Buffalo Bills news, 2/14: Jim Hostler's role defined

Bills assistant Hostler will try to keep offense a step ahead - Sports - The Buffalo News

"We’re going to use Jim in this role," explained Bills head coach Doug Marrone. "Here’s someone who’s always working ahead for us, a day ahead, schematically during the year. He’s someone who has experience at all the skill positions. He has coached receivers, coached quarterbacks. He will have his input in helping young players progress in those groups."

Coaching clicks

Bills blending new voices in offensive room - BuffaloBills.com
"There's no question that the addition of senior offensive assistant Jim Hostler and quarterbacks coach Todd Downing will help in providing a fresh perspective for the offense. Working their ideas into the discussions in Buffalo's offensive meeting room will be a methodical process."

Inside The Bills | Pepper: I’m a demanding coach for a reason
"I think the sport demands a lot out of you. I think you really need to have that, but my job is really to get the players to understand each other," Johnson said. "As long as they understand each other and I can sit back and watch them work from the things that I have shown them and made them aware of in the classroom and the practice field, then I don’t have to do all that yelling and pointing fingers on the sideline. That’s when I feel like in my job I’ve accomplished something.

Inside The Bills | Pepper pumped about his D-line
"I have an awesome group," Johnson said. "From my understanding I think that room is going to be well educated football-wise and guys who are hungry and want to win ball games. If you want to win ball games I’m your man. That’s what I’m built for.

Inside The Bills | Hostler familiar with what Hackett faced at QB
"The year I was coordinating, Alex (Smith) had started, but he only made it seven games and then we played with Trent (Dilfer) and he only made it six games and then it was Shaun (Hill)," said Hostler. "So I went through some of the same things Nate had to deal with last year. I’ve played with four quarterbacks, some of whom didn’t show up until the week before the game so I understand some of those issues he had last year."

Inside The Bills | Assts work with young QBs appealed to Marrone
"When I thought about Todd Downing I remember watching him at the Senior Bowl and watching him interact with EJ and I remember talking EJ about his experience at the Senior Bowl and who coached him," said Marrone. "He mentioned Todd’s name and what their relationship was like and that was important for me because we were going to hire a quarterback coach and I wanted EJ as well as our other quarterbacks to feel comfortable in that type of setting where they didn’t have any barriers of communication. It was already set so that put us ahead of the game."

More clicks

Can the Bills afford to use the franchise tag on Jairus Byrd again? - BN Blitz
"If the Bills and Byrd can't hammer out a long-term deal and Byrd signed his franchise tag again, then the Bills will have spent over $15 million guaranteed for two seasons, the specter of more drama this year and no assurances for 2015."

Bills have fourth-highest cap carryover - Buffalo Bills Blog - ESPN
"Current figures from ESPN's Roster Management System have the Bills with more than $17 million in carried over cap space, which should increase their 2014 salary cap to more than $140 million. "

Offensive cap breakdown: Buffalo Bills - ESPN
"Here's how that $49 million breaks down, position-by-position. Note that players who signed 'future contracts' for the 2014 season aren't included in this analysis:"

Defensive cap breakdown: Buffalo Bills - ESPN
"Here is how that $56 million breaks down, position-by-position. Note that players who signed 'future contracts' for the 2014 season aren't included in this analysis:"