Archives for April 2013

‘”I’ll give Marrone the benefit of the doubt. At least Brandon didn’t hire another retread. Let’s see if Marrone has the guts to start a rookie quarterback and go 2-14. It could be the best thing for them.”‘

‘Jackson has liked what he’s seen of Marrone, the former Syracuse head coach who was hired to replace Chan Gailey. “I love him. I love everybody that he’s got there,” Jackson said. “He’s a great coach. I love his personality. He’s an energetic guy, a guy that’s highly motivated and wants to get this thing turned around as much as anybody. I’m looking forward to working with him and getting this thing turned around.”‘

‘At 6-foot-2, he’s got adequate height for the position. At 227 pounds, he’s built solidly and has shown a willingness to stand in the pocket and take the hits when necessary. The 23-year-old started this past season 2-4 with the Orange, but helped them rally to a 6-1 finish. Syracuse re-tooled its offense two weeks before the start of the regular season, switching to an up-tempo, no-huddle attack. The Orange also ran some elements of the read option with Nassib, who has decent athleticism. He ran a 5.06-second 40-yard dash at the combine.’

‘Let’s say the Bills decide to pass (no pun intended) on Smith and Nassib in the first round. They could nab Andy Levitre’s replacement and pick Alabama left guard Chance Warmack, a road grader who could open up some nice holes for C.J. Spiller. They could pick up Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro, a playmaker that can do a little bit of everything. They could keep rebuilding their defense with an edge rusher like BYU’s Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah or LSU’s Barkevious Mingo. Or they could trade back and pick up a No. 2 receiver in Tennessee’s Cordarrelle Patterson, Cal’s Keenan Allen or West Virginia’s Tavon Austin – provided the Bills find someone who can get them the ball.’

‘”Sports impact your whole life,” Wilson told buffalobills.com. “Learning how to work together… there are a lot of times you’re going to lose in life and you need to be able to move forward from there. There’s no doubt that for me sports has given me more than I have given it, and this is my way to pay it back.”‘

‘Wilson, 94, has not attended a game since November of 2011.’

‘”You don’t know how excited I am to get another opportunity to play for that guy,” Dowtin said Friday night, in an appearance on The John Murphy Show. “Coach Pettine is a one of a kind coach. Just the opportunity to get another shot, and to already know the defense, I can’t wait to show what I have to offer, and hopefully I get a chance to do it.”‘

‘”He’s doing really well,” said Wilson, scheduled to be in town today for the Western New York Girls in Sports program. “He’s great. Today is Friday, so he’s going to work out with his trainer. Our goal is Opening Day. Ralph wants to make the home opener.”‘

‘Dowtin entered the NFL with the New York Jets last season as an undrafted free agent out of North Alabama. He appeared in three games for the Jets after being elevated from the practice squad on Oct. 17.’

‘When you look at the Bills roster as it’s constructed, there are plenty of glaring needs that jump out at you. Whether it be quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, guard, pass rusher, linebacker, cornerback or safety, there will be no shortage of players in this year’s draft that the Bills could use.’

‘These last three prospects put the Bills at the allowable limit of 30 draft eligible player visits. What’s most impressive is they did it in the span of 10 days from April 2nd to April 12th.’

‘The linebacker is a player with whom Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine is familiar. Dowtin was originally signed by the New York Jets last year as an undrafted rookie free agent.’

‘”He’s always had that quality of being a playmaker,” said Sanders. “I definitely understand that there was a lot of negativity coming out after his senior year, especially after the Florida game. I talked to him and he always stayed positive about it. I know that he’s doing his thing with the draft preparation. I’m just glad that people are seeing.”‘

‘Tennessee QB Tyler Bray and WR Cordarrelle Patterson, along with Rice TE Vance McDonald and Fresno State S Phillip Thomas were in Orchard Park meeting coaches and touring the facility on Thursday.’

‘This is the second time the Bills have met with Bray recently, having put him through a private workout earlier in April. The quarterback is considered to be a Day Two pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.’