Archives for March 28, 2007

‘”Guys like that are tough to replace,” said Kelsay of Fletcher and Spikes with respect to their leadership. “I don’t know that you can replace them. You’ve got to kind of rely on some younger guys to step up and I think we have that here. I know Angelo (Crowell) is ready to take on that role whether it’s in the middle for us or playing at a strong side or weak side position. I think he can command the huddle and really get everyone where they need to be pre-snap.”‘

‘McGahee was previously in his hometown of Miami, where he would typically spend the bulk of his time in the spring and summer. Over a four-year career with the Buffalo Bills, McGahee was never one to train with the team, opting to leave the Northeast as soon as possible for sunnier locales. It wasn’t that his dedication to the Bills faltered, nor that his workouts would suffer at all, though. McGahee is known for being a tireless competitor, even coming back from a devastating injury suffered in his final collegiate game that tore nearly every ligament in his knee. After sitting out the 2003 NFL campaign to rehabilitate the injury, he went on to rush for two-consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 2004-05. But, with a support group he’s had ever since growing up and attending college in Miami, McGahee felt more comfortable in Florida, and his physical condition heading into OTAs (organized team activities) and training camp year after year tells that the regimen worked.’

‘Vincent was chosen for five Pro Bowls while playing cornerback for the Birds, a tenure that lasted from 1996 to 2003. He went to the Bills as a free agent in 2004 and played with Spikes until Vincent was released in October, a portent of new Buffalo coach Dick Jauron’s defensive youth movement, which since has led to corner Nate Clements, linebacker London Fletcher-Baker and Spikes leaving the Bills. “At the end of the day, they wanted none of us,” said Vincent, the NFLPA president, who finished the season with the Redskins, but was cut by them last month. Vincent said Spikes was the most popular player in the Buffalo market.’

‘Kelly Holcomb knew he wasn’t a good fit for the Buffalo Bills’ latest offense, and he knew he was going to be traded. He even had heard a couple of possible destinations. But he hadn’t heard anything about the Eagles until his former Bills teammate, Eagles long-snapper Jon Dorenbos, called him last week and asked about rumblings that linebacker Takeo Spikes and quarterback Holcomb were bound for the Birds.’

‘Walker said in the radio interview and during a conference call with Buffalo media that he had pushed for a trade once it became apparent that the Eagles had no interest in giving him a contract extension. The 29-year-old was scheduled to earn $1.5 million from the Eagles over the next two seasons as part of the seven-year, $10.7 million extension he signed in 2004. He received a $2 million signing bonus at the time.’

Spikes should fit right in (Philadelphia Daily News)

Backup quarterback Holcomb surprised, and happy, to join Eagles (Philadelphia Daily News)

Eagles move to fix problem (Cherry Hill Courier Post)

Walker pushed for the Eagles to make trade (Press of Atlantic City)

Eagles hope for a healthy Spikes (Wilmington News Journal)

‘”There’s no doubt that we’re going to miss the guys we lost,” Bills coach Dick Jauron said Tuesday during the AFC coaches breakfast at the annual NFL owners meetings. “We feel pretty comfortable with the guys we’ve been developing. But you don’t lose players the quality of Nate Clements and London Fletcher in free agency and Takeo in trade and think they are going to be easily replaced. We’ll move along and try to replace the people we’ve lost and fill in with the guys that we’ve been developing.”‘

‘”We’ve had a lot of success in Philadelphia, and I just want to let some of that success rub off of me in Buffalo,” he said.’

‘Not every team is happy with the agreement, Wilson said. Some bigmoney teams believe they are paying too much. Small-market franchises such as Cincinnati and Jacksonville, which cast the only no votes, believe that the plan doesn’t go far enough.’

‘Then again, for all of his complaints, McGahee obviously was not studying for the priesthood while here. He fathered three children by three women in two years. It suggests both a blatant disregard for birth control and a fuller social life than he implies. Given free rein in a bigger city, McGahee might single-handedly provoke a population explosion. Brace yourselves, Baltimoreans!’

‘”All I know is that I want to come in and make the team better,” Walker said via phone Tuesday afternoon. “I think with my experience and going to championship games in Philadelphia, and also being in a defense where we’ve had some success, hopefully I can help our defense in Buffalo have some success.”‘

‘The question is, have the fiscally responsible Bills made themselves a better football team? At this point, it would be hard to answer yes.’

‘Moulds, Fletcher and Spikes were believed to be three of the players upset with the decision by former GM Tom Donahoe and coach Mike Mularkey to hand the starting quarterback job to Losman prior to the 2005 season. The veterans bought into the misguided notion that going with a veteran, in this case Kelly Holcomb, would give them a better chance to reach the playoffs. The results were disastrous. Losman’s development was stunted a year and a never-ending rebuilding process was set back yet again – for those scoring at home, it’s seven years and counting since the last playoff appearance.’

‘Thankfully, we don’t have to deal with a burdensome underachiever any more. The Bills took a chance, and it paid off until Travis Henry left. Since then, it’s a total nightmare.’

‘Losman’s maligners, once louder than jerks on cell phones in restaurants, have been oddly silent, and his delivery should only improve with reputable protection. The best way to improve stat lines is to add good players who, until the league truly recognizes sacks allowed or pancake blocks, have no stats at all. Two promising new starters and one backup should make their teammates look good.’