Archives for August 2008

‘Prediction: 7-9, the same as last year and the year before. Things are definitely getting better for the Bills, but the results just aren’t there yet. Lynch will run for over 1,000 yards, Edwards will continue to improve and Evans might reach his vast potential. But with the Patriots, Jets and other difficult teams such as the Chargers, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals on the schedule, this team is destined for mediocrity yet again.’

‘Peters, who is holding out over a contract dispute, now stands to be fined more than $191,000 — or one-seventeenth of his $3.25 million base salary this season — for each week he misses. The Bills have already fined him about $550,000 for missing training camp, which opened July 25.’

‘Mace spent 16 weeks on the Bills practice squad last year before being promoted to the active roster for the team’s season finale. He was cut Saturday and signed to the practice squad Sunday.’

‘LB Marcus Buggs…OL Dustin Dickinson…RB Bruce Hall…WR Felton Huggins…DL Corey Mace…’

‘James had an inside track on the nickel corner position entering camp. But the strong play of third-year man Ashton Youboty, along with rookies Leodis McKelvin and Reggie Corner, prompted James’ pink slip.’

‘”I felt like I had to come out here and compete,” Youboty said following Buffalo’s preseason finale loss to Detroit on Thursday.’

‘Peters might be the team’s best player. That’s a subject for debate. But he’s the most important player because he protects the blind side of the team’s injury-prone second-year starting quarterback.’

‘”Reggie is improving every day,” defensive backs coach George Catavolos said. “He has typical problems that a rookie has, with leverage. But we like his athletic ability, his enthusiasm, he plays hard in the games, and he’s productive.”‘

‘Spragan, who started 45 games as a member of the Broncos and Dolphins from 2003 through 2007, failed to make much of an impact in the preseason and could not rise up the depth chart.’

‘James, who signed a two-year contract with the Bills in March, had a solid training camp as Buffalo’s nickel cornerback, but proved to be the odd man out. Buffalo, instead, elected to keep Ashton Youboty as part of a deep defensive backfield that will also include two rookies: first-round draft pick Leodis McKelvin and fourth-rounder Reggie Corner, playing behind starters Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer.’

‘”That was big,” said Johnson. “Coming in together we were all we had. Even though the veteran players have been great we were the rookies. It seemed like it was a long shot, but we went out there and did what we were supposed to do and we were fortunate enough to be blessed and get on this 53 man roster for the Buffalo Bills.”‘

‘Also waived on Saturday were LB Jon Banks, LB Marcus Buggs, LB Blake Costanzo, OL Dustin Dickinson, OT Patrick Estes, FB Jonathan Evans, OL Robert Felton, DB Dustin Fox, OL Christian Gaddis, RB Bruce Hall, WR Felton Huggins, DT Jason Jefferson, DE Derrick Jones, DT Corey Mace, TE Tim Massaquoi, WR Scott Mayle, OL Nevin McCaskill, DT Teraz McCray and RB Dwayne Wright.’

‘A big shout-out, of course, goes to Adrian Montgomery, general manager of the Bills Toronto Series. Touchdown!’

‘”The coaches will decide who makes this team and who doesn’t,” Youboty said after Thursday’s preseason finale against Detroit. “I have no say in it, so all I can do is go out and let my performance speak for me.”‘

‘Despite the competition from NBC’s Olympic coverage from Beijing for two games, the four preseason games carried on Channel 7 averaged more than a 16 rating. Even Thursday night’s snooze-fest without starters – in which Detroit beat the Bills, 14-6 – averaged a 15.1 rating and hit as high as a 17.6.’