So now, it’s only first draft pick Aaron Maybin who remains unsigned for the Buffalo Bills.  Negotiations continue, but top level Bills officials tell me there’s very little progress to report.  The Bills are waiting for the market to be firmed up around the Maybin pick (11th overall) so they know where to slot him.  And that may take another week or so.

In the big picture, however, not having Maybin around is not that big a deal right now.  In fact, of the first four draft picks last April, Maybin may be the one who needs the least amount of training camp time.  The two guards, Wood and Levitre, are going to need all the reps they can get to get the coordination needed on the offensive line, especially if they’re going to be starters.  Safety Jairus Byrd obviously will be set back with his sports hernia, so he’s out of the picture for awhile.

With Maybin, he’s targeted as strictly a pass rush specialist in his rookie year.  Once he arrives, his instructions will be simple–”Sic’ em.  Get the quarterback”  How much training camp time does he need to pick up on that?

Not to minimize Maybin’s delayed arrival in camp, but it’s really no big deal just yet.  He’ll be here, probably within a week to 10-days.  And he’ll have less to absorb than several other draft picks, in terms of the playbook and repetitions.

Let us know what you think of Maybin and his chances of contributing to the Bills defense this year.

Leaked picture of Bills new AFL Throwback Road Jersey

Following Thursday’s practice at training camp, the Bills will unveil their new AFL throwback uniform.  Its the white road version of the blue throwback they’ve been wearing for the last five years.  Its believed to look  just like the one Brian Moorman is wearing in a previously leaked photo. 

Because the Bills are playing in four AFL 50th season Legacy games, they needed a road version of the AFL throwback uniform.  Two of those games (at New England, at Tennessee) are road games, making a white jersey a necessity.  Word is they will also wear the whites for the Hall of Fame game against the Titans, who will wear their vintage Houston Oilers throwbacks. 

The blue throwbacks the team has worn for the past five years will be worn for the home game agaisnt the Dolphins.

It’s not a major problem, but the sports hernia injury suffered by Bills rookie FS Jairus Byrd does slow down the Bills push to move him into a prominent role.  As reported by News 4 Sports Tuesday night, Byrd suffered the injury a few weeks ago, and he’s likely to miss a few weeks of training camp after surgery to repair the hernia.

Byrd will be in camp very soon to continue his rehab from the surgery.  But these early camp days were supposed to be the days when the 2nd round draft pick would make a push for the starting FS spot.  He’s a favorite of Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell and his experience playing CB at Oregon had the Bills hoping that he might be able to line up and start on opening day.  That’s not likely to happen now, after he misses a few weeks of camp

The plan was for Byrd to handle the FS spot, and have Donte Whitner move back to play SS.  Although Whitner insisted today when I spoke with him at camp that he wants to stay at FS, I think there’s no question he’ll be more effective playing the strong safety spot.  Now, he’s probably going to stay at FS, at least for the duration of training camp.  Bryan Scott can continue to play the starting strong spot, and Ko Simpson may get a new lease on life as far a roster spot, at least until Byrd is completely healthy.

The Bills will adjust, but the Byrd injury puts a temporary crimp in their plans for the defensive backfield. 

Give us your thoughts on the Byrd injury

A black-tie event Friday night, July 24th at Sean Patrick’s Banquet Center in Getzville celebrated the life of Jacquie Hirsch. The organizers selected the Tinker-Ball theme because Jacquie loved the Disney character Tinker Bell and believed in the day that Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia would be cured.  A.L.L. claimed Jacquie’s life. She was just 23, a bright, caring teacher, when she died in September, 2008.

Through their grief, her family and friends have worked hard to establish the Jacquie Hirsch for A.L.L. Foundation dedicated to raising awareness, providing support to patients, and funding research that will lead to a cure.  The Tinker-Ball was one of several fundraisers the Foundation has already sponsored – raising more than $200,000 in Jacquie’s name so far.

Expect to hear more from the Foundation and its good work in the community.  Jacquie Hirsch was a remarkable young woman who has left a legacy that is inspiring many in Western New York to believe in her dream of a cure for A.L.L.

The Inaugural Tinker-Ball was a black-tie dinner dance at Sean Patrick’s Banquet Center in Getzville.

Among the 200 guests, many had a personal connection to Jacquie and her family.

Jacquie’s father, Torey Hirsch, spoke lovingly of his daughter and her grace in facing her disease and treatment.

