Archives for June 26, 2008

‘Butler, a fifth-round pick out of Virginia in the 2006 NFL Draft, became a starter in 2007 and started all 16 games at right guard. He was part of an offensive line that allowed just 26 sacks last season, the fewest for the club since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.’

‘Lynch attorney Michael Caffery told The Associated Press on Thursday that he will be with his client during the plea at the state Department of Motor Vehicles’ traffic violations bureau in Buffalo. Caffery wouldn’t disclose what the violation was, except to say, "We’re hoping we’ll have everything resolved tomorrow."’

‘It’s no secret that a large portion of the veteran savvy that has existed on Buffalo’s special teams units the past five seasons is gone. Dirty work players like Sam Aiken, Mario Haggan, Ryan Neufeld, Josh Stamer and Coy Wire are no longer on the roster stripping the team of 26 years of special teams experience.’

‘Tasker was a guest on the in-game radio broadcast of 590 The Fan. He also spoke on 590 The Fan’s Morning Show early this morning and then was interviewed and appeard on Toronto’s CHUM Television’s popular morning show City View. Most of the talk centered around the excitement surrounding the upcoming games at the Rogers Centre and the demand for tickets for the Bills Toronto Series.’

‘There are a plethora of factors for anyone trying to figure out who should be credited for what successful attack on the football’s possessor, just as there are numerous restrictions on using the stat as the primary method for measuring defenders such as the quality of each player’s 10 coworkers. Still, a look at the Buffalo Bills’ tackle ranking in 2007 provides a fair picture of what the defense accomplished plus where it needs to improve.’

‘The signing continued a trend by the Bills of targeting young talented players and signing them to extensions early in their careers. The Bills did that with Aaron Schobel, Terrence McGee, Brian Moorman, Roscoe Parrish and Peters.’

‘The Senate on Wednesday passed by voice vote legislation naming a portion of Route 20A near Ralph Wilson Stadium “Timothy J. Russert Highway” in honor of the Buffalo-born NBC journalist who died June 13.’

‘The NFL looks at Canada as obvious expansion country. It has football history, millions of NFL fans and geographical proximity. It’s ripe for the NFL’s picking. The CFL looks weak with recent franchise bankruptcies and no enthusiasm for building new stadiums. The Bills see limited opportunities in Buffalo, but Toronto is a large city, and corporations now influence sports with sponsorships, luxury seating and other corporate perks. The NFL will bring excitement.’

‘”I was just frustrated because I wanted to play so bad,” he said. “I wanted to come in and start and do the best job I could at middle linebacker. They traded up for me in the draft, brought me here to play middle linebacker, play right away, and then I kind of failed them. I got hurt and wasn’t able to live up to the expectations of what I was supposed to do, so that was just tough to deal with.”‘