what you say of Easley on this board. He is held in the highest regard due to his "unlimited potential" and "highest upside". I believe the defense he was getting yesterday from the "Easleyaholics" was that "the Bills already know what they have in him and he has his roster spot set".....truely amazing
I'm disappointed myself. I was a huge Easley fan and had lots of hope that this was his year. I honestly thought he'd be pushing for the #2 WR by now and am shocked at how things have been going with him.
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It's hard to believe, but Monday was Day 14 at Buffalo Bills Training Camp. There is only one more practice to go. The team spent extra time working on red-zone drills, plus the usual 1-on-1's, 7-on-7's, 11-on-11's and special teams drills. Coach Gailey gave Ryan Fitzpatrick a bit of a break on Monday as he had only the two backups work on the 7-on-7 drills. The team also practiced the 2-minute drill and the offense was successful both times, scoring two touchdowns to end the day.
As always, the team started out working on fundamentals with their position coaches. This time, the offense worked on Growney Stadium, while the defense worked on the Polisseni track and field complex. The players spent about 15 minutes working with their position coaches, until they all came onto the main field for special teams work. John Potter was the only one used for kicking the ball off and he did a good job. The kick returners were Leodis McKelvin, CJ Spiller, Brad Smith and TJ Graham. Spiller had the best return, showing off his speed on his return. Although, Smith had a good return too. Following the special teams work, the team spend time doing passing drills. It wasn't the usual 7-on-7 yet, but they worked on a 5-on-4 and 4-on-4, focusing on 1-on-1 matchups. The team spend about 5 minutes on this drill and then finally the real fun began, the 7-on-7 drill.
Coach Gailey let Ryan Fitzpatrick skip the drill as the focus was on the backup competition. Vince Young started off with a 10-yard pass to Donald Jones and then hit Scott Chandler for 7-yards. He finished the series off with a 6-yard pass to Derek Hagan. Tyler Thigpen came on the field next and hit Scott Chandler for 8-yards. He then threw a nice pass to Derek Hagan for 30-yards. On the final play of the series, Thigpen overthrew Stevie Johnson. Vince Young came back onto the field and connected with TJ Graham for 9-yards and 8-yards. He then hit Kamar Aiken for 7-yards. On the next play, Young threw a screen to Lee Smith for 3-yards. He then found Ruvell Martin for 10-yards. On the final play of the series, Young connected with Fendi Onobun for 11-yards.
Tyler Thigpen came back onto the field and hit Stevie Johnson for 6-yards. He then found Derek Hagan for 12-yards. On the final play of the series, Thigpen connected with Stevie Johnson for 8-yards. Vince Young came back on the field and found Scott Chandler. He then threw the ball at CJ Spiller's feet. On the final play of the series, Young saw David Nelson and threw it his way, but Leodis McKelvin broke it up. Tyler Thigpen came back once more and connected with Kamar Aiken for 20-yards, and 5-yards. He then hit Naaman Roosevelt for 6-yards. On the next play, Thigpen threw a nice 30-yarder to TJ Graham. He then hit Derek Session for 7-yards. On the final play of the drill, Thigpen was almost picked off by Nick Sukay who made a great play on the ball, but couldn't hang onto it..... CLICK HERE for more:
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Thanks for the great job Mike.
I agree with you on Choice, he was solid last year when Freddie went down, way more explosive back than Johnny White. The other RB they picked up, how is he doing? He has nice measurables.
Is Danny Batten playing LB or DE? I have yet to read about him on any of these TC reports.
The new RB, Zach Brown looked a bit slow compared to the other ones.
As for Batten, I think he's playing at OLB, but I.dont know. Haven't seen him much.
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As always, another fantastic report! Thanks for the hard work you've been doing, it is appreciated very much!!
Thanks for the compliments! Im glad you enjoyed it!
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Nice job and thanks!
No problem! Glad you like it!
Thanks Mike!
You're welcome!
Gonna look at the pics now.
Thanks as always, Mike!!!
Let me know if there's any you want a copy of. You could also click on the photo to get a much bigger one.
Mike has the best reports IMO.. I appreciate everyones reports, but I just enjoy the way Mike breaks down each play quickly and efficiently and throws in some brief to the point observations to boot.
