Some interesting numbers coming out of today’s early workouts.  Williamsville native Rob Gronkowski ranked fifth among the tight ends in the bench press today.  He did 23 reps at 225 pounds.  The bench press drill basically measures how many times the prospect can bench press the 225 pound weight.  Gronkowski says the bench press is the only workout he’ll complete here at the combine, as he continues to recover from back surgery last fall.  His back is fine, but he’s still working himself into condition.  Gronkowski told us this week he expects to be fully conditioned by the time of his on campus workout in Arizona in late March.

The Bills have a special interest in Offensive Tackle prospects in this draft, and no doubt they’re keeping an eye on the workout numbers from that group.  Maryland tackle Bruce Campbell has put up some good numbers today.  He’s fifth among tackles in the bench press, lifting 225 pounds 34 times.  And he had the best time in the 40-yard dash among tackles, a 4.85.   Campbell has battled injuries and illnesses during his three years at Maryland, but his numbers today merit further revue.

But there’s no doubt at this year’s combine, that teams are reluctant to look too deep into the future.  The long running dispute between owners and the NFLPA has become the undercurrent of this year’s Indianapolis combine.  It colors nearly every decision teams, players and agents make.  And the scary part is, no one has yet to articulate a way towards a resolution of the dispute that would avoid a lockout in 2011.

Barring a miracle agreement, the league begins an uncapped 2010 season next week.  While the prospect of no salary cap may sound like a bonanza for free agents, it really is more of a boon to the owners.  That’s due in large part to the conditions put into the uncapped year by owners; the reason why they voted to opt out of the CBA early.

There are serious restrictions on free agent movement in an uncapped year, which amount to approximately 200 players who would have been unrestricted free agents next week, instead remaining locked into their current deals.  Bills GM Buddy Nix told me Thursday that the Bills will suffer from having a smaller pool of free agents to consider signing, but the players who had hoped to become free agents are the real victims.

The prospect of a 2011 lockout no doubt influenced the decision of many juniors to enter the draft early, to get at least one year of  pay before the league goes dark for a season. 

The deck appears to be stacked in favor of the owners right now, thanks to a carefully considered strategy for approaching the 2011 season.  The uncapped 2010 season is a major piece of that strategy, a preview of what’s to come.  It will be interesting to see if the players unity begins to crack slightly this spring, when the full impact of the uncapped year sinks in.

You would think with that kind of a radical schematic change in the works, the team would be ready to make corresponding personel changes, especially when they come here to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.  But whether it’s because of the lack of talent in the draft and free agency, or because they really do believe in their players, the Bills decision makers are adamant–they’ve got some viable 3/4 personnel on the roster already.

The keystone to any 3/4 defense is the nose man.  Even though  Kyle Williams has played a 4/3 DT exclusively in his four year career, the Bills are convinced he can line up and play nose this year.

“The guy we got, Kyle Williams, can do it,” GM Buddy Nix told me here at the combine.  “He’s gonna have to be used in a little bit different way.  He’s not a 340-pound run stuffer, but you can take advantage of what he does well, and that’s make plays.”

As for outside linebackers, the Bills appear ready to shift Chris Kelsay, Aaron Maybin, and Chris Ellis to the OLB spot in the new 3/4, and veteran Aaron Schobel if he does not retire.  All four of them have played at DE with the Bills, some of them as standup DEs from time to time. 

Listening to Nix and Head Coach Chan Gailey, it appears the biggest adjustment may have to be made not by Bills players, but by the team’s scouts.  It’s up to them to find players that will fit in Buffalo’s new defensive scheme, for the future if not this year.

“It’s completely different for the scouts and for drafting,” Nix says.  “Instead of being defensive tackles, now they’re defensive ends for us.  Instead of being defensive ends, now they’re linebackers.”

This much is clear–the Bills are committed to their version of the 3/4 and they’re intent on making it work.  They may be trying to fit some square pegs in round holes in this first year of the conversion, but they’re forging ahead.

It’s a bold strategy.  We’ll see how it works out.

Believe it or not, Shanahan said the Buffalo weather was the biggest factor in his decision not to pursue the job.  We asked him how serious the discussions were,  and how interested he was in the Bills job.

“There was strong consideration. I think it’s an excellent organization, very well run,” he told us.  ” I enjoyed my conversation with them.  But at the end of the day, it was not something that , uh, I want to put it in the right words–If I went to Buffalo to live there, from a family perspective, I think I would be the only one that would go.  My wife and kids weren’t going with me.  That’s strictly the weather, strictly to do with the weather, that’s it.  But now in Washington, we had 40-inches in a few days, so….”

