Bills Ownership - Pro Football Rumors

East Notes: Bills, Giants, Jets, Cowboys

September 2nd, 2014 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Although a report last week suggested that the Toronto-based attempting to buy the Bills had parted ways with lead bidder Jon Bon Jovi, that’s not exactly the case, says John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. According to Kryk, Bon Jovi never left the group, but he and his partners remain “highly pessimistic” they’ll be able to buy the franchise. With final bids due a week from today, sources tell Kryk it wouldn’t be a surprise if Bon Jovi’s group disbanded before that deadline, but for now they continue to consider whether or not to submit a final bid.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

Six players are auditioning today for the final two spots on the Giants‘ practice squad, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Per Graziano, former Ball State wideout Willie Snead will be among the players in attendance, and we heard yesterday that offensive lineman Adam Gettis would also be working out for the team.
Jets GM John Idzik continues to say he has no regrets about the Jets’ approaching to fortifying the cornerback position this offseason, even after the release of the team’s only notable free agent signee (Dimitri Patterson). Seth Walder of the New York Daily News has the details and quotes.
Appearing on his weekly radio show on KRLD-FM in Dallas, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones weighed in on Dez Bryant and Kyle Orton, suggesting that not having a contract extension in place by Week 1 wouldn’t be a distraction for Bryant. Jones added that Orton expressed some interest in continuing his career with the Cowboys before the team released him, but that Dallas had opted to go with Brandon Weeden as its backup instead (links via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
Earlier today, we rounded up some comments made by Tom Brady on his future with the Patriots and the team’s decision to trade Logan Mankins.

Bon Jovi, Toronto Group Vying For Bills Part Ways

August 29th, 2014 at 11:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

11:02pm: Sources tell Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter) that the group is “falling apart,” and that a cabal involving just Tanenbaum and the Rogers family is unlikely to be successful.

10:10pm: Jon Bon Jovi is no longer a part of the Toronto-based group vying for the Bills franchise, report Josh Kosman and Lois Weiss of the New York Post. Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Maple Lead Sports and Entertainment, and the Rogers family, were apparently concerned about Bon Jovi’s lack of funds (relative to other bidders).

As the leader of the bidding group, Bon Jovi was responsible for thirty percent of the party’s total bid. Because the rocker is worth approximately $300MM, the group’s offer would have been capped at roughly $1.1 billion — this would fall in line with the numbers we heard last week. While reports have differed, Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula might have bid up to $1.3 billion, leaving the Toronto group’s figure well short.

Per Kosman and Weiss, the Rogers family is “very serious” about winning the Buffalo franchise. Sources tell the duo that while reports paint the bidding group as fragmenting, it is in fact “reforming,” as evidenced by the removal of Bon Jovi. Final offers for the Bills are due on September 9. Donald Trump and former Sabres owner Tom Golisano are among the remaining contenders for the team.

AFC East Rumors: Bills, Urbik, Patriots

August 29th, 2014 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

We heard yesterday that the Bills had been dangling wide receiver T.J. Graham as a trade chip for several months, but Graham apparently isn’t the only player Buffalo is willing to move. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), the Bills have also been gauging potential trade interest in offensive lineman Kraig Urbik, who is set to earn a $2.275MM base salary in 2014 and is seemingly falling out of favor with the team.

As we wait to see if the Bills can find a taker for Graham or Urbik, here are a couple more Bills notes, along with an update on one of their divisional rivals:

After having parted ways with Thad Lewis earlier in the week, the Bills are on the lookout for a No. 2 quarterback to back up E.J. Manuel, says ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Jordan Palmer was also cut by the team today, so it appears Jeff Tuel will head into the season as Manuel’s backup if Buffalo doesn’t make another move, but the team would prefer someone with more experience, according to Caplan, who identifies Kyle Orton as a possible target (Twitter link)
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explores the reported bids on the Bills, trying to deduce why the figures cited so far have ranged so significantly. One report, for instance, suggested Jon Bon Jovi‘s Toronto group had bid $809MM for the franchise, while another reported placed the bid between $1 and $1.1 billion.
According to Jason La Canfora (via Twitter), there have been “rumblings” that the Patriots may part with Stevan Ridley this week, or that the team may keep just two quarterbacks, which presumably would mean trading or cutting Ryan Mallett. La Canfora adds that he’d be “very surprised” if either of those actually happens, though as we saw with this week’s Logan Mankins deal, the Pats won’t shy away from making unexpected roster moves.

