So, there will be  no reduction in the three-game suspension handed down to Bills running back Marshawn Lynch.  The NFL announced Monday that Lynch’s appeal has been denied, and the three-game suspension stands.

From a competitive standpoint, it’s a big blow for the Bills.  Lynch is a key figure in the Bills offensive attack.  He is a brutally tough runner who punishes opposing defenses, and despite the good work turned in by Fred Jackson last year, and the contributions expected from veteran Dominique Rhodes, the Bills are not as good without Lynch.

That said, long term, the suspension might be just the wakeup call Marshawn needs.  The loss of salary is important as well.  If Lynch is going to be a succesful NFL player, he has to break out of the pattern he’s established in his first two offseasons—brushes with the law that result in legal issues.

No doubt, the fact that his guilty plea to a misdemeanor gun charge was the second incident in a one-year span figured heavily into Roger Goodell’s original suspension, and his decision not to lessen that suspension.  The Commissioner, like the Bills orgranization, is trying to send a serious, painful message to Lynch.

Here’s what I wrote back in March, before the three-game suspension was announced:

Not only do I think Lynch will get a suspension, I think he would benefit from one.  Twice in the last year he has had run-ins with police, once involving his car, the second time involving an unregistered weapon.  He clearly is on the wrong path, struggling to adjust to the life of a professional athlete.  No doubt, his tough upbringing in Oakland has left him ill prepared to handle money, free time, and all the other perks professional athletes enjoy.  But Marshawn will turn 23-years old in April, and it’s time for him to grow up.

The Bills would struggle on the field without Marshawn Lynch for a game or two next season.  But in the larger picture, it’s just what he and the team needs.  A suspension without pay would seem to be the one thing that would get Lynch’s attention.  It would force him to find new companions, think before taking risks, and protect his incredible talent and potential to excel in the NFL.  It could prolong his career by shocking him out of his current path and emphasizing to him how much he has to lose, if he loses his profession.   

Now that we’re only weeks away from Lynch’s 3-game punishment, the reality sets in.  The Bills could use him against the Patriots, Bucs and Saints.  But they won’t have him.  And the competitive considerations in this case are outweighed, by the importance of Marshawn getting his life on track, and focusing on building a long and productive NFL career.

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.

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

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.

It comes as no surprise, the news Wednesday that former Bills RB Travis Henry is going to prison.  He got a three year prison term after pleading guilty in April, to charges of conspiracy to traffic cocaine.

But even though the prison term was expected, and warranted, it doesn’t lessen the shock of the  tragic downfall of a tough and talented NFL player. 

Bills fans were treated to Henry’s toughness right from the start of his rookie year in 2001.    His patented stiff-arm packed a wallop– imagine a Marvin Hagler punch waiting for you when you tried to seal off the corner on a toss-sweep, with the ball in Travis Henry’s hands.

But it was evident in his rookie year that Henry was going to struggle with the fame and fortune of an NFL career.  He had trouble in interviews.  Credit  the Bills media relations staff for working extensively with him to improve his articulation and responsiveness.  But that was just the tip of the iceberg.

The Bills renegotiated his contract in Buffalo earlier than they should have, to help him out with a cash shortage.  Obviously, that’s not the best way to handle your contract status.  But  by fathering at least nine children with nine women, Henry got in over his head financially.  At the time of his guilty plea, he blamed child support payments for his desperate attempt to find easy cash.  But Henry also had a drug addiction problem and obviously had a pattern of exercising bad judgment.

You wonder what the NFL can do for troubled players like Travis.  They have financial and social education programs, rookie orientation seminars, and each team has at least one full-time employee dedicated to player programs; helping the players handle off-field issues.

It’s got to be agonizing for Commissioner Roger Goodell, as he sorts through various punishment scenarios for wayard players.  Obviously, punishment is just one way to change the anti-social behavior of NFL players.  But there’s got to be more of an educational component at work as well.  And what responsibility do player agents have to steer their clients through the pitfalls of fast money and easy celebrity?   They’ve got to do more for the players than merely take their commission and line up endorsement deals.

Similarly, the colleges that make millions of dollars in their football programs, Tennessee in Henry’s case, should bear some responsibility to provide life skills for the players that fill the coffers of their athletic departments, players who get no compensation in return.

It’s been difficult to watch Travis Henry’s downfall, especially after watching how tough a player he was, and what an affable, reliable teammate he could be.    He’s going to prison because of what he did, obviously, and he belongs there.  But there’s got to be a better system to save troubled players like Henry, a system that incorporates the colleges, the agents, and the NFL.

Any ideas?  Let us know.

Interesting news today about longtime NFL QB Brian Griese’s release from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  And it could not have come as much of a surprise, since the Bucs were over-loaded with quarterbacks, and Griese had not attended any of their offseason workouts.

I wonder if the Bills might be interested in taking a look at Griese as a possible veteran backup for Trent Edwards?   I said this a month or so ago: I am not comfortable with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Gibran Hamdan as the backups, especially given Edwards history of missing a couple of games in each of his first two seasons, with minor injuries.

If (and this is an important if) Griese can handle being a backup, I think he’d be a great fit in Buffalo.  He’s got 11-years experience in a variety of offensive systems.  He’s got recent game experience (five games last season with the Bucs) and acquitted himself well.  At age 34, he has to realize that his best days are behind him, and he may be ready to shift gears into the role of full-time backup, and full-time mentor to a younger quarterback.

