Season ticket holders can now purchase individual game and group tickets.
Individual game tickets will go on sale to the public in July.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Gronk’s getting in one more Vegas run before surgery / NBCSPORTS.COM
 |
| Getty Images |
Posted by Mike Florio on May 17, 2013, 11:22 PM EDT
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will have a fourth arm surgery on Monday. But that’s three days away.
OK, two days and change.
Still, that’s time for plenty of living. And Gronk will be living it up one more time in Las Vegas.
Jumpseat.me, a jet-sharing service, circulated an email late Friday afternoon offering four seats on the private plane that will take Gronkowski a teammate to Nevada.
“This Saturday night, share a cabin and fly privately with Rob Gronkowski andJulian Edelman from Boston to Las Vegas for a last minute get away before Gronk goes for yet another surgery,” the email explains. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend time with a living Patriots legend. Gronk is offering 4 seats in the cabin.”
While there’s no reason to believe that Gronkowski’s penchant for partying caused or contributed to the infection that invaded his arm following his second surgery, he’s contributing to a perception that, if he would back off on the shirtless slam dancing and everything that goes along with it, he’d be healthy by now.
Then there’s the probability that Gronkowski needs back surgery. While he’s on his own time and he should be allowed to enjoy his life, he’s inviting criticism from folks who think he’s not taking his career seriously — especially when it appears that his career may be at a crossroads.
Friday, May 17, 2013
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.
Source: Gronkowski “probably” needs back surgery / NBCSPORTS.COM
Posted by Mike Florio on May 17, 2013, 4:43 PM EDT
 |
| AP |
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski “probably” will need back surgery. He currently is waiting for a second opinion from Dr. Robert Watkins.
The back surgery, if it occurs, is expected to happen within three-to-four weeks after the upcoming surgery on his forearm, which currently is set for Monday.
The timetable could hinge on whether the infection is indeed gone from Gronkowski’s forearm. If it is, he’ll need only one more surgery (the fourth) on his arm, and then the back surgery would be able to proceed.
If the surgery is still there (doctors currently believe it isn’t), a fifth surgery on the arm may be needed. Which could delay the back surgery.
Gronkowski was available in the second round of the 2010 draft due to a back problem that caused him to miss all of the 2009 college football season.
Bills staff members re-grow Western New York / Buffalobills.com
 |
| BuffaloBills.com |
Buffalo Bills staff and members of the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy took part in a full-staff volunteer day at Delaware Park today to help restore a section of the park near the corner of Forest Avenue and Rumsey Road.
Bills staff members left their Orchard Park offices to assist in the effort by planting trees, laying gravel, repainting a park shelter, safety surfacing the area and making various other improvements to the setting.
“Today’s effort is a continuation of the Bills’ and the NFL’s PLAY 60 mission, which encourages America’s youth to be physically active for at least 60 minutes each day,” said Mary Owen, Buffalo Bills Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning. “We are strong believers that when provided with safe and fun places to play, youth are more likely to get out and maintain an active lifestyle. We’re thankful to the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy for working with us to see this project through, as well as to our Buffalo Bills staff who volunteered their time today.”
The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy continually aims to improve the community’s parks system and relies on the support of events like today’s.
“We simply cannot do all that we do without people’s generous support of donations and time,” said Brian Dold, Landscape Architect for the Conservancy. “We are glad to have had an opportunity today to have improved an important section of Buffalo’s parks, and are grateful to the Buffalo Bills for the time they put in to today’s endeavor.”
Sources: Gronk set for 4th surgery
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is scheduled to undergo a fourth surgery on his left forearm next week, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The exact date of the surgery is not yet set.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
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 |
Chick Here: Bills Focus: Doug Whaley on Becoming GM
Doug Whaley Introduced as Bills GM / Buffalobills.com
|
| nfl/getty |
Click Here:Doug Whaley Introduced as Bills GM
Bills announce Doug Whaley as GM / wgr550.com
By Joe Buscaglia
JoeB@wgr550.com
(WGR 550) -- Just days removed from Buddy Nix stepping down as General Manager of the Buffalo Bills, the team has announced the man that will take over molding the roster. The Bills have officially promoted Doug Whaley, naming him the 12th GM in franchise history.
Whaley is in his fourth season with the franchise.
“It is with great pleasure to name Doug Whaley to the position of General Manager today," said Russ Brandon, Bills Team President and CEO. "Doug has been involved in every level of player personnel throughout his career and he will lead our efforts in reestablishing a winning tradition for this organization and our great fans."
“Doug is a passionate and committed leader who will work tirelessly with his department to build a team our fans and all of Western New York will be proud of heading into the future.”
The Bills will announce Whaley as the new GM at an 11:30 press conference at One Bills Drive.
Twitter: @JoeBuscaglia
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Bills Spiller excited about up tempo offense / wgr550.com
 |
| AP Photo/Mel Evans |
howard@wgr550.com
When the Bills go to training camp in July, the focus on the offensive side of the ball will be squarely on the quarterback competition but the best story on offense could be what CJ Spiller does for an encore.
The Bills first round pick in the 2010 draft is coming off his breakout season, a season where many felt he was under utilized.
Spiller ended up 8th in the NFL in rushing with 1,244 yards but he was just 22nd in total carries with 207. If you go by rushing attempts per game, Spiller was 29th in the league with an average of just under 13 a game.
His 6.0 yards per carry average was tied for the best in the NFL with rushing leader Adrian Peterson. Spiller’s 12 runs of 20 or more yards was second in the league to Peterson as was his total of five runs of 40 or more yards.
