AFC East: Curtis Modkins
By all accounts, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen looked sharp in his pro day workout Friday in South Bend, Ind.
ClausenNext up: the Buffalo Bills, holders of the draft's ninth overall selection.
The Bills were among the 16 teams present for Clausen's pro day. Adam Benigni, sports anchor for Buffalo's NBC affiliate, took a closer look than I did at the attached video of Clausen's workout and spotted Bills general manager Buddy Nix, chief college scout Tom Modrak and offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins watching intently in the background.
After the workout, he sat down with ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay and revealed his upcoming schedule.
Clausen will return to Indianapolis for a medical visit to see how much his surgically repaired toe has healed since the NFL scouting combine.
From there, Clausen will head to One Bills Drive then to the St. Louis Rams, who have the first pick, and then back to South Bend for a private workout April 15 with the Washington Redskins, owners of the fourth pick.
Two other teams slotted ahead of the Bills -- the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns -- also attended Clausen's pro day.
"It's fun because you get to meet a bunch of different coaches, GMs, owners, but at the same time you really don't know what's going to happen," Clausen said of the interview process. "All you can control is what you can control, come out here today and have a good day throwing the ball to my guys and just have a lot of fun."
In Friday's 45-minute workout, Clausen completed 57 of his 59 passes, the two misfires coming on deep balls. The toe injury prevented him from rolling out or running naked bootlegs.
The Bills were among the 16 teams present for Clausen's pro day. Adam Benigni, sports anchor for Buffalo's NBC affiliate, took a closer look than I did at the attached video of Clausen's workout and spotted Bills general manager Buddy Nix, chief college scout Tom Modrak and offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins watching intently in the background.
After the workout, he sat down with ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay and revealed his upcoming schedule.
Clausen will return to Indianapolis for a medical visit to see how much his surgically repaired toe has healed since the NFL scouting combine.
From there, Clausen will head to One Bills Drive then to the St. Louis Rams, who have the first pick, and then back to South Bend for a private workout April 15 with the Washington Redskins, owners of the fourth pick.
Two other teams slotted ahead of the Bills -- the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns -- also attended Clausen's pro day.
"It's fun because you get to meet a bunch of different coaches, GMs, owners, but at the same time you really don't know what's going to happen," Clausen said of the interview process. "All you can control is what you can control, come out here today and have a good day throwing the ball to my guys and just have a lot of fun."
In Friday's 45-minute workout, Clausen completed 57 of his 59 passes, the two misfires coming on deep balls. The toe injury prevented him from rolling out or running naked bootlegs.
Bills staff eliminates offensive confusion
March, 30, 2010
3/30/10
7:00
PM ET
By Tim Graham | ESPN.com
Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards hasn't been in the NFL for three calendar years yet. He's working with his fourth offensive coordinator.
Steve Fairchild, Turk Schonert and Alex Van Pelt handled the duties under defensive-minded head coach Dick Jauron.
For the first time since the Bills drafted Edwards in the third round in April 2007, he will play for a head coach with an offensive background. Chan Gailey will call the plays with young coordinator Curtis Modkins acting more like a sidekick.
Edwards is a fan of that autocratic setup rather than the muddled chain of command under Jauron.
"I don't want to talk negatively about last year's staff," Edwards said Tuesday at the start of offseason workouts, "but the hard part for me as a quarterback, you want to have one person to listen to and one voice.
"I feel like the last couple years you would say one thing to one guy, and he would say it to another guy, and what you're looking for would kind of get lost in the process.
"I feel with the situation we're in, if you like something offensively you're telling it to the head coach. You're telling it to the offensive coordinator. They're the same person, and he's probably going to get that done for you."
Steve Fairchild, Turk Schonert and Alex Van Pelt handled the duties under defensive-minded head coach Dick Jauron.
For the first time since the Bills drafted Edwards in the third round in April 2007, he will play for a head coach with an offensive background. Chan Gailey will call the plays with young coordinator Curtis Modkins acting more like a sidekick.
Edwards is a fan of that autocratic setup rather than the muddled chain of command under Jauron.
"I don't want to talk negatively about last year's staff," Edwards said Tuesday at the start of offseason workouts, "but the hard part for me as a quarterback, you want to have one person to listen to and one voice.
"I feel like the last couple years you would say one thing to one guy, and he would say it to another guy, and what you're looking for would kind of get lost in the process.
"I feel with the situation we're in, if you like something offensively you're telling it to the head coach. You're telling it to the offensive coordinator. They're the same person, and he's probably going to get that done for you."
