Archives for October 14, 2008

‘McCargo had 35 tackles and 2.5 sacks during 21 games as a Bill. He was the team’s 26th overall pick in 2006.’

‘The second of Buffalo’s two 2006 first-round draft picks, McCargo had difficulty gaining a regular role in the team’s defensive line rotation and had dropped to fourth on the Bills’ depth chart behind Spencer Johnson.’

‘One self-admitted laggard is the Buffalo Bills, a team that has struggled to control some of the worst-behaving fans in all of sports. The Bills are aware of the Eagles text-messaging system and would like to have it, but they simply haven’t budgeted for it. Buffalo has relied, instead, on old-fashioned shame: publishing the names of those arrested at Bills games in the local paper. But that often isn’t enough to keep fans from getting plastered.’

‘The Bills made a trade before the NFL deadline Tuesday afternoon, it just wasn’t the one everyone was expecting. Instead of adding a player Buffalo made a subtraction sending defensive tackle John McCargo to the Indianapolis Colts for an undisclosed draft pick.’

‘Bills 34, Chargers 23.’

‘Buffalo Bills wide receiver James Hardy, tight end Robert Royal, and safeties Donte Whitner and George Wilson will join forces with United Way to celebrate the tenth annual Hometown Huddle at Southside Elementary School in Buffalo at 3:30 p.m. today.’

‘”George directs the meeting, but (Donte) is providing direction during the meeting without being the coach,” said defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.’

‘”Everything right now is looking pretty good,” he said. “I’ll be full go on Wednesday and we’ll see from there. I feel pretty good about Sunday. I have a real good chance."’

‘Stroud doesn’t play evenhandedly: He’s too fast for his size, and he’s what every team wants and what a mobile defense like Buffalo needed. It’s not to take anything away from anyone else, but the core reason why competitors like Posluszny or Donte Whitner have been able to reach the highest level of effectiveness is that Stroud is drawing two blockers so consistently.’

‘”I came in here today and met with them this morning and [they said] we’re going to give it a go today, there’s no reason to hold you back,” Edwards said. “I was feeling pretty good today at practice. We still need to work some kinks out, work some things out, but for the most part, I thought it was a good practice.”‘

‘”I’m very excited, coming off of the bye week and the long weekend, I’m all right,” Parrish said. “I was kind of sluggish out there with my endurance and getting in shape and just trying to get back in the groove of things. But I was catching the ball and just going out there pretty good.”‘

‘I had met with the trainers on Friday and the doctors, and just rested all weekend at my house and didn’t really do all that much. And I came in here today and met with them this morning and said we’re going to give it a go today, there’s no reason to hold you back and I was feeling pretty good today at practice. We still need to work some kinks out, work some things out, but for the most part, I thought it was a good practice.’

‘Heading into Week 7, the Bills rank 23rd in the NFL in rushing at 98.4 yards a game. One of the bigger problems has been a lack of push up front from what is, on paper, the heaviest line in the NFL, as backs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson haven’t had much room to run.’

‘New offensive coordinator Turk Schonert has shown a good feel for calling a game and has drawn the most out of the personnel, though he admits he needs to find a rhythm in the running game. He has done a good job bringing Edwards along and has tailored the offense to his strengths, and it has worked. On defense, Perry Fewell was given some new parts in Stroud and LB Kawika Mitchell, and things have come together nicely, the loss to Arizona notwithstanding. As for head coach Dick Jauron, he has his team ready to play, he has a tremendous amount of respect from his players, and with a 4-1 record and first place in the AFC East, no one can argue with his results.’

‘Edwards, who said he did experience headaches last week, will undergo another battery of tests Tuesday to determine if his symptoms are in line with tests that were taken before the season. "I had met with the trainers and doctors on Friday and pretty much rested all weekend at my house and didn’t really do all that much," Edwards said Monday. "I came in here today and met with them this morning and they said, ‘We’re going to give it a go today. There’s no reason to really hold you back.’"’