Archives for July 2010

‘The person who will be most affected by Spiller’s arrival is Lynch, who sits third on the depth chart after refusing to participate in most of the spring drills. It’s no secret he wanted out of Buffalo in the offseason. But he indicated during minicamp that he’s ready to accept whatever his role might be. We’ll see.’

‘ Everybody always questioned [whether] I could run between the tackles, because I’m not the biggest guy out there. I just take it with a grain of salt. I really don’t let that get me down. Athletes have to understand that you’re going to get good praise, and you’re going to get terrible criticism, so you just have to keep moving forward. I try to work on all aspects of my game. I don’t focus on my strengths and not work on my weaknesses, or work on my weaknesses and not focus on my strengths, so I try to work on everything I can to help me become a better football player.’

‘Can Chan Gailey resuscitate an offense that has been comatose for so long? The new head coach has a reputation for being an innovative offensive mind. He’s going to need all of those brain cells to be firing because the Bills have ranked no better than 25th in yards gained since 2002, and their quarterback situation continues to be one of the worst in the NFL. Gailey has some skilled players, so that reputation will be put to the test.’

‘Edwards might not deserve that second shot but he is likely going to get it. I would like to see him grab this opportunity and play like a guy who is willing to take some chances, make some plays, bounce back from failure and truly lead a team. He wasn’t given that freedom under Dick Jauron. Maybe he will be given that freedom now. Gailey deserves the opportunity to show he can make this team better and make his quarterback play better. I know we have heard this before with the Bills (see Mike Mularkey) but we really don’t have a choice. I would love a reason to finally be optimistic. I am sure you would too. Chan Gailey’s commericials say he is all about winning. Maybe he will finally be the guy in Buffalo to back that up.’

‘"It was a compilation about what I believe about life, what I believe about the game of football, what I believe about how to treat people," Gailey said in an interview at One Bills Drive last month. "I used to say what’s the opposite of right? Is it left or is it wrong? The opposite of right in that context is wrong. Generally everybody knows right from wrong. So treat people the way you should treat ’em. Do your studies the right way. Go on a date the right way. All those things you try to teach young men to have an impact on their lives."’

‘"It’s a big part, especially in your first year," he said. "You’re trying to change the culture. You’re trying to set a standard. You only get one chance to do it the first time."’

‘"I think I’d be doing them an injustice, and our coaches," Nix continued. "I think we all believe we can win and we’ll feel that way going into every game."’

‘Trent Edwards appears to be the front-runner as the Bills head to training camp, but Gailey has made it clear the position is wide open. Ryan Fitzpatrick was running the first-string just as much in the spring OTAs as Edwards, and third-stringer Brian Brohm made strides. Gailey plans to give all three as long a look as he can, and it’s anyone’s guess who takes the first snap against Miami on Sept. 12.’

‘”They haven’t really communicated where I fall in the depth chart,” said Easley, who caught 48 passes for 893 yards as a senior at UConn. “But at some point this season, I want to be a contributor to this team, whether that’s on special teams or offense. I do play receiver. At some point, I want to be on offense and making some plays on that side of the ball.”‘

‘With the trade of Pro Bowl tackle Jason Peters before last season, the Bills saw a revolving door at the left tackle spot, due mainly to injury. A number of players on the offensive line experienced significant on-the-job training in 2009, and the blindside tackle had its fair share of participants. Considered a major need in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Bills did make a selection that the team believes is a fit for the position, Ed Wang, who will compete with Demetrius Bell and Jamon Meredith to earn a role in the starting lineup this season.’

I look forward to being wrong. Remember that Chan Gailey and Buddy Nix are evaluating these players not just based on game tape and talent, but gut instincts. Old football guys aren’t afraid to cut players and, as we saw with their drafting strategy, trust their guts more than players’ reputations.

‘Johnson is still a relative unknown given the fact that he has been utilized sparingly in his first two NFL seasons. Just by watching him in non-contact drills however, Johnson appeared ready to assume a major role in the Buffalo offense, which translated into an impressive series of plays throughout the spring.’

‘First and foremost is the quarterback battle among Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Brohm, or as some might regard it, the search for the "lesser of three evils".’

‘”I just think its better suited to us because when you run a 3-4 defense it just gives you the opportunity to throw so many different things at the offense,” said Maybin. “When you run 4-3 packages you’re a little bit more limited in certain things you can do from a blitz perspective and certain looks that you can give."’