Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills News, 6/18

Shutdown Corner Podcast: Greg Cosell on the AFC East Draft | Yahoo! Sports
"With the draft out the door and mandatory minicamps getting started, we thought it would be a good idea to get back on the phone with our buddy Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's 'NFL Matchup,' and talk about the NFL by division. Who did themselves the most favors in the draft, and who came up short when addressing their roster deficits?"

Optimism building in Bills country - The Buffalo News
"The Bills, mired in a dozen-year playoff drought, have reversed their recent slide in season- ticket sales, as the team already passed last year’s total of 37,355. With three months remaining until the regular- season home opener Sept. 16, the team recently passed the 40,000 mark in season tickets, according to Bills chief executive officer Russ Brandon."

Jaworski ranks QB Ryan Fitzpatrick No. 24 - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"There are 32 starting quarterback in the NFL, and Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Buffalo Bills is ranked in bottom fourth of the league at No. 24. That is the opinion of ESPN NFL analyst Ron Jaworski, who is in the process of ranking his top 30 quarterbacks this summer."

Negotiations on terms of new lease pick up speed - The Buffalo News
"I’m not saying that’s the final price tag," he said. "I can’t really say any more than that, because it’s all subject to negotiations."

Bills making progress on lease extension | ProFootballTalk
"We’re not New York City, we’re not Chicago, we’re not Boston, and we never will be," Poloncarz said. "But I certainly like us to be greater than other cities out there of comparable size that wish they had an NFL team. Well, we have one, and I have no intention of seeing that team leave on my watch."

Shawne Merriman at '100 percent' for Buffalo Bills - NFL.com
"We've haven't seen Shawne Merriman operate at full throttle in nearly half a decade, but the Buffalo Bills defensive end says he's ready to make a difference on a defense that's learned to play without him."

WGR 550 - SIMON: Big Week In Buffalo Sports
"As for the Bills, the voluntary OTA's are finished and all that remains before training camp is this week's mandatory three day minicamp. The workouts are still non contact so don't expect big things coming out of Orchard Park but its the last chance for the coaches to work on installation and even do some evaluating before everyone gets a few weeks off in preparation for July 26th and the start of training camp at St. John Fisher."

This Birthday in Buffalo Sports History: Bruce Smith - The Buffalo News
"Buffalo had made some bad decisions in the draft in that era, but this was a good one. He had 15 sacks in 1986, his second year in the NFL. By 1989, Smith was the Bills' all-time leader in sacks. He eventually was a huge part of the Bills' teams that made four straight Super Bowls."

Inside The Bills | 4 Bills headed to Frontier Field
"Fitz along with Nick Barnett, Brian Moorman and Rian Lindell are scheduled to take batting practice on Monday at Frontier Field in Rochester, NY."

Thoughts on LaDainian Tomlinson's retirement - Peter King - SI.com
In discussing LaDainian Tomlinson's retirement, Pete King calls Thurman Thomas the third best all-purpose back of the last 30 years behind Marshall Faulk and Tomlinson. He puts Thurman ahead of Marcus Allen.

10 Great Tips for Fathers from André Davis | Pro Player Insiders NFL Players
"In considering Father’s Day, I thought it would be interesting to do something a little different. Instead of writing a regular feature story on an NFL dad, I thought, why not have one of these well-respected men share his secret to successful fathering? Former NFL wide receiver André Davis was the first to come to mind."