Pretty amazing quote.   I hope Shanahan made his decision not to pursue the Bills job on more important considerations than weather.  His quote may reveal more about how serious he was about the Buffalo job, than his thoughts about the climate.  Perhaps he did not want to offend the Bills or their management.

We’ll let you see and hear Shanahan’s comments for yourself when we report live from the combine on News 4 at five and six.  Let us know what you think.

When I asked GM Buddy Nix whether Lynch has a role to play with the Bills next season, he said  “Absolutely.  We need two backs.”  Nix talked about how the Chargers needed both Ladanian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles last year.  Coach Chan Gailey said essentially the same thing when asked about Lynch at Gailey’s morning news conference.  So it sounds like “Beast Mode” will return for at least one more season.

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The Bills let the deadline for naming franchise and transitional players pass without any action today.  Nix told me “We’re not really in the tag business this offseason.”  Six NFL teams named franchise players today before the deadline.  And Nix said the new rules regarding free agency probably hampers the Bills ability to find quality free agents next week.  It’s unclear how active the Bills planned on being in the free agent market this spring.

I had a chance to sit down seperately with new Head Coach Chan Gailey and new GM Buddy Nix today to discuss a variety of topics.  We’ve got stories on their comments coming up on News 4 at Five, Six and 11, and more on the website.

But among the more interesting comments from Nix today, were his thoughts on the QB situation with the Bills.  It appears the team is going to go to great lengths to determine whether Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick or Brian Brohm can be the QB this year.  Obviously, it’s the easiest option for the Bills, rather than drafting a rookie and trying to get him ready to play, or spending big money on a free agent.

I got the sense from the new Bills regime that they never felt Edwards got a fair shake last year.  From the switch to a no-huddle offense, to the dismissal of Turk Schonert in early September, to the trade of Jason Peters, there is a sense that the deck was stacked against Edwards.   I’m getting the sense that the Bills are not finished at all with Edwards, even though some fans may be.

“Our priority,”  Nix told me, “is to make one (a viable NFL quarterback) out of the three we got.  If that’s impossible, then we’ll look in another direction.”

As for my take, no one was more disappointed than me,  in the way Edwards failed to grab the reins last year and went backwards in his progression as an NFL quarterback.  But I do believe he has many of the neccessities the job requires:  –the smarts, the temperment, and the work ethic.  He needs further development in arm strength, especially when it comes to deep out patterns.  Moreover, he needs to trust his arm strength and his reads, and get back to the quick decision making that was the hallmark of his early success. 

But a new Bills coaching staff appears ready to take a long, hard look at Edwards and try to fix what went wrong.  It’s going to be a big  job.

What’s your take on another shot for Edwards?   Maybe Fitzpatrick is the guy?  Brohm??

It’s my third year covering the combine and it’s one of my favorite NFL events of the year.  To me, the combine officially signals the turning of the page from last season to a new one.  We are one week away from the start of free agency, two months away from the draft, and the 2010 NFL offseason unofficially begins today.

While we’re here, we’ll do interviews with the draft prospects as they’re made available to the media. We will stockpile material for WIVB’s annual “24 Players in 24 Days” feature, a run-up to the draft, which we’ll begin airing in late March.  We’ll also be talking to the Bills decision makers this week.  In fact, I just finished a one-on-one interview with new Head Coach Chan Gailey about an hour ago, and we hope to talk to new GM Buddy Nix later today.  They’re not going to tip their hand on which way they’re going in the draft or in free agency, but if you ask the right questions and listen closely, sometimes you can get a hint.

This year’s combine also features a unique Buffalo angle. There are four Western New York products on hand here this week, and we expect to talk to all four of them and feature them this week on News 4.  Tight End Rob Gronkowski is a Williamsville North High School product who left the University of Arizona early to enter the draft.  He’s projected as a possible second rounder.  Running Back James Starks of Niagara Falls is here, the UB back who lost his senior season to a shoulder injury.  Wide Receiver Mike Williams of Riverside High School is in Indy this week.  He’s got an interesting story to tell after his early departure from Syracuse University last fall.  And Defensive Tackle Doug Worthington of St. Francis High School is here.  He’s possibly a late round draft pick after a standout career at Ohio State.

By the time we feature those four players, talk to the Bills decision makers, and get a feel for the pool of talent here at the Combine we should have a full plate of stories.