Yeah it's me Mike
Thanks ddaryl! I originally did just the play by play. Then years ago, someone told me that I should add my opinion at the end of a few different topics. I then tried just the Extra points and people told me I was missing the play by play, so i brought it back. Im glad you enjoy reading it!
Thanks for the report!
Would you say that the 2nd and 3rd team offenses are getting better as camp goes on? I didn't see too many negatives mentioned in the article, so I'm hoping things are starting to click.
You're welcome. Im definitely not willing to say that. I just think they dont face as tough of a defense as the
#1s do. But honestly, if I could...I would dump both Thigpen and Young and try to trade for a solid vet backup or scour the waiver wire.
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Oh and if you want to check out my photos. I took a whole bunch and posted them in my photobucket gallery here....
My favorite has gotta be this photo of Fitzpatrick running with the ball....
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Thanks for the report! I was also there and I agree with you. That punt was awesome! Moorman was crushing them at the beginning. As for your other stuff, I, like you am very excited at the potential of this defense. They could definitely be top 5 in the whole league. Mario Williams is a stud and is going to terrorize QBs. Im sure Brady is already having nightmares. Dareus is already a beast and will only get better. Plus Kyle Williams is a solid DT in the middle. He'll definitely help plus the holes. And don't forget about Mark Anderson. I think a lot of people are discounting him, but they shouldn't. With the other 3, Anderson will probably draw quite a bit of 1-on-1s and is a very good pass rusher. I have a feeling he'll get double digit sacks along with Mario.
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It was Day 9 at Buffalo Bills Training Camp and a scorcher outside, easily the hottest day since the team arrived at St. John Fisher in late July. The stands were packed, the players were in full pads and fans got to enjoy the first live hitting goal-line work of the year. Coach Gailey gave the players four chances for both the #1 and #2 teams to score at the goal-line and allowed full contact. The team also spent extra time working on red-zone drills, plus the usual 1-on-1's, 7-on-7's, 11-on-11's and special teams drills.
As always, the team started off with a few light paced drills and because of the heat, took it easy at the beginning with a few warm up drills together with their own units. Following that drill, the team worked on fundamentals for special teams, including lining up for a punt and practicing gunner drills. The team did this for a short time and then had both kickers practice field goal kicking. Both Rian Lindell and John Potter tried field goals from 33, 38, 43 and 48 yards and both of them appeared to make them.
The horn sounded at the end of the drill and then the team worked on some one-on-one matchups. I watched the passing drills to see how the wide receivers were doing while missing two of the top receivers in Stevie Johnson and David Nelson. They did alright. Derek Session made one nice catch against Isaiah Green, but then he dropped a couple too. I was impressed with Kamar Aiken on one play where he juked to make Cris Hill miss. Rookie TJ Graham also hauled in a nice 40-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick. But my favorite play was one that Marcus Easley made over Ron Brooks, where he leaped in the air for it and then was hit as he fell to the ground, but he still held onto the ball the whole time. On the negative side for the offense, Leodis McKelvin swatted the ball away from Naaman Roosevelt on one play. But Roosevelt caught the next one later on.
Following the 1-on-1 drills, the safeties, running backs and tight ends joined in for the 7-on-7 passing drill. The team worked in the red zone, as that seemed to be a focus part for the day. Ryan Fitzpatrick started it off with a 12-yard pass to Derek Hagan. He then connected with Donald Jones for 15-yards. On the next play, Fitzpatrick hit Scott Chandler for 5-yards. He then found Ruvell Martin for 6-yards. Fitzpatrick then had his pass batted down by Aaron Williams. On the final play of the series, Fitzpatrick connected with Chandler again, this time for 8-yards. Tyler Thigpen then came in to lead the backups and overthrew Kevin Brock. He then found David Clowney for 20-yards. On the next play, Thigpen overthrew Ruvell Martin. He then hit Kamar Aiken for 12-yards and followed it with a pass to TJ Graham for 9-yards. On the final play of the series, Thigpen threw a 10-yard pass to Clowney.
