Archives for April 2009

‘”He took to the coaching right away,” said Mangum. “He’s got a great work ethic and it was evident right away that he wanted to be a better blocker. You showed him how to do it and he would do it and he would work at it because he wanted to get better.”‘

‘"I had no desire to play professional football. It just sort of happened," he said.’

‘The Bills get not only a great defensive end at 6-feet-4 and 250 pounds, but a class kid as well. We wish him the best in his professional career.’

‘"It was a nerve-wracking weekend for me," said Davis of last weekend’s NFL draft. "Though I was kind of disappointed with no word by the time I went to bed Sunday night, I can see God working through all of this. The Bills called my agent on Monday, and there couldn’t be a better team for me to work out with."’

‘Bogdan had been appointed as vice president and assistant director of college and pro scouting and previously served as corporate vice president from 1991-2006, with a special interest in long-term planning for the franchise.’

‘Bogdan, one of Wilson’s three daughters, completed her 23rd year with the team last season. She was vice president and assistant director of college and pro scouting.’

‘Linda Bogdan, the only active female scout in the NFL and a daughter of Buffalo Bills owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr., died Tuesday after a bout with cancer.’

‘For Bills’ fans, though, of more immediate reason for encouragement is the possibility that last weekend’s draft might have produced five new starters.’

‘It’s the opportunity he’s been waiting for. The guy that never played in high school … the guy that had to walk on at a small NAIA school … the guy that wasn’t drafted … is getting a chance to beat the odds again.’

‘”We went into the draft having discussed that after the trade of Jason (Peters),” said Bills head coach Dick Jauron. “Do we feel like we have to have a tackle? And I think we all agreed, that we’re not going to stray far from our grades just to take a tackle. We felt we have guys that can play there so there’s no sense in passing up a player we think is significantly better at another position just to feel like we’ve plugged a number in. We weren’t going to do that.”‘

‘Peter Ginsberg, the attorney representing the Williamses in their lawsuit, said during a hearing last week that StarCaps were “freely distributed” in the Bills locker room and that “a number” of Buffalo players used StarCaps. Pat Williams played for the Bills from 1997 to 2003. Ginsberg did not say who allegedly dispensed the supplement and to which players.’

‘Wood had a great impression of Buffalo well before the draft, thanks to Kragthorpe. "He loves the city, he loves the team," Wood said of his college coach. "He talked to me just about every day about his experience in Buffalo – the way guys handle their business, trying to give me insight to get to this level. I’m sure Coach K was ringing the phones off the hook to try to get me up here. … It’s really neat to play somewhere that I’ve heard so many good things about, and I hear all the time about his relationship with the players that he coached and how he continues the relationships."’

‘”We’ve addressed our needs, no doubt about that, and we did it by staying true to our (draft) board,” coach Dick Jauron said.’

‘Motivation isn’t an issue with Rhodes, who rushed for 538 yards and six TDs last year while adding 45 catches for 306 yards and three more scores. At 5-9, 203 pounds, he has had to prove critics wrong his entire seven-year career. “For me, every time I get on the field, I’m an angry little dude,” he said.’

‘”All I can do and all I plan on doing is coming in and working as hard as possible and let my play speak for itself. I’m a guy who likes to keep his mouth shut and let his play do the talking on the field. I’m going to come in with a humble mind set, ready to get the work done.” — Bills No. 1 pick Aaron Maybin on critics who say he was a one-year wonder at Penn State with 12 sacks.’