Bills get a jump on vacation
Pleased Jauron ends minicamp early
Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron didn’t tell his players he was going to end minicamp a day early, but they figured it out when they saw a note on the locker room bulletin board Thursday morning.
“It said on the board to pack our bags for camp after practice,” middle linebacker Paul Posluszny said. “So we kind of got the hint.”
Jauron’s surprise was given away, but it didn’t diminish how good the players felt about getting their vacations off to an early start.
The Bills’ offseason program, which included 15 practices (13 of them voluntary), is over. There will be no more football until training camp begins in Pittsford in July.
“I’m looking more forward to being off for a month than to the start of training camp,” cornerback Terrence McGee said. “But I think the OTAs went well. A lot of guys showed up. We had great attendance. We were able to bond and get ready for training camp.”
This is the first time during Jauron’s tenure that he cut offseason workouts short. He did it because the team had made the progress he desired.
“I certainly feel good about it. I know they do,” Jauron said after the last session at Ralph Wilson Stadium. “It was a really good offseason. We got a lot of work done. Obviously our offense is new. . . . We needed a lot of work and we got it done.”
Linebacker Angelo Crowell, who put off his honeymoon to complete the workouts, is excited because he thinks the team is much further ahead than it was at this time last year.
“I feel like the pieces are in place this year,” he said. “The guys have a different attitude this year. You can feel it. We feel like we can go out and make it happen.”
While Jauron is pleased with the team’s work on the field, this wasn’t as peaceful an offseason as he would have liked. Player conduct has brought unwanted attention.
No issue has been more worrisome than the police investigation of running back Marshawn Lynch and his alleged involvement in a hit and run incident two weeks ago. Authorities arrived at One Bills Drive about two hours after practice and spent about 90 minutes questioning players believed to have been with Lynch when the accident occurred. Lynch declined to comment Thursday.
Three players — rookie wide receivers James Hardy and Steve Johnson and second-year offensive lineman Christian Gaddis — have been issued subpoenas to appear before an Erie County grand jury next Friday, along with Security Director Chris Clark. Also expected to be subpoenaed are owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr., Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon and two other team officials.
Jauron told the players during his post-practice address to use good judgment and avoid anything that might get them into trouble. He denied the talk was in reaction to the Lynch situation.
“It’s an ongoing thing,” Jauron said. “We talk to them about behavior, and of course the NFL in our player programs addresses it constantly and we address it in meetings all the time. But at this time we reinforce it. Be careful what you do, be careful where you are.”
Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters continued his holdout as he seeks a new contract. Jauron reiterated that he expects Peters to report to training camp, but is not certain that will happen.
Despite the distractions, the Bills are happy about how the offseason went. They head into training camp with a deeper and potentially stronger roster, one that has expectations of competing for a playoff spot.
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Also Thursday, the Bills signed fourth round draft pick Reggie Corner, a defensive back. The team released rookie quarterback Luke Drone and tight end Teyo Johnson. Both were signed as free agents.
