Archives for May 2009

‘”The biggest challenge is more about athleticism and speed. When you’re inside, it’s more about power and strength,” he said. “It’s going to take some time to get used to that, but what’s great is that I’ve got (Chris) Kelsay to go against every day, and he practices hard, and ultimately the way I’ll make the conversion to tackle is by working hard in practice. And he’s going to expect that out of me every day, and I’m going to expect that of him.”‘

‘It is not fine for the Buffalo mayor to give Owens a key to the city. The mayor said it was an attempt to promote the city. Promote it as what? A place where the city leaders have lost all sense of perspective?’

‘"The overall plan," said Russ Brandon, the team’s chief operating officer, at this week’s NFL owners’ meetings, "is to build cohesiveness up front for years to come."’

‘The Bills kicked off 11 days of organized team activities — workouts without pads or much intensity — but as expected it was a media circus. It spoke to Owens’ stature as an athlete that transcends his sport. With these kinds of athletes, it’s not always about the team or the game as much as the man.’

‘Cornerback Ashton Youboty, who has the talent to compete for the nickel cornerback job, may miss all of the team’s organized team activities and mandatory minicamp due to the same foot injury that sidelined him the second half of last season. Youboty has a condition called plantar fasciitis that is very painful in the heel area. Coach Dick Jauron said Youboty is making steady progress but the medical staff is being cautious with him so that he’s ready for training camp. But lost practice reps are always a concern.’

‘No. 1 pick Aaron Maybin, a defensive end out of Penn State, didn’t sound overwhelmed practicing with Bills veterans for the first time. Things are faster, though. "A little bit, nothing too serious," he said. "Football is football, we’re all just out here having fun and trying to get better."’

‘When pro scouts drooled over him early on during his career at Furman, Lamb had to temper their enthusiasm. “You may come back here one day, but he has a long way to go,” he’d say. But each year, Bell got a little bit bigger, a little bit wiser and a little bit closer to the NFL. By his senior year, he was named the best blocker in the Southern Conference.’

‘”I’m just trying to stay healthy because that’s seemed to be the problem,” said McCargo. “Injuries, injuries, injuries. I’ve lost about 10 to 15 pounds and I’m just trying to come in lighter because ever since I’ve been in the league I’ve been heavier than I was in college. I feel better at around 300 or 305. I’m trying to stay around there so I can run more. That’s the kind of defense that we’re in where they want the defensive line to pursue and hustle up and down the field and I think the lighter I am the better I am at doing that.”‘

‘Buffalo Bills players Lee Evans, Brad Butler and Jon Corto, and members of the Buffalo Jills were on hand for the announcement in Riverside Park.’

‘"I definitely think I’m a lot better than I’ve played," McCargo said. "That’s the main thing. I’m not happy with the way I’ve performed. So I’m trying to change and get a fresh page for myself. … Whatever I was doing back then it wasn’t working. I’m trying to do something new so I can go somewhere I haven’t been."’

‘”It’s going well,” he said. “It’s painful, the stuff you have to do. But you have to do it to get better. I can get around. Hey, when you get to be 90, there’s going to be some problems. The doctor says I’m in great shape. I think it was playing tennis all those years, twisting and turning.”‘

‘”He looks like a guy that’s caught a lot of passes in our game and knows what he’s doing and knows how to do it,” Jauron said Wednesday. “He clearly presents a very good target and knows how to play coverages, how to play defenders and he plays with a lot of confidence. So we’re very happy that he’s here with us. He’ll do a lot of things for our offense.”‘

‘”There’s no doubt it’s a challenge,” coach Dick Jauron said of the massive rebuilding project on the line. “I believe we have the right group of guys for it. They work well together, they enjoy working together, and they’re a bright group. It gives us a chance, but it won’t be easy.”‘

‘”He’s getting better and better all of the time. We just want to make sure he’s ready for training camp,” Jauron said. “Through this period, we’ll just see how it goes. He’s been heading in the right direction now for a number of weeks, so we’re happy about that.”‘

‘I mean, no disrespect to you, but you have a one-year contract with a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in nine years and needs more than a wide receiver to take them to the promised land. You hadn’t even stepped on the practice field and you were treated like you’re a five-time Super Bowl winner when in fact you’ve never even played in the big game.’