Archives for July 27, 2009

‘Coach Dick Jauron said Monday that Johnson’s ribs are very sore a day after the player was hurt in practice during training camp.’

‘”It’s important (to be here), but, at the same time, they have already gone through it twice,” Bills right tackle Brad Butler said, referring to rookies having gone through the team’s two offseason minicamps. “I know that they are studying their books and that whenever they come in they will be ready. We do have an extra week of practice right now, and I understand what they are going through with their agents.”‘

‘”One year, six million is a heck of a bargain for a guy,” Delucia added. “If he doesn’t work out, he is out and if not maybe we can get him to come back. It’s only costing us six million which is a lot less than what other receivers are going for these days.”‘

‘”I’m excited about it,” Rhodes said about his time with Buffalo so far. “I’m always excited about my opportunities wherever I go in this league. I feel like one of the most important parts of my career has been my ability to take advantage of the opportunities I have gotten and making sure I capitalize.”‘

‘”For things to go well this year, the offensive line has to come together and be better than expected,” McCormick said. “That’s factors No. 1, 2 and 3.”‘

‘”I think I’ll notice it more come Week 11 or 12 where instead of hitting that wall I’ll feel stronger,” he said. “It’s not that I didn’t feel where I needed to be going into last year, it’s just a matter of being where I still need to be in Week 12 or 13.”‘

‘The Bills and Sabres are struggling to put winning products together but they’ve never been better at putting together the experience of going to the game rather than staying home on your couch. And that’s what the fans are buying as much as the event itself.’

‘"It was the St. Louis game and I finished the game, and then the next week I shot it up and I thought it would be OK," he said. "It was never that painful, just a constant nagging. I could have run a track meet, but it was that pushing and separating and twisting and turning that I couldn’t do."’

‘"The Michael Vick situation, I think, is unfortunate," Owens said. "I think the way the commissioner (Roger Goodell) is handling it is unfair to Michael Vick. I think he’s done the time for what he’s done. I don’t think it’s really fair for him to be suspended four more games. It’s almost like kicking a dead horse in the ground."’

‘But as we consider Owens standing up for a compatriot, we also look at the Buffalo Bills’ quarterbacking depth chart – Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Gibran Hamdan and Matt Baker. And what we see in our jaundiced eye is the Favre-lobbies-for-Randy Moss scenario again, only in reverse.’

‘"Our division is definitely a challenge when you play center because you have three of the best nose guards in the league," said Hangartner, who signed a four-year deal with the Bills in February. "You have guys who have played in Pro Bowls and who are definitely good at what they do so it’s a challenge every week."’

‘”We all know about him as a player, it adds a lot of excitement,” Jauron said. “Wherever I was, and I wasn’t that many places during this little break we had, there were a lot of questions, and all of them, almost all of them, were about him.”‘

‘Levitre, who played at Oregon State, signed a four-year contract believed to be worth roughly $3.6 million, with about $1.8 million guaranteed, according to the Buffalo News.’

‘The Bills are still without the other rookie guard projected to be a starter, first-round pick Eric Wood, along with their other second-round pick, Jairus Byrd, and defensive end Aaron Maybin, who was drafted No. 11 overall.’

‘"I think it’s unfortunate," Owens said. "I think the way the commissioner has handled it, I think is unfair to Michael Vick. I think he’s done the time for what he’s done. I don’t think it’s really fair for him to be suspended four more games. That’s almost like kicking a dead horse in the ground.’