I was truly honored to introduce Dr. Norma Nowak from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Jim Burton, on the left in this photo, had a large role in organizing the program.

This is one of several checks that Jacquie's family plans to present to Roswell Park researchers, Dr. Eunice Wang and Dr. Norma Nowak. Jacquie's parents Sharon and Torey are on the left. Her brother, T.J., is at right.

News Four's Lisa Flynn and I participated in the program, as did former boxer Joe Mesi. Joe donated boxing items and hosted the live auction.

The Tinker Bell theme was displayed whimsically throughout the Banquet Center.

Still another in a long series of unsettled weeks coming up. The upper trough continues to be in a favorable position to send a series of short waves in our direction, after such an active severe weather day on Saturday and somewhat less active day on Sunday. Early indicators don’t show much in the way of severe weather potential this week, but hydrological issues may come into play with such saturated soils and high-running creeks. Even the 2 days which looked to be essentially dry back on Friday–Monday and Tuesday–have modest chances for isolated convection, with more widespread activity developing on Wednesday, and another disturbance getting here on Friday. Tuesday will include a warming trend with some downsloping to begin with. However, it’s harder to heat the boundary layer when the soil is so wet. At least an early look ahead to next weekend–while not a lock–looks mostly promising.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ll say it again.  The Bills need to upgrade the quarterback spot behind Trent Edwards.  After a couple of days of training camp, my opinion hasn’t changed.  I don’t see much from the second man on the depth chart, Ryan Fitzpatrick.  And I don’t think Gibran Hamdan or Matt Baker, the other QBs in camp, offer much in the way of security once the regular season begins.

The Bills signed Fitzpatrick at the end of February as the replacement for JP Losman behind Edwards.  And while you have to be impressed by his smarts and the fact that he started a dozen games last year for the Bengals, I worry about his arm strength and throwing ability.  He has not demonstrated much in camp or minicamps yet to show that he can deliver the ball on time and in the right place.

Two weeks ago, I expressed my opinion that the Bills should consider bringing in Brian Griese as a possible backup, if he’s willing to accept the backup/mentor role.  I feel more strongly about that, now that I’ve seen the backs in camp for a couple of days.

Just two days in, and already we’re reporting on injuries to the Bills,  at their St. John Fisher College training camp.  First year RB Justise Hairston is the most serious one so far.  He left  Saturday’s workout with a knee injury suffered in a nonp-contact portion of the practice.  Sunday, Head Coach Dick Jauron said it’s likely Hairston will be out for the year.  Hairston was signed by the Bills back in June after being out of football in 2008.  the Central Connecticut State product spent the 2007 season on the Patriots and Colts practice squads.

Starting DT Marcus Stroud is going to miss some time.  I watched him pull his hamstring Saturday afternoon, during an early practice conditioning-type drill.  Stroud and the rest of the defense go through a drill where they pursue to the corner of the end zone, all eleven of them, in an effort to teach pursuit techniques and work into shape.  He grabbed for the back of his left in the drill and immediately went to the sideline.  Dick Jauron says Stroud will miss 5-7 days of practice.

When (or if) rookie Safety Jairus Byrd signs his contract and reports to camp, I’ll be interested to check on his physical condition.  The second round pick from Oregon may miss some time.  I’m hearing rumblings that he suffered some sort of a sports hernia in the last few weeks that may set him back for awhile.  Byrd was considered a possible starter at the FS spot.  Once he signs, we’ll see if he’s ready to go.

The career of Bills linebacker John DiGiorgio is on hold, with the news Saturday of a second surgery and his failed physical.  He may still return to the NFL and to the Bills, but that won’t happen until the 2010 season.  John is one of those great stories in sports, and a guy you can’t help but root for.  Undrafted from Division II Saginaw Valley State, he fought his way onto the roster in 2006. I remember how he made the team. It was the final preseason game of 2006, in Detroit against the Lions.  He had a large group of family there from his nearby hometown, and they cheered him on to a roster-making performance.  DiGiorgio made the team off that game, and established himself as a special teams demon.  The next year, he started 14 games when Paul Posluszny was hurt.  John has already laid the groundwork for a second career, spending time teaching in Michigan.  Let’s hope he doesn’t have to hit the classroom just yet.  Whether its in Buffalo or someone else, John DiGiorgio is someone all football fans should be rooting for.

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