Bills finalize staff, Schobel's future unsure
February, 11, 2010
2/11/10
1:41
PM ET
By Tim Graham | ESPN.com
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills staged a media meet-and-greet with new head coach Chan Gailey and his coordinators Thursday afternoon in Ralph Wilson Stadium.
For the first time since they've been hired, offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins, defensive coordinator George Edwards and special-teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven spoke with reporters.
Mostly, it was a chance to get a feel for their philosophies, but there was a little news to report.
Gailey finalized his staff by announcing he had retained DeMontie Cross as inside linebackers coach and has assigned Bob Sanders to outside linebackers and newcomer Giff Smith to the defensive line.
Sanders coached Buffalo's defensive line last year after serving as the Green Bay Packers' defensive coordinator. Smith coached with Gailey at Georgia Tech.
Gailey also said he has spoken to two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Schobel, who's considering retirement.
"I took from the conversation he has not decided," Gailey said. "I think that's going to come with time. He's going to have to make a decision.
"We know what a great player he is. You know you'd like to have him on the Bills if we could make that happen. We'll see what he decides. I don't want to speak for him."
Gailey also acknowledged rumors the Bills are interested in trading for a veteran quarterback, perhaps Michael Vick. But Gailey didn't have much info to share. He said he hasn't gotten through the evaluation process with the quarterbacks on his roster: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Trent Edwards and Brian Brohm.
"This is a quarterback-driven league at this point," Gailey said. "It hasn't always been that way, but it seems to have become moreso in the last decade or so. You have to have a quality player there. It does not have to be a big-name player. You just have to have quality production. That's the decision you're trying to make."
I'll post Edwards' thoughts on the move from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 scheme, but in the meantime, here is a rundown of the Bills' revamped coaching staff for 2010.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/ David DupreyNow that Chan Gailey has assembled his coaching staff, he can move on to other things such as deciding who his quarterback will be in 2010.
AP Photo/ David DupreyNow that Chan Gailey has assembled his coaching staff, he can move on to other things such as deciding who his quarterback will be in 2010.Mostly, it was a chance to get a feel for their philosophies, but there was a little news to report.
Gailey finalized his staff by announcing he had retained DeMontie Cross as inside linebackers coach and has assigned Bob Sanders to outside linebackers and newcomer Giff Smith to the defensive line.
Sanders coached Buffalo's defensive line last year after serving as the Green Bay Packers' defensive coordinator. Smith coached with Gailey at Georgia Tech.
Gailey also said he has spoken to two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Schobel, who's considering retirement.
"I took from the conversation he has not decided," Gailey said. "I think that's going to come with time. He's going to have to make a decision.
"We know what a great player he is. You know you'd like to have him on the Bills if we could make that happen. We'll see what he decides. I don't want to speak for him."
Gailey also acknowledged rumors the Bills are interested in trading for a veteran quarterback, perhaps Michael Vick. But Gailey didn't have much info to share. He said he hasn't gotten through the evaluation process with the quarterbacks on his roster: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Trent Edwards and Brian Brohm.
"This is a quarterback-driven league at this point," Gailey said. "It hasn't always been that way, but it seems to have become moreso in the last decade or so. You have to have a quality player there. It does not have to be a big-name player. You just have to have quality production. That's the decision you're trying to make."
I'll post Edwards' thoughts on the move from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 scheme, but in the meantime, here is a rundown of the Bills' revamped coaching staff for 2010.
Gailey's staff looks thin on experience
February, 10, 2010
2/10/10
3:40
PM ET
By Tim Graham | ESPN.com
Now that new Buffalo Bills coach Chan Gailey has essentially assembled his staff, I thought it would be worthwhile to present a snapshot of who they are.
You'll notice a couple blanks still need to be filled in. The Bills have yet to designate a defensive line or linebackers coach and could have other openings on the staff. For example, they could choose to break up inside and outside linebackers.
The Bills have two defensive assistants who haven't been assigned duties. Bob Sanders and Giff Smith have experience coaching the defensive line. Sanders did it last year, but he also coached linebackers for the Miami Dolphins.
What stands out to me is the lack of NFL experience throughout the staff.
Defensive backs coach George Catavolos has banked 26 years in that role. Special-teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven has put in 23 years. But there's a huge drop from there.
Gailey has gathered acquaintances from his days at Georgia Tech and assistants he identified as up-and-comers during his brief stay with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Gailey will have at least eight assistants with two or fewer years of NFL experience in the positions they will hold with the Bills. At least four of them will have zero seasons of NFL experience in their given role.
