Buffalo Bills | New Owner, New Culture | Video Dynasty

[TehJester]

Hello Operation Sports!

Oolan here and I'm set to begin my first dynasty in a very long time and I was hoping some of you would like to hop on for the ride! I'm looking to present this predominantly through video, but I figured I would write this introduction post about myself and how I'll organize this dynasty.

Why I choose the Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a team in a very interesting situation. There is both optimism and hesitation from a fan base that hasn't seen post season football in 14 years! The team has a lot of young talent on both sides of the ball, some key names to look out for is the newly acquired Watkins with the 4th overall pick, the young but dominant ROLB Kiko Alonso coming into his second year, the dynamic duo of Spiller/Jackson in the backfield, and a defensive front that was second in the NFL last season and subsequently broke the franchise record with 57 sacks. Yet the team had a lot of weaknesses. Inconsistency and injury at the quarterback position immediately jumps out as E.J. Manuel missed training camp last year and half the season to 3 knee injuries. On the other side of the coin, the Bills defense could not stop the run, ending up in the bottom of the league in that department.

Question Marks of 2014

• Are the Bills staying in Buffalo? Who wins the bidding war, Bon Jovi and his Canadian partnership? local business man Thomas Golisano? A rogue LA group? Oil mogul Terry Pegula? Donald Trump?
  
• The development of EJ Manuel depends almost entirely on whether or not he can stay healthy. After 2 knee surgeries in his rookie season everyone is holding their breath when he is hit.
  
• The Bills need to find a way to get Spiller involved more in the offense. Last season Spiller's numbers were not what anyone was expecting.
  
• Jerry Hughes had 10 sacks last season, and Dareus stepped up in his role as DT but they're both on expiring contracts at the end of the 2014 season, will they return to Buffalo?
  
• The defense added MLB Spikes from New England in a desperate attempt to help the team improve on run defense. With the defensive line of the Bills being such a strong point it is clearly an issue with linebackers missing their assignments. Who will be filling in at LOLB along side Spikes & Alonso?
  
• After the trade during the draft with the Browns which allowed the Bills to move up to the 4th overall pick to acquire Watkins the Bills enter this season without a first round next year. They need to prove they are a team capable of winning and improve with the talent on the roster now. Yet will the team be strong enough to do that or will the Bills be sitting helpless as Cleveland enjoys a potential top 10 pick?

CCM Settings
Difficulty: All-Pro
Sliders: Armor & Sword's All-Pro Simulation Sliders
Quarter Length: 15 Min.
Progression: End of Season Only

When we starting chief?
I'll be beginning tomorrow, September 1st with an overview video of the franchise, where we're at right now, the owner situation and whether or not the Bills will remain in Buffalo. I will highlight my opinion on team strengths/weaknesses, training camp positional battles to look out for, and cover a tiny bit of the franchise's history. Followed by either one collective video to cover all of preseason/training camp/game highlights or split it into four different videos and show the entire preseason games. Let me know what you think!

Thanks for Reading!
If you're curious to see if I can restore the tradition and reputation back into Bills football then get ready to circle the bandwagon with me! Please feel free to post if you're interested/following or want to give me some suggestions. I have yet to decide whether I will post each preseason game or put them all into a collective Training Camp / Preseason highlight video instead to speed up the process and get us into the season a little bit quicker.

[TehJester]

Training Camp: Introduction

I've completed the introduction video, giving you guys a look inside the franchise and my overview of the roster. I plan to keep my videos as short as possible but still cover what needs to be done. After reviewing my roster further I wanted to include a list of positional battles to look out for over training camp.

Training Camp 2014 Positional Battles to Look Out For

OFFENSE

• QB #2: Tuel / Lewis / Dixon - It is likely I will only be keeping EJ and one other QB on the roster this year with as much talent spread around the team as I have I don't want to take 3 spots for a QB.
• HB: Currently 4 on the roster, might make this work if I can but otherwise expect a late preseason cut to happen.
• WR: With 1-3 set in stone with Watkins, Williams, and Robert Woods it is still in question who will fill the last couple spots. Players on the bubble include Graham, Barden, Easley, and Chris Hogan
• RT: 3-Way battle between veterans Pears, Urbik, or rookie Kouandjio.

