Archives for August 3, 2005

‘The Bills are talented, hungry and hardly rebuilding. They ended the Drew Bledsoe starting era because they deemed the 12-year veteran had taken them as far as he could, which was to a 9-7 record last season, including eight wins in nine games stretching from Halloween to Christmas. Buffalo has a superb defense, outstanding special teams and enough young offensive weapons to give New England a run for its money in the rugged AFC East. If, that is, the Bills can get enough out of the kid quarterback who inspired them to ship three draft picks — including their 2005 first-rounder — to Dallas for the right to select him 22nd overall in the ’04 draft. And Jonathan Paul Losman already has that much figured out.’

‘”You have to save your guys,” said quarterback Kelly Holcomb. “Way back when, guys were gone from the time the season finished until training camp. So they kind of got into shape. Now it’s a year-round thing. We have minicamp. We have the OTAs. We’re in football all year long with the exception of maybe two months. I think it’s a great thing. You don’t have to come out here and kill yourself. Guys know what they’re doing.”‘

‘”I’d always put myself in a spot wherever the o-line was and I was watching them all the time and seeing what coach McNally was teaching them,” Gudmundsen said.’

‘”Sam is a workout warrior,” said Bills receivers coach Tyke Tolbert. “Josh Reed stayed with him the whole summer and Sam took him out and they went through his workout regime. So Josh Reed came back into training camp in the best shape he’s ever been in in his entire life. Sam is a big-time workout warrior.”‘

‘The competition for the backup running back job is fierce and there’s no question the ability to pick up blitzes will factor into the team’s decision making process when cut-down time arrives.’

‘”Whatever I did in college really doesn’t mean anything right now,” Ezekiel explained. “What matters is what I do during practice, during the scrimmages, during the preseason games, and obviously when we watch film I have to be in the right place at the right time.”‘

‘Anderson is a second year man who played spraringly as a rookie. But he still feels he has a shot to win that starting job. "I try not to approach it any different, just try to focus on the little things, take one practice at a time, controlling what I can control. How I play and the way I’m using my techniques and things like that," Anderson said.’

‘"It’s pretty important," coach Mike Mularkey said of having his top two tight ends back. "You had to think about that position going into camp. You kept saying, `They’re going to be there.’ And having them in there, I think our offense may be ahead."’