If the Bills are serious about contending for a playoff spot, and they should be, they need to bolster their backup quarterback spot.  I think Griese is worth taking a look at, especially if he’s willing to assume the backup/mentor role.

What do you think?

The fieldhouse is empty and the Buffalo Bills have scattered for the next month and a half.  After three days of mandatory attendance, and several weeks of voluntary attendance, Bills players and coaches get the summer off before they head to training camp. 

I haven’t been to all of the minicamp sessions, but I’ve been to enough.  And here are some thoughts and observations to chew on over the next six weeks:

-There’s no doubt that Terrell Owens has already raised the competitive level of the team.  You can see it in practice.  And I think the number one beneficiary of Owens’ competitiveness will be CB Terrence McGee.  Terrence has always been a hard worker and a solid defensive back, but his one-on-one battles with Owens in practice are epic.  I’m ready to predict right now that McGee will earn a Pro Bowl bid at CB this year, thanks in large part to battling it out with T-O in practice every day.

-The Bills need a backup quarterback.  I saw nothing at all from Ryan Fitzpatrick during the practices, and I’m worried.  Gibran Hamdan is a great teammates and a good resource for Trent Edwards, but I would hate to have to start him in a game if Edwards was hurt.  And let’s face it, Edwards has missed at least four starts in his first two years in the league due to injury.  If they’re serious about contending for a playoff spot, they need an experienced, capable backup quarterback by the time they go to camp.

-The Bills seem very deep in the WR corps.  With Steve Johnson catching everything thrown his way in camp, and Roscoe Parrish the NFL’s best punt return specialist, there will be some difficult decisions to make late this summer at the WR spot.  Locked in to the roster: Evans, Owens, and Reed.  Hardy’s recovery from his knee injury will be something to watch in training camp, and that complicates matters.  Parrish, Johnson, and Justin Jenkins figure to be locked in an intense battle for one or two roster spots during camp. 

-It’s no secret that the Offensive Line is the biggest question mark on the team.  Nothing less than the future of Trent Edwards, Dick Jauron, his staff, and maybe Terrell Owens hangs on their ability to jell quickly and become effective.  With Wood and Levitre at guard, the Bills are much more athletic and quick up front.  But can Langston Walker do enough in the running game to keep Marshawn Lynch picking up the first downs?  Can he handle the fast paced no-huddle?  The O-Line may be the key to Buffalo finally ending its’ playoff drought.

Just a couple of observations.  Let us know what issues you’ll be thinking about as training camp approaches.

It looks like former Sabres goaltender Martin Biron is in his last few days, with the Philadelphia Flyers. Reports in Philly say the team is going to sign free agent Ray Emery, the former Ottawa Senator, and they will not make an offer to keep Biron when he enters free agency July 1st.

Here’s a link to the story in the Philadelphia Inquirer:

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/47186842.html

I have to say I’m sorry to see Biron’s tenure with the Flyers coming to an end.  I think he was a good fit with that team and I was hoping to see him lead the Flyers on a nice long playoff run one of these years.

Biron’s remains one of the most engaging, outgoing professional athletes in North America.   He seems like a good teammate and he’s a fan favorite wherever he goes.  But the Flyers seem to have concluded, as the Sabres did a few years ago, that Marty is not at the top level of NHL goaltenders.  And the Flyers want to get better.

I’m sure Biron will find a new home in the NHL and will be a key player on whatever team he winds up with.  What do you think of the Flyers move?

I never had the pleasure of covering Randy Smith of the Buffalo Braves, but I had the extreme pleasure of watching him play.  As a teenager in Buffalo in the early 1970s, the fact that a Buff State product had been drafted by the hometown NBA team was something that we all got excited about. But Randy did much more than that.

He worked his way into the starting lineup in arguably the NBA’s most exciting team of the mid 1970s.  With his blinding speed and quick hands, he was one of the league’s best defenders every year.  Although he wasn’t a great outside shooter, he was quick enough to find his shot, and his dunking ability was spectacular.  I will always remember the roar in the Aud when Randy got loose on a fast break and soared toward the basket on his way to a thunderous slam.

For those of us wh0 loved the Braves, Randy was the glue that held the team together. McAdoo was a point machine, Ernie D was a flashy ballhandler, and Jim McMillian was the veteran leader. Randy was the all-around performer who could be counted on for a consistent performance night after night.

By 1978, I was a senior at Syracuse University, and even though I still loved the Braves, it was obvious the team was not going to be around Buffalo much longer.  That’s what made Randy’s performance in the 1978 All Star game that much more gratifying.  His MVP performance was the last gasp of a beloved franchise that could have been so much more, if only ownership gave it a chance. 

I’ve been in a Braves frame of mind for the last week or so, ever since I interviewed my former college classmate Tim Wendel about his new book “Buffalo-Home of the Braves.”  I’m about halfway through the book now, and plan on finishing it off in the next few days.  Look for a story on News 4 at Six next week on Tim’s book, and get ready for the Braves memories to flow.

Any memories of Randy Smith or the Braves you’d like to share?  Drop us a line.