Buffalo
Bills

Bills Team Report

Updated: May 25, 2012 04:19 EST

The selection of left tackle Mike Williams with the fourth overall pick in the 2002 draft did not work out for the Buffalo Bills. In fact, the move turned the team gun shy when it came to drafting a tackle that high again.

That changed this spring under general manager Buddy Nix and coach Chan Gailey, who selected Georgia's Cordy Glenn in the second round of the draft with the 41st pick overall. In 2009, Buffalo struck gold with first-rounder Eric Wood, a center, and second-rounder Andy Levitre, a guard.

And while many teams rated Glenn as a guard, the Bills were very clear on where they saw the 6-5, 348-pounder lining up.

"No, he's not a guard," Nix said. "He started 50 games, the last 16 at left tackle. We put it out there, we tried to spread the rumor that he was a guard and hoped somebody wouldn't take him."

Wishes came true.

Glenn, who signed a four-year deal worth nearly $5 million, is expected to win the starting left tackle job from second-year pro Chris Hairston, though Hairston, who earned seven emergency starts for Demetress Bell (Philadelphia) last year won't step aside quietly.

That competition for the job of protecting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick's blind side will be one of the most interesting and most important of training camp.

What Glenn brings to the table is a large body of work at a major college (his 50 starts matched a Bulldogs record) to go with a large body. The All-SEC first teamer has a wingspan of 84 5/8 inches with 10-inch hands.

"He's got good feet," Bills national scout Darrell Moody said. "I don't know that he's got great feet, but you don't have to have great feet if you've got great length and great size. It's hard to get around people."

Glenn, who took part in Buffalo's recent rookie minicamp, will be in Buffalo for the start of voluntary organized team activities starting May 29.

"Honestly, I'm just out here trying to help this team out and compete. I wouldn't put anything into it," he said of getting his feet wet at left tackle during rookie camp. "It's rookie camp. Nobody here knows anything really so everybody is in the same boat right now. Let the coaches get a good evaluation and see where I'm at so far, what I need to work on and where they need to help me."

For his career at Georgia, Glenn registered 63 blocks that resulted in touchdowns and 447 knockdown blocks. He's not resting on his laurels.

"That was college," Glenn said. "This is another level. It's good to have all of that experience. But it's still another step, a new process and I'm just trying to learn as much as I can to help out this team."

The Bills are hoping it works out better than the last time they drafted a left tackle this high.

--The Bills have signed all but one of their nine draft picks. Third-rounder T.J. Graham, a wide receiver out of North Carolina State, was the only rookie not under contract as of May 24. It's not entirely surprising. Under the NFL's rookie wage scale adopted last year after the lockout, first- and second-round picks are guaranteed to receive strong contracts but deals for the fourth- through seventh-rounders aren't so lucrative and not really worth their slot value. Third rounders are left in the middle between good deals and bad ones so negotiations between agents and team bean counters are taking time. Linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, a third-rounder, was the last to sign with Buffalo last year.

--The suspense is over. Free-agent defensive end Mario Williams has chosen to wear No. 94. Williams' No. 90, which he wore for the Houston Texans, was not available; it belongs to entrenched veteran Chris Kelsay, who did not wish to give it up or even sell it to Williams, which is customary. Apparently, Williams didn't try that hard for the number anyway. No. 94 was last worn by Aaron Schobel, who recorded 78 sacks -- second all-time on the team -- from 2001 to 2009. Special teams ace Mark Pike (1987-98) also wore 94. Defensive end Kyle Moore, who was signed to the roster late last season, was assigned the number last year but this year was given No. 54 that had belonged to ex-linebacker Andra Davis. The Bills can now start printing up all those Mario jerseys and listen to the cash register sing.

--The NFL has given approval for the Bills to continue playing games in Toronto, but a deal between the team and Rogers Communications is not complete, CEO Russ Brandon told The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

"We are not complete with the deal with Rogers Communications," Brandon said. "We're continuing to have discussions and I'm optimistic we're going to have a deal done in the very near future, but nothing is done at this point." The Bills' original five-year deal to play a series of pre- and regular-season games in Toronto was worth nearly $80 million to the club. The new deal isn't expected to fetch nearly that as it has been difficult to sell out games in Canada, in part because Buffalo's product has been so poor and in part because of very expensive tickets.

--The Bills did announce that their first two games at Ralph Wilson Stadium have sold out. The Bills host the Chiefs on Sept. 16 and New England on Sept. 30. That news won't make fans who don't own season tickets happy. Buffalo gave season-ticket holders the opportunity to purchase an unlimited amount of individual game tickets and they were snatched up, perhaps by people looking to resell them and recoup some of the cost of their season tickets. Individual game tickets don't go on sale to the public until July.

--Former Bills linebacker Cornelius Bennett told The Birmingham News he intends to leave his brain for post-mortem study when he dies. Bennett was deeply affected by the suicide death of Chargers, Dolphins and Patriots great Junior Seau. Bennett is chairman of the NFLPA Former Players Board of Directors and is working to make the game safer, while fighting for better pensions and health care for retired players.

