SIOUX CITY (KTIV) -- It's been a very good offseason for former Sioux City Bandits running back Fred Jackson. After wrapping up his second year with the Buffalo Bills, Jackson signed a 4-year contract, reportedly worth $2-million a season. With that big payday comes bigger expectations.

Jackson was back in Sioux City this past weekend, to take part in the "Soft Bowl" benefit softball game at Lewis and Clark Park. Jackson will likely be the Bills starter to start the season, because last year's starter, Marshawn Lynch, is serving a 3-game suspension.

Jackson ran for 571 yards last year with three touchdowns, and he's ready for the increased work load.

"I feel like I belong," says Jackson. "Our coaches are making adjustments in our playbook to get me the ball. Any time you have coaches doing that, going in after the film study to see how we can get him on the field more, it makes you feel like you belong."

One of Jackson's new teammates in Buffalo is wide receiver Terrell Owens, who's been known to cause some problems in the locker room. If he tries that with the Bills, Jackson says he won't be afraid to speak up. KTIV.com

Last offseason leading up to the 2008 campaign, the Bills often began practice in training camp with a no huddle series during 7-on-7 or team work. It was a component of Buffalo’s offense that coordinator Turk Schonert wanted to make use of over the course of the season. It was sprinkled in during games from time to time, but never was it used to the degree the offensive staff desired.

Now set to enter training camp in less than a month, the staff has established a renewed focus on the no huddle approach as it was a major component of the spring workouts. With greater responsibility on the shoulders of Trent Edwards in making play call changes at the line of scrimmage the offense looks like it will get to make greater use of it in 2009.

But exactly how often will the no huddle be utilized? Will it be their main means of attack? Will they only use it when their offense needs a jump start? When they’re behind on the scoreboard? Once in a while?

No one knows for sure, but head coach Dick Jauron made it clear it needs to be a bigger part of their offense than it was last season. Buffalo Bills.com

Buffalo’s defense made a wealth of improvements in their play last season, but there was one glaring problem that coordinator Perry Fewell saw right away. A lack of big plays.

In 2008 Buffalo tied a franchise low in interceptions (10), managed just 10 fumble recoveries and ranked 27th in the league in takeaway-giveaway margin at minus-8. The Bills also had their lowest sack total since 1979 with just 24 last year.

“We did not have a lot of sacks and we had some pressures and we had a lot of balls on the turf that we did not capture,” Fewell said. “We did not take advantage of that opportunity to get the ball. That’s definitely going to be an emphasis for us.”

Emphasizing it and having the talented players to make it happen however, are two different things. Fewell recognizes this.

“I’ve said often times to my staff in the offseason that we need more playmakers on our defense,” he said. “When the ball is in the air or on the turf do we have a person that creates turnovers for us to put us in a better position?”

Fewell is hoping it’s been added via the draft or a young veteran is ready to blossom this fall. Either way the takeaway numbers have to increase sharply if Buffalo is to contend for a playoff berth in 2009. Buffalo Bills.com

Seven and Nine are familiar numbers to Buffalo Bills fans, and it’s a dubious combination that the team itself wants to avoid at all costs when the final standings are sorted out the evening of January 3, 2010.
One thing is for certain, if the Bills finish 7-9 again this season, not only will they extend their playoff drought to double digits in terms of years, but there will likely be wholesale changes made in the front office, coaching staff, and roster.
Davior Edwards,,,,Bleacher Report

1. Kyle Orton, QB, Denver 2. Patrick Crayton, WR, Dallas 3. Ladell Betts, RB, Washington 4. Greg Olsen, TE, Chicago 5. Joey Galloway, WR, New England
National Football Post

...The reaction to his hiring by the New York Jets has been very positive, as Ryan is the polar opposite of the team’s former coach, Eric Mangini. Mangini was the type of coach that most players had a hard time feeling comfortable around because he was always trying to be someone he wasn’t (a Bill Belichick clone). Ryan is the true definition of a player’s coach. So as things look positive for the Jets, how have the Baltimore Ravens reacted to losing this beloved figure?
Michael Lambardi,,,,National Football Post

The Buffalo Bills couldn’t hold a lead last season. It wasn’t merely on a game-by-game basis: They blew it on a global scale. The squad notoriously plummeted from divisional studs to sub-.500 playoff outcasts; in doing so, the Bills proved that no lead is safe. That maxim applies to whoever tops the AFC East in September as well as to individual contests. Buffalo must remain continually ruthless if it's going to get anywhere in 2009.
Anthony Bialy,,,,,RF365

In a league where defenses are constructed under the premise of being strong up the middle, the tackle position has become the most pivotal spot on the defensive side of the ball.
Bucky Brooks,,,,,NFL.com

One key is that the Dolphins didn't lose anyone to injuries last season. Joey Porter played 16 games. Chad Pennington, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams all did the same. They all stayed healthy. They didn't lose anyone.
NFL.com

He's less than a year shy of 50, nearly 13 years removed from the game, which leads you to wonder how much passion Jim Kelly brings to his football camp these days. Is this his operation in name only, or does he remain an active participant? Does he show up at noon and go through the motions, or is he there from the get-go, highly visible and raring to teach some football?

Bob DiCesare,,,,,,Buffalo News

This much is certain — the most popular Buffalo Bills replica jersey worn by fans in Ralph Wilson Stadium this fall will include the number 1.

