Archives for August 2008

‘"I have been around it long enough to know that it can escalate fast and sometimes you just have to be lucky to head it off. These guys are so competitive and they are volatile. There are reasons why they play this game and play it well and if they don’t keep it under control all the time it can lead to that."’

‘"We signed Donnie Spragan and he will be here through the weekend looking at our stuff and then he will be ready to go on Monday," said coach Dick Jauron. "We met with him during the free agency period, as a matter of fact. We were all impressed with him. We know a good deal about him, so it is a real good signing for us, probably a little bit fortunate that he was available and hopefully it will work out really well for everybody."’

‘Johnson was the passenger in a car driven by Bills running back Marshawn Lynch on May 31. Lynch struck a pedestrian and later pleaded guilty to a traffic violation, ending the matter. While the case was pending, however, an intense media spotlight was focused on the situation. “I think everybody takes lessons from situations, be it good or bad,” Bills wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said. “Hopefully, everybody took something positive from that negative situation to be able to learn from.”‘

‘”It was a dream come true,” Hardy said about being drafted by the Bills. “I am looking forward to coming in here and helping this team as much as I can. I want to get into that end zone, and help this team get some more touchdowns.”‘

‘Next up: Thurman Thomas, the former Buffalo Bills running back, on behalf of former teammate Andre Reed. Reed caught 951 passes in his career before retiring in 2000. That’s more than Monk, who retired as the career leader in receptions (940) in 1995. Jerry Rice now holds that record with 1,549. One knock against the Bills is that despite making four straight Super Bowls, they never won one. Reed has already missed three chances to get in, and receivers such as Rice, Cris Carter and Tim Brown are all ahead of him on the receptions chart-and could get in before him. “I hope it doesn’t take him 13 years to get in,” Thomas said.’

‘Full back Jonathan Evans left practice early with an undiscolsed injury. Rookie wide receiver James Hardy sat out practice again with a hamstring injury. Quarterback J.P. Losman joined Hardy on the sidlines along with LB Angelo Crowell and CB Will James. Losman’s thumb from earlier in the week flared up.’

‘Rookies and young vets participated in an 18-play scrimmage where tackling to the ground was permitted. "It felt really good to let that out and cross that line a little bit," said safety John Wendling. "But it’s still your own teammates, so we’re looking forward to seeing someone different across the ball and being able to just go at it with them. So we’re looking forward to the preseason."’

‘Bowen was the 147th overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft out of Iowa State. The 6-foot-1, 222-pounder was an All-Big 12 first-team selection at linebacker in his senior year, starting all 12 games and leading the team with 99 tackles and a Big 12 best five forced fumbles.’

‘”We met with him during the free agency period and we were all impressed with him,” coach Dick Jauron said after Saturday’s practice. “We know a good deal about him. We’re probably a little bit fortunate and lucky that he’s available. We talked about signing him earlier in the week, and thought it might be a good idea. As soon as Alvin suffered the injury, we knew it was more than a good idea, it was almost a necessity.”‘

‘Spragan arrived at the St. John Fisher campus shortly after 9 am and signed his contract less than an hour later. Due to logistics it was uncertain as to whether he would make it onto the field in time for the team’s morning practice.’

‘As part of this effort, Gatorade will oversee league-wide Gatorade Donation Days at training camp to raise money to further the awareness and educational efforts of the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation (KFMF), which was founded by Mike and Rhonda Fincher in memory of their son, Kendrick, who succumbed to complications from heat stroke during the summer of 1995. Gatorade will collect donations in the vendor tent at the Bills Verizon Wireless Training Camp during the Bills night practices on August 5 and August 6.’

‘What is unusual in Peters’ case is the silent treatment he is giving the Bills. He hasn’t replied to any text messages or voice mails left by team officials and he’s had very little contact with his teammates.’

‘The 6-foot-3, 242-pounder started five games for the Dolphins last year, and nine in both 2006 and ’05. He was a full-time starter for the Broncos in 2004.’

‘”Bud [ Carpenter, the Bills’ head trainer] and I talked about Mitchell and Marcus and Chris Kelsay, some of our guys who aren’t old guys but have experience and played a lot of football, to back them off a little bit today,” Jauron said. “We’ll go hard tomorrow and then they’ll have almost a two-day break to recuperate and get ready for the next week.”‘

‘"I was on the free-agent market just one minute before they called," Mitchell was saying after a recent Bills training camp practice at St. John Fisher College. "It didn’t take very long for them to make me feel really wanted and for me to realize that they were the right fit for me."’