Archives for August 2011

‘"I think it’s been good," Edwards said about the offseason changes to his defensive cast. "We’ve got a lot of competition at each position, which is always good. They know they have to come out here every day to compete, which is a good situation for us. I think we’ve made progress in the short time we’ve been here, but we realize we’ve got a ways to go in preseason."’

‘”Pro football has been a major part of my life and the Pro Football Hall of Fame holds a special place in my heart since it is the institution that preserves the legacy of the sport,” said Wilson in a statement released by the Hall. “This gift will allow the Hall of Fame to significantly improve its ability to preserve the historic documents and artifacts of the game for the benefit of current and future generations of students, researchers, historians, the National Football League, its member clubs and our fans.”‘

‘Sure, Williams has made his share of rookie mistakes in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, but he’s held his own, Edwards said. “You can see him competing, getting his hands on the ball,” he said. “At this point in time, we’re just looking for that consistency in his performance.”‘

‘The gift will be used to fund a new 10,000 square foot pro football research and preservation center named in the Bills owner’s honor.’

‘Fitzpatrick will be 29 in November, so it’s not outrageous to think he is entering his prime years and ready for a breakout. Or he could simply be a mediocre football player who thrived for one season. Now it’s Fitzpatrick’s turn to try and prove himself as a starting quarterback in the NFL. He enters the 2011 season as the unquestioned No. 1 quarterback on the roster for the first time in his career.’

‘”George does an excellent job, it’s like having a coach on the field,” said George Catavolos, Bills defensive backs coach. “He’s does a nice job with calls and communication and hopefully he can continue to do that for us this season."’

‘"I know everyone thought I’d get into it, but I had two little girls," Talley said Tuesday. "My parents were there for me, so my old man would have had a fit if I’d gone and done it then."’

‘"Obviously it was good to get a deal done as quickly as we did," Florence said. "I’m just excited about being back and being familiar with the system that’s already in place."’

‘"It was always some type of quarterback carousel or somebody leaving or something," Evans said. "This year, with things being in place all over again, it gives you a better sense of optimism. Guys are a little more in tune to what’s going on. It gives you a good feeling that we’re on the same page going into things."’

‘”When someone has accomplished as much in this game as Darryl, you just want to soak everything you can,” Maybin said. “I’ve pretty much been getting up under him, talking to him as much as possible and asking him pretty much every question I can think of.”‘

‘After struggling the first few days of camp with the deep ball, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and wide receiver Lee Evans finally hooked up for a long bomb down the left sideline during 11-on-11 drills.’

‘”I would say they’re truly in the lap of luxury right now,” Talley said as the Bills defense took part in a morning walk-through. “I don’t see a whole lot of hard about anything they’re doing. It’s a matter of making it through one practice a day.”‘

‘It’s asking a lot for both – or even one – of those players to return to their old form, but strength up the middle and a relentless pass rush should never be minimized as being the difference on an NFL defense.’

‘”We’re in a position right now where we have a lot of playmakers and a lot of guys we want to get touches,” he said. “In order to find touches for those guys some of it is going to have to be quicker throws and getting it out and seeing what they can do with it. We think we’ve got four or five guys that we can get involved in that screen game other than the running backs and they can do good things with the ball.”‘