Buffalo Bills
The 2006 and 2007 seasons both brought 7-9 records under Jauron’s coaching, having been eliminated from playoff contention in December in both years. 2006 saw the additions of Donte Whitner, Ko Simpson, Ashton Youboty, Anthony Hargrove and Kyle Williams to the defensive corps while 2007 brought in Trent Edwards to quarterback the offense, rookie first-round draft pick Marshawn Lynch, second-round pick Paul Posluszny, offensive linemen Derrick Dockery and Langston Walker, and backup running back Fred Jackson. J. P. Losman played all 16 games in 2006 but was benched in early 2007 in favor of Edwards.
At the end of the 2007 season, Levy retired once again, citing the fact that he had reached the end of his two-year contract. Meanwhile offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild, a frequent fan target for the Buffalo Bills‘ offensive woes, was hired as head coach of Colorado State University’s football program, and Losman was (as of January 2008) seeking a trade out of Buffalo. Offensive line coach Jim McNally retired shortly after the end of the season. All of those positions were filled from within, with Turk Schonert promoted to offensive coordinator.
In January 2008, the Bills became the first team to arrange to play annual home games outside of the United States when an agreement was struck for the Bills to move one of its December home games for each of the next five years to Toronto, Ontario’s Rogers Centre. In the agreement, owner Ralph Wilson will lease the team to Ted Rogers (of Rogers Communications) in exchange for C$78,000,000.
