Archives for August 2017

'"The Bills have a few under-25 starters in significant roles this season. Sammy Watkins is the team's leading receiver and a quality playmaker when he's healthy, though his presence here matters less for his team than most of these young players because the Bills did not pick up his fifth-year option."'

'The 2016 second round pick has not only not taken a first-team rep all of training camp, he found himself on the third-team this past week, With Gerald Hodges playing MIKE linebacker with the second unit behind Preston Brown. That's not a good sign for Ragland, who was not drafted by this front office regime, is one year removed from ACL surgery, and ultimately may not be the right fit for head coach Sean McDermott 4-3 defense. Of course there's still plenty of time for all of that to change, but until wide receiver Anquan Boldin signed with the team on Tuesday, Ragland’s struggles and drop down the depth chart were becoming the story of training camp.'

'Johnson is a local product, playing his high school football at Sweet Home and collegiate football at the University at Buffalo. At Sweet Home, Johnson was a state champion, a two-time New York State Class A player of the year, a three-time Section VI champion, a Connelly Cup finalist, first team All-WNY, All-State honoree, team captain, and a 1,000-yard rusher to go along with playing on both sides of the ball and special teams. Johnson finished with a 20-2 record as the starting quarterback his junior and senior year, and went 33-2 overall for his varsity career.'

'A similar Uber Zone will be available at Sabres games and other events at Key Bank Center, according to Pegula Sports and Entertainment. The location of that zone will be announced at a later date.'

'Gates Open: 5:30 p.m.'

'“I know there’s a score and you want to win games,” he said. “Any time you compete, you want to win. That said, there [are" target="_blank"> things that we want to see and the biggest thing for us is that we are fundamentally improving.'

'Fans using Uber are instructed to open the app while leaving the stadium and request their desired vehicle option (uberX or uberXL). Fans should then head to the Uber Zone, by crossing Big Tree Road (Route 20A) at the Abbott Road intersection. Drivers will call or text riders upon entering the Uber Zone to inform fans which row their vehicle is located in.'

'“I was 12 years old when Hurricane Katrina hit,” said Sylve. “That was one of the worst devastations of my whole entire life. Down in Louisiana, in New Orleans, usually when a hurricane comes, it misses. We usually didn’t get hit by them. But, this was a category five, and when it came through we thought we would be able to come back. But, we got 15 or 16 feet of water. I lost my house and everything, it was a tragedy.”'

'“I’ve been around LeSean before in his career and my career. We’ve got some other players on this roster that we need to evaluate and give them opportunities to develop – and we’ll see some of those guys have great opportunities on Thursday night,” McDermott said. “So, it’ll be a chance, an opportunity, for us to perform as a football team and for these young football players to develop.'

'Sure, we’re encouraged by the talk from the new football regime. But hype is cheap, and tickets are not. Until a full-blown change of direction is realized, the Bills will lose more fans like Dad, and team officials should be worried. Would it kill them to really thank the fans they have, and had?'

'Left tackle Cordy Glenn (foot soreness) and defensive end Shaq Lawson (groin) are day to day, the coach said, so they're status "remains up in the air" for the game.'

'"A good addition for our football team, a good addition for our organization," coach Sean McDermott said before Tuesday's training-camp practice at St. John Fisher College. "Anquan's a good football player, first and foremost. We all know what type of person he is. There's a reason he won the Walter Payton Man of the Year (award).'

'"Just the little bit of time I had with him today, in individual (drills) and staying after practice and working with him, still a great route-runner, of course," said Taylor, whose first NFL pass completion was to Boldin at the end of a blowout loss against San Diego in 2011. "A guy that has strong hands, was able to display that in a couple one-on-one periods and in team periods. Just a natural catcher in traffic, so definitely excited to have him a part of this team.'

'Anquan Boldin took the field in his familiar No. 81. The veteran wide receiver, signed Monday, participated in his first practice as a member of the Bills. Boldin wore No. 81, which meant Andre Holmes switched to No. 18 and wide receiver/returner Rashad Ross took No. 86.'

'"It's very stiff. I think coach is still deciding," Ragland said after practice of the competition. "On my part, I've got to keep playing hard, and whatever the coaches want, I've got to go with."'