Ryan Fitzpatrick came back on the field and immediately connected with Donald Jones for 11-yards and followed that with a 13-yard pass to Jones. He then hit CJ Spiller for 16-yards. On the next play, Fitzpatrick found Scott Chandler, who catches everything, for 10-yards. He then hit Derek Hagan for 5-yards. On the final play of the series, Fitzpatrick went back to Chandler, this time for 12-yards. Vince Young came on the field next and started out by overthrowing Dorin Dickerson. He then hit Lee Smith for 4-yards and followed that with a 10-yard pass to Derek Session. On the final play of the series, Young found Fendi Onobun for 8-yards. Brad Smith came in next and threw floater to TJ Graham, but he dropped it. On the final play of the drill, Smith thought he had Marcus Easley, but Delano Howell knocked the ball down....... CLICK FOR MORE:
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Thanks for the information on Potter. Keep us updated with how well those guys are doing. I don't think Lindell's spot on this roster is as cut and dry like most think. Just my opinion. But one thing for sure is Potter makes the roster for kick offs - eBALL - HE won't be on stashed on the PS. At least I believe those are the sentiments Nix gave off.
Tell us. Who was the more accurate kicker in Training Camp Practice #5 too Mikey??
Lindell was short on the 59 yarder and hit the uprights on the 55 yarder. Potter nailed all 4 from what I saw. So I would give it to Potter for that day.
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Look what I started!
I gotta admit, Im excited seeing a young kicker like Potter out there making the long kicks. But Im also a little nervous to hand him the reigns. Im starting to think it could be like his grooming year. They keep Lindell and Potter. Potter becomes the kickoff specialist and kicks the long field goals too. Once he gets comfortable kicking in the Ralph and in the NFL, after watching and learning from Lindell, the Bills then cut Lindell in 2013 and Potter is the new starting kicker.
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Thanks Mike.
No problem!
Thanks again Mike!
How has Carrington looked so far? Anything special?
Carrington has looked like a beast and has been close to the ball carrier quite a bit.
Tim Ryan from SiriusXM (who was at camp yesterday) said Carrington was "unblockable" in the one-on-one drills.
I could definitely see that.
I understand he's a mountain of a man. If he get it together...
That's the key, if he gets it together....he's freaking HUGE! I'd love to see him work out!
By the way, thanks again, Mike, for the report.
With respect to your comments about blitzing, I think in Wanny's defense you'll see less blitzing in general because they have the horses to get pressure rushing only four, but when you do it will be well-disguised and probably from a corner or safety.
Still not worried about Lindell's job. Kicking FGs on a practice field is absolutely nothing like doing it in live game action. Glad Potter's strong leg is on display, though...he could be worth a PS spot.
No problem! Really? I thought we hardly ever saw blitzing in the old system and was hoping we would see it more often. I have seen a bunch of different blitz packages practiced at camp.
Potter will either make the roster as the main kicker or he'll be our kickoff specialist, IMO.
this is what i was hoping for out of carrington. he is a big man that has been asked to play a lot of positions in his short time here. i hope he finds a spot on the roster and a spot on the line where he can be comfortable and productive. i may be way off on this, but i kind of see him as a younger spencer johnson.
I have been hoping for the same thing and really liked him at camp last year. I could see him being a Spencer Johnson kind of player, but he's HUGE though.
Your training camp reporting is something I always look forward to Mike. Job well done, as always.
With regards to blitzing, like eball mentioned, wannys defense usually doesn't do too much of it. I'm no coach, but I'd LOVE to see the, bring more than 4. Imagine the opposing OC, having to account for Mario, marvel, Kyle and mark/Merriman.....and then having to worry about blitzes from either side or up the middle? It would be a nightmare and I can't envision everyone getting blocked. Most of those guys need to be doubled as it is. Bringing an extra rusher from different sides of the field would only bring more heat and pressure the qb to make even quicker decisions. I trust Wanny knows what he's doing, but I hope to see some blitzing .
Thank you for the compliments. Im glad you like them.
I'm thesame way. Id love to see them bring more than 4, especially if you add 1 or 2 more guys in a blitz, with the killer front 4 we already have. Brady will be running for his life. That would be awesome. Either way, Im loving our front 4 big time right now. Mark Anderson is such a sleeper and people dont ever realize it right now.
It's why I'm hoping Moats not only makes the team, but wins the starting job at Sam LB. A legit pass-rushing 4-3 LB adds a whole new dimension to this defense.
