Bills-Eagles Trade?

There's growing speculation that the Eagles may be targeting the Bills #11 pick for a draft day trade. Philly wants an offensive tackle. The three teams picking after the Bills...Denver, Carolina, Chicago...all have needs at tackle. To get the guy they want, the Eagles may have to move up from #19 to the Bills pick. Now, what would it take to go there? The draft trade chart shows a 310 point difference in the picks, roughly equal to a late second round pick. Or, could Andy Reid dangle cornerback Lito Sheppard. He's on the block due to the signing of Asante Samuel. Would the Bills be interested? That would fill a need at corner. Plus, picking a wide receiver like Devin Thomas at #19 makes a lot more sense than taking him at #11.
Stay tuned. It makes too much sense to ignore.

Defensive End at 11?

Are you starting to notice some chatter/mock draft predictions about the Bills taking a defensive end with the 11th pick? Derrrick Harvey of Florida is the most common name you see. There are valid reasons for and against adding another defensive end. With Chris Kelsay and Aaron Schobel already starting, there is no clear need for a starter. Plus, there's a lot of money tied up in those two veterans.
But here's some reasons why it makes sense. As the Giants showed, you can never have enough pass rushers. Plus, a better pass rush can overcome weaknesses in the secondary. You can get better cornerbacks, or an improved rush will make your current cornerbacks look better.
With Anthony Hargrove suspended, there is a need for a 4th DE. With Ryan Denney coming off two surgeries last season, maybe there's a need for a 3rd DE. With the trade for Marcus Stroud, and the expected emergance of John McCargo, another DE would give the Bills a potentially dominant defensive line.
If they're not going to take a receiver in the first round, I'd like to see them grab a potential #1, lockdown cornerback. But if the top two (Leodis McKelvin, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie) are gone, then defensive end may be the way to go.
(Remember, our Channel 4 Sports Special "Sports Blitz-Draft Preview" airs Friday 4/25 at 7:30 on Channel 4 and here on wivb.com.

Most Valuable Player/Person

I had a chance to interview former NFL MVP Kurt Warner earlier tonight in Buffalo. He's in town for tomorrow morning's Call to Courage Award ceremony at the Hyatt Hotel. Warner will get the annual "Call to Courage" award, presented by former Bills QB Frank Reich. I can't think of any professional athlete more deserving. First, on the field, Warner still can tell the most compelling success story in recent NFL history. Overlooked in the draft, cut by the Packers, Warner actually was stacking groceries in Iowa before he got his shot in the NFL. Once he got a chance to play, he led the Rams to two Super Bowls, won two NFL MVP awards, and was the MVP in the Super Bowl. But that's just on the field. Off the field, Warner is a bona fide good guy who works hard to use his celebrity to help others less fortunate. He's been quoted as saying, "Football is what I do, it isn't who I am." I asked him to elaborate tonight, and here's what he said: "So many people want to gain their identity by what they do. To me, I am who I am. I'm a guy who loves Jesus. I'm a guy who loves my wife. I'm a father. Those things are the things I want to define me. I don't want to be defined by what I accomplish on the field, or what I don't accomplish." Warner is the real deal. He just may wind up as the starter again this year for the Arizona Cardinals. And after you talk to him for 30-minutes or so, you can't help but root for the guy.

Losman Still Cleaning Up

He may have lost his starting job, but JP Losman hasn't lost his dedication to making Buffalo a better place. Tomorrow (Saturday, April 19th), Losman's Buffalo Lives foundation is teaming up with Keep Western New York Beautiful, for a cleanup day. The two groups got together last September for a city-wide clean up event in the city, and more than 1,000 volunteers pitched in. They'll do it again tomorrow, and Losman will lead the way. Volunteers are welcome, you should meet at Buffalo State College on the Grant Street side of campus, near the athletic center, at 8:45am. Buses are available to take volunteers to various work sites, or you can drive to the work sites on your own. Theyre looking for a couple of hours of elbow grease to spruce up the city. You can get more information about Western New York Beautiful at www.kab.org and about Losman's Buffalo Lives foundation at www.buffalolives.org