AFC East Notes: Patterson, Bills, Pats

August 25th, 2014 at 4:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s look at the latest from the AFC East:

Dimitri Patterson‘s decision to skip the Jets’ Friday night preseason game was fueled by his displeasure at his place on the cornerback depth chart, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. New York suspended Patterson indefinitely this afternoon.
Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio today (Twitter link), former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly said he didn’t care which bidder ultimately purchases the franchise, as long as they intend to keep the team in Buffalo. Kelly reportedly turned down an opportunity to join Jon Bon Jovi’s Toronto group in a bid for the Bills.
Jimmy Garoppolo will start at quarterback for the Patriots in Thursday’s preseason finale, but according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter) New England still hasn’t decided whether he or Ryan Mallett will be the No. 2 quarterback when the regular season arrives.
With Mallett reportedly on the trade block, Tom Carpenter of ESPN Insider (subscription required) takes a look at some possible destinations for the Patriots backup QB.
With regards to dealing Mallett, however, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says (via Twitter) that the Patriots won’t trade him until they are certain Garoppolo is ready to flourish as Tom Brady‘s primary backup.
Rapoport has more on the Patriots, tweeting that Tommy Kelly and/or Will Smith, both of whom were released yesterday, could re-sign with New England after Week 1, at which point neither’s salary would be guaranteed. Rapoport passed along this thought before news of Kelly’s visit with the Cardinals broke.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Bon Jovi Group Bid $1B+ For Bills?

August 22nd, 2014 at 8:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

8:58pm: Binding bids are due September 9, updates Kryk. If the the Bills trust wants a new owner in place to be approved at the owner’s meetings, only about a week remains for the process to conclude. If the owners are unable to vote on a new Bills owner by October 7-8, the Buffalo franchise may not have an owner until December.

8:25pm: While Mike Ozanian of Forbes reported this morning that the Toronto group vying for the Bills had bid just $820MM for the franchise, John Kyrk of the Toronto Sun disputes that figure, writing that the clan including Jon Bon Jovi, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment head Larry Tanenbaum, and the Rogers Family placed a bid between $1-1.1 billion. Per Kryk, each group was allowed to place either specific bid, or one that fell within a range, with the Toronto party presumably choosing the latter.

Kryk didn’t fully dispute Ozanian’s claim that Sabres owner Terry Pegula had placed a $890MM bid, but notes that if that was the actual figure, it is considerably less than the Toronto group’s proposal. Kryk also writes that he thinks initial reports regarding the bidding process, which indicated Pegula’s offer was closer to $1.3 billion, are probably closer to the truth. In fact, it’s possible that Pegula, like the Bon Jovi group, used a sliding bid, an offered something like $1.1-1.3 billion.

Regardless of the details, none of the bids offered are binding; final, binding bids are due early next month. For what it’s worth Forbes recently placed a $935MM valuation on the Bills, so a reported bid of $890MM does sound low. It’s doubtful we will learn any specific details of the process until we get closer to the conclusion of the sale.

East Notes: Henery, Bills, Vick, Cowboys

August 22nd, 2014 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

After spending the last three years as the Eagles‘ kicker, Alex Henery may be losing his grip on the job this preseason, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer details. In last night’s preseason game against the Steelers, a day after the Eagles brought aboard another kicker (Cody Parkey), Henery missed a 31-yard attempt.

“I wish I could put my finger on that,” said head coach Chip Kelly, asked if Henery was losing his confidence. “I don’t know what he’s battling. Obviously, you got to make a field goal like that. You got to make it.”

As we wait to see what decision the Eagles make on their kicking situation, let’s round up a few more notes out of the NFL’s two East divisions….

According to Mike Ozanian of Forbes, Sabres owner Terry Pegula did indeed make the high initial bid for the Bills, but it was significantly lower than previously reported. Ozanian pegs the non-binding figure at $890MM, and says the bids by Jon Bon Jovi‘s group and Donald Trump came in at $820MM and $809MM respectively. The next round of bids could be higher, but Ozanian thinks it may be in the Wilson trust’s best interests to fire Morgan Stanley – the investment bank handling the sale – and to start over.
Meanwhile, John Kryk of the Toronto Sun writes that Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke, who is reportedly on his way out of the organization, had little to do with the Toronto group’s Bills bid, outside of introducing Bon Jovi and MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum.
Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com takes a look at Michael Vick‘s situation in New York, where the veteran Jets quarterback seems willing to take a back seat to Geno Smith to start the season. “I’m at a very good place,” Vick said. “Very relaxed. Things are more laid back right now as far as football, and off the field. No stress, no pressure. Even though, when you play football, there is always some sort of pressure. But at this stage of my career, I’m just trying to refresh and regroup and see where it takes me.”
Referring to the Cowboys‘ linebacker corps, sans Sean Lee, as the “worst in history,” Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News suggests the team will need to keep a close eye on the waiver wire next week and potentially snatch up a player dropped by another club.

AFC Notes: Bills, Allen, Gase, Mays, Texans

August 21st, 2014 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s been a rough few weeks for Jon Bon Jovi‘s Toronto-based group that is bidding on the Bills. The group had to resubmit its initial bid, which was unacceptably low, and only advanced to the final stage of the sale process after providing additional assurances that the team wouldn’t be moved out of Western New York. Now, according to John Kryk of the Toronto Sun, the Toronto group is debating whether or not to even continue its pursuit of the Bills.

“They’re hanging on by the skin of their teeth,” one source told Kryk. “The bid’s on life support.”