I cant see him starting, but I definitely think he'll get a lot of time on the field in the different base packages.
Love these reports! Have the corners been playing close to the LOS? I really hate it when I see those 10 yard cushions and Wes Welker doing a quick slant for 8 yards untouched.
Thanks! I cant stand the cushion either. I have noticed that Gilmore gives a lot less of a cushion than the other CBs and seems to excel at it.
That's great to hear. I'm puling for him & Troup to do well. I know Troup has an uphill battle with coming off of back surgery. Thanks for the update!!
Troup may not make the roster. I saw so much potential in him, but the depth is so big on the DL right now and he cant seem to stay healthy.
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After having a well deserved day off, the players were back on the field at St. John Fisher for Day 5 at Buffalo Bills Training Camp. The players practiced in shoulder pads and shorts, so there was some minor hitting, but nothing major. The team spent time working on a lot of fundamentals, spending extra time in the individual units. They also did special teams drills, 7-on-7 passing drills, which focused on the short/intermediate passing and the 11-on-11 full team drills.
For a change of pace, the offensive players practiced on the new grass field, while the defense worked on the Polisseni track and field complex in front of the fans. The players worked on their fundamentals for a while and then the team went to work on some special teams drills.
For special teams, the Bills worked on several different things. They had the players work on different blocking assignments and do it in a line. The coaches also had the punters practice kicking the ball to the three returners, CJ Spiller, Leodis McKelvin and Naaman Roosevelt. Following the punt team drills, the kickers got a chance to show their legs off to the crowd. Both Rian Lindell and John Potter tried field goals from 45 yards, 49 yards, 55 yards and 59 yards. Potter nailed them all and his 59-yard field goal sailed right thru the middle. Lindell hit the upright on the 55-yard field goal and appeared to be a bit short on the the 59-yard field goal.
Following the special teams work, the team went to work on 1-on-1. I watched some of the 1-on-1 work with the receivers and the cornerbacks. Both Tyler Thigpen and Vince Young spent time with the wide receivers, while Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brad Smith worked with the running backs and tight ends. Prince Miller and Isaiah Green both had pass breakups. On the offensive side, Vince Young had a beautiful 30-yard pass to Donald Jones, but he also overthrew Naaman Roosevelt on an earlier passing play......... http://www.billszone.com/?p=607
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Arent the limited just like the old Replithentic that Reebok used to make?
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You can see on lots of the BB.com video that the defensive players have to let up before the play "is over" because they can't really hit anyone… so there are probably a handful of plays during each team drill that end up successful for the offense that wouldn't have been had it been real, live play.
That's a GREAT point! I noticed several times where this was the case.
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Brother, thank you!
What an incredible effort. Great pictures great shots and you have put it all up here for us to dig.
I just went through the slide show. in some ways it's is better than being there because you have caught the players in such a way that gets missed during action.
i can only hope we get more good Sir Mike.
Thanks! I'm glad you appreciate it.
Great report, thanks for posting it. It seems to me the offense is ahead of the defense or is the defense just kind of taking it easy so the offense can get some synergy going?
The offense is slightly ahead of the defense, but I also think the defense is also going slower paced without the pads and with no hitting. Next week, I bet they pick it up.
I think it takes longer for a defense to come together, and there's also the fact that since there aren't pads they can't be as physical as they would normally be.
I do want to keep an eye on Tank since he had a great first day. I would love it if he somehow won a starting spot.
Exactly, plus they are doing a different defense from last year. People need to keep that in mind. I'm definitely keeping an eye on Tank. He seems to be around the ball quite a bit. I'd love to see him challege for the starting job. But also keep an eye on Moats. He's done really good in coverage and looks like he could push for more time.
From your two posts, it appears McKelvin still has clubs for hands.
Yeah, he definitely does!
Another great, detailed report. While Chris Brown does a very good job of covering the Bills, your reports are the one's the Buffalo Bills should be using on their website. Thanks again for the hard work!!
Thanks for the compliments!
i wonder if chris white can beat out kirk?
and just let tank start or nigel
I can't see White beating him out...but possibly Moats or one of the rookies. I guess I'll have to keep more of an eye on White.
If Morrison loses his starting job, IMO it will be to either Bradham or Moats. Have been hearing really good things about Moats....especially in coverage.