DEFENSE

• MLB Depth: Rookie Preston Brown and second year vet Ty Powell both need to prove themselves this preseason, both are bubble players going into camp.
• FS: Searcy and Duke Williams are going to be battling for the second string FS position with CB convert Corey Graham likely taking over the position at #1.

Let me know what you guys think and whether or not you would like to see each preseason game or a collective highlight video and overview of Training Camp.

[footbrawl]

Bills are my NFL team and there's a lot potential in about every position. Great offensive skill set and front seven on D. Good luck!

[TehJester]

Quote: Originally Posted by footbrawl

Bills are my NFL team and there's a lot potential in about every position. Great offensive skill set and front seven on D. Good luck!

Thanks man! Yeah the team is going to be a lot of fun, if the offense can improve on last year the Bills have the talent to make the playoffs.

[TehJester]

BREAKING NEWS
NEW BUFFALO BILLS OWNER

The National Football League, the Ralph Wilson Family and trust announced today that the sale of the Buffalo Bills has been finalized to local business man Terry Pegula and his wife Kim Pegula. Exact reports on the final bidding price has not been fully released by the Buffalo Bills trust group but it is estimated to be between 1.1 to 1.3 Billion dollars. Terry Pegula, and wife Kim Pegula are the current owners of the Buffalo Sabres and the newly completed Harbor Center, a hub for youth hockey in the local area and abroad. It is without a doubt the biggest win for Buffalo sports in the past decade. Pegula has a track record of dedication to both the City of Buffalo and the Buffalo Sabres. The creation of the Harbor Center will make Buffalo the HUB for not only local youth hockey operations but Team USA development camps, NCAA tournaments, hosting of OHL games, and migration of the NHL Scouting Combine from Toronto to Buffalo. It goes without saying fans are hopeful for similar improvements to be made on Ralph Wilson Stadium, or a new stadium, and improvements on training facilities. Buffalo Bills are now poised to be a team that can spend money and will do whatever it takes to attract high end talent on and off the field in order to assure that the Buffalo Bills are a contender again in the National Football League. Pegula stands for one thing in Buffalo; Hope.

STATEMENT FROM TERRY PEGULA

“Kim and I are humbled and honored that the Wilson family has chosen us to be the second owner of the Buffalo Bills. Pending the NFL approval process, being the next owner of the Buffalo Bills would be a great privilege for our family. Ralph Wilson left an indelible mark on our community and we will strive every day to honor his legacy.

Our interest in owning the Bills has everything to do with the people of Western New York and our passion for football. We have knowledgeable, dedicated fans here and along with our ownership of the Buffalo Sabres, it is gratifying to reassure these great fans that two franchises so important to our region are both here to stay.

We are grateful to Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Andrew Cuomo for their support and desire to keep our Bills in Western New York where they belong and to our team of professional advisors at Allen & Company and Sherrard, German & Kelly. We would also like to thank the staffs of the NFL and the Bills for helping to guide us through the sale process. We now look ahead to the NFL review process in accordance with League policy. If awarded final approval, we will be driven to achieve a singular goal: To win a Super Bowl for our fans."
(Credit: Buffalo Sabres)

[TehJester]

Preseason Recap

[ Note: I messed up during my recordings of preseason games 1-3. I somehow managed to only record the second half of the games and I had no idea until I went to go through the footage. Originally my plan was to take all 4 games and mesh the biggest plays into one package and go through the recap via video. Instead I will have to do this in a quick text recap. This is going to be more of a hybrid video/text dynasty, so it works out. ]

Week 1 @ Carolina
Carolina 16, Buffalo 13

Week 2 @ Steelers
Pittsburgh 20, Buffalo 13

Week 3 vs. Tampa Bay
Buffalo 40, Tampa Bay 3

Week 4 vs. Detroit
Buffalo 23, Detroit 13

2014 Preseason Record: 2-2

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QB Recap

• Buffalo's offense started really slow in the first two preseason games, only 2 touchdowns in those games and all by the second unit.
• Thad Lewis made the biggest early impressions for the backup QB battle, but they weren't the good kind. Thad Lewis found himself on the outside looking in as the first QB to be cut, followed by Jeff Tuel, and the Bills effectively looking outside of the roster to fill their backup QB slot in Kyle Orton.

