Archives for June 2015

'So the National Football League will salute the troops if they are paid enough to do so. I have come to assume not a step is taken in professional football unless money is somewhere being exchanged; a single attendance at a game confirms it. Will they go green, become an ecologically pure sport, if enough dough is thrown at them? Would they become the anti-war sport if a collection was taken for that cause?'

'“He handled it like a pro should handle it,” said Glenn. “He did everything he was asked to do, and always tried to help out his teammates. He continued to do all the little things such as extra film study, staying after practice, things like that. I actually took notice of what he was doing and tried to implement it into my game.”'

'Excitement for the Bills regular season has reached heights that have not been seen in a long time. From the hiring of Rex Ryan to the trade for LeSean McCoy and the re-signing of Jerry Hughes, Bills fans have a lot to look forward to come September.'

'Now, his mainstay days are behind him. The marquee role in the backfield belongs to McCoy, who, after having his contract reworked by the Bills, is receiving $16 million. That’s the sort of financial commitment, along with the rest of the heavy spending the team has done in the offseason, that helps raise expectations on multiple levels. The Bills are expected to make the playoffs, something coach Rex Ryan is on record as saying. And McCoy should be expected to lead the league in rushing, or least be very near the top of that category.'

'Anyway, the parallels to 1999 are apt. That team rode a great defense – quite possibly the best in Bills history – and conservative, power running game to an 11-5 record and a wild-card berth. They won despite the fact that Flutie was in decline and unable to throw effectively down the field anymore.'

'"How I felt with the situation with the Jets is different than how I feel about the situation with the Bills," Simms said the other day. "I feel like here I'll have more opportunity to get more experience and get more reps on the field and to give myself a fair shot to succeed. Whereas I didn't feel I got that same respect there from the Jets the past couple months."'

'"Joint practices give you more of a chance to evaluate players and do different things," Rex Ryan said in a statement. "It peaks the competition. We want these two days to be productive and we are excited to work against the Browns."'

'"I don't think you can quantify a receiver's worth by yards," Lal said. "That's system-based, or I've seen a lot of teams that are behind the whole year so there's a lot of yards. He has a lot of room to grow and he can be one of the best route runners, because physically there's not really anything Sammy Watkins can't do."'

'The Bills have had strong attendance thus far in OTAs. Guard Chris Williams is the only player who hasn't reported, and head coach Rex Ryan said he still hasn't heard from him. Meanwhile, a handful of Bills have been limited participants because of injuries, including safety Aaron Williams, tight end Chris Gragg and wide receiver Sammy Watkins, among others.'

'Bovada recently set the initial over/under on the Bills' win total for the 2015 season, and it sits at 8.5. Those who think the Bills will surpass that total and have a winning season will get -130 odds, while the Bills going under that win total is at even money right now.'

'Last year, the Bills held joint practice with Pittsburgh at the Steelers' training camp site.'

'Ryan said "when it's all said and done, we'll be fine" at quarterback. He said the situation is not ideal, and there is not one quarterback well ahead of the competition at this stage in the offseason.'

'"I am not there every day with the guys running routes. So mentally I've got to watch the defense and the coverages, watch how things move, because I am going to be coming back soon and everything is going to be fast and I have to pick it up."'

'"We're not tiptoeing into anything," Ryan said. "We expect to be good. We expect to win this year. We're not afraid to say it."'

'If Kouandjio’s arrow continues to point upward, and his play lands him in the starting lineup, that means one of last season’s two starters will be forced out and into a reserve role. For now, it appears the coaching staff does not want to move Glenn inside to guard as had been previously speculated, partly because head coach Rex Ryan said he’s “ecstatic” how rookie John Miller has played there so far. Richie Incognito is holding down the other guard spot.'