Archives for August 2, 2005

‘The zebras were out in force at Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher College on Monday. The Bills brought in officials to work some of the drills at both of Tuesday’s sessions in an order to cut down on penalties. “We plan on having them for all of the double sessions,” Bills coach Mike Mularkey said.’

‘Is it a load off your shoulders to have the Travis Henry situation dealt with and know you’re the Bills’ No. 1 back?

“It’s nice that I don’t really have to worry about answering questions about how Travis and I get along. We always got along. There were no problems between us two. Remember, they drafted me. It wasn’t like I picked Buffalo. That’s what people didn’t understand.”’

‘J.P., take a tip. This is the NFL. The defenders are bigger, faster and stronger. Your ability to make plays on the run will serve you well, providing you don’t rely on that part of your game too heavily. The pocket must become your friend.’

Press release for Packers-Bills practice.

‘”I’m pretty pleased,” said coach Mike Mularkey. “I feel they haven’t missed a beat since that infamous game in Miami. They’ve come in here confident and been very productive up to this point.”‘

‘Is Mularkey concerned Losman’s scrambling success in practice might cause the QB to run too much? “That to me is a serious threat that we’re going to take advantage of,” Mularkey said. “If he can see it and wants to take it, I’m not going to take that away from him. . . . He just has to know . . . he’s got to be smart about it, and that tough-guy image has to take a break and get down or get out of bounds.”‘

‘”He was a fantastic player in college who overcame all the odds,” said Bills secondary coach Steve Szabo, who encouraged the signing of Leonhard. “I don’t think he’s going to wow you with his vertical leap, his 40 time. You look at his body and he’s not a ripped guy. But he’s a football player.”‘

‘Williams is a smaller version of McGahee, who can excel between the tackles and turn the corner. “I’ve always felt I can hit it up inside if I need to,” Williams said.’

‘Gudmundsen knows it’s a big adjustment from Division I-AA football to the NFL. “The speed of the game is so much quicker and the level of competition is that much higher,” he said. “It’s a big step for everybody, but I’m going to do my best and hope that all goes well.”‘

‘”When I first came here and went on the road to Buffalo to recruit, people would say ‘Where is St. John Fisher College?’ ” St. John Fisher coach Paul Vosburgh told the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. “Now our name is pretty recognizable across the country.”‘

‘Within hours of Mularkey’s suggestion that the Bills join the Packers for two days of joint practices, the wheels in the Packers coach’s head were spinning full bore. By the time the two sat down together the next day, Sherman was on board, ready to end the prohibition against joint practices instituted in 1992 by former coach Mike Holmgren. “I just thought we were two teams with similar (backgrounds),” Mularkey said. “Two cities passionate about their teams. I think I put a bug in his ear and he liked the thought.”‘

‘”Eight years ago when I retired from the Packers, I was thinking about going into some kind of coaching,” Beebe said. “And then with my partner, Dr. Jeff Schutt, we got together and we started talking about how every coach at every level wants their (athletes) to run a little bit faster, jump a little bit higher, yet nobody ever trains or coaches these kids to do that. It was really kind of a brand new concept. I said, ‘Let’s start a business that does that.'”‘

‘Buffalo’s NFL-best defense of 1999 hasn’t exactly resurfaced in Minnesota. But key components of that group, led by former Bills defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, are now with the Vikings, bent on building something special in the NFC North. “Like the guys in Buffalo, we’re real fast,” nose tackle Pat Williams said. “If everybody comes together and runs to the ball, we’ll be fine.”‘

‘"It’s been relatively competitive." Mularkey said after the afternoon session. "The offense has done very well the first few practices. We started the team period with a first down and a few big plays but then we had a lull and our defense picked it up and responded. I’m kind of anxious to see how we do offensively responding. It’s been back-and-forth and that’s kind of what you want from the two sides."’

‘Standing at 5-foot-8, 190 pounds (likely while soaking wet), Leonhard doesn’t look the part of your typical NFL player. His 4.6 forty time didn’t wow scouts either. But what he lacks in size and speed he tries to make up for with smarts and his understanding of the game.’