Archives for August 14, 2012

‘”I think Coach DeHaven wants to see 70-percent, up there, but my goal is 100-percent,” he says. Potter was asked if a 70-percent touchback rate is a realistic goal."’

‘”I just think that there isn’t too much we haven’t seen, between me and Spencer (Johnson),” said Edwards. “We have been around a long time and seen a lot. I think that we know how to be professionals and come in and work hard and be smart football players. We know tendencies and our assignments and adjustments.”‘

‘”You have to ask him (about his comfort with the offense) but we’re trying to do everything (in the playbook) with him. We’re not holding anything back. He has a better grasp of it than he did at any time in OTAs (Organized Team Activities) and mini-camp and I think he’s feeling a lot more comfortable.”‘

‘"I completely understand the Bills’ decision, and I think they made the absolutely right choice," said Matt Sabuda, president of the Buffalo Fan Alliance. "The way this policy was written, it was a lose-lose for the Buffalo Bills."’

‘”I really don’t worry about years because the guys who’ve got to play got to play, whether they’re first-year guys or not,” said Bills secondary coach George Catavolos.’

‘”I think today was his best day since he’s been here,” said Bills coach Chan Gailey. “We’re trying to do everything with him, we’re not holding anything back. … He’s got a better grasp of it than he did at any time during OTAs or minicamp, and I think he’s feeling a lot more comfortable.”‘

‘”Yeah, now I feel like I’m always in there,” said Wood. “I had never gotten hurt in my life before, so it’s been different.”‘

‘”Things are pretty good, I am just coming out here and trying to get better every day,” Gilmore said following Monday’s practice at Fisher. “I know where I started from and I know where I want to be at the end, so I am just trying to take it one day at a time.”‘

‘Troup acknowledged this week he’s had second thoughts about why he had the operation in which two discs were fused to repair a minor fracture in his spine. The trouble is, he’s still experiencing constant pain, and the rehabilitation process is going so slowly that Troup has had very limited practice time three weeks into training camp.’

‘Listed at 6-foot-4 and 375 pounds, Jasper spent much of his rookie season last year on the Bills practice squad before being activated for the final game. Jasper was regarded as a raw, untested talent, when the Bills took a slight gamble in drafting him out of Tennessee’s Bethel University with their second of two seventh-round picks.’

‘”From a competition standpoint, its very healthy” Hagan said during an interview on WGR. ” We got a bunch of guys that can pretty much do the same thing but we know deep down it’s a competition. Guys are trying to help each other but at the same time we know there are spots open and it pretty much comes down to who’s working hard, who’s doing the right thing, who’s catching the ball and who’s getting open. That’s who’s going to win the job.”‘

‘Morrison said, “It’s part of the game, but if it had to be anybody it had to be Tashard.” (for the trash talking) The linebacker added, “It’s just football, going against each other the last few weeks and going toward the end of camp right now, we’re just ready to hit another jersey. It’s just practice, Tashard knows I want to keep all our guys healthy ready for the season. Sometimes those plays just happen on the field and it kind of picked the defense up a little bit and we want to build off of it.”‘

‘”That’s the best he’s done since he’s been here,” said Gailey. “I think today was his best day since he’s been here. He’s got a better grasp of it at any time in the OTAs or minicamp and I think he’s feeling a lot more comfortable.”‘

‘On DE Shawne Merriman: It has been a culmination of bumps and bruises and stuff. We said, ‘hey, take a day off,’ and we will get him back out there tomorrow.’

‘”Michael is struggling,” said head coach Chan Gailey on the heels of the team’s first preseason game last week. “Michael has got to learn his assignments. He’s got to learn to play physical every snap. A big, strong guy that’s got a lot of talent as we all know, but he’s got to be more physical and he’s got to continue to push through on assignments.”‘