Bills' Pettine has had no words with Byrd / BuffaloBills.com

Rick Stewart

By Joe Buscaglia

JoeB@wgr550.com

Orchard Park, NY (WGR 550)  -- Officially through half of the total workouts scheduled for the Buffalo Bills' Organized Team Activities, franchised free safety Jairus Byrd has been nowhere to be seen around team facilities. Yet to sign his franchise tender, Byrd has been absent throughout all the voluntary workouts to this point in time.

After having his rights retained by the Bills in March, Byrd is currently employed by a team that will have him working with a fourth defensive coordinator in just five years in the NFL. Unlike any of the previous three coordinators, however, Byrd has yet to meet with the new man in charge of the defense.

"It's a coaching cliche, but I can only really deal with the players that are here. I haven't met him," Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine told reporters on Tuesday. "He's not here and for some of the other guys that aren't here, we have plenty to do with the guys that are. So we really haven't, as a staff, given it much thought."

They haven't met just yet, but have they communicated at all?

"No," Pettine confirmed. "That's above my pay grade. I got enough dealings with the guys here. So that's a situation I'll let itself handle it."

The one thing the Bills haven't failed to do is to add pieces to the safety group throughout the off-season. The team elected to switch former 2011 second-round pick Aaron Williams from cornerback to safety and also spent two draft choices in April on the position when they selected Duke Williams (fourth round) and Johnathan Meeks (fifth round). Those three joined Da'Norris Searcy, Mana Silva and Dominique Ellis in the off-season safety competition.


Are the Bills already preparing for life without one of their top players? Pettine said it's far too premature to start figuring out the safety group, with or without Byrd's presence.

"It's too early to really start to talk about the players there and the depth there," he remarked. "We're rotating guys in different personnel groupings. We just want to find out who can play, so we're a long way from trying to hone it down and figure out who's going to be out there. To me, that's a little bit too far down the road to talk about."

In the two OTA sessions available to the media, Williams has been working at free safety with the first-team defense. If the situation with Byrd lingers in to the season, perhaps the once-corner has a chance at seeing the field earlier than expected.

"He's doing a nice job, and that's a difficult thing," Pettine said of Williams' switch to safety. "You can make the argument, 'Well he's a DB and he's staying at DB.' The safety world is very different from the corner world. He's very intelligent and he's soaking it all in. Every day is a challenge for him as far as new concepts in the playbook and I think he's done a real nice job buying in, and really getting quickly to the graduate level details of it."

In regards to Byrd, the Bills have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term contract with their franchised player. If they do not, they can only negotiate a one-year contract past that date or Byrd can just sign the franchise tender and be owed roughly $6.9 million in 2013. The workouts to this point have been voluntary. If the safety misses the mandatory minicamp in June, he will be facing fines from the organization.

Bills Gilmore learned a lot from first season / Wgr550.com

PHOTO BY BILL KOSTROUN

Howard Simon

howard@wgr550.com

Even though he has just one NFL season under his belt, Stephon Gilmore is clearly the player the Bills will rely on to be their shutdown cornerback.

The team's first round pick in the 2012 draft started every game last season and finished with a team high 16 passes defensed, tied for fourth best in the AFC and ninth in the NFL.  The next best total on the Bills was Bryan Scott with eight.

According to StatsPass, Gilmore was targeted 89 times last season and allowed three touchdown passes.  He was one of 30 defenders to have been targeted at least 85 times and his 3 TD's given up was tied for fourth fewest.

Gilmore had just one interception though and has been using the voluntary OTA's(Organized Team Activity) to improve his technique for season number two.

"Its mostly staying square at the line of scrimmage" Gilmore said during an interview on the WGR morning show on Tuesday.  "When I was guarding receivers last year, sometimes I opened up, just mainly trying to use my athletic ability instead of working on straight technique.  Its one thing I feel I’m getting better at."

