Toronto Bills Blog

Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel is undecided on retirement. The defensive end was due a $2 million roster bonus yesterday. In order to collect, he must pass a team physical. He failed his last physical because of an elbow injury. He hasn’t determined whether he will play for a tenth season. Schobel has 4 years remaining on a $50 million contract. He has 78 career sacks. The 2 time Pro Bowler led the club with 10 sacks last year.

Offensive lineman Cornell Green has signed a 3 year, $9 million contract with Buffalo. He is the first player to join the Bills through free agency. The 6 - 6, 315 pound Green spent the last 3 seasons with the Raiders. He played college ball at Central Florida. In his 10 year career he has been with the Falcons, Jets, Broncos, and Buccaneers. Green played on Tampa Bay’s winning Super Bowl squad in 2002. He is expected to play right tackle for the Bills, providing experience and leadership to the young and inexperienced line.

Tim Tebow will work out for the Bills following Florida’s pro day on March 17. The two time BCS national champion and Heisman Trophy winner is a possible solution to Buffalo’s quarterback problem. He is likely to be available by the Bills ninth overall draft pick and may be unclaimed in later rounds. Tebow has the support of Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. The Bills have had 9 starting quarterbacks since Kelly’s retirement. Seattle has also requested a workout with Tebow. The Seahawks are looking for an eventual replacement to Matt Hasselbeck.

The Bills are said to be interested in Miami backup quarterback Tyler Thigpen. He may be available through trade now that the Dolphins have resigned Chad Pennington, who provides depth behind Chad Henne. Miami acquired Thigpen last year after Pennington was lost for the season with an injury. Thigpen played for the Chiefs in 2008 when Chan Gailey was offensive coordinator. He had 2,608 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, in addition to 3 scores on the ground. The 4 year veteran played one game last season against the Steelers, throwing for 83 yards and one touchdown.

Offensive guard Wade Smith has met with the Bills. The 6 - 4, 296 pound unrestricted free agent is in town to confer with team officials. The 8 year veteran has 34 career starts. He was drafted by Miami in 2003, where he played for 4 years. He later was with the Jets and Chiefs. While in Kansas City he played under Buffalo offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris. The Bills need major help up front, with Eric Wood recovering from an injury and little depth to the line.

Buffalo has signed safety Bryan Scott before the start of free agency. The 7 year veteran agreed to a 2 year contract worth an estimated 3 million dollars. Scott started 9 games last year and ranked third in team tackles. He sustained injuries which kept him sidelined for almost half the season. The Bills are not expected to pursue players actively through free agency, which begins today. Both Ralph Wilson and Buddy Nix have said that the draft is the preferred route for rebuilding the franchise.

The Bills have tendered a contract offer to Keith Ellison. The veteran linebacker missed the second half of last year’s season with an injury. He is likely to impact Buffalo’s new 3 - 4 defense. The Bills also made tender offers to cornerback Ashton Youboty, tight end Derek Schouman, and safety George Wilson. The contract offers come one day before the start of free agency. The Bills did not make contract offers to quarterback Gibran Hamden, tight end Joe Klopenstein, and offensive lineman Richie Incognito, who are expected to become free agents.

The Bills have signed free agent defensive tackle Marlon Favorite. The 6 - 1, 317 pound lineman joined the league as an undrafted free agent with Carolina in 2009. He has also played on the practice squads of New Orleans, Kansas City, and St. Louis. The Louisiana State University graduate had 17 college starts and appeared in the 2007 national championship game. He is expected to help with Buffalo’s new 3 - 4 defense.

The Bills need major help at offensive tackle. The line struggled all last season. The retirement of Brad Butler compounds the problem. Chan Gailey indicated the team will look to the draft or free agency. This year’s college class has several outstanding tackles. Prime prospects include Bryan Bulaga of Iowa, Trent Williams of Oklahoma, and Anthony Davis of Rutgers. They may be taken by Buffalo’s ninth overall pick. The Bills must shore up the offensive line, which ranked 29th in the league and allowed the third highest number of sacks.

Bills coach Chan Gailey has met with Jimmy Clausen at the scouting combine. The Notre Dame quarterback is considered a draft prospect for Buffalo, along with Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. Clausen would be a good fit for the Bills, having played college ball in cold weather, unlike Trent Edwards and J P Losman. He has played for 3 years under Charlie Weis, a former NFL coordinator. The 6 - 2, 223 pound Clausen had 28 touchdowns and 7 interceptions last season, completing 68 percent of his passes. He underwent surgery in January for an injured big toe. He expects to be ready for his pro day in South Bend on April 9.