Archives for March 2005

‘Former first-round pick Kwame Harris, who has been a bit of a disappointment at left tackle since joining the league in 2003, will likely shift to the right side to accommodate Jennings.’

‘There were false reports in New York on Tuesday that he was close to going to the Jets, but San Francisco flew him out yesterday and signed him today.’

”’They call me cocky,” he said. ”But I’m just a confident kid who prepares extremely hard, extremely well. And when it comes to football, I know exactly what I want to do.”’

‘"It’s about my mental preparation," said Losman. "When I go out there I’ve got to know exactly what to do all the time. Once I start doing those things and once the game starts and I transfer that over from practice it’s going to be rolling. The guys are going to be supportive and this year is going to be the year where I’m going to need my teammates more than ever. I need them to support me in ways that they might not have to later down the road because I’ll be older and much more mature."’

‘I think my exact quote was “dad, turn this car around.”‘

‘He should provide the 49ers with a significant improvement on their mediocre line, which struggled during San Francisco’s 2-14 season. The Niners allowed 52 sacks, and running back Kevan Barlow became frustrated with inadequate run blocking.’

‘He’s not at all worried about getting the respect and confidence of his teammates. Losman said, “I’m a confident guy, it’s the same old game, it’s football.” He feels he’ll need his teammates more than ever this year as he gets acclimated to the NFL. He said to be respected in the huddle, he has to know what everybody needs to do, not just him. He has to be able to answer all questions on the field with confidence.’

“If he was going to be the starter in front of me my second year, he would’ve had to earn it, from my standpoint,” Losman said today at Ralph Wilson Stadium. “I don’t know if I could’ve beaten him out or if they would allow it to happen, but my mindset was to give him a run for his money.”

‘The 6-foot-3, 315-pound veteran had just 51 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks this past season.’

‘A surprising No. 1 was Detroit (NBA) with San Antonio (NBA) ranked second.

However, eight of the next 13 franchises were from the NFL, including the Bills at No. 15.’

‘Jennings has quick feet and fared well against speed rushers such as Miami’s Jason Taylor and Indianapolis’ Dwight Freeney. One knock on him is his durability. He missed two games last season, five in ’03, one in ’02 and four in ’01 with minor injuries.’

‘Jennings and his agent flew to the Bay Area on Wednesday morning and by the end of the day were on the verge of finalizing a long-term deal. Team officials would only say they are "currently in negotiations" with the four-year veteran, but Jennings was seen being dropped off at team headquarters late Wednesday evening, presumably to sign the contract.’

‘There’s a good chance the Bills will try to replace Williams primarily from within. The Bills invested a third-round draft choice last April in Ohio State product Tim Anderson, a 307-pounder. He was active only four games last season and saw almost no action on defense. However, the Bills were encouraged by his practice play as the season wore on. Their other incumbent option is Ron Edwards, a 320-pounder with four years experience. Edwards saw spot duty in relief of Williams last season and finished with 15 tackles and four sacks.’

‘Considered to have a positive locker-room presence, Jennings’ durability is one area where he might have a weakness. He missed two games last year, four in 2003, one in ’02, and three in ’01 with minor injuries.’

‘Buffalo offered Williams a three-year deal last summer, but the guaranteed bonus was $2million less than he received from Minnesota. Wright contacted the Bills Wednesday. "It was obvious they weren’t going to be a player," Wright said. "We’re over being disappointed."’