Gilmore is excited about the new scheme being installed by Defensive Coordinator Mike Pettine since it puts a lot of responsibility on the cornerbacks and plays to Gilmore's strengths as a defender.

"“Its mostly a man to man scheme and a corner has to guard, most of the time, the best athletes on the other team most of the game", the University of South Carolina product said.  "This defense will allow us to show our ability to make plays”.

You can listen to the entire interview with Gilmore and hear him talk about Doug Marrone's sense of humor as well as his initial observations on drafted receivers Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin.

Bills Roundup: Tuesday News, Stevie Returns / BuffaloBills.com

Photo: Getty Images Sport

Stevie Johnson returned to the field on a limited basis as the team hit the half way mark of OTA's, plus hear from offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. CLICK HERE: Bills Roundup: Tuesday News, Stevie Returns

OC Nathaniel Hackett on Stevie's Return / BuffaloBills.com

AP

The Bills offensive coordinator talks about Stevie Johnson's return to the practice field, focusing on the run game, and about the young receivers from this year's draft class. CLICK HERE: OC Nathaniel Hackett on Stevie's Return

Kevin Kolb Praises Young WR Group / Buffalobills.com

AP Photo/David Duprey

Bills quarterback Kevin Kolb talks to the media after the fourth OTA workout, and had some high praise for the young wide receivers as well as for the offense in general.  CLICK HERE: Kevin Kolb Praises Young WR Group

Bills Roundup: Woods Signs, Monday Highlights / Buffalobills.com

Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

The Bills got another draft pick under contract on Monday as the team returned to work during OTA's, hear from EJ Manuel, and check out all of the top plays of the day.
CLICK HERE: Bills Roundup: Woods Signs, Monday Highlight

OTA Practice Notes - Day 4 / BuffaloBills.com

Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Getting back into the swing of things after a long weekend for the Bills didn’t appear to be an issue for the players when they returned for Week 2 of voluntary OTA practices. Head coach Doug Marrone prepared his players telling them to make the necessary progress the motivation had to come from within.

“I think this is a very critical week for us as far as OTAs,” said Marrone. “Obviously the installation is heavier now than it was in the beginning. Less time to prepare and you’re talking about practices number four, five and six. My challenge to the team was I can get up there every day and give them the ‘let’s go get them’ speech. But in the end that’s not going to be good enough for the upcoming season. A lot of this has to come from within and inspired from oneself to do better. That was my challenge to them.”

At this stage of the game the offense, defense and special teams units are still going through the process of installation. In no way are the players at the point where they’re trying to refine components of the scheme on their respective side of the ball.

“Right now we’re just trying to make sure we’re on the same page and once we get to the point where we’ve got a grasp of the whole offense and we see different stuff we’ll talk and I can tell a receiver he should do this,” said Tarvaris Jackson. “If you think you see something on a certain route you’ll point it out or a different coverage. But right now we’re just trying to get everybody on the same page and doing the basics.”

Woods not playing like rookie
For second-round pick WR Robert Woods, Monday was a good day off the field as he signed his rookie contract with the Bills. It was also a good day because despite missing the first week of OTAs due to the league’s college graduation rules he picked up where he left off in rookie minicamp.



Woods however, did admit his first practice with the vets was eye-opening.

“It felt good to be back on the field, but it was a lot more fast-paced on the field with the vets than it was at rookie camp,” Woods told Buffalobills.com. “No huddle, a lot of fast-paced offense, conditioning and everything, get back out there, but it’s fun to be with the guys again.”

For Woods and the rest of the receiving corps they’re still trying to get the timing down with the quarterbacks on the roster, but the rookie receiver believes it’s a matter of when not if everything will be running smooth in short order.

“From a quarterback and a receiver standpoint once we get that extra time on our hands and really get to communicate with the quarterback one-on-one I think we can really develop our relationship like that and he knows where I’m going to be and where the ball is going to be,” Woods said. “As you saw (Monday) it was a little bit off here and there, but after a while we’re going to be on fire.”

Kevin Kolb was particularly taken with one route run by Woods on Monday.