I agree with this comment. But I could see Tank over Bradham. He's been a beast so far.
Thanks Mike! A lot of good info!
I am still wondering how much Coach Lee is working with Fitz between plays and throughout practice?
I havent really paid attention to that. I will definitely keep an eye on them.
Thanks to TheKickIsGood, I know all the guys' numbers from the pictures without even thinking about it haha.
Good point. I noticed some names I didn't know thanks to his countdown!
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What do you guys think of my photos? Any favorites? I really like this one... http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/Mikey82_photos/Buffalo%20Bills%20Training%20Camp%202012/07-27-12%20Friday%20Afternoon/Photo136.jpg
and this one....
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Potter have the leg everyone says he has?
Havent seen much of him yet.
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Thanks brotha....a lot of good information there. How did the WOLB position shake out in day 2?
Im honestly not too sure. I think Morrison needs to step up or one of the rookies might take it. I really like Tank Carder a lot!
Great report. Thanks. Chandler was a big part of the offense before he injured in his ankle. I agree he's going to play a big part again.
Exactly! A lot of people forgot how much he was used before he got hurt. I can definitely see him play a big part in it.
Your attention to detail is appreciated. It's lets the reader maker their own judgments.
PTR
Thanks man! Glad you like it.
Looks like the rookie P has the jitters, and Moorman is taking the challenge seriously. Hey, if he can get back to how he punted a couple of years ago I'm all for it.
Thanks again, Mike. Love the details and the photos.
Exactly, the rookie punter had the jitters. But I also just like the way Moorman punts the ball more. His punts go really high and have a lot more hang time. That gives the coverage team more time to get down the field.
Was it because Fitz was throwing the football in too tight of a spiral?
I don't think so. I think it was just because they weren't ready for it. I will definitely keep an eye on it though.
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It was the second day at Buffalo Bills Training Camp and thanks to the CBA rules, the players were not practicing in pads. There was little hitting allowed, but the players still worked pretty hard out there in that warm summer day. The team spent time working in their individual units, 7-on-7 passing drills and the 11-on-11 full team drills. They also worked on special teams drills, including some punt coverage and blocking.
To start the day off, the Bills worked on the two different fields. The defense worked on the new grass field and the offensive players worked on the Polisseni track and field complex. I stayed at the track and field complex because I didn’t want to lose my perfect spot at the 50-yard yard line. It gave me great views for all the action and for some good photos too. I did notice that both Stevie Johnson and Marcus Easley dropped a pass in the passing drill.
Following the individual drills, the team went right to work on special teams. They spent time working on punt coverage and blocking assignments. The players who were catching the punts in the end zone were Leodis McKelvin, CJ Spiller and Justin Rogers. But they really didn’t spend much time returning it. The focus was on the punting team, not the return team. Brian Moorman was booming the punts high and far every single time, kicking several of them over 70-yards. Shawn Powell struggled and was only getting the ball to the 20-yard line each time and had much less hang time. I have no doubt that Brian Moorman’s job is safe!
After the special teams drills, the team went back to work on fundamentals with their individual units. But this time, they were paired up against defensive backs and linebackers. I watched the Quarterbacks with the tight ends/running backs, but I also caught a several plays of the Wide receivers lined up against the cornerbacks. Brad Smith was intercepted by Da’Norris Searcy on one play. I also noticed Arthur Moats with solid coverage, being right near the ball every single time he was out there. Bryan Scott had great coverage on one of his plays and he “tackled” Tashard Choice for a short gain. On the offensive side, Scott Chandler beat George Wilson a couple times. On the other side of the field, Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Donald Jones for a 40-yard touchdown and drew some cheers from the stands. Vince Young also threw a nice 40-yard touchdown, to Marcus Easley......CLICK FOR MORE:
Oh and if you guys like photos, I took a ton of them. You can check them all out here....
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Wow guys! I don't know what to say. Thanks for defending me. I'm glad you all enjoy my articles and photos. And I will keep doing them because I love doing them and sharing them with everyone else. I didn't take any offense from dogma, but I think I was reading his comment that he thought my comment about Anderson was silly. I can take any comments or feedback, even if it's negative.
But thanks again for coming to my honor. It means a lot.
Thanks Mikey, always love reading your reports.
