‘Originally scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., the Buffalo Bills offensive lineman didn’t speak until nearly an hour later.’
Archives for January 30, 2018
5 takeaways from Monday’s Eric Wood press conferences
‘Whatever came up prior to the press conference this morning, was unplanned. It’s not close to Whaley’s “privy” comments, but wasn’t a great look for the Bills.’
Sean McDermott & Brandon Beane discuss Eric Wood retirement
‘Due to his quick exit and Wood not answering questions, general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott were stuck in the headlights of media members in search of answers.’
Report: contract bonus the reason for Wood confusion
‘In August, Wood signed a two-year extension and team’s are allowed to request a portion back if the player retires before it’s over. Per the AP, there is a “gray” area if retirement is forced because of a career-ending injury.’
On the bright side: Ryan Fitzpatrick is still a fun guy
‘“I would say I’m more familiar with Eric [Wood] than most people on this earth…Maybe not his wife, but I’ve been places many others haven’t with Eric,” Fitzpatrick said.’
Hornell’s Waufle announces retirement from Buffalo Bills
‘Injuries from his playing days made the day-to-day grind of coaching in the NFL too much to handle for another full season. “I was in constant pain on a daily basis — both knees, foot, back, ankle. All those things added up from my playing days,” Waufle told The Tribune.’
Sabres, shmabres: Ex-Bills coach Rex Ryan back to loving Leafs
‘“As soon as I got fired by the Pegulas, I was like, no chance. I got rid of all my Sabres stuff. I had the (Roger) Crozier jersey, the French Connection jerseys … I got rid of every damn one of them.”’
AP source: Bills’ Wood retirement on hold over bonus issue
‘According to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, teams can ask for a portion of bonus money to be returned if a player retires before his contract expires. There is, however, a gray area if a player retires as a result of a career-ending injury.’
Bills C Wood still on roster, does not retire
‘The team can save about $400,000 if it waits until after June 1 to place him on the reserve/retired list.’
Eric Wood remains on Bills’ roster, puts retirement on hold due to salary-cap issue
‘”We don’t have any cap room right now,” Beane said. “You roll it over [into the next season]. He’ll be on our roster for a while, until we figure things out.”‘
Bills’ DL coach Mike Waufle retires, Teerlinck named replacement
‘Whitecotton makes the move to the assistant defensive line coach after spending last season as the Administrative Assistant to the Head Coach. Prior to that, Whitecotton had spent four years as a defensive assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars.’
Eric Wood speaks briefly at One Bills Drive
‘Eric Wood, Sean McDermott, and Brandon Beane were scheduled to meet at a press conference Monday at 1pm. What the media, and fans saw was something different. Wood read a statement at the podium, by himself, almost an hour after the scheduled start time. He spoke for 1 minute and 25 seconds, and did not take any questions from the media. Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott met seperately in scrums away from the stage.’
With Wood’s retirement, Groy moves front and center
‘This past season, many observers felt Groy would be a better option at right guard than John Miller or Vlad Ducasse, but the Bills kept him as the main backup for all three interior offensive line positions. He was also inserted a lot when the team went to their heavy sets, using an extra offensive lineman. They even started the game that way against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in October, a 30-27 Bills’ win.’
Buffalo Bills center Eric Wood calls it a career, without officially retiring
‘Wood thanked his friends and family, but also provided details of the medical process throughout the 2017 season, as well as what happened in his season-ending physical.’
Eric Wood on neck injury: “Even with further treatment, rehab or surgery a return is not possible”
‘“I found an hour before my son Garrett was born,” Wood said as he stood at the podium inside the Bills’ Field House on Monday. “As many of you already know, given the leak on Friday, Dr. Cappuccino has informed me I would no longer be able to play football given the neck injury. Even with further treatment, rehab or surgery a return is not possible.”’