“I was really impressed with was a move that a lot of young guys make a mistake on and he didn’t make it,” Kolb said. “He beat the guy off the line and he continued to run his route and continued to push and was patient with it. He understood the timing of the offense and my footwork and we were able to hit a big play and keep the integrity of the pocket. That was good to see and I complemented him on it. A lot of young guys don’t do that. He’s somewhat complex in his route running ability.”

Alonso up with the ones
Through the first week of OTAs rookie second-round pick Kiko Alonso had been running with the second team defense at ‘mike’ linebacker. However, Alonso was moved up to the first unit on Monday as he was paired with Bryan Scott inside.

Alonso has been given the responsibility of calling the defense from the time he’s been practicing at One Bills Drive. Head coach Doug Marrone feels his rookie linebacker has had no issues handling the added responsibility.

“I have not seen a problem at all with the adjustment with him being able to do that,” said Marrone. “And that started early on when we had the rookie minicamp. He’s handled things quite well.”

With Alonso up with the first unit, Arthur Moats and Nigel Bradham worked with the second unit.

Rookies hook up again
EJ Manuel and undrafted rookie WR Da’Rick Rogers hooked up for a long touchdown last week in OTAs. This week they connected for an 80-yard scoring play on a very similar looking play.

“The biggest thing I was happy about, was Coach (Hackett) has really been harping about moving up in the pocket, and I think that was something that I tried to keep in the back of my mind,” said Manuel.  “Da’Rick ran a great route. The DB was kind of mugging him a little bit, but he got over the top of the guy and made a great catch.”

O-line shuffle
When Chris Hairston pulled out of practice with an apparent injury right before team work in Monday’s practice session it set in motion a lineup shuffle up front. Hairston has been the team’s first team right tackle with Erik Pears still rehabbing. With Hairston out it moved Sam Young to the starting right tackle spot in practice Monday.

Young had been playing mostly guard through the spring as part of the left guard competition, but with Young on the edge, Colin Brown was again the primary left guard. In at left guard with the second unit was undrafted rookie Zach Chibane, while Chris Scott manned right guard with the second group.

That made Hutch Eckerson the team’s second team right tackle, with Thomas Welch the only man is his normal role as second team left tackle.

Schedule
The Bills have a morning practice scheduled for Tuesday at 10:30 am.

Bills Focus: Robert Woods Signs / Buffalobills.com

Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

The Bills rookie wide receiver talks with Chris Brown about getting his contract signed and being able to focus on football. CLICK HERE:Bills Focus: Robert Woods Signs

Doug Marrone Press Conference / Buffalobills.com

AP Photo/David Duprey

The Bills head coach talks about how he challenged the team at OTA's, the Mario Williams situation, and having the veterans help get his message across to the younger players.
CLICK HERE:Doug Marrone Press Conference

Mario Williams Press Conference / Buffalobills.com

Photo by: Paul Connors

Bills defensive end Mario Williams addresses the media about his legal situation.
CLICK HERE:  Mario Williams Press Conference

Source: Bills, Woods reach four-year pact / ESPN.com

Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo reached a four-year agreement with second-round pick and rookie receiver Robert Woods, a source tells ESPN.com's AFC East blog. Woods was in Los Angeles for the NFLPA's Rookie Premiere this weekend, and is expected to sign the contract with Buffalo in the next few days.

Woods, a USC product, is considered one of the most NFL-ready receivers in this year's draft. He is the favorite to win the No. 2 receiver job in Buffalo opposite veteran Steve Johnson.

The Bills now have contract agreements with seven of their eight draft picks. First-round pick EJ Manuel, who was taken No. 16 overall, remains the only unsigned player from the 2013 class.

EJ Manuel loves Bills' offense / ESPN.com

Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel said Sunday in a radio interview from the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles that he is quickly picking up the team's offense, which he said is less complex than the system he used at Florida State.