Spiller will probably receive a greater work load from the new coaching staff. The Clemson product was a guest on the WGR morning show on Wednesday and said the “get to know you”process is moving along with Head Coach Doug Marrone and Offensive Coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
“Its coming along well” Spiller said. “They’re very energetic, very down to earth, straight shooters, and that’s what you want from your coaches. You want someone to be up front with you and you respect that as a player.”
Hackett is installing an offense that will operate at a much faster pace than last year’s with plans calling for a lot of no huddle. Spiller is a big fan of the plan.
“You're always attacking the defense and that’s good” said Spiller. “Anytime you can have those guys off balance and able to move the ball downfield is always good. The biggest thing we have to work on is not having too many three and outs and put the defense back on the field where they can get tired.”
Spiller will be running behind an offensive line that lost its starting left guard and most durable player to free agency as Andy Levitre bolted for Tennessee but the speedy back thinks the line will be fine.
“We lost a great player in Andy. He did great things for us ever since I've been here” Spiller said. “I've got all the confidence on the guy that will be in there to get the job done. We can't sit back and dwell on the loss. We've got to move on and attack.”
Bills Roundup: Wednesday's OTA News and Notes / buffaloabills.com
 |
| Rick Stewart/Getty Images North America |
Click Here:Wednesday's OTA News and Notes
Stevie Johnson on Young Receivers / Buffalobills.com
 |
| AP Photo | BILL WIPPERT |
LB Kiko Alonso signs rookie deal with Bills / buffalobills.com
The Bills continued the process of getting their draft class under contract Wednesday with second-round pick Kiko Alonso putting pen to paper with the club.
"A little bit. I was definitely spending my focus on football, but it's good to get it done with," Alonso told Buffalobills.com.
Alonso is considered an important addition for Mike Pettine's defense as he has been lining up at the 'mike' linebacker position in rookie minicamp and OTAs. The rookie has been running with the second unit up until this point. Alonso has enjoyed getting his feet wet.
"It's been awesome, better than I expected," he said. "It's been awesome. I think I'm a very aggressive player and that's what they want here so I should be a fit."
Though he's been lining up at one position to this point in spring
Doug Marrone sounds as if a more multi-faceted role could exist for Alonso down the line.
"He's shown that
positions. He's shown that he can play on teams. He's shown that he's instinctive," said Marrone. "I think he can play two (positions). He can play man-to-man, he has good zone awareness, has a bunch of pass breakups. You see it from a coverage standpoint and then you also see
making plays and he has a lot of tackles for losses."
Alonso is the sixth Bills draft choice to sign his rookie contract. Only Buffalo's top two draft choices remain unsigned in EJ Manuel and Robert Woods.
Wood and Bills have mutual interest in new deal / wgr550.com
By Joe Buscaglia
JoeB@wgr550.com
Orchard Park, NY (WGR 550) -- When the new year started in March for the National Football League, it didn't take long for one of the Buffalo Bills' more well-known offensive linemen to find a new home. Andy Levitre found greener pastures with the Tennessee Titans after spending four years with the team that drafted him.
With another key piece to the offensive line set to become an unrestricted free agent in March of 2014, all eyes in western New York will be on the Bills to see if they can re-sign center Eric Wood. To keep things in perspective, it's only May and there is still plenty of time to strike a deal.
Wood knows that, understands it and is ready for the conversation when it gets to be his turn. As for now, the starting center says there have been no negotiations to this point between he, his agent David Dunn (the same agent as Levitre) and the Bills.
"There's obvious interest from both sides to get a deal done at some point," Wood said Wednesday. "But with a GM change and a big-time free agent at safety that we'd like to get re-signed -- and this is just me speculating myself, this isn't stuff they said -- and rookies, I know I'm not top priority right now. Hopefully we can get a deal done at some point, maybe this summer."
It's always a tricky situation for players entering their contract year. Some use it as added motivation for the coming season, some will let it affect their minds in a negative way, while others choose to block it out completely.
Wood remains cognizant of his status, but subscribes to the third theory more than anything.
"I'm not gonna worry about [my contract]," he remarked. "As soon as I start worrying about that, I'm sure my performance would slip and I wouldn't be doing due diligence to give all my heart to the Buffalo Bills on the field. That's why you pay an agent a lot of money to get that done, and work behind the scenes so you don't have to worry about that."
With a new General Manager, a new coaching staff and a brand new quarterback, that triumvirate of factors could make some players want to head for the hills and get away from an assumed rebuilding project. Wood isn't that type of person, and commented on Wednesday that he would like to see this thing through in Buffalo.
"Yeah, absolutely. Me and Andy [Levitre] kind of had that conversation too. If we weren't playing here and the Bills made the playoffs and we kind of gave up on it, how much that would hurt," he said. "It's different if you went to Pittsburgh who wins Super Bowls all the time and makes the playoffs almost every year. You go and make the playoffs there, it's not that special."
"When we make the playoffs, and hopefully this year, it's going to be an awesome time around here. The energy we felt two years ago starting 4-1, if it's half that, it'll be a fun time in Orchard Park and Buffalo."
Wood and the rest of the Bills finished out their first week of Organized Team Activities on Wednesday. They'll resume for a second week of work starting on Monday, May 20.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Bills' QB competition takes shape / wgr550.com
 |
| Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports |
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
Bills claim TE Mickey Shuler
 |
| AP |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)