As Tim Graham of the Buffalo News writes, finalists have been invited to tour the Bills’ facilities at Ralph Wilson Stadium, but a source tells Kryk that Bon Jovi and company canceled their Wednesday visit to the stadium, and don’t have plans to reschedule. According to Kryk, the Toronto group will take the next week or so to assess and discuss what they do at this stage to mount “a formidable, effective bid.”

Let’s check out a few more links from out of the AFC….

After locking up kicker Shaun Suisham and tackle Marcus Gilbert to contract extensions, the Steelers continue to work on new deals for their players. According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter), the team is now focusing on an extension for cornerback Cortez Allen, and is hoping to get something done before the preseason ends.
While Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase focused on the Broncos’ playoff run last season rather than actively pursuing a head coaching job elsewhere, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com thinks the demand for Gase will be too high after this season for him not to be running his own team in 2015.
Linebacker Joe Mays, who signed with the Chiefs this offseason, will undergo wrist surgery, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). The timetable for Mays’ recovery isn’t yet known.
Texans general manager Rick Smith spoke at length to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle on the team’s disappointing 2013 season, and the retooling process that followed. “We’re trying to get our organization to a place where we are successful every year,” Smith said. “We were moving along that path and we had the setback.”
Monotony may be boring, but it’s welcome when it comes to the Raiders‘ offensive line, writes Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. Oakland had an NFL-high eight different combinations up front, and no starter made it through all 16 games last season. Now, center Stefen Wisniewski has had guard Khalif Barnes and tackle Donald Penn to his left and guard Austin Howard and tackle Menelik Watson to his right all offseason long.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

East Notes: Bills Sale, Branch, DRC, Jackson

August 19th, 2014 at 10:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bids for the Bills franchise are due in about two weeks, a source tells John Wawrow of the Associated Press. Morgan Stanley, the bank supervising the sale of the team, hopes to have a new owner in place by October, and as of now, Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula is considered the favorite to land Buffalo’s club. Former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly recently turned down an offer from rocker Jon Bon Jovi to join forces, while entrepreneur Donald Trump and former Sabres owner Tom Golisano are also among the contenders to purchase the team.

East Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Redskins, Wilson

August 18th, 2014 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Although Jim Kelly ultimately decided not to team with Jon Bon Jovi‘s Toronto-based group in an effort to buy the Bills, a source tells John Kryk of the Toronto Sun that Morgan Stanley – the investment firm handling the sale of the franchise – recommended Bon Jovi’s group meet with the Kellys as a way of making their bid “more Buffalo friendly.” As we heard this morning, it was the Kellys’ lack of confidence in the Toronto’s group’s intentions to keep the team in Buffalo that scuttled any potential agreement.

Here’s more from around the league’s two East divisions:

The Dolphins‘ problems at guard are disappointing, but hardly surprising, writes Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald also tackles the topic of the team’s struggling offensive line, suggesting that he doesn’t believe the Dolphins will try to acquire Alex Boone “based on issues relative to Boone’s personal life and other matters.”
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link) weighs in on the Redskins‘ quarterback situation, as Robert Griffin III continues to adjust to a new offense while hearing some footsteps from Kirk Cousins.
Hhis NFL career has come to an end, but former Giants running back David Wilson is training in the hopes of competing at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the triple jump, according to Christian Red of the New York Daily News.
While Eagles head coach Chip Kelly didn’t rule out the possibility of a Mark Sanchez trade, the team is certainly in no hurry to move its backup quarterback, writes Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Daily News.

Jim Kelly Decides Not To Team With Bon Jovi

August 18th, 2014 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

Although Jim Kelly recently discussed the possibility of a partnership with Jon Bon Jovi‘s Toronto-based group in an attempt to purchase the Bills, the Hall of Fame quarterback has decided not to team with the group due to lingering concerns over whether they’d try to move the franchise, reports Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. It was Graham who first reported over the weekend that the two groups had discussed the idea of partnering up.

“I can confirm that Jim Kelly met with Jon Bon Jovi, but Kelly and Jeffrey Gundlach will not be pursuing a relationship with the Toronto group,” a source told Graham in an email. “Kelly and Gundlach do not feel confident that their aspirations for keeping the Bills in Buffalo long-term are aligned with the interests of the Toronto group.”

Gundlach has been working with Kelly during the Bills’ sale process, and while it seems as if the two parties won’t make a bid for the team on their own, they’ve been working to find a larger bidder for a potential partnership. According to Graham, Jim’s brother Dan Kelly met with Donald Trump, but none of the Kellys have met with Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula, who are viewed as the frontrunners for the franchise.

Multiple sources told Graham prior to his previous report that the Kellys have asked for the following terms in any partnership: A 2% equity in the team, lifetime jobs for Jim and Dan, an up-front cash payment for their services, and final say on all football decisions. Graham’s initial report suggested that Trump wasn’t on board with those terms, so it appears that if the Kellys hope to enter a partnership with any of the bidders, they may have to compromise on one or more of those points.