"The funny thing is it's easier to learn than the offense I had at Florida State," he told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "It's a true West Coast-type progression offense. That's really what I wanted when I was coming through the pre-draft process. I wanted something that I could just go in and say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, check it down and run it. That's it, it's that simple. I love it."

He said he spent extensive time during the Bills' rookie minicamp and organized team activities working with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

"I've done great. The learning curve for me is a lot shorter simply because of what I had at Florida State. [The Seminoles' offense is] more complex and a little bit harder to catch on and learn. This offense is very simple. I've done a great job with it," he said in the interview.

The Bills made the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Manuel the only quarterback taken in the first round of the 2013 draft. Coach Doug Marrone has already announced that Manuel will spend the offseason competing for the starting job with Kevin Kolb, a six-year veteran whom the Bills signed in free agency last month, and returning backup Tarvaris Jackson.

Manuel said Sunday he has quickly bonded with the other offensive skill-position players the Bills drafted in April. In addition to Manuel, Buffalo selected receivers Robert Woods (USC), Marquise Goodwin (Texas) and tight end Chris Gragg (Arkansas).

Manuel said Gragg was his roommate during the Bills' rookie minicamp.

"I think the biggest thing is we all come from winning programs. We're used to winning, we're used to preparing to win," Manuel said in the interview.

He said the rookie class now must translate that winning atmosphere to the Bills, a team that has not finished with a winning record since 2004, and has not made the playoffs in 13 years -- the NFL's longest active drought.

"Winning is an attitude and mindset, and we have to bring it to our team," he said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

What should Bills GM Doug Whaley do next? Wgr550.com

Photo: Mark Mulville, AP

Howard Simon

howard@wgr550.com

Congratulations Doug Whaley on rising to the lofty status of NFL general Manager at the young age of 40. One of the many perks that comes with the job is having media and fans give you many suggestions on how to best perform. So here it goes.

The very first item on your to do list should be getting Jairus Byrd signed to a long term contract. I know contract negotiations are typically handled by Jim Overdorf, Senior Vice President of Football Administration, but this is one where you need to step in and speed the process along.

Byrd was designated with the franchise tag which means he would have a one year contract for just over $6.9 million for the upcoming season. Byrd had yet to sign the tag and that means he isn't attending the voluntary off season workouts. With a new coaching staff in place, its important for Byrd to be on hand for as many off season workouts as possible. Add in the fact that Byrd is the best play maker on the defensive side of the ball and it means this is one negotiation that shouldn't' be allowed to drag on into the summer.

Byrd and the Bills are said to be about $2 million apart which would mean the Bills are likely offering $7 million a year and Byrd is seeking $9 million. Doug, my advice to you is "show him the money." I don't say this for just any player by the way. The team made the correct call in letting Andy Levtire walk in free agency even though it opened up a sizable hole at left guard. There was no justification to pay Levite the kind of money he ended up getting from Tennessee.

Byrd on the other hand, led the Bills in interceptions last season including picks that helped put the Arizona and Miami(home) games into the win column. His 18 INT's in the four years since he entered the NFL is third best. Byrd is the only Bills draft pick since 2002 who ended up being voted to the Pro Bowl.

With Defensive Coordinator Mike Pettine installing a more aggressive, blitzing philosophy on defense, the Bills need to make sure a player of Byrd's caliber with his range and ball skills is in the fold for the long term.

Byrd is likely looking for a contract larger than the one given to free agent Dashon Goldson by Tampa Bay. He signed a 5 year deal worth $41.25 million, 22 of which is guaranteed. Just tell Ralph Wilson to sign the check and move on to the next item on the list.

That would be bringing in some help via free agency for positions of need. The afore mentioned left guard spot looks downright scary to me even though your predecessor said the team would be just fine with the guys currently on the roster. I'm not as comfortable as Buddy Nix was with the likes of Sam Young, Colin Brown, Keith Williams, David Snow, Chris Scott and Zack Chibane.

