Archives for July 8, 2015

'“It’s one of those things you don’t want to have to deal with,” said Steward, selected by the Bills in the sixth round of the NFL Draft in May. “The mental is probably just as bad – if not worse – as the physical part of it because you need to stay positive and make sure you’re staying on top of everything."'

'"I cater those workouts to track-specific things, so I don't lose the rhythm I've always had to keep football and track in balance. I don't want to get too much on the football side and gain weight, so I'm as fast on the field."'

'Darby did attend the league’s Rookie Symposium last month, where social media training and domestic violence awareness are typically some of the topics covered to educate players.'

'Teams place bids on prospects in the supplemental draft that correspond to next year’s draft. The team with the highest bid is awarded that player but forfeits next year’s draft pick in that round. If the Bills want to bid on Battle, they will not be able to place a sixth-rounder on him because they do not have that selection in next year’s draft as part of the deal they made with the Vikings to acquire quarterback Matt Cassel.'

'“I think it’s very rare,” Mario Williams said after a one of the team’s minicamp practices last month. “Mostly I’ve seen coaching staff turnover. I’ve had a different coach I think every year just about. But to be able to play in general with guys, especially in the same group, in the same room, I think it’s very important.”'

'Anthony Dixon – This is where the position starts to go completely up in the air. Dixon, as beloved as he is by fans, is in serious trouble to make the roster. Unless an injury happens to one of the top three, Dixon will be battling Bryce Brown for one spot — if they even keep four at the position. Dixon is the better special teams player between him and Brown, but are those requirements filled because of the addition of Karlos Williams? He'll likely have to prove himself as a better runner than Brown.'

'Despite a strong overall performance by Buffalo’s special teams last season, the Bills have some work to do on kick return. The Bills have finished in the bottom half of the NFL in kick return yards in three of the past four seasons.'

'“Athletic, fast, that’s why we drafted him,” said defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman of Darby. “Looks like a pretty good man-to-man cover guy. Usually if you can cover, you can cover. It usually doesn’t matter who it is, but he’s been pretty impressive so far.”'