Archives for June 2012

‘There is always a level of uncertainty surrounding rookies heading into their first training camp. Expectations range from player to player, but their lack of game experience at the professional level is something that they all have in common. A coaching staff can certainly get an inkling of who they feel will be an early contributor to the team during OTAs and mini-camp, but nothing is settled when players are in shorts and t-shirts.’

‘”I really, to be honest with you, don’t know what they were thinking,” Kelly said. “Me, if I was a general manager or a president or the owner of a team, I would not have done that.”‘

‘”I think what the Bills have done in the free agent market is comparable to what the Bills did in a pair of offseasons in ’95 and ’96,” said Spielman. “The Bills brought in Mario Williams, well the year before I came to the Bills they brought in Bryce Paup. When you have Bryce Paup on one side and Bruce Smith on the other side that puts a lot of pressure on an offense. And both of those guys fed off each other.”‘

‘”What’s special about it is just what the kids get out of it,” Kelly said. “To enjoy themselves, number one. But also for the young kids to learn about the fundamentals, that to get better, you have to start doing things the right way early on. Developing bad habits early in life, on the field or off the field, sticks with you. With the older ones, I try to prepare them for life after sports. There are so many things that can get them in trouble. We really try to instill in their minds the right things, the positive things.”‘

‘Wood on offense and Williams on defense are the anchors of their respective lines and each is trying to come back from serious injuries. How well they bounce back will be a closely watched story. Buffalo’s depth and talent level just isn’t good enough to not have Wood and Williams bounce back 100 percent.’

‘CB Aaron Williams, who missed some OTA time with irritation on a knee, was able to participate fully in minicamp. He’s expected to be fine for training camp in July.’

‘”It would not have been as hard two years ago, but we are in so much more of an advanced stage now than we were two years ago. He is trying to learn what the base concepts are and how we have advanced to where we are today without the benefit of going through the baby steps.”‘

‘”I always want to continue to do what I do, get my hands on balls,” he said. “I want to score when I get interceptions. I want to get more turnovers and punch the ball out, but I think the mental part of the game is big. Anytime you start progressing the thing that separates you is just anticipation and just the mental part of the game. That can develop along with the physical stuff, but the mental game is what takes you over (the top).”‘

‘”Everybody else is on the same page,” said head coach Chan Gailey of his offensive unit. “Everybody has been here. Even the twos have all been here. We have hardly any new faces on offense except for a couple of linemen and him. Everybody else has been here and knows the system. So we’re trying to catch him up.”‘

‘The Buffalo Bills will hold a special online presale of individual game tickets for 24 hours starting at 9 a.m. on July 9, a day before they go on sale to the general public.’

‘"For the 2011 NFL football season, the reasonable value of the exclusive radio broadcast rights and perquisites was believed to be at least $2.4 million, of which an amount believed to be at least $1 million remains due and owing," according to the lawsuit.’

‘”He’s very clever and hard to figure out,” said Ryan Fitzpatrick. “He rushes the passer like Stevie (Johnson) runs routes. You can’t get a read on him. He’s got all these different nuances to his game that’s difficult for linemen to anticipate.”‘

‘"People are hanging out, tailgating in these lots, at earlier times," said Sen. Mark J. Grisanti, a Buffalo Republican who sponsored the bill in the State Senate. "If [the teams] had the opportunity to open up their concession stands earlier, it could be more regulated."’

‘Despite all of his major on-the-field accomplishments, Kelly says that the Jim Kelly Football Camp is one of his proudest achievements in his exceptional career. Kelly says there is no reason that the camp can’t continue for years to come. “As long as you feel good about it and as long as the kids are coming and learning and they’re having fun, I’ll do it until I’m 60 or 70 years old,” Kelly said.’

‘He was an accomplished cartoonist and created the program covers for the Bills from 1961 to 1964. His work was recently highlighted at the 50th anniversary of the AFL at the Football Hall of Fame.’