The guard market is pretty thin but Brandon Moore is still available. Yes he's 33 and the Bills aren't fond of bringing in 30 plus year old players from the free agent market but he would only be a stop gap at the position. Moore also brings plenty of experience and durability, having started 142 of his 144 career games. Moore also has a working relationship with Doug Marrone who once was Moore's position coach with the New York Jets. A physical blocker, Moore can certainly help with the run game.

As long as you are looking at the market, how about signing a veteran cornerback? You might answer the team did that when Leodis Mckelvin was re-signed but consider me unimpressed. I think you're in good shape with Stephon Gilmore as your number one corner but after that, there are tons of questions. Aaron Williams was wisely moved to safety. I like what I saw of Ron Brooks last year in the pre season and his injury shortened regular season but we are talking about a guy with 9 games of experience. Justin Rogers has been up and down in his brief Bills career and that leaves you guys like Crezdon Butler and TJ Heath.

See if you can get Sheldon Brown or Quentin Jammer to come and play for your price. Again, we are talking about players over 30 years old but no one is getting a long term deal. Brown is 34 and has 11 years of NFL experience and 26 interceptions in his career. Jammer is also 34 and has 21 INT's over his 11 seasons in the NFL. You can always ask Buddy Nix to put in a good word for the Bills since he was in San Diego when Jammer played for the Chargers.

Once you get all of that accomplished, you can go after something on your 2014 list of things to do, sign Eric Wood. The starting center will be a free agent after the coming season. I won't say I'm not concerned about his injury issues. Wood has yet to play a full season in his 4 year NFL career. He's missed 17 games out of 64. But he's the anchor of the line literally and figuratively and has the right amount of nasty you want up there. Wood should be one of the leaders going forward as the franchise attempts to snap the LONG playoff drought. If for any reason you aren't completely sold on extending Wood, just take a look at your depth at center. On second thought, don't, because you might give Wood a blank check.

There really isn't anyone else who has an expiring contract, that is worth extending before the 2013 season plays itself out although you should keep Scott Chandler in the back of your mind, if he comes back healthy and is productive. You don't really have any other offensive minded tight ends on the roster. While you're at it, put "get a pass catching tight end" on your 2014 list of things to do.

 

In the meantime, make sure you spend some serious quality time with your new head coach since the GM/Coach relationship is a critical one and paramount to the team's success. I know Russ Brandon says all decisions are collective ones but you are the leader of the football operations and people will take their cue from you, so its time to step up and take charge. During the press conference announcing your promotion to the job, you mentioned your previous employer, the Pittsburgh Steelers, simply didn't accept losing. Its up to you to instill that attitude throughout a Bills organization that has seemingly accepted losing for the past 13 years. Good luck and if you need any other advice, you know where to find me.

With Whaley, Bills now have youngest front office in NFL / NBCSPORTS.COM

(Photo: Mark Mulville, AP)

The Bills may have the oldest owner in the league (94-year-old Ralph Wilson), but their football decision-makers are the youngest.

According to Chris Brown of the team’s official website, the promotion of 40-year-old Doug Whaley to General Manager (replacing 73-year-old Buddy Nix) gives the Bills the youngest trio of football executives in the league.


That calculation includes CEO Russ Brandon (45) and head coach Doug Marrone (48), and was part of the team’s larger plan.
“I stood here on January first and made some promises to our fans and quite frankly to people in our organization,” Brandon said. “One of the things that I mentioned was we were going to do whatever it takes to restore the pride in the franchise moving forward. We talked about being progressive and forward thinking and attacking in everything that we do. We also talked about identifying top talent and empowering those people with making impact decisions. We did that today, by naming Doug Whaley the General Manager of the Buffalo Bills.”
The Bills’ story mentions the Browns, Lions, Jaguars, Eagles, 49ers and Chargers as being young at the top as well.
And while (the lack of) age doesn’t automatically equate to wisdom, the Bills are smart to embrace a new approach.
They haven’t gone to the playoffs since 1999, and the combination of an old stadium and the meteorological realities of Western New York make it a less-than desirable locale. Honestly, they have to overspend to get free agents to go there and freeze.
That’s going to make it harder for them to be on even footing, revenue sharing notwithstanding. Frankly, they have to be better-organized and better-run than teams in nicer locales to compete.
Replacing Nix wasn’t necessary because he was old, but simply because the Bills weren’t getting anywhere. Playing the same game as the rest of the league hasn’t worked for a generation, so trying a new method is a valid idea.