Watch for our live reports from the Indianapolis combine on News 4 at Five and Six, and recaps on News 4 at 11.  And we’ll keep you posted on the latest from the Bills and the NFL on WIVB.com.

OK, I know.  It’s not the sexy move.  It’s not the guy many Bills fans were looking for.  I have yet to hear anyone say…”Chan-tastic.” Ten years of frustration will do that to a fan base.  You can’t really blame them, the loyal fans of the Bills, for looking at the today’s move with a jaudiced eye.
  They wanted a big splash–the Bills made a ripple.They wanted an “A-lister”–the Bills dropped down to an A-minus. maybe a “B”They wanted a home run–the Bills look like they hit a double.
 But consider this–The Bills made a good faith effort to reach out to the “A-listers.”  Think of it.  They reached out to Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Bill Cowher, and Jim Harbaugh.The only one from that list who’s going to work in the NFL next season is Shanahan.  And he went to the Redskins where the owner spends wildly on free agents.
 Gruden–not in the league.  Cowher–not coaching this year.  Harbaugh–gonna stay at Stanford.  The Bills swung for the fences and missed. 
 Would you feel better if the Bills had not reached out to the top coaches??How much better would you feel if the Bills hired an untested coordinator??  Brian Schottenheimer, Leslie Frazier. Russ Grimm—nobody knows if they’ll be succesful head coaches someday.  They might be.  We don’t know.
 We’ve talked to a half-dozen NFL insiders over the last day or so about Chan Gailey.  Former or current coaches, GMs, scouts.  They say hiring Chan Gailey is a solid move–a logical move.  They say he’s a good coach.  That’s NFL people saying that.  Not me.  Not other reporters, bloggers, or opinion makers.
  Will Chan Gailey be a success as the Bills head coach?  I don’t know.  It’s a tough job. He admitted it today.  Theyve got quarterback issues and a lot of other holes to plug on both sides of the ball.  But he is a solid choice.  A logical choice.  A realistic option.
   He’s just not real sexy.

Brian Billick

  PROS  Has head coaching experience that GM Buddy Nix is looking for, plus experience on the offensive side of the ball   CONS:  Despite offensive expertise, never developed a QB in tenure as Ravens Head Coach

Cam Cameron

 PROS  Offensive experience, head coaching experience with Dolphins, ties to Nix from SD Chargers    CONS:  Brutal year as head coach of Dolphins (1-15) would make him a tough sell to fans

Bill Cowher

  PROS:  Biggest name available, Super Bowl championship with Steelers, tough, hard-nosed image that would play well with fans   CONS:  Is he interested in the job?  Does he need more authority than Nix and Brandon will allow?   Is he waiting for Carolina job to open?

Jim Fassel

  PROS:  Offensive background, had success with Giants, leading them to Super Bowl   CONS:  Interviewed once for Bills job and didn’t get it, has been on the sidelines for awhile

Perry Fewell

   PROS:  Knows organization, has demonstrated an upbeat, positive demeanor during impossible 7-game interim stint with Bills   CONS;  Would not answer the fans’ desire for an overhaul of the football department

Leslie Frazier

  PROS:  A finalist and runner up for several head coaching positions in recent years, played for 1985 Bears Super Bowl Champions    CONS;  Lack of head coaching experience, defensive background

Russ Grimm

  PROS:  Offensive background, tough-hard nosed demeanor that would play well with fans.  Former Redskins hog    CONS:  No head coaching experience, some question whether he has sufficient organizational skills for head  job

Jim Haslett

   PROS:  Head coaching experience, success with Saints before Katrina debacle.  Has WNY ties from Bills and family, and understands the Bills organization and their fans      CONS  Experience is on defense, not offense.  Why did the Rams choose not to retain him last year?

Ron Rivera

  PROS:  Some connection to Nix from SD Chargers, finalist for head coaching jobs in recent years      CONS:  Experience on defense, no head coaching experience

Brian Schottenheimer

   PROS;  Offensive experience, has worked in AFC East, ties to Nix from Marty Schottenheimer’s days with the Chargers    CONS:  Lack of head coaching experience, mixed success with Jets offense

If I’m making the decision, I want to talk in depth with Fassell, Frazier, Grimm and Haslett.  I’d have different questions for each one of them, but I’d be especially interested in their thoughts on quarterbacks, those on the roster and those who may available via the draft or free agency.  I’d try to sort that list of four down to two, probably Grimm and Haslett.  And I’d think long and hard about how much emphasis I wanted to place on prior head coaching experience. 

It’s early.  It’s a process.  Let’s hear what you think.  Are we missing any prominent names?  Let us know.