Archives for November 2009

‘"It’s very tough," Whitner said. "You almost have to pull yourself out of a funk every now and then because a lot of times when you miss a lot of time you feel kind of worthless. You’re just around watching practice, watching film, talking to guys in the training room, but you’re not actually out there putting all the work in."’

‘”I don’t know about expecting to play,” said Whitner. “I’m not 100 percent. We’ll see after practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.”‘

‘"If we had the opportunity to get Michael Vick and it came down to that I believe yes [he would be a fit]," Whitner said after practice Monday. "I believe that he’s a great football player. Right now he’s not in the swing of things with all the time off. But with a full offseason of conditioning and dealing with the right people helping him to get his mechanics back in line I believe he can pick up where he left off."’

‘The Bills rank 28th in scoring at 15.4 points per game, 29th in yards at 264.8, 30th in third-down conversions (26 percent) and 30th in first downs at 14.5.’

‘Dick Jauron has had to endure a spate of injuries on both sides of the ball, and the 3-5 record, given the lack of depth on the roster is actually commendable, though no one in the fan base is willing to buy that. His is perhaps the hottest seat in the league and the fans want him fired at season’s end. Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has struggled to find healthy bodies and the run defense has been the worst in the league, ruining a solid season in terms of takeaways. Jauron fired Turk Schonert just before the start of the season and turned the offense over to quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt, but like his predecessor, Van Pelt is hamstrung by a poor offensive line and spotty quarterback play. The Bills have to get more creative with the personnel they have.’

‘Head coach Dick Jauron said he is not disappointed with Maybin, which, of course, is part of the problem in Buffalo because expectations just seem to be so low. “When we drafted him we knew what he was, he’s a speed rusher off the edge,” Jauron said. “He’s not a giant defensive end, but he’s a strong guy and he’s got a great motor. We knew that it would take some time and thought he could help us right away in our pass rush and that’s still pretty much where we are.”‘

‘Fred Jackson added, “Anytime you add a playmaker like that to any roster it would be a good add, but that’s not up to me but I would welcome him.” The Bills released this statement in late afternoon, “He is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and we have no comment on it.”‘

‘"There will be some tweaks," wide receiver Lee Evans said of the offense. "We know we definitely have to do something different and move forward. I don’t think you’re going to see a completely different offense. But hopefully we’ll be able to do some things and mix things up a little bit and get more guys involved."’

‘What are the Bills, some halfway house for fallen stars? How’s that Terrell Owens thing working out? The Bills need a solution, not a sideshow. They should find their next QB the conventional way – in the draft. Let some other team play the sap on this one.’

‘Edwards is working with Buffalo’s top receivers, Terrell Owens and Lee Evans, an indication he’s prepared to reclaim his job. Backup Ryan Fitzpatrick helped the Bills go 2-1 after Edwards was hurt in a 16-13 overtime win over the Jets on Oct. 18.’

‘”If you’re not getting the job done, then they’re going to bring in other players. It’s a competition thing,” Whitner said. “You bring in other guys that can get the job done that can help you win. I would welcome bringing in Michael Vick.”‘

‘”That hasn’t been decided yet,” said Edwards when asked if he’ll be the starter. “I haven’t met with all the doctors yet or anything. So I’m still kind of feeling good and getting better each day. (Monday) felt great so you’d have to talk to those guys about it. It was the same last week. I was working with all the guys (at practice). It’s more like a bye week practice today. We had some Tennessee work today, but it was more like bye week preparation.”‘

‘”Standing up the ankle felt fine, but as soon as you try to drive off the foot or turn it wasn’t working. I had pain down the inside of my ankle and around the back by my Achilles. It was not good.”‘

‘ However, I think it would be a HUGE mistake for the Bills to sign Vick, despite the obvious fact they need an upgrade at quarterback and Vick still may have some upside left. The Bills need a lot more than one player. The signing of T.O. certainly proves that even a high profile signing can’t mask the other glaring weaknesses, like an under achieving offensive line and two quarterbacks who don’t appear to be the long term answer.’

‘”But I think a dark horse is Buffalo. They talked originally. There was some communication there. I think that could be a good spot.”‘