The Buffalo Bills signed CB William James to a two year contract on Tuesday.
James, who is a seven-year veteran, was signed away from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Atlanta, Houston, and Philadelphia had expressed interest in signing James, but Buffalo offered him a chance to become a full time starter. He is set to compete with Jabari Greer for the starting CB spot, behind Terrence McGee.
The Bills secondary is in need this offseason. Buffalo released Kiwaukee Thomas and failed to resign Jason Webster. Behind McGee and Greer the only other experienced CB is Ashton Youboty.
The signing of James is a much needed improvement that should bolster Buffalo's depleted secondary.
James, who was drafted in the third round by the Giants in 2001, spent last season with the Eagles where he started six games, finishing with 31 tackles and 1 interception.
But his best season came in 2004, where he finished with 68 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and two interceptions in 15 games started.
Buffalo has been in the market for a taller, physical corner. James is 6'0 and proven to be physical in man coverage.
The Bills also resigned safety Bryan Scott after he left a lasting impression last year, where he came in for an injury riddled defensive backfield. Scott finished last season with 20 tackles and one forced fumble.
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6 months ago
I feel that getting James was the best move for the bills because now in the draft they can mainly focus on the offense and where most of the points are scored, also because last year on offense we could not get anything started
from 6 months ago
I agree if you really think about it the defense is set. That is of course if James and Stroud play to their potential. This years draft should be mostly offensive help.
6 months ago
James will definitely help with the secondary and we will have a very fast and most importantly physical secondary. The size of this group is good too with DBs averaging 6' and 200 lbs.
I am excited about what I believe they can accomplish and winning close games was all we needed but I will take a blow-out any day!
GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
from Trent of Rochester New York
from 6 months ago
Good point. I didn't know the secondary averaged 6' but its good to know. Just hope James can carry handling being a full time starter, but if he isn't they still have a reliable back up in Greer. Possibly the other way around.
From another Bills fan in Rochester NY.
6 months ago
My comment on this is WHY isn't BuffaloBills.com/Chris Brown AND their mobile txt-ing system NOT reporting the signing? I know the Bills do NOT release information on a player signing, UNTIL it's been signed. Maybe that's the case, I don't know? They've already reported on Scott, but there is still NO official word from OBD (to my knowledge). In spite of it being reported ALL over everywhere else.
Will he be an assest? He HAS to be! Yes, the Bills are short on depth @ CB, but my question is, is James the guy to rescue the CB position?
from 6 months ago
I am not signed up for the Buffalo text messaging system. But the last time I checked the signing wasn't posted on BuffaloBills.com, so yes I am also somewhat confused. You asked if James can save the CB position. I don't think he is here to save it, I think he is great depth and he can certainly hold things down until Buffalo finds a young talent to stay at #2. But who knows maybe James will turn out to be a stud because he has all the physical attributes to do so, assuming his back stays healthy.
6 months ago
I think you need to have a solid 4 corners on an NFL team. I'm not to sure on Ashton yet and James who we just picked up has an awful back that has given him problems constently. I still say we draft a top corner and then get Hardy or Thomas in the second.
from 6 months ago
I agree with you completely. Youboty just seems to lack something at the NFL level, to be honest he looks like a high schooler on the field. He's just to skinny to make the plays needed. Buffalo would be smart to take a CB first, seeing how the WR class is loaded with talent well into the 2nd round.
6 months ago
I agree that Youboty LOOKS VERY young, but looks don't mean a thing in playing football. This poor guy has had nothing but bad luck since he came to Buffalo. His Rookie year was mared by having to stay @ OSU to comlete his finals and got in later than we would have liked, but that's the rules. Then he had family troubles on top of that. His 2nd year, he fell victim to the injury bug that plagued our team so severely. I have hopes that he'll come around given the right opportunity that he just hasn't had since he originally arrived.
This was just posted on bb.com (3-27-2008)
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Simpson Working His Way Back
by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 3/26/2008 3:23 PM ET
Ko Simpson Press Conference
It was an encouraging sign to say the least. Bills safety Ko Simpson was not only back on his own two feet again on the first day of Buffalo's offseason conditioning program, he was drive pushing a 225-pound weight sled 20 yards down the field.
Simpson's teammates were simply happy to see him, but witnessing him perform that kind of strenuous work, knowing the severity of his injury last season, put some smiles on some faces.
"We've got Ko back and Ko is out here working hard," said Donte Whitner with a grin.
After a long rehab from a broken ankle suffered in the season opener that covered the remainder of the regular season and most of the offseason, Simpson was happy to be participating in exercises and training that was more specific to the game.
"It feels good to be out here actually doing some football work," said Simpson. "I've been rehabbing and that went well, so I'm ready to be back out here."
Simpson is fully cleared to partake in anything and everything contained in the offseason conditioning program. But the Bills free safety is still working his way back to full strength.
"Right now I'm not 100 (percent)," Simpson said. "I feel like I'm about 90 percent. I'm still waiting on the ligaments to heal up, and once they get back I'll be ready. I'll be 100 percent. But if I had to go out and play a game right now, I'd be ready."
After a workout like the one Simpson had Tuesday he said he'll be sore, but he knows its part of the process in getting back what he had. Simpson says physically he feels like a rookie coming in after spending so much of his offseason focused on getting his ankle right. As a result he's got to hit the weights. Currently weighing in at 205, Simpson wants to add three pounds of lean muscle mass to have his playing weight at 208 by the start of training camp.
Mentally, Simpson is still working to clear the hurdle of trusting the ankle and believing it will respond when he has to plant and drive off it to break on a pass for example.
"When we get to more drills and cut work I'll be thinking about it," Simpson admitted. "But right now straight ahead is no problem. It's more of the breaking, and once I get (past) that, there won't be any thinking."
Simpson is motivated for the 2008 campaign after his injury robbed him of what he was anticipating would be a very successful sophomore season.
"It was tough for any guy to go through that," he said. "You come in with your expectations high and you want to do a lot of good things, and then it's taken away from you. You're watching the game and you're wishing you could be out there helping them but that ain't going to work, so basically you come back this year and bounce back and hope for the best."
The third-year safety isn't worried about re-acclimating himself to the pro game after missing almost all of the 2007 season. Though there are some new wrinkles in Buffalo's defensive system Simpson believes things will fall back into place for him.
"I feel like it will come back to me," he said. "I'll be here with George (Catavolos) the DB coach and catch back up with the new stuff they did. Hopefully I can jump back in, but you never know until you get back out there."
Simpson isn't bothered by the likelihood that he'll be fighting to reclaim his starting role with the likes of George Wilson. As far as he's concerned Wilson is no different from any other competition he's had to face in any other season of his career.
"Every year it's a battle," said Simpson. "I'm just trying to get healthy and then I'm going to let the chips fall where they (may)."
from 6 months ago
thanks for posting that article.. but i don't think youboty will come around to be anything better than a nickle/reserve corner. Size has alot to do with it at the corner position. Do you ever think Youboty could cover Randy Moss? or any receiver over 6'0. It's just no - and the coaching staff must agree with me. Seeing how they brought in another CB to player the nickle and make Youboty a reserve. They are even looking at bringing in another one in Carr.
6 months ago
JOE: I'm not going to even attempt to say that he'll be a starter or is one of the CB answers. I was trying to get some info out there on how he's had a very rough start as a Buffalo Bill. I'm ALL for looking at the CB position w/ the WR's we'll face.
Didn't Carr sign an offer sheet w/ the Titans, & the Raiders can match?
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