"We know the bubble helmets protect the head. But no matter what kind of helmet you have, there's no way to protect the brain if you take the wrong kind of hit," Bennett said. "A Kevlar helmet won't stop brain trauma with the wrong kind of hit. But we're making changes on a daily basis. Football is a great game, and we'll make it safer. ... I know I'm not going to stop my son from playing football. We just have to make sure we're doing everything we can to make the game safer."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm not nervous. You still have to go out there and play football. I've been doing it all my life, so it's not really nerves. I'm just trying to get to know my teammates and coaches a little bit more and study film. I think I'm adjusting pretty well and I'm going to keep working hard." -- CB Stephon Gilmore, Buffalo's first-round pick on making the jump to the NFL.

Organized team activities begin on Tuesday, May 29 for the Bills. A total of 10 sessions are planned through June 15. These are voluntary workouts.

Buffalo's recent three-day camp for rookies and newcomers was critical for getting those players up to speed so that OTAs can be as productive as possible, coach Chan Gailey said.

"A lot of it is installation," Gailey said. "(But) I'm not worried about getting them ready for (OTAs) right now. I'm just worried about seeing what they can handle in this short period of time."

Gailey, as old school as they come, isn't a big fan of watching players run around in shorts and not hit. But he said these offseason workouts, be they mandatory camps or OTAs, can have benefits.

"You try to see the effort that a guy gives. You want to see if a guy is a lazy guy or if he is a worker. You're trying to figure that out," he said. "You try to figure out does a guy retain what you teach him? Can he hold his own from day one to day two? Those are the two main things. They're talented guys or they wouldn't be here to start with. So they've got talent. It's a matter of trying to evaluate right off the bat. What level of talent a little bit, but really work ethic and retention."

MEDICAL WATCH: No updates.

FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.

TRANSITION PLAYER: None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

--CB Reggie Corner has fallen down the depth chart and is still on the market.

--LB Andra Davis, 33, has had a fine a 10-year career but the Bills found their future starting middle linebacker in rookie Kelvin Sheppard. Davis will retire if he doesn't hook on somewhere.

--PK Dave Rayner won't return. The team has re-signed starter Rian Lindell.

--LB Reggie Torbor has spent parts of the past two years on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He's a sound backup when healthy but he's not a priority for the Bills.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (not tendered as ERFA)

--RB Bruce Hall (not tendered as ERFA) spent the entire year on injured reserve.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.

DRAFT CHOICES SIGNED

--CB Stephon Gilmore (1/10): $12M/4 yrs, $12M guaranteed.

--T Cordy Glenn (2/41): $4.9M/4 yrs, $1.978M SB, $2.92M guaranteed.

--LB Nigel Bradham (4/105): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

--CB Ron Brooks (4/124): $2.5M/4 yrs, $401,000 SB.

--T Zebrie Sanders (5/144): $2.3M/4 yrs, $198,500 SB.

--LB Tank Carder (5/147): $2.3M/4 yrs, $193,000 SB.

--G/C Mark Asper (6/178): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

--K John Potter (7/251): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

--TE Scott Chandler: Potential UFA; 2 yrs, terms unknown.

--RB Tashard Choice: UFA; terms unknown.

--WR Derek Hagan: UFA; $765,000/1 yr, $65,000 SB.

--WR Stevie Johnson: Potential UFA; $36.25M/5 yrs, $8.55MSB/$2.5M base guarantee '12/$4.5M option bonus '13/$31,250 game-day bonus '12-'16.

--PK Rian Lindell: Potential UFA; $11M/4 yrs.

--LB Kirk Morrison: Potential UFA; terms unknown.

--OG Chad Rinehart: RFA tendered at $1.26M with third-round pick as compensation); $1.26M/1 yr.

--LS Garrison Sanborn: RFA; $3.21M/3 yrs, $530,000 SB.

--LB/S Bryan Scott: UFA; 2 yrs, terms unknown.

--C/G Kraig Urbik: RFA tendered at $1.26M with third-round pick as compensation); $1.26M/1 yr.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED

--DE Mark Anderson: UFA Patriots; $19.5M/4 yrs, $8M guaranteed.

--WR David Clowney: FA; terms unknown.

--LB Scott McKillop: FA; terms unknown.

--DE Mario Williams: UFA Texans: $96M/6 yrs, $19M SB/$5.9M base guarantee 2012/$8M OB 2013/$6M base guaranteed injury 2013, becomes fully guaranteed second day of league year/$10.6M RB 2014 guaranteed injury/$24.9M guaranteed.

--QB Vince Young: UFA Eagles; $2M/1 yr.

PLAYERS LOST

--LT Demetress Bell: UFA Eagles; $34.10M/5 yrs, $8.5M RB '13.

--S Jon Corto (released).

--CB Drayton Florence (released).

--WR Roscoe Parrish: UFA Chargers; 1 yr, terms unknown.