No problem. Glad you like them!
Thanks for the report Mike. Great stuff!
You're welcome! Glad you like it!
Thanks Mike, you're the best. I look forward to your reports more than the Chris Brown's. He's fine, you're better!
Thanks for the compliments! I really appreciate it.
Per usual, great stuff Mike!
P.S. Is it me or do folks when they see the name "Lee Smith" automatically think of the Baseball player?
Thanks! Who's Lee Smith?
Thanks Mike! As always a terrific write up and even better pics. Really like several of them, #35 is really outstanding!
Thanks very much! I went a little crazy and took even more photos today. I'm uploading them now.
Great report!
Thanks!
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Awesome report. If Tank can find his 2010 mojo he will be a great one!
I agree. I loved what I saw from him and I know it's only day 1, but I have a feeling we may be getting a very good player in Tank.
Excellent synopsis, Mike. Thanks a bunch.
No problem. Glad you like it.
Thank you very much for your detailed reports & pictures, it is appreciated very much!! Keep up the great work!!!
Thanks for compliments! Glad you enjoyed it.
We must do all we can to make sure these fine reports don't get into the wrong hands. That's journalism, folks.
Wow! Thanks for the compliments!
All I can say is THANK YOU!!! This is such an incredible service for every Buffalo Bills' fan!!!We all greatly appreciate the work that you put into providing us with a very unbiased report!
Keep up the good work and thanks again!!!
I'm happy you are all enjoying it. I love to share my view with all my fellow Bills fans who can't go. Thanks for the comments.
at shoretalk for the epic FAIL (not using fast reply). LOL! I noticed that too.
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You are the best Mike. Make TBD your home base. Who needs those tards at BillsZone?
ptr
I have TBD on my favorite bar. I am here a lot, but mainly as a lurker. I do the same thing on BillsZone lately.
You are very good at this Mike. Keep up the good work. Love reading your report.
Thanks for all the effort you put into it.
Thanks man! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Yes, this is what I've been waiting for! Now TC has officially begun.
Mike -- any work by the punters? Really curious to see if the rookie can unseat Moorman.
Any work on the punters? LOL!
I know training camp has officially begun now. No, I didnt see...unless they were practicing their punts on the Growney Stadium field. -
Outstanding, Mike!
For your next report can you give us some defensive impressions. Mainly I'd like to know how Merrimen is looking, Williams etc.
Thanks,
Tim-
I'll try to do that but the defense practices all the way on the other grass field, which is a long walk. That's why I stayed in the stands yesterday for the offensive drills. I'll try to watch them more during the team drills.
Buffalo Bills Training Camp: 7/28/2013
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
I don't post often on any of these boards lately, but I always like to share my Training Camp Report with everyone that's interested. Here's my latest from Day 1 at Buffalo Bills Training Camp......
It's official. The long offseason is now over with and Buffalo Bills Training Camp has finally begun. Fans packed the house as there was a lot of interest in seeing the what the new regime under Coach Marrone would be like. It's only the first day, but the quicker tempo was noticed right away. You could tell the team is going to be run a bit differently from the Chan Gailey Era.
To start the day off, the Bills came out to loud cheers and practiced at Growney Stadium for most of the night, with a few drills done on the Polisseni track and field complex. As always, the Bills started off with their warm-up drills where the QB hands the ball off and then the whole offense jogs 20 yards with the running back. Following this drill, the team did something that they haven't done in years. They actually stretched out on the field and did several different stretches, plus jogged in place. This was something that used to be done regularly before Gailey.
After they got their stretching done, the team went right to work on the fundamentals in the individual drills. Coach Marrone was walking all around the field, but spent quite a bit of time working hands on with the offensive lineman, including putting his hand on the ground. I was watching the running backs and noticed they were working on hand eye coordination by catching a pass, handing it off and then turning the other way for another quick pass. After about 10 minutes or so, the Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers and Tight Ends left the main field to work on passing drills on the grass field.
Following the individual drills, the players came back to Growney Stadium to work on passing drills for the fans. I was amazed with how fast the Quarterbacks were getting the ball out. Both Kevin Kolb and EJ Manuel showed a very quick release. They worked on some deep passes, with the receivers torching the defensive backs several times. Stevie Johnson got it started with a nice leaping catch from Kolb. EJ Manuel then came in and underthrew Brad Smith a bit, but he made a great catch with his hands. Both quarterbacks did a great job with the deep ball and connected with their receiver on a bunch of passes.
