Archives for August 2006

‘Without providing a deadline for making a final decision, Jauron said the team would use the first two preseason games as a sort of final exam for both players. “Obviously, we’ve pointed all the time toward full-contact scrimmage and this is it,” Jauron said. “This is almost the only chance you get to do it with a quarterback. … So here we go.”‘

‘”He’ll probably play a good deal of the first (quarter) and part of the second (quarter) then J.P. (Losman) will come in,” said Jauron. “We’ll probably just switch it the next week.”‘

‘The Bills are clearly a team in transition with six new starters guaranteed and that doesn’t include QB or outside linebacker Angelo Crowell who played so well in Takeo Spikes’ injured absence last year that he retained the job with Spikes’ return knocking former starter Jeff Posey off the roster. Four of those new starters are locked: center Melvin Fowler, guard Tutan Reyes, tight end Robert Royal and defensive tackle Larry Tripplett. But two others are being contested and bear watching on Saturday.’

‘”I think this is a great situation,” Price said Wednesday after the Bills’ afternoon practice at St. John Fisher College. "This is a great offense. I think we’ve got a good team.” “The coaches brought me back here, and that really did a lot for my confidence,” said Reed. “I’m one of the older guys now, and that’s the way I go out there – just try to lead by example. I’m just glad I’m around to give it another shot and I look to make the most out of the second time around."’

‘”You hate to lose a guy like that. But you can only wish for the best,” Reed said. “I’m not going to say it’s a hole we’ve got to fill — that’s how most people would put it — but it’s just more opportunities for more guys.”‘

‘Last season, Kelly said he would have gone with Losman for the entire season. Losman was essentially a rookie after breaking his leg during training camp in 2004. “Let him go through his bumps and bruises,” Kelly said. “He’s passed that point now. But if he goes four or five games in the season and he stinks it up, you’ve got to get him out.”‘

‘Even among men who tip the scales well over 300 pounds, the 6-foot-6, 375-pound Gibson stands out. And because of his bulk, he’s perhaps the Bills’ most intriguing free agent pickup. That’s if Gibson comes close to playing up to the potential he had coming out of college. And, perhaps more importantly, if he remains healthy.’

‘Tripplett was part of a rotating D line in Indianapolis. He came out on a lot of passing downs. He won’t play every down for the Bills, either. But he’ll be in for far more snaps than he was with the Colts. “Yeah, definitely,” Tripplett said. “That’s what they told me. I really feel comfortable in this scheme. It’s a scheme I played in for four years in Indy. There’s a little different technique stuff. But besides that, the calls are very familiar to me. So it’s a great opportunity.”‘

‘The pre-draft scouting report on NFL.com was not kind: “Pennington is lazy with his technique and effort, which keeps him from blocking his man consistently. … Despite having the ability to become a starter in the NFL, Pennington will only reach those heights by drastically improving his blocking competitiveness and aggressiveness, and that just about never improves.”‘

‘”The league has been heading in the right direction, I think, except for revenue sharing, which is a huge issue for our franchise,” Bills general manager Marv Levy said during a break at training camp at St. John Fisher College. “I hope we keep moving forward on that, now that the commissioner issue is out the way. That can be the main focus.”‘

‘When he has a moment to himself, Ashton Youboty occasionally will let his mind wander and think about how life might have turned out if his family had not fled war-torn Liberia 18 years ago.’

‘”People ask all the time if you’d want to be a quarterbacks coach, and I say, ‘No, nothing less than a head coach.’ But I don’t have the experience for that,” Kelly said. “Plus, I have 4,005 things going on in my life right now, especially with my foundation (Hunter’s Hope). But I’m not lying. One of these days I would like to own a team. Whether it’s five or six years from now, I can see myself as an owner in the NFL.”‘

‘The past few months have been quite the learning experience for Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Aaron Merz.’

‘”Nothing’s changed,” Jauron said. “Sometimes it may work out that way (where one gets more), but we chart everything. It’s all pretty even.”‘

‘The favorite to win that job is Lionel Gates, a second-year man out of Louisville.’