Archives for August 8, 2016

'"Zach’s an unusual guy. I mean, he’s a talented guy, obviously, that can really run and he’s got excellent cover skills," Bills coach Rex Ryan said. "That’s the thing that jumps out at you. You know, I’d like to see him get a little dirtier on the goal line and stuff like that, but he is a real talented kid.'

'Hawthorne, 31, has eight years of NFL experience, playing the last four seasons with the New Orleans Saints. His defensive coordinator from 2013 through Week 10 of last season was Rob Ryan, now a defensive assistant under his twin brother, Rex, with the Bills.'

'Arenas' path to the roster basically ended when the Bills signed Reggie Bush and gave him the punt-return job. A former second-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, his NFL chances are dwindling.'

'With the team taking Sunday off, it's a good time to reset The Buffalo News' 53-man roster projection after a week's worth of practice developments…'.

'These two signings would seem to be a clear indication that rookie Reggie Ragland’s knee injury is as serious as first feared, though the Bills have not confirmed Ragland’s status.'

'Spikes, who turns 29 in September, is mostly a two-down linebacker. He's played in both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes and has a familiarity with Bills starting linebacker Preston Brown. However, he had just 34 solo tackles in his last season with the Bills, so it's tough to know what he has left in the tank.'

'Hawhorne played three seasons for Bills assistant Rob Ryan when the two were both with New Orleans. He's now 31 and played in only 11 games a year ago after battling a hamstring injury. The Saints signed him to a massive free agent contract back in 2012, but he never fully lived up to the billing. He's viewed as more of a run-stopping linebacker, much like Spikes.'

'“I wanted to see what’s the hype and what’s going on with NASCAR,” Dareus said during a brief session with the media prior to the race. “I went to Daytona and it blew my mind. I’m interested in it and it’s kind of hard not to notice it, so I wanted to check it out at Watkins Glen.”'

'"He'll put a team out there that will play hard every quarter," Sheldon Richardson told NJ Advance Media last week. "For sure." And why does Richardson think that? "Because I have faith in Rex," he said.'

'The 31-year-old Hawthorne has eight seasons of NFL experience, spending the previous four in New Orleans. He is reunited with former Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who is now on his twin brother Rex Ryan's staff in Buffalo.'

'Schefter added that the team is confident the ligament is not fully torn'

'Spikes signed with the Bills in 2014 and played in all 16 games with 10 starts. He tallied 54 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and three passes defensed for Buffalo while serving as a team captain.'

'The team is scheduled to get a second opinion of Ragland's MRI on Monday, and that will determine how much time the rookie second-round pick will be expected to miss, the source said.'

'Spikes, 28, last played in the NFL for the Bills in 2014. He signed with the New England Patriots last year but was released last June as police investigated his role in a hit-and-run crash in Massachusetts. Spikes later pleaded guilty to multiple motor vehicle charges and received probation. The NFL suspended Spikes for the first four games of the 2015 regular season, which he spent out of football.'

'“Its a large group and its a good group” Salas Told WGR during an appearance on the morning show. “Everybody in here can make plays and has shown that throughout this training camp so far. You can’t just worry about what everybody else is doing. You do what you do. You control what you can control and you let the chips fall where they may.”'