WR Recap

• Sammy Watkins, and all the hype surrounding him in Buffalo made solid impressions as well in the preseason.Buffalo QBs found Watkins 8 times, for 1 touchdown, and over 120 yards throughout preseason.
• Look for the Bills to get him the ball in quick slants or screens. The WR unit as a whole looked good enough to give EJ a lot of options this year.
• Mike Williams proved he can go up and get the ball, something Buffalo desperately needs.
• While Robert Woods provided consistent route running. Goodwin will be the Bills deep threat when they line up in 4WR sets.

Tight End Recap

• Tight End will be a position that is going to be okay, but not great.
• Chandler has proven he can find open spots and make a few down field catches.He lacks a lot of playmaking ability you want in a modern NFL TE but he gets the job done. Unfortunately he went down with a Quad tear and will at least several weeks of the regular season.

Offensive Line Recap

• The offensive line struggled hard in preseason.
• They gave up far too many sacks and their inexperienced depth showed through.
• The O-Line has 3 rookies on the second unit and they will need to improve throughout the season in case of any injurys.

Defensive Line Recap

• Defensive line showed promise, both with the starters and depth.
• Williams, both Mario and Kyle are consistently strong and were able to get pressure nearly every game they played in.
• Dareus is the young stud in the middle who we expect to have a huge season.
• On the LE Jerry Hughes returns coming off a 10 sack season last year, he is now on everyones radar and is expected to get at least 6-7 sacks this year.
• The depth is strong on the D-Line, Lawson backs the ends, and Bryant provides solid play for the interior.

Linebackers Recap

• Linebackers were okay, the Bills seemed to be able to stop the run better than last year.
• The star of the Linebacker unit is second year Kiko Alonso and his switch from MLB to LOLB, but I don't see much adjustment needed.
• The addition of Branden Spikes was purely a stop the run kind of signing and thats the big question mark on this defense, can they stop the run?

Secondary Recap

• The secondary was juggled around a bit, finding the two starters at CB in Gilmore and McKelvin, with Robey being the go to nickel CB.
• Buffalo born Corey Graham makes his debut with the Bills this year but it won't be as CB. Coach Marrone moved him to FS, stating that he is a very hybrid player with the talent to play anywhere in the secondary. It's definitely an upgrade over the inconsistent Da'Norris Searcy and Duke Williams.
• In the strong safety role is another returning CB convert Aaron Williams. This will be his second year in the role, coming off of his best season of his career.
• The Bills were strong in pass defense last year, I would expect the team to be comparable by seasons end.

Regular Season Depth Chart

Buffalo Bills Depth Chart - 2014
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	Sammy Watkins (79)	Robert Woods (75)	Marcus Easley (64)
TE	Scott Chandler (78)	Tony Moeaki (74)	Lee Smith (73)
LT	Cordy Glenn (91)	Seantrel Henderson (63)*
LG	Kraig Urbik (77)	Cyril Richardson (60)*
C	Eric Wood (75)	Garrison Sanborn (52)
RG	Chris Hairston (77)	Chris WIlliams (55)
RT	Erik Pears (72)	Cyrus Kouandjio (63)*
WR	Mike Williams (84)	Marquise Goodwin (70)	Chris Hogan (66)
QB	E.J. Manuel (73)	Kyle Orton (73)
FB	Frank Summers (68)
HB	C.J. Spiller (85)	Fred Jackson (83)	Bryce Brown (79)	Boobie Dixon (71)
Base 4-3 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	Mario Williams (90)	Jarius Wynn (68)
LDT	Marcell Dareus (92)	Stefan Charles (65)
RDT	Kyle Williams (90)	Corbin Bryant (71)
RDE	Jerry Hughes (89)	Manny Lawson (84)
WLB	Nigel Bradham (78)	Randell Johnson (60)*
MLB	Brandon Spikes (86)	Preston Brown (69)*
SLB	Kiko Alonso (88)	Keith Rivers (79)
CB	Stephon Gilmore (87)	Nickel Robey (72)
SS	Corey Graham (80)	Da'Norris Searcy (73)	Duke Williams (71)
FS	Aaron Williams (78)	Duke Williams (73)
CB	Leodis McKelvin (77)	Ross Cockrell (67)*	Mario Butler (65)
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	Dan Carpenter (87)
P	Brian Moorman (66)
PR	Marquise Goodwin (90)	Leodis McKelvin (87)
KR	Marquise Goodwin (90)	C.J. Spiller (91)
LS	Eric Wood (75)