Archives for April 2015

'On Manuel: "I thought he looked really good the first two games (in 2014). As I watched him, the first 10 games he started his first year, before he got hurt, he looked like a rookie and I've had a couple of them so I know what they look like. He was doing a lot of rookie things. But at times he did some really good things and you could see exactly why they drafted him in the first round. EJ wants to be good, his work ethic and his desire to be good is so strong, it's impressive, it jumps out at you. There's question after question, he's a note taker, a deep thinker, and he studies."'

'"He's full of s—, and I'll remind him of that when we play him," Ryan said. "Look, we weren't perfect, and I never said we were going to be perfect. But that's a f—— b.s. comment. But, hey, he's happy that he's got a different coach in place. We'll see how happy he is when I play against him."'

'Kelly is one of eight Hall of Famers scheduled to appear in Chicago, but more are expected to be added to the list in coming weeks. Kelly, who was recently featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated with new Bills coach Rex Ryan and fellow Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas, has quickly developed a strong relationship with the Bills' new regime.'

'It's not entirely clear where Smith might fit in with the Bills, who already have two receivers, Marcus Easley and Marcus Thigpen, playing significant roles on special teams. Smith's experience as a wildcat quarterback may interest the Bills, who seem interested in getting creative on offense given their deficiency at quarterback.'

'“We’re going to try to whip your ass. There are people in that organization who are going to be lifelong friends to me. But this (the Bills) is my damn football family now.”'

'“They were trying to pull away from me,” Ryan added. “Like it was my fault, somehow, that people identified the Jets with me, and that was a bad thing and not a good thing. I was just being who I was. From that point on I knew I wasn’t going to be long for that job.”'

'Smith, 31, often saw action out of the wildcat formation with the Jets. He enjoyed the most productive years of his career with them. Smith's career numbers: 134 rushes for 972 yards and four touchdowns, 104 catches for 987 yards and five touchdowns, and 112 kickoff returns for 2,873 yards and four touchdowns.'

'Three of the bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, and the master has radiant floors. There is also an eat-in kitchen, a family room and office with built-in bookshelves, a rec room, an exercise room that could be converted to a sixth bedroom, and a patio with an outdoor fireplace. The lot is about a third of an acre, and the property taxes are $37,642.'

'“We’re not only a national brand, we’re starting to be a destination because of Rex and what we’re building here,” says general manager Doug Whaley, who credits Ryan with luring players such as free-agent wideout Percy Harvin. “We’re trying to be a serious contender.”'

'Here’s a look at the most recent #50 overall draft picks, and a historic look at that spot…'.

'“Percy is a world-class athlete,” Roman said. “He is a very tough, strong, physical football player who we envision being a big factor for us at the receiver position. I personally think his best days are ahead of him as a receiver.”'

'“Obviously watching the tape is one thing. It gives me the opportunity to see their movement skills and how they play,” said Kromer. “But understanding I don’t know what they were being told or how they were being coached to do things, it’s a case where I want to get with these guys and get out on the grass with them and get a feel for how they learn and how they pick up the things I’m going to teach them. I don’t want to evaluate them too soon.”'

'He appeared in 13 games for the Eagles in 2014 serving mainly on special teams.'

'“I mean, these guys want to win,” he said. “That’s our prime directive. The stat that we care about is winning. And everybody understands that in a team sport, sometimes you’re doing the dirty work, sometimes you’re getting the glory. But if it all ends up in helping the team win, then everybody benefits and it’s pretty obvious."'

'"Our front office did a tremendous job," Roman said. "We kind of presented a vision of how we wanted to look and be. It's a totally new beginning here, they understand that, and they took what we communicated to them and went out to find those pieces."'