HAMILTON: I think the Bills may have gotten this right / Wgr550.com

NFL/Getty

Paul Hamilton

 

Orchard Park, NY (WGR 550)  -- Ever since John Butler was sent away as the Bills GM, it’s been one poor job after another. It’s added up to one of the worst organizations in the National Football League for over 12 years.

  

 Today, I feel things have changed. With Russ Brandon hiring Doug Whaley, Buffalo has gone from men 70-to-95 years old running this team to the youngest front office in the league.

  

 It’ll be awhile to know for sure, but in my mind this is just what this organization needs.

  

 Even since Doug Whaley arrived in Buffalo to serve under Buddy Nix, all I’ve heard from football people around the league is what an up and coming star Whaley is. I’ve been told he eats and sleeps football. I’ve been told he’s innovative and I’ve been told he’s a great evaluator of talent.

  

 

I also like that he cut his teeth with the Pittsburgh Steelers for 12 years and Whaley took away one thing from them, “They don't accept losing. They set the standard of winning and competing for championships and I think if we instill that here, we'll be in the right direction.” Whaley added, “I think it's an organizational effort from top to bottom and I think if you're committed to accountability and hard work, the sky's the limit.”

 

 

 

There was opportunity for Whaley to leave this organization for good jobs around the NFL. Many teams wanted to pursue him, but he never waivered, he stayed. Whaley said, “I stayed here for many reasons, but I committed myself to Russ and Buddy when they hired me. I like to see things through and I'm a competitor.”

 

 

 

Whaley seems to be a man of few words when he’s speaking. He comes off very well and the biggest thing that struck me is he seems very principled. For years this organization tried to use smoke and mirrors and then worry about how the media was portraying it. Honestly, what the media says or does seems to be the least of Whaley’s worries and I like that approach. He also feels very strongly about the approach, “There's no magic formula and if there was, I wouldn't be able to tell you because 31 other teams would want it. But if you're committed to accountability and hard work, I think the sky's the limit."

 

 

 

When some people talk in sports it’s very hard to believe them. Tom Donahoe was a great example of that, but Doug Whaley seems different. Football means a lot to him and this job means a lot to him, “This is a culmination of a lot of hard work. When anybody says hard work does not pay off, I’m going to have to say look at me because I believe it does.”

 

 

 

Whaley seems very uncomfortable talking about himself. Many times this morning he spoke about the Bills front office as a team. It’s the way he’s going to run things because he feels it’s the way to success, “It’s not about me. It’s about us and it’s about this organization. From Russ instilling in the organization that this is a shared common goal to put this organization back where it is supposed to be, us competing consistently for championships, I buy into it and that is my philosophy. That is why I think we will all work well together.”

 

 

 

For over a year I have felt that this is what the Bills needed to do. It started with Ralph Wilson handing control over to a young Brandon. It continued with getting rid of the older, retread coaches like Chan Gailey and bringing in fresh, new ideas in Doug Marrone. I think having your GM a guy that is 40 years old and considered up and coming in many circles around the NFL instead of a 73 year old Nix is exactly what this team needed to do. 

 

 

 

I can’t know how this will turn out, but for the first time in a long, long time I feel the Bills organization gets it and is doing the things necessary to get back to competing for championships.

Bills add pair to personnel department / Buffalobills.com

NFL/Getty

Bills new GM Doug Whaley wasted no time in making some additions to the personnel side of the organization. On the day that Whaley was named the 12th general manager in franchise history he hired two experienced personnel men to assist him.

