Archives for May 2015

'"They asked if I had anything going on this weekend," Rodgers said. "I just said, 'Nope. I'm free. I'll be there.' In my head I'm thinking, 'Well, I was supposed to speak at graduation.'"'

'"Sometimes you do it even by strategy or if there is something with certain visits that you'll bring in people or you don't," Ryan said. "Sometimes we may go visit a school thinking there is a little smokescreen here. I went to visit a certain player that we didn't really think fit us."'

'"I'd rather have, in a perfect world, 'this is our guy,' but I'm excited about the competition," said Ryan. "You don't know how it's going to shake out. There's not anybody who knows how it's going to shake out. We're going to give them a platform that will showcase what they can all do, and let's see what happens. Is it a perfect situation? No, I'm not saying it is, but when we end it, it'll be a clear guy who will be No. 1. There are three guys in my opinion, who can be NFL quarterbacks."'

'The Bills have not officially released any of the names or confirmed all of them as of yet, but we can piece together many of them from reports found online via media reports, their school, agent, or personal social media accounts. Here are some names that have been gathered…'.

'“I think when you look at (Ronald) Darby, he’s a guy that obviously has the traits that we look for in a man cover corner,” said head coach Rex Ryan. “I love the fact that he was criticized for not being thrown at. I thought that was pretty interesting to me. Generally, this just in, but you usually don’t throw to a guy that is covered. I like that about him.”'

'“The NFL is more of a job, not a career, because it doesn’t last very long,” Scott said. “If you’re blessed to stay in it, one thing is for certain: if you’re a player now, one day you will become a former player. Don’t make it your life. Enjoy it, live in the moment yes, and just understand that one day it will end."'

'“I learned that you can’t mistakes,” he said. “You’ve just got to work really hard in the NFL. In college, you could make a mistake here, make a mistake there, you’re stronger, faster, smarter than the guy, you can get away with it. But here, it’s professionals. It takes a lot of work, and this is my job.”'

'“I had the benefit of meeting most of these players, and I feel great,” he said. “No player that we have in that locker room is perfect. Everybody’s had something in their lives they’re probably not proud of. I know certainly I’ve had more than my share.'

'It makes McCoy seem petty and resentful, like he’s too proud to accept the fact that Kelly got rid of him because he didn’t feel he was worth top running back money. Maybe what Kelly didn’t like was backs who don’t always hit the hole and run sideways at times.'

'"You see how fast he got rid of all the good players, especially all the good black players; he got rid of them the fastest," McCoy said, referring to himself and wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. McCoy, who was traded by Kelly to the Bills in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso in early March, then added, "There's a reason he got rid of all the black players — the good ones — like that," though he didn't elaborate on what he actually meant.'

'Given the serious punishment handed out in Spygate (first-round draft pick taken from Patriots), Bountygate (a year's suspension for Saints coach Sean Payton), Textgate (four games for Browns GM Ray Farmer) and Noisegate (fifth-round draft pick and suspension of Falcons president/CEO Rich McKay from the competition committee), I'd expect at minimum a four-game suspension for Brady, the Patriots stripped of a first-round draft pick and some hefty fines.'

'"Well I had the benefit of meeting most of these players and I feel great," Ryan said. "I think there is a common…no player we have in that locker room is perfect. Everybody has had something in their lives that they are probably not proud of. I know certainly I have had more than my share. It does not mean they are a bad person or whatever. These guys I know for a fact will respect the guys in the locker room and that is all I ask. We all respect each other and play your butt off. That is what they are going to do. As far as outside in the community, I expect them to be respectful of the people in the community and to be good characters. I believe we will have that."'

'While the league doesn't have precedent for this type of issue, it's safe to wonder whether Brady could be suspended. Any time the star quarterback misses for New England would only help the Bills' cause of getting a leg up in the AFC East, but it's also worth noting that the Bills play the Patriots in Week 2.'

'"We are not going to be lined up, but I think it is better for our fans just like you guys reporting here—this goes to our fans and I would rather be honest," Ryan added. "We are not going to be 100-percent lined up. Why? Because we do not feel like we have to come out and, 'Here is a blank statement.' Somebody reads it and then he is going to follow it up."'

'Spikes did not have the smoothest departure from New England. He sent out tweets saying he couldn't wait to hand the Patriots two losses a year and seemed happy to be out of Bill Belichick's locker room.'