Archives for July 2014

‘Since moving to the picturesque campus of St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, NY in 2000, Bills training camp has been widely regarded as one of the best in the NFL for both players and fans.’

‘The Buffalo News asked several developers, as well as one of the area’s leading preservationists, to offer ideas on where a new stadium ought to go. Not surprisingly, The News found plenty of ideas and little consensus.’

‘If Manuel doesn’t improve in 2014, or doesn’t improve at the rate the Bills expect, the team will be in a tough spot. Whaley has invested quite a bit of draft resources to make sure Manuel has every chance to succeed, and if his development doesn’t take a noticeable step forward this season, the Bills will enter the offseason with unanswered questions about the most important position on the football field.’

‘Bills fan Tom Reid had himself a Bills-themed wedding this weekend and shared some pictures on Twitter. The autographed C.J. Spiller football was the icing on the cake for these newlyweds.’

‘Had Lawson continued to be in Mike Pettine’s defense for the upcoming season, he likely would have been higher on this list. However, now he is a defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. It’s a role that he hasn’t done well with, and one that doesn’t exactly fit his skill set or body type.’

‘It’s hard to predict what Manuel might do in 2014 from a statistical perspective. The Bills will likely utilize a run-heavy approach while also giving him more of a chance to diagnose defenses than he had in 2013. Now that he’s acclimated to the NFL game, Manuel will have a better season than he did in 2013 – it’s just a natural progression for most young quarterbacks in the game. The bigger question that needs to be answered will be if Manuel’s progress as a player will match up with where the Bills want him to be.’

‘With likely six spots up for grabs, wide receiver is usually one of the more compelling positions to watch as training camp rolls along. How does the current roster shake out, and who needs to fight? That’s the next destination of the camp primer series.’

‘There are many similarities in the defense that Schwartz intends to run and that of Mike Pettine from last season. It is called a 4-3 defense instead of a 3-4, but it will still be operating primarily as a one-gap defense with a focus on getting to the quarterback with the front four. What Schwartz’s new defense does, according to Brandon Spikes, is allow players to roam free, make plays, and not think so much.’

‘”I was nervous I wasn’t going to make it, but I’m feeling better and will be there every day,” Kelly said.’

‘”Fans need to stop rationalizing, saying they can get by without Kiko. The kid played EVERY defensive snap last year! People are dreaming if they think Preston Brown can step right in as a rookie because he looked good in OTAs.”‘

‘To go 14 years without a playoff berth in this era means you have to make mistake after mistake after mistake. The Bills have done just that.’

‘onsidering how his career started off in Dallas and San Diego, Chandler has made a remarkable comeback to become the type of productive player he is after essentially being written off by most.’

‘If this were a list that ranks raw talent only and which players have the most, McKelvin and his effortless athleticism would rank somewhere in the top 10. However, when you mix in how long he’s been in the league along with his varying levels of play, it knocks him down a few pegs.’

‘Bryan Johnson – The lone undrafted free agent of the group, Johnson (6-foot-4, 250-pounds) is built more like Hughes and Lawson. He’ll likely get looks on the right side of the defensive line as more of a pass rushing specialist, but the odds of him making the roster aren’t great.’

‘Not much is expected from them by fans heading into camp. Their names are often buried deep on the depth chart, but coaches usually know what under the radar players have the chance to stand out and earn some notice in training camp when the onlookers in the stands might least expect it. Here now is a rundown of some of the names you should keep an eye on come training camp and why as we list the top sleepers for the Bills.’