Archives for April 16, 2009

‘All the Bills had to do to retain Jackson’s rights was tender him a one-year offer for $460,000. That is a bargain for one of the NFL’s best No. 2 running backs, but not a desirable deal for either Jackson or the Bills. If he were to sign his tender, he would be playing for a pittance. But he also would become a restricted free agent in 2010, and the Bills could lose him.’

‘”We find the organization’s comments regarding the importance of character very interesting given their position on Fred Jackson,” said Douglas, who is based in New Jersey. “I think it’s a fair statement to say that during his three years with the Bills, Fred has demonstrated his high character and that he is second to none in that department, to say nothing of his on-the-field contributions. Yet the organization is not making a concerted effort to lock in Fred as part of the team’s long-term future. Public statements are great as long as you mean what you say.”‘

‘”This award is really a statement of achievement by the Buffalo Bills organization, and it is a great honor to have an opportunity to represent the Buffalo Bills through this award,” April said.’

‘”I think some part of it is where people go,” said Bills Vice President of College Scouting Tom Modrak. “Somebody might take a defensive end that plays a different kind of scheme or they might have talent already and he doesn’t get on the field because they have talent at the position. How many have the capability (is) very hard to say. There’s probably a couple in that group eventually, but it’s not as easy as some might think. There are not a lot of guys that get to be stars their first year, even at defensive end. There are a couple that are capable.”‘

‘"Just for today my name is going to be Buffalo," she said. "It’s pretty cool that I get to meet my first NFL player."’

‘”We’re in a different day from the standpoint of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and blogs and camera phones and all the different things we talk about,” said Brandon, who acknowledged that the pro athletes are held to a higher standard. “The fact of the matter is simply this: When something goes awry like we’ve had in the past month, it’s on Page One. But we all know our community service and all the different things that our guys do on that front, you’re lucky to get a story on.”‘

‘"Any time there is negative light shown upon this organization, it affects everyone at One Bills Drive, it affects everybody in our community quite frankly," Brandon continued. "Any clubhouse or locker room is a microcosm of society. We have 85 players on this team, 150 people in the organization and to say you’re not going to have a problem crop up here and there is ignorant. But we do everything in our power to educate them and make sure these situations do not occur."’

‘Thank God we’re giving all the money we could be making here in New York state to impoverished regions of North America like East Rutherford, N.J. and the fifth largest city in Canada.’

‘Preston failed to impress, though, and Buffalo never made a serious effort to keep him.’

‘That means the Bills don’t have to do anything, but they’re trying — and it reminds me of something Philadelphia Eagles president Joe Banner once said about renegotiations: That both sides should win. When the team provides a player financial security by cutting a deal years in advance, he said, it should expect something in return — and what it should get is a break on the cost. Peters doesn’t see it that way, and he has the Bills so frazzled now that negotiations have ground to a halt and they’ve thrown open the doors to a possible trade. That doesn’t mean one happens, but it means one could — and that should tell you something. It should tell you that Peters is wearing them out.’

‘But the real key stretch, for a team that’s had three straight 7-9 seasons, comes in weeks 12 through 15. After tough road games at Tennessee and Jacksonville in consecutive weeks, the Bills host Miami on Nov. 29, entertain the Jets in the Thursday nighter at Toronto, visit Kansas City for the second straight season, then welcome the Pats to “The Ralph” on Dec. 20.’