Whaley hired Jim Monos to serve as Director of Player Personnel and Kelvin Fisher as the team’s new Director of College Scouting.

“Jim Monos and Kelvin Fisher bring a wealth of player personnel experience from championship organizations to their new roles with the Buffalo Bills,” said Whaley. “Both men have a keen eye for talent and will play a pivotal role in our talent evaluation process for years to come. We are excited to add two well-respected and innovative personnel professionals to this organization.”

Monos will collaborate with Director of Pro Personnel Tom Gibbons on all free agent evaluations and personnel decisions and will scout college prospects throughout the year. He joins the Bills after spending the previous eight years (2005-12) as an area scout with the New Orleans Saints.

Fisher will oversee the team’s college scouting operation in addition to evaluating college prospects across the nation. He spent the previous 13 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers since joining the franchise in 2000 with a focus on college prospects in the Western region of the United States.

The team also announced the promotions of C.J. Leak to College Area Scout and Pete Harris to BLESTO Scout. Chuck Cook will now serve as a National Scout and Doug Majeski will add National Cross Checker to his Coordinator of College Scouting title.

What they're saying about Doug Whaley / Buffalobills.com

	Bill Cowher, CBS Sports NFL Analyst and former Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach (1996 - 06) “Doug Whaley to me has “paid his dues.” He has done his job professionally and with high-quality. I know from working with him in Pittsburgh he is a guy who put due diligence towards every opportunity and task he was given. He has a wealth of knowledge, a good feel for people and a good eye for talent. “I think when you talk about people that earn the opportunity to advance and earn the opportunity to have more responsibility that Doug is a guy who has proven along the way at every step that he can equal the challenge and then surpass it. It does not surprise me that he has been named General Manager.”
	Kevin Colbert, Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager “Doug will be a great general manager for the Buffalo Bills. In our time together in Pittsburgh he displayed great knowledge, work ethic, loyalty and the ability to work with others in the pursuit of a common goal."
	Paul Hackett, former University of Pittsburgh Head Coach (1989-92)“Doug was a wonderful player and an important part of our team at Pitt. He did all the necessary things to be successful – making the calls at linebacker and working hard on all the little details. He was one of the smartest players on our team and his play reflected that. When he chose to enter the personnel business, I think everyone in the Pitt community had a big smile on their face. It was the perfect profession for a guy who purely loved football and made everybody around him have the same enthusiasm and love for fhe game.”
	Randy Mueller, San Diego Chargers Senior Executive and former Seattle Seahawks Vice President of Football Operations (1995 – 98) “When we first hired him right away you could tell he wanted to learn. He respected the people who had been there before him and was always looking to figure out new ways to do things and to learn how to get better. Doug is very much a team-oriented guy and humble. He will build a consensus to make decisions and will not think he has all the answers. If you can build consistent consensus in your decision making you have a good chance at succeeding in this business. I think Doug will be a good leader, but yet at the same time he is always going to be one of the guys and that is a great trait in my opinion.”
	Alex Van Pelt, Green Bay Packers running backs coach and former University of Pittsburgh quarterback (1989 – 92) “As a leader, Doug is first and foremost going to be very vocal and hold everyone accountable. Those are two of the things that will stand out immediately. He has a blue collar mentality. He works hard and has tremendous work ethic. As a player, he always had that personality and used his intelligence on the field to lead our defense. He started his career with the Steelers and worked his way up through the ranks – which I think is very important especially in football. He has done the grunt work. He has been successful everywhere he has worked. Doug is a great young mind and will bring a lot to the table in the general manager position. He is ready for the challenge. I think he is going to have a very bright future in Buffalo.”
	Ray Anderson, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations “Doug Whaley is one of the brightest and most articulate minds at work in the NFL today. He’s honed his skills during many years of working in solid organizations and with dedicated colleagues. He has earned this opportunity to be the Bills’ new General Manager and I anticipate terrific results.”

