Archives for May 23, 2015

'It’s far too soon to conclude that the Bills fixed their weakest area on the team, guard, with the additions of veteran Richie Incognito and third-round draft pick John Miller. Or that center Eric Wood will rebound from what he would readily admit was the worst season of his career. Or that tackles Cordy Glenn and Seantrel Henderson will make the necessary strides to provide the consistency the Bills didn’t get from them last year.'

'Kelly and his wife, Jill, picked next weekend for the run because their daughter, Erin, recently published a book called “Kelly Tough,” (amazon.com) and Kelly for Kids, another family foundation, will host a gala the evening afterward in Buffalo and a golf tournament June 1 in Batavia.'

'The success rate for PATs from the traditional spot was 99 percent last season vs. 91 percent on field goals from 33 yards. What changes everything is that the defense will no longer take the extra point off. With a chance to score, and with no fear of the kicking team running a fake from that distance out, it will rush the house.'

'"I think there's still competition for the starters, too," April said. "Ty Powell is having a good offseason. He's competing, he's playing hard for us. He's studying hard. He's smart. He's still in the mix. It's going to be a competitive camp, top and bottom of that roster. There's definitely opportunities there."'

'Jackson definitely still has a role, though. He's the best pass-blocking back on the roster and would be the team's first choice for carries if McCoy got hurt. Is Jackson completely safe? Maybe not, but he definitely shouldn't think about retiring this season. If the Bills, for some reason get rid of him, another NFL team could use his services in 2015.'

'I may not be “Jim Kelly big muscles,” but I am my dad’s daughter! I learned early on the wisdom and joy of doing what he said and striving to meet his expectations. For example, I can’t recall when I learned how to look someone in the eye and give a firm handshake but I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember—because that’s what he taught me to do. “Erin, when I introduce you to someone, you look them in the eye and give a firm handshake,” he’d say sternly. And he didn’t just tell me once or twice; he made it very clear that that’s what Kellys do (and in case it hasn’t hit you yet, I realized I was a Kelly at a very young age). It’s called respect, and he made sure I understood what it meant and looked like in the most practical way from my most tender years—eye contact and a firm handshake.'

'“My father actually tried to do everything he could to convince me not to do it,” Sparano Jr. said. “He told me I was too smart for it and to do something else with my life so I didn’t have to move around and get involved with the hectic lifestyle that the profession can bring. As I got older it was the only thing I saw myself doing. It was my love, my passion, and I couldn’t see myself without the game.'