The team worked on the one-on-one drills for about 10-15 minutes, then the horn sounded and they began 7-on-7 drills. I couldn’t believe how fast paced the team was. Kevin Kolb started the drill out, but Nigel Bradham broke it up. EJ Manuel then came in and his Brad Smith for 11-yards. Jeff Tuel then got his shot and found Da’Rick Rogers for 5-yards. Kolb came back and hit Chris Hogan for 12-yards. Manuel then threw a 15-yard pass to Kendall Gaskins. Tuel came back in and threw a nice 60-yard bomb to Brandon Kaufman for a touchdown. Kolb returned and hit Stevie Johnson for 6-yards. Manuel then returned and found Hogan 8-yards. Tuel came back once again and hit Mike Caussin for 15-yards. Kolb came on the field for a final time and hit Stevie Johnson for 5-yards. Manuel then returned his final time in the drill and dumped it off to CJ Spiller, but Arthur Moats broke it up. On the final play of the drill, Jeff Tuel came back and found Kevin Elliot for 13-yards.
Following the 7-on-7 drills, the team worked on 11-on-11 with a focus on the running game. CJ Spiller led off with a run up the middle for 2-yards. He then tried again and gained 3-yards until Aaron Williams closed the hole. On the next play, Kevin Kolb felt some pressure from Jerry Hughes, which forced him to throw an incomplete pass to Frank Summers. Following that play, Kolb felt even more pressure and would have been sacked by Torell Troup. He then chose to run with the ball to avoid pressure and would have been crushed by Stephon Gilmore. On the next play, Kolb threw a nice pass to Scott Chandler for 25-yards. The backups then entered the field and Tashard Choice ran up the middle for 2-yards. EJ Manuel then hit Mike Caussin for 11-yards. On the next play, Manuel handed the ball off to Tashard Choice, who was stuffed for no gain by Corbin Bryant. Choice then got another chance to carry the ball and gained 4-yards up the middle. Manuel then decided to pass the ball, but he overthrew Chris Gragg. He followed that up with a fumbled handoff to Choice. The starters then came back and Fred Jackson exploded up the middle for 6-yards. Kevin Kolb then threw an 8-yard pass to Lee Smith. On the next play, Kolb felt a ton of pressure from Jerry Hughes and threw it away. Fred Jackson then got another chance to carry the ball, but was tackled at the line by Aaron Williams who sniffed out the play right away. Jeff Tuel then came out with the third team. Kendall Gaskins got the ball and ran up the middle for 2-yards. However, on the next play he was tackled behind the line by Corbin Bryant. Jeff Tuel the threw a pass to DeMarco Sampson, who dropped the ball. To finish the drill off, Gaskins ran up the middle for 5-yards.
The horn sounded and then the team went to work on special teams. They mainly focused on assignments and positioning. Leodis McKelvin, TJ Graham, Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin were the punt “returners” and caught “punts” from the jugs machine while the rest of the players worked on their assignments and were directed where to line up and who to cover. Unlike previous years, the team didn’t spend much time on the special teams drills. But then again, it’s only the first day and then don’t have any pads on yet.
Following the special teams break, the team went right to work on 11-on-11 drills again. This time it was a faster paced compared to the prior 11-on-11 drill. CJ Spiller led it off with a 6-yard run up the middle. Kevin Kolb then hit TJ Graham, but he dropped the ball. On the next play, Kolb tried to hit Dorin Dickerson but he couldn’t hang on to the ball. Kolb then ran with the ball with 5-yards. EJ Manuel then came onto the field and threw a beautiful long pass to Kevin Elliot for about 45-yards. Zach Brown then got the ball and ran around the left tackle for 4-yards. Manuel chose to run the ball on the next play and gained 7-yards. He then connected with Marquise Goodwin for 6-yards. Manuel followed that with a 5-yard pass to Scott Chandler. On the next play, Manuel tucked the ball and ran with it for 8-yards in what looked like the read option that seems to still be a small part of the offense. He then threw a pass to Mike Caussin, but he dropped it. On the next play, Sam Young was beat cleanly by Jerry Hughes for a sack. CJ Spiller then ran around the left tackle for 10-yards. However, on the next play Spiller was tackled behind the line by Corbin Bryant. Manuel then finished the series off with a nice 13-yard pass up the middle to Marcus Easley. Jeff Tuel then entered the field and dumped the ball off to Kendall Gaskins for 6-yards. Gaskins then carried the ball two consecutive times and gained 3-yards and followed it by getting stuffed at the line. Tuel finished the series off with a pass to Da’Rick Rogers for 10-yards.
