Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘“Football’s not football without pads on,” the defensive tackle said after the session which was conducted in intermittent rain. “So putting the pads on, you can play physical and play football. It was harder for me without pads on, but you put the pads on, my leverage and power and speed come into play and that works into my advantage because guys have to actually block me.”’

‘“We have to be able to practice at that level to get guys ready,” said linebacker Lorenzo Alexander. “It’ll ramp up when we get into games.”’

‘”It’s teaching me patience, man. I’m trying to be the best father figure I can be. It’s turning and molding me into a better person each and every day watching my son grow,” White said. “Watching him pick up on things and get bigger and bigger, that’s something I’m looking forward to for sure.”‘

‘“You have to rotate the fields or you’ll destroy them and then they’re not as safe and you can’t get what you need done,” Beane said. “When we go to the other field that’s not the main one, it’s not conducive for the fans. We wouldn’t want someone to drive multiple hours and you bring kids and there’s not seating to help them see. We felt like there was some people disappointed (in the past), showing up, (saying), ‘Well, if we knew you were practicing here we would have come a different day.’”’

‘Was Wallace really the fifth-best corner in the NFL? Highly unlikely, but based on how he played, it looks as if the 6-foot, 179-pounder has plenty of upside and may once again be the starter in 2019, even after the Bills signed veteran free agents Kevin Johnson and E.J. Gaines to compete with him.’

‘“For me it’s easy,” Johnson said after practice at St. John Fisher College the other day. “All I have to do is watch and they’re going to tell me who should win the jobs and who shouldn’t. It’s not going to be me; they’re going to do it. No coach ever cuts a player, a player cuts a player. No coach ever wins a job, the player wins the job. I’m teaching them the tools they need to be successful and watching who responds and who doesn’t.”’

‘After two days of helmets and shells, the Bills got after it in their full gear and there was even a brief skirmish when rookie tight end Dawson Knox was handled rather roughly as he was heading out of bounds after making a catch.’

‘“This is how I support my family; this is the way I take care of her and my kids,” he said. “But to be honest, she’s the one that told me to get back out here, she told me not to miss. As a husband and a man, it’s my obligation to be there for my family so it is crazy that I’m here, but it’s her, she wouldn’t want it any other way.”’

‘“I’d say with all our wide receivers, they’re like Smurfs,’’ said McDermott, referring to the popular cartoon of small blue people which was also the nickname given the Redskins’ trio of Alvin Garrett, Virgil Seay and yes, a real person named Charlie Brown. “If you ever watch them, they live in like a small village, so they can separate in small spaces. All of our receivers are like this tall.’’’

‘“Kurt is a guy who is familiar with both of us,” said Beane. “He’s started more than 80 games, so he’ll bring a lot of veteran savvy. He’s a hard-nosed player who is very smart and a great fit for our team and this defense.”’

‘“When Sean and (offensive coordinator) Brian Daboll roll the ball out, LeSean is going to be the first running back to touch the ball,” Beane said before the Bills took the field at Fisher for their first training camp practice under a brilliant sunny sky. “That’s the way we see it.”’

‘Morse is now second-year quarterback Josh Allen’s new best friend. Allen’s personal 6-6, 305-pound shaved-headed bodyguard who, with left tackle Dion Dawkins, are the only surefire starters among 16 offensive linemen in camp.’

‘The only thing we know for certain is that as long as Morse is healthy, he’s a starter. Beyond him, it’s a guessing game as to what the final puzzle will look like come opening day in New York.’

‘Last season provided some fodder regarding the overall importance of special teams. Longtime NFL writer Rick Gosselin, who has been ranking special teams units for more than two decades with his own widely respected system, ranked the Jets No. 1 in overall special teams plays last season, with the Dolphins fourth and the Cardinals fifth. None of those teams came close to making the playoffs.’

‘Specifically, the Bills need to be better against the run (16th) and in points allowed (18th), but taking it a step further, Pro Football Focus sees loads of room for improvement. In their advanced metrics, PFF graded the Bills as the 13th-best overall defense in the league (a far cry from second based on yards only), but had them 23rd against the run and 29th in tackling. Against the pass, PFF ranked Buffalo 10th in pass rush efficiency and ninth in coverage efficiency.’