That's not to say they're all neophytes.
One of those first-timers is veteran quarterbacks coach George Cortez, who has spent more than three decades coaching at colleges and in the Canadian Football League.
They might all be fine teachers, but I think it's fair to wonder how these coaches will handle the fast-paced, high-pressure setting of an NFL sideline on Sunday afternoons.
You'll notice a couple blanks still need to be filled in. The Bills have yet to designate a defensive line or linebackers coach and could have other openings on the staff. For example, they could choose to break up inside and outside linebackers.
The Bills have two defensive assistants who haven't been assigned duties. Bob Sanders and Giff Smith have experience coaching the defensive line. Sanders did it last year, but he also coached linebackers for the Miami Dolphins.
What stands out to me is the lack of NFL experience throughout the staff.
Defensive backs coach George Catavolos has banked 26 years in that role. Special-teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven has put in 23 years. But there's a huge drop from there.
Gailey has gathered acquaintances from his days at Georgia Tech and assistants he identified as up-and-comers during his brief stay with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Gailey will have at least eight assistants with two or fewer years of NFL experience in the positions they will hold with the Bills. At least four of them will have zero seasons of NFL experience in their given role.
That's not to say they're all neophytes.
One of those first-timers is veteran quarterbacks coach George Cortez, who has spent more than three decades coaching at colleges and in the Canadian Football League.
They might all be fine teachers, but I think it's fair to wonder how these coaches will handle the fast-paced, high-pressure setting of an NFL sideline on Sunday afternoons.
At his introductory news conference, Chan Gailey warned Buffalo Bills fans he probably wouldn't hire many assistants they'd heard of.
He wasn't lying.
The Bills announced on Wednesday Gailey has brought in five assistants and has retained two holdovers from last year's coaching staff.
New to the team are offensive coordinator and running backs coach Curtis Modkins, tight ends coach Bob Bicknell, offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris, offensive quality control assistant Kevin Patullo and defensive assistant Giff Smith.
Since Gailey intends to handle the play-calling duties, the most significant vacancy remains defensive coordinator.
"Right now we are happy with the coaches that we have been able to get on the staff," Gailey said in a statement released by the Bills. "Ultimately, we want to make sure we get the right guys: great teachers, great communicators and the right kind of people for the Bills. These coaches give us a great start in that direction."
All except Smith worked with Gailey when he was offensive coordinator if the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008.
Modkins was the Arizona Cardinals' running backs coach this past season. Bicknell coached the Chiefs' tight ends, while D'Alessandris assisted the Chiefs' O-line coach.
Patullo handled offensive quality control in Kansas City, but was out of the NFL last year.
Smith hasn't coached in the NFL. He served on Gailey's staff at Georgia Tech. Smith coached the defensive line and oversaw recruiting.
Secondary coach George Catavolos and defensive line coach Bob Sanders are the holdovers.
Catavolos oversaw the NFL's second-ranked pass defense. The Bills also finished second with 28 interceptions.
He wasn't lying.
The Bills announced on Wednesday Gailey has brought in five assistants and has retained two holdovers from last year's coaching staff.
New to the team are offensive coordinator and running backs coach Curtis Modkins, tight ends coach Bob Bicknell, offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris, offensive quality control assistant Kevin Patullo and defensive assistant Giff Smith.
Since Gailey intends to handle the play-calling duties, the most significant vacancy remains defensive coordinator.
"Right now we are happy with the coaches that we have been able to get on the staff," Gailey said in a statement released by the Bills. "Ultimately, we want to make sure we get the right guys: great teachers, great communicators and the right kind of people for the Bills. These coaches give us a great start in that direction."
All except Smith worked with Gailey when he was offensive coordinator if the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008.
Modkins was the Arizona Cardinals' running backs coach this past season. Bicknell coached the Chiefs' tight ends, while D'Alessandris assisted the Chiefs' O-line coach.
Patullo handled offensive quality control in Kansas City, but was out of the NFL last year.
Smith hasn't coached in the NFL. He served on Gailey's staff at Georgia Tech. Smith coached the defensive line and oversaw recruiting.
Secondary coach George Catavolos and defensive line coach Bob Sanders are the holdovers.
Catavolos oversaw the NFL's second-ranked pass defense. The Bills also finished second with 28 interceptions.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
James Walker
Walker joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the NFL and NBA for the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. He's a Temple graduate and Hyattsville, Md. native who lives in Miami.
