Archives for January 2012

Regardless, the Bills got better today and the Bulls have a new, huge question mark.

‘Inge has spent the past two seasons at the University at Buffalo as the program’s defensive coordinator/linebackers coach. Prior to joining the University at Buffalo, Inge coached linebackers for two seasons at Cincinnati where he helped the school win Big East titles in 2008 and 2009.’

‘The 2011 season was the 12th straight year that the Bills missed the playoffs. They got off to a great start that for a minute made it seem like they may end that drought. The season came crashing down around them as they lost eight of their last nine games. Now for the 12th year in a row we do our position by position final exam grades as well as individual player grades for key players at each position.’

‘”Demetrius has all the tools,” Nix maintained. “He’s got the good feet, he’s a good athlete, he’s what you look for at left tackle. The problem with Demetrius is injuries. He started the first four games for us, he gets hurt, he then misses four or five and comes back and plays three then ends up hurt again. He was rehabbing the whole year and couldn’t practice all week. All those things enter into it. (But) we’re going to try to re-sign him.”‘

‘”Right now he’s in the (rehab) process,” said Nix. “He’s been through the surgery. He’s had his shoulder fixed, he’s in the process of rehabbing and getting healthy. He’ll have a physical this spring and another in the summer. If he gets healthy and passes the physical, he’s still ours. We’ll take it from there and see what happens.”‘

‘”I like to work out, so 12 weeks is a long time,” Troup said last week as the Bills packed up for the offseason. “I think last year I only took off two weeks before I got to work.”‘

‘”We’re going to draft a tackle if we can,” he said. “If there’s one there is what I mean. If there’s one there that we think can play we’re going to draft a tackle. You can never have too many tackles.”‘

‘ “Listen guys, I want to win. That’s what I came here for. That’s what I want to do. I want to do whatever I can to help that along. And we’ll use all of our resources and make the best decision we can.”‘

‘"My expectations are that we’ll take a big step," the Bills’ general manager said Monday. "If we get these guys back, which we think we will, that are injured, and we add some to this mix, that we should take a big step next year."’

‘Now, they’re stuck in the worst of ruts. They haven’t won because they haven’t attracted players who can make a difference. They’ve had personnel problems because they’re miles away from winning. They’ve gone around and around for more than a decade, a franchise spinning its wheels, going nowhere.’

‘Of course as any Bills fan knows, that’s really easy to say, and other Bills leaders have said it before. But since John Butler and Wade Phillips left town in 2000, none of them – not Tom Donahoe, Gregg Williams, Mike Mularkey, Marv Levy or Dick Jauron – has been able to back it up.’

‘Nix said the club has made several proposals and that discussions are on-going with Johnson who has been the club’s leading receiver the past two seasons. He had 1,004 yards this season on 76 catches with seven touchdowns.’

‘”Obviously, we’re not happy about that, and I don’t think Stevie is, either,” said Nix, who then went on to defend the player. “He tries to do the right thing when he’s playing, and he tries to do the right thing in practice and in the locker room. He’s not a criminal. He made a mistake. It cost us, and he paid the price.”‘

‘”He’s a Bill for 14 months. A year from March the 13th,” Nix lectured. “Fred and I have talked. We want to extend Fred. I’d like for Fred to finish his career as a Bill. He’s meant a lot to us. I’ve got great respect for him. I’ve told him that. We’re going to try to get something done. Does it matter if we do it now or if we do it next week or a month from now? As long as we get it done before the season starts it’s all the same really.”‘

‘”He fits in,” Nix continued. “You know I know that you think about the antics and the penalties and obviously we’re not happy about that. I don’t think Stevie is either. We’re around him a lot. I know the things he does at practice. He practices hurt and I think he’s a team guy.”‘