The Perfect Owner

Since our interview with Sabres Owner Tom Golisano aired earlier this week, I've been thinking about the role of pro team sports owner, and what it is fans want from the owner of their favorite team. We talked at length with Golisano about his sparse attendance at Sabres games this year, and how fans may have interpreted that as lack of interest in the team. It strikes me that fans are very demanding when it comes to the owner of their favorite franchise. They want them to attend every game, to stand and cheer, and hear their boos when things aren't going well. However, when the owner starts prowling the sidelines (like Jerry Jones of the Cowboys) or interfering in sports decisions, the fans get a little worried. In essence, we're looking for a "super-fan", maybe even a reflection of how we would act if we owned the team. It seems like a tough balancing act for the billionaires who own these teams--care, but don't meddle. Lead, but don't interfere. Cheer when they score, but don't cheer blindly. And most importantly, keep writing the checks.

Bills can Wheel and Deal on Draft Day

As the Buffalo Bills finalize their draft board, they also will be busy finalizing their strategy for next week's NFL Draft. And the team has some moves to make, thanks to the compensatory draft picks awarded to Buffalo a couple of weeks ago. The Bills go into the draft with ten picks, including two in the fourth round, and three in the seventh. While they may not want to add ten rookie draft picks to the roster this year, they certainly can. But more importantly, they have some working capital to move up or down in trades on draft weekend. For example, they can put together a package involving their extra fourth, and another pick or pick (1st and 2nd maybe) to move up from the 11th pick in the first round. If they had their eye on a premier player, say Troy State cornerback Leodis McKelvin, for example, they may be able to put that type of package together, and move from the 11th pick overall, to 6th or 7th, where McKelvin is likely to be drafted. It's that type of strategy that makes the draft so interesting--it's much more than just identifying the player you like and hoping he's there when your turn comes. The Bills have some "working capital" in the form of extra picks, to manuever around the draft and get the player they've targeted. We'll see how it works out.

Senators sent Packing

Is anyone getting some satisfaction out of Ottawa getting swept in the 1st round of the playoffs like I am (and of course the Penguins are)? To look back to the beginning of the season and remember how hot they were, leading the Eastern Conference for a good portion of the season, to a 1st round sweep... The only thing that would have been better is if they actually didn't make the playoffs. So as Sabres fans are getting over the disappointment of not making the post season, just think.. it could be worse if you were a Senators fan. Until they get a goalie they can rely on, they will continue to come up short.

Annoying VERSUS Commentators

As I watched the Philly and Washington game last night, I saw Danny Briere play at a completely different level than he did with the Sabres during last year's post season run. In 16 playoff games with the Sabres last year, Briere had just 3 goals. While he did have 12 assists, I can remember Sabres fans furious with his play. Briere was invisible in most games, and did not have an impact! So to hear the Versus commentators last night rave about how great Briere is, and how he is one of those elite players that rises to another level in the playoffs made me want to puke! As Sabres fans know, Briere's production came during the regualr season, not the playoffs. They continued on with this, saying he really plays at a whole new level with the post season comes around. Maybe these guys missed last season, or didn't work any of the Sabres games.... but it showed how national commentators often times lose touch with what really goes on in each individual market. Someone should point out to these guys if Briere has a history of being so great in the playoffs, then the Sabres might have actually made it to the Finals last year.

Golisano Cares

We covered a lot of ground, in our one-on-one interview with Sabres Owner Tom Golisano the other day. And it got very interesting when we talked about this past season, and the fact that he did not attend as many games this year. Golisano noted that he retired from his job at Paychex recently, and he spent much more time in Florida this past year. He also said he stayed in constant phone contact with Larry Quinn and Dan DiPofi, and that his interest in the team remains strong.
I asked the Sabres owner point-blank, "Are the Sabres for sale?"
His answer:
"No, not really. When I bought the team, the overriding interest was to make sure the Sabres stayed in Buffalo. Now, if somebody comes along and could guarantee their committment to Buffalo, and maybe do a better than than us running the team, then, maybe. Nothing is forever. But I will protect fiercely the idea that the Sabres must remain in Buffalo."

