Clubber pays a visit to Rochester to see how things are shaping up in Bills training camp.
PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Even though a number of teams temporarily abandoned their usual training camp locations because of the lockout, the Bills were determined to stay put at St. John Fisher College. The small college is located in Pittsford, a picturesque suburb of Rochester, NY. The day I was at there, bus loads of kids from various summer camps showed up to attend practice and cheer on their favourite player. Running back Freddie Jackson was a real hit with the fans he went out of his way to acknowledge their cheers.
During the Bills 7-on-7 and their 11-on-11 drills, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick looked sharp. Fitzpatrick's passes were crisp, he had good velocity and his decision-making was sound. The easygoing Harvard grad is also beginning to grow in his beard; the same beard that earned him the nickname the "Amish Rifle".
While the Bills offence doesn't have the firepower other teams can bring to the table, they looked to be more creative with their offensive schemes. Fitzpatrick is happy with how the offence has come along throughout training camp and is looking forward to seeing what they can do against the Bears on Saturday night.
"We are confident right now, and looking forward to getting on the field and playing against someone else besides our own defence" Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick also sees an offence that is evolving as they gain a better understanding of the playbook.
"We have a lot of the same guys. It's just that everyone is a year older and more comfortable. In that sense, we're a lot better. You saw glimpses with guys last year. Donald (Jones) caught quick screens against Cincinnati and Roscoe (Parrish) played well for the first half of the year. You saw some glimpses of what C.J. (Spiller) can do. We also added Brad Smith, who is going to be very special this year when he gets the ball in his hands. I think we are more potent this year than we were last year," the Bills quarterback said.
Brad Smith, the free agent from the Jets, gives the Bills a completely different dimension on offence. Smith is both a quarterback and a wide receiver.
During practice on Thursday, Smith spent the whole time taking reps at wide receiver but Fitzpatrick and the rest of the squad know he's also capable of making plays as a quarterback when the Bills are in a Wildcat formation.
Even though he might lose a few snaps at quarterback because of his addition to the offence, Fitzpatrick is thrilled with the addition of Smith to the Bills offence.
"Brad makes us a better football team instantly. First of all, he's got great vision; he's going to find an opening if there is one. He's slippery, he's a hard guy to tackle. The other dimension he has, he's a good quarterback, he can throw the ball. Combining all those things, he's going to be very helpful for us this year."
Assistant G.M. Doug Whaley was beaming with pride watching his second-year receivers, Jones and David Nelson, make a number of nice catches in the Bills 11-on-11 drills. The big reason for Whaley's pride is the fact both Jones and Nelson were undrafted college free agents.
Fitzpatrick is also a big fan of Jones, the second-year man from Youngstown State.
"He has had a great camp so far. We really see him as a legitimate receiver, you know a guy that we can get the ball to down the field. A guy we want to get the ball in his hands so he can make plays. He's going to be a big part of our offence this year."
Talent at receiver isn't too big of a concern with the Bills, their biggest worry is at offensive tackle. For the Bills to compete with the Jets and the Patriots in the AFC East, they are going to need to upgrade their talent at the tackle position, especially at left tackle, Fitzpatrick's blind side. But barring a trade, the Bills will have to work with what they have. Offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris did tell me he was pleased with how tackle Ed Wang was "coming around".
Chan Gailey is an old-school coach who doesn't mind telling anyone who will listen that he is not a fan of the new rules set forth in the new CBA that prevent coaches from holding two-a-day practices that had been a staple of NFL training camps for decades.
"I don't know if any coach wouldn't like to have some two-a-days. I think all of us would like to have that. But, we understand the process and as long as everyone is on the same page, I can deal with that."
Gailey said he plans on using all four of his quarterbacks, Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen, Levi Brown and rookie Josh Nesbitt Saturday against the Bears.
After seeing him live and in person, I am convinced that Marcell Dareus is the biggest defensive end in the NFL. The first round-pick out of Alabama stands 6' 3" and weighs in at 343 pounds. With the underrated Kyle Williams firmly entrenched at nose tackle, Dareus is a perfect fit to play defensive end in the Bills 3-4 defensive front. Despite his obvious size, Dareus is surprisingly nimble on his feet and will be a handful for any offensive lineman that is assigned to block him.
The amazing thing is, Dareus is not the biggest player at Bills camp. That honour goes to a rookie nose tackle out of Bethel university by the name of Michael Jasper. Young Mr. Jasper is listed at 6' 4" and weighs a whopping 394 pounds.
Always in search of a good sandwich, I discovered a great spot a few blocks away from St. John Fisher College. It is a classic Italian Pizza and Sub shop called "Surace's" located at 404 West Commerical Street in East Rochester. I highly recommend the roast beef sub with provolone cheese.
Up next, I will be at the Lions and Bengals pre-season game at Ford Field to see the healthy Matt Stafford in action.
