Archives for August 21, 2013

‘”It’s just like it was in Syracuse-the exact same,” said Bills rookie tight end Nick Provo, who played three years under Marrone at SU. “His demeanor, his personality, the way he handles practice and the players, everything’s the same. Even the schedule, meetings, practices, everything’s the same. There’s no doubt,” Provo added, “he believes in his ways."’

‘The Bills and Byrd did not negotiate a “no-tag” provision for 2014, meaning the Bills could use the franchise tag on him again next year, but to do so it would cost them nearly $8.3 million, as the franchise rules dictate that Byrd receive a 20 percent raise over his 2013 salary.’

‘”The message is, ‘Hey, when you’re in this league, it’s a privilege. It’s not a right.’ You have to respect the shield, you’ve got to respect the Buffalo Bills, you’ve got to respect your teammates, the coaches, the whole organization, so when you step outside of this, you’re representing not only the NFL, yourself, your family, but you’ve got to do it with the utmost respect.”‘

‘He watched the rest of practice from the sideline, but coach Doug Marrone said afterward that Gilmore was fine and only needed to be re-taped.’

‘He has done a lot of stretching, icing, and then a lot of nothing. Rehabilitation is monotonous. So is being a spectator for just about every portion of practice, plus the first two preseason games.’

‘”I was with his dad for a couple of years and his dad was a very fiery type of guy, and then when I met Nathaniel – I obviously met him through his dad first – I saw the same thing,” Marrone said of Hackett’s energy. “And then having the experience of working with him, I’ve learned to understand it better where I’m not at times that type of person. But, I don’t think it’s bad to show your emotions.”‘

‘The two-time Pro Bowler started every game for Buffalo in 2012 and finished with 76 tackles and five interceptions.’

‘Byrd will earn a guaranteed $6.916-million salary in 2013 — an amount determined by his position under the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and players union.’

‘A person familiar with Byrd’s plans told The Associated Press that the player is not in the Buffalo area and intends to join the team within the next couple of days.’

”’It’s just a legal issue,” Bradham said while at training camp in Pittsford. ”I made a mistake, that’s it.”’

‘Byrd also sat out all offseason training activities and minicamp in protest of being slapped with the franchise tag, but finally relented and accepted the Bills’ tender offer of $6.9 million for the upcoming season. Buffalo was unable to come to an agreement with the 2012 Pro Bowl selection on a long-term contract by the mid-July deadline.’

‘”It’s a new system, and it’s an intricate system,” Bills general manager Doug Whaley said. “Safeties do make a lot of calls, so he’s missed that. … So he’s going to have some ground to make up, but he’s a professional. I know he’ll come in here ready to work and try to contribute as soon as possible.”‘

‘An ongoing situation since being tagged in early March, Byrd chose to stay away from training camp after no long-term contract was reached. The two sides had until July 15 to negotiate a multi-year deal, but little to no contact led to the two sides staying far apart.’

‘It wasn’t a particularly great day for the players on the second and third-team offenses.’

‘Gilmore, being attended to be head trainer Bud Carpenter, took off his right shoe and had the staff take a look at something on his foot. Even Head Coach Doug Marrone and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine came over to check on the Bills’ top cornerback.’