Jeff Rice,,,,,,Center Daily Times

...The main message of the NFL Rookie Symposium, a mandatory four-day orientation at PGA National Resort and Spa, is "watch your back at all times."
For the past 13 years, the league has conducted seminars to counsel draft picks on how to act like professionals. With the misdeeds of Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress filling headlines, commissioner Roger Goodell wants to get new players indoctrinated immediately.
Tim Graham,,,,ESPN

Point 1: The Baltimore Ravens must upgrade their wide receiver
Point 2: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should suspend wide receiver Plaxico Burress indefinitely.
Point 3: Former Cowboys defensive lineman Chris Canty is ready
Point 4: If Dre' Bly has a big year in San Francisco, it'll literally be at Denver's expense.
Point 5: Dolphins WR Davone Bess will once again make 31 teams wonder how they overlooked him during the 2008 NFL Draft.
Point 6: If linebacker D'Qwell Jackson's assessment is on the money, Browns fans could see a big improvement in Cleveland this year.
Point 7: I was glad to see that former Rams defensive end Deacon Jones is being thrust into the spotlight again.
Fox Sports

...There's no question Miami had some of the right talent to pull it off, including Pennington, running back Ronnie Brown, tight end Anthony Fasano and wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. The team also had the benefit of surprise for a few games in '08, something no team running a version of the "Wildcat" will have this season. As defenses adjust and learn how to react to it in a disciplined manner, the key is having a more versatile player at the controls: The ultimate wild card. Here is a look at the top five "Wildcat" wild cards for '09:
Vinnie Iyer,,,,,,,,the Sporting News

Last weekend, Channel 4 news reporter Jericka Duncan and Channel 7 news anchor Ginger Geoffery anchored the late sports reports on their stations. Unintentionally or not, the use of news personnel to do sports on rival stations on a weekend night said something about the state of TV sportscasting.

Alan Pergament/Buffalo News

Still some guys out there,,,
Fox Sports

The NFC East has been called The Beast for quite some time because of the talent its teams possess. If offseason moves are any indication, though, the AFC East may soon be the king of the jungle known as the NFL.

Every team in the division improved or added players who will raise their public profile. The Buffalo Bills, a young team, got Terrell Owens and are naturally more mature with another year of experience. The New England Patriots' Tom Brady will return from a knee injury, and they added veterans like Fred Taylor and Shawn Springs. The New York Jets grabbed standout linebacker Bart Scott and got their future franchise quarterback in first-round draft pick Mark Sanchez, an ex-USC star. And the defending division champion Miami Dolphins? They only added a boatload of depth and some more maturity. They didn’t add a high-profile wide receiver, which was a need, but they make up for it with their added confidence.
Adam Sweeney,,,,,,,,RF365

Buffalo Bills fans don’t have to worry about losing another alleged home game to Ontario, at least not yet. Um, yay? Owner Ralph Wilson claimed in an Associated Press interview that he’s pleased with the Treaty of Toronto’s current terms, and won’t reconsider them for “two or three years.” If accurate, that means the Bills get to be the Bills, at least for most of the season; they're rightly defined by their birthplace.
Anthony bialy,,,,,,RF365

...The best defenses in the NFL make things happen via pressure, and Buffalo's defense has been woefully inadequate in that department for the past 32 games.
Penn State DE Aaron Maybin was drafted by the Bills for a reason. He's here to fix that problem.
Brian Galliford,,,,,Buffalo Rumblings

Dennis Green believes the Miami Dolphins will sign Michael Vick.
Green, the former NFL coach now working for San Francisco of the startup United Football League, spoke with Sirius NFL Radio on Monday and made a bold observation about the quarterback.
Tim Graham,,,,,ESPN

Green, recently retired after 11 seasons with four teams, predicts almost a third of the NFL's starting quarterbacks can throw for 4,000 yards this year. He guarantees Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers will do it. He says Jay Cutler, Matt Cassel, Carson Palmer, Matt Schaub, Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo and Matt Hasselbeck have the potential to do it.
Missing from that list, in my opinion, is Trent Edwards. The third-year Buffalo Bills quarterback has the weaponry to do it: Terrell Owens, Lee Evans, Josh Reed, Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson and Dominic Rhodes.
Tom Graham,,,,,ESPN

The dream of an 18-game regular season in the NFL may come true in the near future. Of all the wonderful things about two extra contests per year, the best may be that Buffalo Bills receiver Terrell Owens will have two fewer weeks during the offseason to complain about former teammates.

He recently once again took on former teammate and passer Tony Romo, continuing a persistently unsurprising trend. Owens will focus on winning football games when he’s done winning an old argument.

RF365

Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson is in no hurry to have his team play more than one annual regular-season game in Toronto.

Wilson told The Associated Press on Sunday he'd prefer waiting "two or three years" to determine whether the northern experiment is a success before he'd consider reworking the contract reached last year with Toronto-based Rogers Communications.

Buffalo News

This much is certain — the most popular Buffalo Bills replica jersey worn by fans in Ralph Wilson Stadium this fall will include the number 1.

The question is, will it be 81 — worn by new Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens — or 51, the digits of third-year linebacker Paul Posluszny?

centredaily.com

In anticipation of the Buffalo Bills' 50th Anniversary, we'll be looking back on all 50 years of the Buffalo Bills, five years at a time.

Every Sunday from now until the official kickoff of the 50th year at the 2009 Hall of Fame Game, we'll look at key additions and subtractions, team records, and other events high and low in the history of the Bills.

Buffalo Rumblings