May 2013 - Buffalo Bills Wiretap
Matt Leinart has been released by the Buffalo Bills five days after being signed by the club.
Leinart went just 3-for-10 for 11 yards and a pair of interceptions in Thursday's preseason game.
The Bills needed a quarterback with EJ Manuel sidelined due to a knee injury and Kevin Kolb's career in jeopardy due to another concussion.
"Tough game. Tough situation. No excuses. (Thank) you to the Bills organization!" Leinart wrote Friday, before deleting the tweet.
The Buffalo Bills will be without Stephon Gilmore for approximately eight weeks with a hand injury.
Gilmore had emerged as one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL.
Kevin Kolb's career is in jeopardy due to a concussion suffered on Saturday, according to a source.
Kolb was acquired by the Buffalo Bills in the offseason.
Kolb was kneed in the back of a head on a scramble and while the hit didn't look serous, his response in the locker room was disconcerting. This is at least the third career concussion for Kolb.
The Buffalo Bills have acquired Thaddeus Lewis from the Detroit Lions.
The Bills have quarterback depth due to the concussion to Kevin Kolb.
The Lions have acquired linebacker Chris White in return.
C.J. Manuel is the presumptive starter.
Jairus Byrd signed his one-year, $6.9 million franchise tender with the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday.
Byrd, a two-time Pro Bowl selection at safety, missed all of the Bills' offseason workouts and nearly all of training camp.
The Bills can prevent Byrd from entering free agency one more offseason, but both sides have attempted to get a long-term deal done.
With Tom Brady, Vince Wilfork and Logan Mankins in their thirties, Aaron Hernandez likely in jail for the rest of his life, Rob Gronkowski is the best franchise player option for the New England Patriots despite concerning injury issues. His counterpart, Jairus Byrd, remains in relative anonymity with the Buffalo Bills despite Pro Bowl seasons in 2009 and 2012 at safety. Gronkowski was instantly productive as a rookie in 2010, catching 42 balls for 546 yards and 10 touchdowns, but his 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2011 made the football community reimagine what is possible at the tight end position. Gronkowski led the NFL in receiving touchdowns that season while finishing sixth in receiving yards and fifth in total receptions. Bill Belichick has always loved the possibilities of the tight end position due to the matchup issues and versatility of players as big and athletic as Gronkowski. Not only is Gronkowski the most dynamic receiving tight end, but he is also an excellent blocker in run situations. He is basically the LeBron James version of Mark Bavaro and impacts the Patriots’ offense more than any other player not named Brady. The issue with Gronkowski, who is still just 24 years old, is his injury history that dates back to college when he had back surgery. Gronkowski had another back operation this past offseason and he has had several operations on his forearm. The back is the more serious issue and could eventually shorten the duration of his prime, while his broken forearm dates back to Week 11 of the 2012 season and caused him to be limited in the Patriots’ Super Bowl XLVI loss to the New York Giants. Assuming Gronkowski can return to full health, he will reclaim his spot as one of the ten most valuable players in the NFL. Byrd was the 42nd overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft out of Oregon and has already played in as many Pro Bowls as his father Gill Byrd. Like his father, Byrd was drafted as a cornerback but moved to free safety and led the NFL in interception as a rookie with nine. Byrd doesn’t have the size that some of his peers do in terms of laying hits up near the line of scrimmage, but his ball skills against the pass are unparalleled. Byrd finished the 2012 season with five interceptions, four forced fumbles, 76 total tackles and wasn’t beat over the top for a touchdown on a single play.
The Bills have yet to play in the playoffs during Byrd’s tenure as they continue to be mired in mediocrity, but pass defense is an area they have been competitive in large part due to his value in the secondary. Byrd will turn 27 in October figures to have another five seasons of production on par with what we have seen over his four.
Doug Whaley, new general manager of the Buffalo Bills, was heavily influenced by his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers in how to evaluate players.
Bill Nunn, who has scouted for the Steelers since the sixties, had a particular influence on Whaley.
“Bill taught me, ‘Be careful of guys who don’t love football, who aren’t smart, and who don’t have the heart for football,’ ” Whaley said.
That tenet is what led the Bills to draft E.J. Manuel.
The Buffalo Bills have released Rian Lindell.
Lindell has been the kicker for the Bills since 2003.
EJ Manuel completed 10 of 12 passes for 92 yards to further separate himself from Kevin Kolb in the Buffalo Bills' quarterback competition.
Kolb averaged just five yards per throw and had an interception. The Bills' fans even booed Kolb.
"I've been booed plenty of times in my career. I'd like to boo myself when I don't throw a good ball," Kolb told reporters after the game. "No, I definitely don't hear them whenever I'm out there. You're just upset you didn't complete the ball and continue the drive."
C.J. Spiller was one of the NFL's most efficient running backs last season, averaging 6.0 yards per carry. Spiller finished the season with 1,244 yards on just 207 carries.
The Buffalo Bills are installing an uptempo, no-huddle offense under Doug Marrone and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
"It's real simple: We're going to give him the ball until he throws up," Hackett told "The Howard Simon Show" on WGR 550 in Buffalo. "So he's either got to tap out or throw up on the field. Let's just put it that way."
Spiller has shared carries with Fred Jackson since becoming the ninth overall pick in 2010.
"Switching to this system and the tempo we've created, it's a completely different way that we call the game," Hackett said. "It's more of an attacking thing, and you get to put pressure on the defensive coordinator."
