Archives for April 28, 2018

‘Phillips gives the Bills some needed youthful depth behind Kyle Williams, who turns 35 in June and is entering his 13th NFL season. He has also been favorably compared to Williams and is looking forward to learning from him, although that’s something Phillips humbly rejects.’

‘Phillips was ranked 43rd overall in the News’ draft cheat sheet, which was a composite ranking from NFL.com, ESPN and NFLDraftScout.com. NFL.com gave him a Round 3 grade, so the Bills got value by getting him with the 32nd pick of the round. Phillips said he wrote the Bills a letter before the draft, essentially saying, “I’m ready to bring my lunch pail to work everyday and I’m ready to do anything they need me to do in that organization.”‘

‘I love the Harrison Phillips pick extremely but two of the greatest Bills of all time allowing one of our biggest fans to announce our pick was amazing. Makes me proud to be part of the Mafia. I love this team. Never forget that moment.’

‘Well, again, we’re trying to be very strong up front. We made that obvious with Star and Trent’s additions. This will be another piece that will be in there competing. I think it’ll shake itself out; we’re trying to have versatile pieces. I think his best suited spot would be the one, but I think he could move out there to three. He’ll have many opportunities. I think he wants that opportunity to go out there and rush it a little bit, but we’ll see what he offers once he gets here.’

‘“Definitely got to learn and trust what my coaches tell me,” Allen added. “I’m going to get in the quarterback room, get with Nate [Peterman], get with AJ [McCarron], [and] try to become the best quarterback, the best teammate, that I can be whether it’s playing right away, whether it’s sitting and really learning from these guys, [that] is what I’m going to do. I just want to help this team win football games.”’

‘Allen found out the hard way how inane, careless behavior can catch up with a star athlete nowadays. The timing couldn’t have been any worse. One day before the NFL draft, some racist and homophobic tweets that he had posted as a 15-year-old came to light, casting a shadow over the biggest night of his life.’

‘”He’s a tenacious competitor, and he’s going to give that city and that fan base everything he possibly can. … I don’t think his ability limits him in any way. He’s an athletic-enough kid to do the things outside of the pocket that might be asked of him. That can be a strong part of his game. He can make all the throws. From a coordinator’s perspective, it has to be more about the other guys, the receiving corps, the tight ends, the running backs. Josh, in my opinion, can do all the things an offense asks. He’s got a bright future.”‘

‘”They still talk about this guy. And Jim Kelly’s a legend,” Allen said. “I’m praying for him and what he’s been going through (in recovering from recent cancer surgery),” Allen said. “But the things he was able to do at Buffalo is something special and to be in the same breath as Jim Kelly is pretty awesome and, hopefully, one day I’ll be to his level. And with the help of my teammates and my coaches we tango back to playoff contenders and Super Bowl contenders.’

‘”I don’t think so. I think he’s learned his lesson,” Thomas said. “Now, the hard part for him is going to be, ‘OK, I need to go into this locker room and not be cocky about it, but earn the respect of these guys. I know I’m a young guy; they moved up how many spaces to get me with No. 7. I’m the highest draft pick, quarterback-wise, that they’ve had in a while, and yes, I do have a past.'”‘

‘“He’s very ready to go,” Reed said Friday from Dallas. “It’s a dream come true for him. It’s something he’s worked for since he was a little kid. When I got drafted, it was the same thing. The quarterback position, there’s going to be a lot thrown at you right away. I’m sure the moment he got to Buffalo, it was, ‘here’s the playbook. Let’s go.’ ”’

‘Allen will become the first Bills quarterback since Matt Flynn to wear No. 17. Edmunds will wear 49.’

‘”He made so many plays we just started to call him ‘The Eraser,’ ” Fuente said Friday while traveling home from the NFL Draft in Dallas. “If things were messed up, if guys missed an assignment, he would always find a way to get the guy on the ground so we could line up and play another play. We’d be in a bad position on defense but Tremaine saved us by making a stop.”‘

‘Alexander took to Twitter after the pick to welcome his young teammate to the Bills, and jokingly remind him that he is an active player and not a coach.’