Archives for June 2, 2016

'"Honestly I can't tell you,” Watkins said when asked to “chart the course” for his rehab and when he thinks he might be ready to play football again. "This is an injury where you have to be very careful. Only thing I can do is listen to the staff and take it slow and just really protect myself and they're going to protect me, also. We're just going to take the course with the injury. Nobody knows what timetable or when I'm going to be back."'

'Guys were going after it pretty hard on both sides, resulting in more incidental contact than the coaches probably even wanted. Then to underscore the point, a skirmish broke out after LeSean McCoy ran up the middle and was stopped while surrounded by four or five defenders. Linebacker Preston Brown and offensive lineman Jordan Mills started grabbing and then it swinging at one another before others joined in and all had to be separated by teammates and coaches. After that, there was more back-and-forth trash talking than there had been, as well.'

'“Well, yeah,” he answered when I asked if he believes the Ryan name has suffered because of last year’s rankings of the two brothers’ respective units. “I think last year was kind of a blow to the Ryan name. I don’t think there’s any doubt about it. Now when you look through the history of this game, I think we rank up there. Just because you have one off-year maybe doesn’t knock you all the way to the bottom, like its maybe been reported, but I think we’re okay. I think the Ryan name’s pretty good.”'

'"This is an injury where you have to be really careful," Watkins said Wednesday. "The only thing that I can do is listen to the staff and take it slow, and just, really protect myself, and they’re going to protect me also. We’re just going to take the course with the injury. Nobody knows what timetable, what or when I’ll be back."'

'On Wednesday, Taylor got back to the form that we saw during practices in 2015. The starter was reading the field well, finding his targets well enough and placing the ball in the right spot to allow them to make a play — and more importantly, he didn't allow the defense to make their mark on the play.'

'"He is still same, fun to be around, but at the same time you are going to work," tight end Charles Clay added. "Nothing has changed in that regard."'

'So, when Ryan was asked for his prediction on this year's Stanley Cup Final between the San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins, he wouldn't bite. But, as Rex Ryan does, he just couldn't help himself when it came to the Sabres.'

'“It’s going great. I’m hoping to get the boot off (Thursday),” said Watkins after the Bills’ Wednesday OTA practice session. “I really can’t do anything now and I’m not really rushing it back. I’ve just got to listen to the staff.”'

'“I feel like we picked up right where we left off,” said Clay. “Throughout the whole process we definitely talk a lot. I definitely know what he’s thinking and he knows what I’m thinking. It was good to get back out there and run around a bit, but we stay in communication all the time so there’s a sense of familiarity there.”'