Archives for September 1, 2008

‘"It’s funny, everybody keeps talking about confidence, confidence. I don’t think it’s about confidence," Youboty said Monday, as the Bills prepare to open the regular season hosting Seattle this weekend. "It confuses me. My confidence isn’t moving."’

‘”With Ashton the number one thing with him was he lost his mom early and hurt his hamstring so his rookie season was pretty much wiped out,” said Whitner. “So that year he pretty much spent the majority of his time on special teams and on scout team. He didn’t have the opportunity to learn the defenses that we were putting in each week."’

‘"It feels real good for someone to have faith in you like that," said Murphy, who finished last season on injured reserve after tearing his left calf muscle. "So I feel like I’m not going to let anyone down."’

‘"Any player who wants to be disruptive or be a good player in this game, they should want the same thing. I really want to be the best safety in the game of football, and if you don’t want to be the best at your position, there’s really no reason to be playing. When I come away from this game, I want to be considered one of the best."’

‘They’ll lose the guidance that older players could have provided, but the staff is wagering that guys on the decline can only offer so much help to the young people. Even though advice can be useful, getting out there and actually doing leads to true improvement. Buffalo clearly believes its greener players can be fine reserves without guidance from relatively elderly teammates, and actually do the same jobs better, too.’

‘Stupar initially signed with the Patriots in May as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Virginia, where he had 80 catches for 803 yards and three touchdowns during a four-year career. The Bills are carrying only three tight ends on their active roster, including rookie fourth-round draft pick Derek Fine, who’s out indefinitely with a left thumb injury.’

‘The Bills filled two of the three remaining vacancies on the practice squad Monday signing wide receiver C.J. Hawthorne and tight end Jonathan Stupar.’

‘”The offense has a lot to prove, and it starts at the quarterback position,” Edwards said. “I’m talking generally right now, but there’s a lot of expectations. A lot of work has gone into this season, and it will show on Sunday. I know I have a lot to prove, but if you ask any offensive player, they would say the same thing.”‘

‘”Being here is one thing, backing it up is another,” said Bell, who had his first regular-season practice with the Bills on Sunday. “Check back with me in a couple years. Hopefully, I’ll make a tremendous jump, not a step. That’s what I’m working on every day, working hard and trying to make that big jump.”‘

‘"Every time I went on the Internet I saw a story that said I was going to be on the practice squad," Bell said Sunday. "It never said I was going to be on the roster. I used that as motivation."’

‘Of Buffalo’s 10 draft picks, all made the roster except seventh rounder Kennard Cox, a cornerback waived earlier this week, and linebacker Alvin Bowen, on season-ending injured reserve with a knee problem. No other rookies made the roster. Meanwhile, only seven players have reached their 30th birthday: reserve offensive lineman Jason Whittle (33), Moorman (32), defensive end Ryan Denney and Lindell, both 31, and defensive linemen Aaron Schobel and Marcus Stroud and Royal, all 30.’

‘”I had a lot of them out there and I’m trying to make the best of them. We are all out there competing for a job, we’re playing with each other, trying to get a win and at the same time we’re all out there fighting for a spot on this team and that’s all I was trying to do was go out there and fight.”‘

‘”It’s definitely a hit to our team,” said Lee Evans. “To say that he’s not missed would be ridiculous to say but there’s nothing we can do about it. We can’t sit here, wish, wait and hope. All we can do is play ball and play ball with the guys that are out here. If the time comes where he comes back, we’ll welcome him back and move forward. Right now, he’s not here and we’ve got a football game to play.”‘