Buffalo Bills: Things we know this quiet, early June week

The drama pertaining to the running back position for the Buffalo Bills brings up old thought processes.

The Buffalo Bills staff will not render anything other than LeSean McCoy is our guy.  Once an elite franchise running back, McCoy is the starter, and in the 2019 plans. He should get the majority of the hand-offs, and figures to be a big part of the passing game as well.

Drafting a running back (Devin Singletary) was based on the best player on the board, but, again, McCoy will start.  He will be in the Bills’ 2019 plans. The team is just bringing in good football players; you can never have too many good running backs.

Signing Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon reflects in no way on the status of the Bills’ starter in McCoy. The team cut Chris Ivory and needed to replace him.  LeSean McCoy was and is the starter of the Buffalo Bills — no more questions.

No worries.  We do not want any more repeated rehearsed McCoy status proclamations.

I do not cross swords with many of the PR company lines reputed continuously similar to that of a robot.  McCoy has been a trooper on some Buffalo teams that lacked talent surrounding him. He had some great o-line play during his best two seasons in the Queen City. My point was due to the lack of passing games, the defensive coordinators planned against him getting the ball a whole heck of a lot. Stealing shamelessly from Master Jedi Yoda  ‘Abide- McCoy- did- not- they.’

Look what he did on one leg in 2015 season. Sharing some time due to injuries with rookie sensation Karlos Williams, still emanated in him banging out 800-plus yards. He was a stud playing in London when Tyrod Taylor, Karlos Williams and pretty much all of the wide receivers stayed home not crossing the pond injured.  The tight end position really never joined in the reindeer games, although invited repeatedly.

Pump the brakes management.  I know you are always one play away from an injury and could end up going from overstock dot com at the running back position, to playing practice squad neophytes within the blink of baby blues.

If the Bills stay healthy throughout training camp at the running back position, it would make sense that Yeldon, Gore, and McCoy will not all be on the roster with the rookie they drafted in the third round of the draft.  Enter exhibit -A- Devin Singletary. This third round selection could turn out to be a featured franchise back.  As the Sabre’s legendary play by play Rick Jeanneret would uniquely scream with his one of a kind voice after Hasek or Miller made a fantastic save; “Call the cops!”

Pulp Fiction “Everybody be cool. This is a robbery.” I could but will not keep going.  Focus Scott, football editorial, Buffalo Bills.

After Antowain Smith, Spiller, Lynch and McGahee, I am all about trading for your back like McCoy or getting first round talent that dropped like this year.  I would take an undrafted free agent like Fred Jackson any day, but that does not come along easily identified every day.

Keep in mind that LeSean McCoy was targeted as a very early first round pick and fell to the Eagles.  How about another second-round selection who is already in the hall of fame?  Thurman Thomas anyone?  A sure shot first rounder with a blown out knee caused the running back to fall to the second round.  To think he shared the backfield with a guy by the name of Barry Sanders in college?  Hello!  Are you kidding me?

I try staying clear of Buffalo’s 2001 second round Pro-Bowl running back Travis Henry.  No red flag was raised being that he fathered 11 children with 10 different mothers. A marriage from age 19 was annulled. Buffalo traded Henry to the Titans because he did not want to be a backup to McGahee in Buffalo. He assumed the backup position real nice behind Chris Brown in Nashville.  He was released and signed by Denver. His best days were behind him as multiple substance abuse violations had him out of the league quickly. The Bengals would have been a good fit for Henry at that juncture of Cincinnati’s existence.

Did Tom Donahoe’s staff even talk to Henry? Did they skip the combine?  Any college days or visits?  Background check?  Character references?  Then again his first hire of a head coach, Greg Williams, later became one of the key leaders in the Bounty Gate scandal.  Unbelievable.

A very successful company I was in management for many years made sure all members of the hiring team, both managers, and supervisors, were thoroughly trained in meticulous hiring.  The hiring process used there includes screening interviews, multiple in-depth interviews, a detailed background check, and reference checks were extremely effective. After an FBI style hiring process progressed, a very formal information exchange meeting took place to discuss the candidates who made it that far in the process.

One red flag agreed by the team of managers could quickly end the hiring process where the prospect would be declined.  This is a candidate who has even gone out as a try-out in the field for a day with experienced employees and rated in many areas.

My point is that I am pretty darn sure that many of the managers I worked for and with would have clearly identified Henry as not being a perfect culture fit. That was not for an NFL position. It was a route driver position. Hello? Was any homework done on him or did they see his Tennessee college stats and that he dropped to the second round and grabbed him? Unless they were impressed by his ambitiousness with fathering so many children with so many different ladies and being able to keep things straight. Wait… he had major childcare payment issues — scrap that theory.

Being cleared to return to the NFL means nothing when you are facing drug trafficking charges with certain prison time. Ten years to life was tossed around.  He ended up getting three years after all was said and done. He was using his NFL paychecks to finance a cocaine business. O.J. was certainly sitting in his prison cell, watching events unfold.

I can not deny or confirm any reports that O.J. was his mentor, life coach, pen-pal or if they had no connections to each other, except the genuine respect they had for each other off the football field.

11 children with10 different women? Couldn’t Travis make it 11 for 11?   The Juice would have let Henry live in his guest house with those kinds of stats.

Back to the current situation at running back. Competitive, but not Entertainment-Tonight material that the previous Bills running backs, coaches and GM provided.

One of them should be gone unless a significant injury comes in to play.  It could happen.  Bones are brittle at the twilight of backs careers.  They also take longer to heal.

“Green 19, play, hut, Omaha, Omaha……I digress…..”

Things We Know About The Buffalo Bills This Week:

• Frank Gore’s son committed to play ball at  Florida Atlantic University.  That is an accomplishment. Ya for the kid, but I was talking about for Frank Gore still playing at a high level in the NFL while having a son all signed up to play college ball at a high level.
• Josh Allen’s comfort level increases daily, which allows him to relate well with teammates on both sides of the ball. His easy-going personality draws people towards him, which gives him a focused audience when he needs to lead.