Archives for September 5, 2015

'How popular is Fred Jackson? Thurman Thomas told Channel 7’s Shawn Stepner this past week that if Jackson ran for mayor of Buffalo he would probably win.'

'For now, Cassel and EJ Manuel are the backups behind Tyrod Taylor, and Cassel said that’s what he’s “planning on” when the regular season begins on Sept. 13 against Indianapolis'

'“That’s why we’re working here every day, man, with the treatment and the trainers to get everything right,” he said.'

'If Cassel were to be sent packing, that would mean Ryan and the coaching staff is fully confident that EJ Manuel can be a reliable backup quarterback to starter Tyrod Taylor. If there’s any doubt about Manuel, then it’s likely that Cassel stays as the No. 2, and Simms remains on the waiver wire. It does not seem as if Manuel’s place on the roster is in jeopardy.'

'"Marv said something about it in the Monday meeting," Tasker recalled. "He basically said, 'I don't want to hear it. If you don't want to get pulled, don't get in that hole. And another thing; we have a lot of faith in the guys we're putting in so shut up and sit down.' And we never heard another thing about it. There's reasons why Marv's a Hall of Fame coach, stuff like that."'

'Playing behind a patchwork offensive line and with a mediocre quarterback in 2014, Jackson had 1,000 yards from scrimmage and set a career high with 66 catches while also having a career-low 3.7 yards per carry.'

'Simms, who is entering his fourth season in the NFL, still has practice squad eligibility if he passes through waivers unclaimed.'

'However, after a few weeks in Buffalo, Enemkpali is without a team again. It isn't entirely surprising — even before punching Smith, Enemkpali was far from a lock to make the Jets' roster.'

'But, according to a source, Enemkpali's on-field play and the uncertainty surrounding the fallout from the Smith incident were too much for the Bills to overlook. An NFL spokesman confirmed last month that the league will look into the incident, as it falls under the personal conduct policy. At the time, Jets coach Todd Bowles said it's up to Smith if he wants to pursue criminal charges.'

'Enemkpali was cut by the Bills the day before all NFL teams have to reduce their rosters to their 53-man regular-season limit. If he clears waivers between Saturday's cutdown deadline and Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., the Bills still have the option of placing him on their practice squad.'

'Simms, who will be 27 on Sept. 27, has been through this before. He was waived by the Jets as an undrafted rookie free agent on Labor Day weekend in 2012, and was out of the NFL until signing a reserve/future contract with Gang Green the day after the regular season ended.'

'But the Seahawks wanted Jackson for more than his relationship to Lynch as they believe he still has some tread in his tires and can also still an effective receiver, something that was a forte of Turbin’s, who had forged a role as the team’s two-minute back.'

'Jackson, who became good friends with Lynch when they were teammates on the Bills from 2007-10, is the oldest running back in the NFL at 34. In his eight seasons with Buffalo he gained 5,646 yards on 1,279 carries. Jackson, who was scheduled to earn $2.35 million with the Bills, was surprisingly released by Buffalo under controversial circumstances — Jackson was quoted in the Buffalo News saying, “There's only one person in that organization that I haven't gotten honesty from, and that was (Bills general manager Doug Whaley).”'

'Jackson, who shared the lead-back job with Lynch in 2009 and the start of the 2010 season in Buffalo, visited the Seahawks on Tuesday and took a physical exam according to Carroll.'

'"I feel good. It's just a matter of time," McCoy said Friday, while acknowledging he is still experiencing some pain when making certain cuts.'