Bills Focus: Doug Whaley on Becoming GM / Buffalobills.com

nfl/getty

The new Bills general manager talks with Chris Brown about what experiences from his past will help his future, what's the biggest thing he's learned in Buffalo, and what he thinks of QB EJ Manuel
Chick Here: Bills Focus: Doug Whaley on Becoming GM

Doug Whaley Introduced as Bills GM / Buffalobills.com

nfl/getty

Watch as Doug Whaley talks about becoming the 12th general manager in Bills franchise history..
Click Here:Doug Whaley Introduced as Bills GM

Bills' QB competition takes shape / wgr550.com

Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

By Joe Buscaglia



JoeB@wgr550.com




Orchard Park, NY (WGR 550)  -- At the start of this week, the on-the-field portion of the Buffalo Bills competition for the 2013 starting quarterback position officially got underway with the beginning of Organized Team Activities at One Bills Drive.

Monday marked the first time that all of first-round pick EJ Manuel, free agent acquisition Kevin Kolb, and the re-signed Tarvaris Jackson were on the field taking reps with the team. In the only practice made available this week on Tuesday, all eyes were predictably on Manuel to see just how much or little he'd do now that the majority of the team was in attendance.

To start things off, it was Jackson and Kolb getting more reps than the former Florida State signal caller. Head Coach Doug Marrone said Manuel will progressively be integrated more and more throughout the month.

"We've done a good job because we're watching the reps of the quarterbacks and we're trying to make it to a point where it's equal," the coach said. "Well obviously Kevin and Tarvaris have been here a while so it's not to that point yet but we are getting a lot of reps out of EJ right now. Probably a little bit less than the other two are, but our goal is to somewhere along this line during these OTAs as he progresses, to have those equal amount of reps."

In the meantime, while he's not behind center Manuel must make good use of his practice time to stay on the same plane as both Kolb and Jackson. To do that, it's all about keeping the mind sharp and on the ready.

"That's exactly what it is though, you just have to take those mental reps," Manuel said Tuesday. "When you hear the play being called, you might say it out loud just like you would in the huddle. Just treat it like you're actually out there playing."

The whole notion of a quarterback competition is nothing new to either of Manuel's opponents. Since entering the league, it's been a battle for the most part to get time on the field throughout their careers.

In Kolb's case, he was in a training camp battle with John Skelton in Arizona -- a job he eventually lost to open up the season. While the Cardinals didn't draft a quarterback in the early rounds while he was there, Kolb knew what the score was in Buffalo before he signed his deal to play in western New York.

"I knew that was in the plans," he said. "Does it scare me, does it concern me? It's just part of the job and you move on. Like I told you before, it's all about competition in this league. I'm competing against everybody. EJ seems like a great kid and I'm happy to work with him."

For Jackson, it's a case of déjà vu. For the second straight year, he's the only hold-over at quarterback from the year before, witnessing an addition to his position both through free agency and the draft. Last time around for Jackson in Seattle, the rookie won out and he was jettisoned from the roster.

In that respect, Jackson may have a leg up on what to expect and a certain mindset to have while going through the summer of workouts. He knows it's important to stay on point at all times.

"When you're not in, you just try to get a mental rep. That's the best you can do," Jackson remarked. "If you just tune it out and the other guy might do something right and the other guy might do something wrong, you want to learn from his mistake or learn from what he does right. Try to add it to your game."

Not having to battle for his starting spot in a very long time, Manuel is just attempting to soak it all in while working both with and against Kolb and Jackson.

"For me, I watch those guys all the time whether it's in the film room or warming up out here on the field," he said. "Seeing what they do throughout the practices, see how they talk to the teammates and direct guys out there on the field. They obviously help when I ask questions, but probably the biggest thing they just lead by example."

The quarterbacking trio and the rest of the Bills have one more day of OTAs on Wednesday before it wraps up for the week. The team will reconvene on Monday, May 20 for the second set of the voluntary workouts.

Twitter: @JoeBuscaglia