Dolphins in Toronto

In a perfect world, the Buffalo Bills would play all of their home games at Ralph Wilson Stadium in front of sellout crowds, with the club suites overflowing with high rollers, the walls covered with sponsors' signs, and the sun shining in the Orchard Park sky.
Now, let's get real. As tough as it is to accept, the Bills will play eight-games over the next five years in Toronto, in a good-faith effort to draw that city's massive populace and sponsorship opportunities into the team's realm of influence. That means one regular season game per year in Toronto.
Would I prefer the Bills play the Dolphins in Orchard Park? Of course. But given a choice, I'd much rather have the Patriots, Chargers, Browns and Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium this year. The key is, Bills fans, we don't have a choice. The NFL determined which game will be played in Toronto based on a variety of factors, not the least of which is network TV. The fact that the Dolphins game will be in Toronto this year means nothing more--it's not a harbinger of dire consequences for the franchise, it's not a slap in the face for loyal Bills fans--it's just scheduling.
The fact is, the Dolphins were the worst team in the NFL last season, and may not be that much better this year. The fact is, last year's late season Bills-Dolphins game in Orchard Park barely sold out, with an 11th hour ticket purchase (on Friday, not Thursday) by Frey Electric ensuring the game would not be blacked out. And the year before that, the Bills-Dolphins December game in Orchard Park was blacked out. So it's tough to argue that the Buffalo-Miami rivalry remains red -hot, or that Buffalo fans will die without a chance to see the Dolphins in Ralph Wilson Stadium this year.
No question, it's going to be uncomfortable in the next few years, getting used to the idea of sharing the Bills, even for one game, with the fans in Toronto. But that uncomfortable feeling is only made worse by the over-heated, self-serving "sky is falling" rhetoric put out by sports talk hosts in Western New York.
We are entering uncharted waters with the Bills over the next few years. I suggest we enter it with eyes wide open, and emotions in check.

NFL Schedule Released Tomorrow

The NFL will release its' 2008 regular season schedule tomorrow at 2pm. And it's safe to say it's news that Bills fans will be particularly interested in this year. That's because one Bills regular season game will be played in Toronto, as part of the agreement the team made with Canadian interests earlier this year.
Look for the Bills game at the Rogers Centre to be late in the season, most likely in December, after the CFL season is completed. Other than that, it'll be interesting to see if the NFL schedule makers look to put a "marquee" opponent in the game against the Bills, or if they feel the game will sell itself. Bills sources tell us they have had very little, if no, input into the scheduling of their Toronto opponent, it's been totally controlled by the NFL.
The Bills may also merit a nationally televised prime time game in the upcoming season, based on their 2007 record and the general perception that they're a team on the rise.
Again, the schedule comes out at 2pm Tuesday, April 15th. We'll have details on News 4 Sports.

Golisano on Drury Departure

Sabres owner Tom Golisano sounds like he's had enough of the disucssion about last year's free agent departures of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. When we sat down with him to talk about last season, we asked a question about the departure of Briere and Drury as being the prelude to the 2007-08 season. Golisano's not so sure about that. And he disputes a widely held belief that the Sabres had an agreement in principle with Chris Drury that was never executed.
"There was conversation, but no agreement," Golisano told us, "no dollar amounts were agreed upon." The Sabres owner says the media has spent too much time focusing on the Briere and Drury departures, and he's moved on to next season.
We've got much more on the Sabres in our interview with Golisano coming up, including his response to our question about his sparse attendance at Sabres games during the past season. It's a one-on-one interview with the Sabres owner that you'll see only on 4.

Sabres sign Chris Butler

The Sabres agreed to terms with Chris Butler, the junior defenseman from the University of Denver today. He'll leave school early and likely play in the A.H.L. next season, but don't expect him to be there for long. Darcy Regier said the Sabres have also spoke to South Buffalo's Tim Kennedy, a junior forward at Michigan State. Kennedy has expressed in the past he thinks he's ready for the next level. That leaves Boston College center, Nathan Gerbe, the MVP of Saturday night's national championship game. It's expected the Sabres will be talking to him as early as tomorrow, although Gerbe said today that he has yet to think about whether he will leave school early. All 3 could be in the Sabres training camp this spring.