Archives for July 2008

‘”I think the coaches were impressed,” Omon said. “I don’t think they were expecting me to be as mobile as I am.”‘

‘The rental trucks and SUVs trickled in to St. John Fisher College all afternoon. Players could report as early as 11 a.m. and rookies usually come in first but it was veteran wide receiver Josh Reed who was setting the tone. “The guys are hungry you can tell when everyone left they were going to work hard we want to see if when everyone gets back that’s what they did.”‘

‘”I’m really excited to be back,” said guard Derrick Dockery. “I’m excited about our year. I think we have a really good chance, an opportunity to be really good this year.”‘

‘"James is coming along. He’s like every rookie, but his talent is there," said Schonert. "He’s a great weapon and he and Trent just needs to get on the same page. He’s just got to get a lot of reps and I’ve got to do a good job of putting him in good positions and simplifying it if I have to."’

‘Entering his fifth NFL season, Peters has three years left on his current deal and is scheduled to make a base salary of $3.25 million this season, which is considered low for someone playing such a prominent position. His deal ranks third among Bills offensive linemen, behind left guard Derrick Dockery and right tackle Langston Walker, both acquired in free agency last year.’

‘"We hope so," Brandon said. "Jim Overdorf and the entire football operations staff are working really hard trying to get these things done."’

‘"It’s difficult to have discussions with someone that’s not here and has not elected to participate in what we’re trying to do," said Brandon. "We feel we have something special going on here. We play the ultimate team sport. It’s not about individuals, it’s about the team. We expect Jason to be here and honor his commitment to the organization. We made a substantial commitment to Jason two years ago."’

‘The signings came on the day Bills players reported to camp and leaves the team with two rookies without contracts: first-round cornerback Leodis McKelvin and second-round receiver James Hardy.’

‘"It was hard to go to sleep last night," Ellis told Buffalobills.com while en route to the Pittsford, New York campus. "But I took care of the paperwork this morning. I didn’t really want to hold out and I knew it was coming down to the wire and you get pulled by your agent and pulled by your team and I’m glad we could just find a common ground and take care of business and just play football."’

‘"Each year we go through the process and we are coming along with our picks," said Bills COO Russ Brandon. "Jim and the football operations staff are working hard in an effort to get everyone here."’

‘It seemed as if the Bills were ready to go with a pair of rookies as their chief running backs in 2007, but the second of the two wasn’t ready. Of course, the upside for Wright is that this will only be his second year, although he is already 25; this is his chance to show that he can use his strength to bash for playing time and climb to at least the level of his mid-round draft status.’

‘The pace of signings for first-rounders this summer is typically slow, with most negotiations for top picks expected to drag on to the final hours before training camps open.’

‘Aside from wondering if and when left tackle Jason Peters will report to camp and when top draft pick Leodis McKelvin will agree to contract terms, here are 10 things to consider as the Bills, who have not qualified for the postseason since 1999, prepare for their Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Seattle Seahawks…’

‘”Anything else would be a disappointing season,” Crowell said of making the playoffs. “That’s the push we’re making. We have a lot of work to do, but we feel we have the pieces in place to get it done.”‘

‘”I really have a lot of respect for what he’s done in the offseason,” Jauron said. “He’s gotten bigger and stronger, I don’t think he missed a day in the offseason workouts. He’s worked hard and I think it will show up for us.”‘