Archives for June 12, 2015

'“I was grateful just to have a chance to play on offense,” Gray said. “Since I had been in the NFL, I’d been doing a lot of special teams, so to get that chance to showcase what I can do on offense was really a blessing for me.”'

'"He came in for a visit and he kind of blew us away when we got him on the board and our coaches were talking to him," Ryan said. "Mentally it's a big thing and a big challenge in this when you come from college to the NFL, especially as an offensive lineman. I think this young man seems to have the aptitude for it and that's going to allow him to showcase his physical talents, so we're excited about that."'

'The third week of the preseason typically is the dress rehearsal for the regular season, with starters receiving their most extensive playing time of the preseason. That means the amount of work Cleveland's Johnny Manziel and Buffalo's EJ Manuel receive in the joint practices should be a good indicator of where each quarterback stands.'

'"Oh, gawd, I didn't realize he was 22. I'm a little nervous," the Bills new coach said. "But no. He certainly has more of, I don't know if mature is the right word. But he's been around the game awhile."'

'"Although there's been some rough spots, it seems like we're on pace. I'm happy with the conditioning of our players, it seems they're all in shape, which is important when you hit minicamp. After that, they're on their own, so I think we have a pretty good start with that."'

'Mathis, an 11-year veteran, was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday night after a contract dispute. A 2005 third-round pick by the Carolina Panthers, Mathis has skipped all of the Eagles voluntary OTAs this offseason.'

'“I don’t think you back yourself into it. If I give you a date, and we come back around in week two (of the preseason) and there’s no starting quarterback, ‘well, you said there would be a starting quarterback.’ “I think I’ve learned you just let that thing sit there.”'