Archives for August 2017

'“I’ve been around a lot of teams and this is one of those teams where I can feel the togetherness and the cohesiveness. This team has got some grit about it coach McDermott has been doing a great job of preaching family and we’re really living it, not just saying it.”'

'“This guy embodies the culture we’re looking for out of our team,” Beane said with Howard Simon and Jeremy White live from Bills training camp on Tuesday morning. “Right now it’s a one-year deal, but I think the benefits will pay off for the younger guys on our team.”'

'When he was with the starters he took the place for rookie Zay Jones. Boldin seemed to get a regular dose of reps and didn’t look at all like he hadn’t been in camp to this point.'

'"I don't think I have anything to prove, but for me it's about leaving a legacy. You want to be in control of your legacy at the end of the day… I'm also playing to win another championship. That's the reason I'm here, to try and win a championship."'

'Well, that didn’t take long. Anquan Boldin hasn’t had more than a day-and-a-half, if that, to be in the playbook and study Rick Dennison’s offensive scheme, but that didn’t stop him from taking as many first-team reps as he could.'

'“He’s continued to trend upward. We’re looking for depth along our defensive line and he’s done a nice job,” said head coach Sean McDermott of Yarbrough. “He plays extremely hard, he’s intelligent, one of the first in the team meeting room in the morning, working on his craft. There’s a reason he’s been successful.”'

'“He’s a playmaker,” said Taylor. “When you add a playmaker to your offense and team, you’re definitely excited to see what he could do. I’ve been around him, some of the guys have seen him, I know him. To see his attitude, coming in on day one, wanting to work, wanting to show guys what he’s here for, it definitely brings a different mentality to the team. From an offensive standpoint, we’re just excited to have him on board. We know he brings another aspect to our game that can make us even more dangerous. From a team standpoint, just the leadership that we need on this team.”'

' “I moved over to England about five years ago, and I’d seen an ad on Facebook to come try out for American football, and I thought it would be a really good way to meet people and get a bit of American culture in,” Schecter said. “I went to the try outs, and absolutely fell in love. I’ve never looked back since.”'

'“When you have free time you have to use it to work on the little things. I can’t say I’m going to do it and then after practice just run inside and expect to catch more,” said Darby. “When I’ve got free time I throw the tennis ball off the wall and catch it, just working on my hand-eye (coordination). The key is just looking it in once you get your hands on it. So you’ve got to find the time to do it.”'

'“I’ve been supporting Jim and Hunter and the Kelly family since the first day Hunter was born and I haven’t stopped since then,” Thomas said before playing in Monday’s afternoon round. “So whenever I can lend my time to Jim and whatever he’s doing, whether it’s golf tournaments, charity events, we’re like family. I’ll continue to do it ‘til the day I die.”'

'"He understands what we want done," Dennison said Monday, before the Bills' 10th practice of training camp at St. John Fisher College. "It's just keeping him on the same page, listening to his feet, getting the ball out on time. That's the biggest thing for (us) working on it.'

'Each has their own individual challenges as well, starting with Taylor, who has vowed to make smarter decisions in the pocket rather than honing in on his scrambling prowess. McCoy, the team's best player at 29, is tasked with bucking the trend of running backs experiencing a decline at his age. Watkins will be watched with a hawk's eye by everyone inside and outside program to see if health allows the No. 1 receiver to gel with his quarterback.'

'Boldin, who turns 37 in October and is entering his 15th season in the NFL, visited the Bills on July 24. Although he left without a contract, he told the team he wanted to talk with his family to figure out his next step. Three days later, when the Bills opened training camp, Beane said Boldin had options besides signing with the Bills to consider.'

'But that résumé covers 14 years and it's attached to a body that will turn 37 on Oct. 3, two days after the Bills' fourth game of the season. The next-youngest Bills recently turned 34: linebacker Lorenzo Alexander, defensive tackle Kyle Williams and offensive guard Richie Incognito.'

'Miami’s receiving corps is far superior to that of the Bills. Slot receiver Jarvis Landry is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and is in a contract year. Speedy Kenny Stills, who runs a 4.38 40, had nine TDs with a 17.3-yard average last year. Young DeVante Parker is 6-3, runs a 4.45 40 and caught 56 passes. Then Miami added tight end Julius Thomas, who produced 24 TDs in two years with Gase as his coordinator in Denver. Jay Cutler thrived under Gase in 2015, posting his second best completion percentage and his lowest full-season interception total. Cutler will be at least as good as Tannehill, probably better.'