The starters came back onto the field and Fred Jackson got the ball and ran up the middle for 7-yards. Kevin Kolb then spotted Stevie Johnson for an 8-yard gain. He then tried to go back to him, but threw the ball behind Stevie. Kolb then threw a nice 17-yard pass to Kevin Elliot. On the next play, Ron Brooks came in on a delayed blitz and would have had the sack. Fred Jackson then ran up the middle for 2-yards until Jarron Gilbert met him. EJ Manuel returned onto the field and connected with Brad Smith for 11-yards. Zach Brown then ran up the middle for 3-yards. On the following play, EJ Manuel felt pressure from Manny Lawson and scrambled to get away. Brown then got another carry and gained 2-yards up the middle. On the next play, Manuel threw a bad looking pass where he stared down his receiver and was intercepted by Mana Silva who returned it for a touchdown. On the next play, Manuel felt more pressure and tucked the ball and ran for about 5-yards. Kevin Kolb came back onto the field and dumped the ball off to CJ Spiller who flew down the field for 20-yards. He then went back to Spiller with a screen for 14-yards. Kolb then hit Marcus Easley for 6-yards, but he dropped it as he hit the ground. On the final play of the drill, CJ Spiller was stuffed behind the line by Jarron Gilbert. After that play, the horn sounded and the Bills decided to end practice early. It went for 2 hours and 15-minutes instead of the scheduled 3-hours. But the fans seemed happy as they all rushed to the fences to get autographs.
Extra Points
1. For all the people that grew bored with the Chan Gailey and Dick Jauron training camps, there is a big difference now. The practice seemed to fly by for the most part and the tempo was fast paced all night long. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how it goes when they start wearing pads. I have a feeling there will be quite a bit of contact.
2. I have always been able to take lots of notes and photos at the same time, but I struggled during the passing drills and some of the 11-on-11 drills. They were running a no huddle offense that was completely different from any no huddle we've seen in the last 10-yards. I was really impressed with how fast the Quarterbacks were getting the ball out. Both Kolb and Manuel showed a very quick release.
3. This will be an interesting QB competition. I think they are evenly matched for the most part. Kolb impressed me with several throws and held his own with the deep ball. But EJ Manuel had an even better deep pass. His two long passes in the 1-on-1's to TJ Graham were placed right in the sweet spot and would have both been 40+ yard touchdowns. I do worry about Manuel having happy feet though. He liked to run with the ball anytime he saw pressure coming.
4. Look out for Aaron Williams. He looks to be reborn at safety. I was impressed with how many running plays he was right there to make the tackle and then he also did a pretty good job with pass coverage too. Maybe safety is where he will finally flourish.
5. The not so shocking news of the day was that Mario Williams was held out of practice. Apparently he had a sore foot and was held out at the last minute. Hopefully this isn’t something that lingers. I look forward to seeing what he can do in this defense.
6. Props go to EJ Manuel, Robert Woods, Dustin Hopkins, Rian Lindell, Bryan Scott, Stephon Gilmore, Scott Chandler, the offensive linemen and several rookies for spending time chatting with the fans and signing autographs after a long first day of practice.
Overall, it was a good first day. There was a big crowd of people and they were cheering the big plays, plus keeping themselves entertained with different chants. The weather was pretty nice for the most part, except for a quick rain. The action on the field was surprisingly fast paced and the best thing of all was that football was back! I'm looking forward to later in the week when the players start wearing pads. That's when the real fun begins.
http://www.billszone.com/?p=1118
Oh and here's my training camp gallery too....http://s159.photobucket.com/user/Mikey82_photos/library/Buffalo%20Bills%20Training%20Camp%202013/07-28-13%20Sunday%20Night