Archives for March 2008

‘"He’s not very flashy or very verbose," said Bills center Melvin Fowler. "He stays under the radar, but comes in and brings his lunchpail and gets the job done every time out. A lot of coaches and players are going to see that type of work ethic and when we start playing games it’s going to come to fruition and you’ll see what Spencer Johnson is all about."’

‘The Steelers have not played in Ontario since they beat the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, 43-16, in a preseason game on August 3, 1960. Pittsburgh played an exhibition game in Mexico City against the Indianapolis Colts in 2005.’

‘The Boise State product was an undrafted free agent out of college, but made the Oakland roster as a rookie. In his first NFL season Carr served mainly as a kick and punt returner though he also saw time on the defensive side of the ball.’

‘If he doesn’t make an appearance within the next week, then he’d better show himself on the field in 2008. Otherwise, a contract that has looked unjustified to this point will seem even worse next offseason.’

‘The game likely will be scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 14-18, when the Toronto Blue Jays, who also play in the Rogers Centre, are on the road.’

‘"When I was at Detroit and I coached him there with the Lions, I wanted to move him then," said Kugler. "Then he went to Houston and they tried to move him. Matt really has a lot of attributes that’s going to help him be an offensive lineman. He has very long arms, he has excellent feet. Somebody might say he’s slower for a tight end, but he’s faster for a lineman."’

‘If he had managed to play every game, Lynch may well have taken away an all-star spot from the man whose job he assumed. Bills followers, who are privileged to have Lynch under detached conditions, should appreciate him even more so by comparison to how miserably frustrating it was to watch the previous backfield staffer regularly underachieve.’

‘James’ agent, Ronald Benson Slavin, confirmed the contract agreement Tuesday. Slavin said James turned down offers from the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles because the Bills offered the best opportunity to start.’

‘James is a seven-year NFL veteran who spent the past two seasons with the Eagles. He bolsters a depleted Bills defensive secondary, and is expected to immediately compete with Jabari Greer for a starting job opposite Terrence McGee.’

‘Terms of his deal were not released. This will be Scott’s 6th year in the NFL.’

‘The signing of Scott has added depth to the defensive backfield, as Buffalo now has six safeties on the roster, including Simpson, Jon Corto, John Wendling, Donte Whitner and George Wilson.’

‘A five-year NFL veteran, Scott appeared in 15 games and started the final two for Buffalo last season, finishing with 20 tackles and one forced fumble. He signed with Buffalo prior to Week 2 after starter Ko Simpson broke his ankle.’

‘"I was hoping I was back this year," said Scott. "I’ve made some lifelong friendships in a really short amount of time. I really like this organization and the coaches."’

‘"We’ve had good attendance," said Bills strength and conditioning coordinator J.T. Allaire. "I’d say we usually have somewhere around 50 guys showing up consistently every week. Knowing that it’s voluntary that’s a great thing for our program."’

‘Other than Hardy, the premier draft-bound wideouts who match what Wilson wants are Limas Sweed (Texas), Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma) and Devin Thomas (Michigan State), whose 6-1 height puts him on the small side compared to the rest. All four of the above receivers have a chance to be selected in Round 1; however, there is also a chance Hardy and Kelly might be had early in the second. But with over a month left until the draft, projections could still change drastically.’