Archives for November 3, 2010

‘Who the heck gets cut? There are plenty of candidates. John McCargo, Akin Ayodele, maybe David Martin. But how interesting would it be if the Bills claim Merriman and cut Aaron Maybin to do so. Maybe Merriman can help Maybin if he stays. Maybin and Merriman have a relationship with one another, both being from the Baltimore area. But if he ends up leaving Buffalo today, this will surely go down as a huge day in Bills football history.’

‘What’s in it for Merriman? Why would he want to stay here? Consider this: Buddy Nix drafted him. Talk to ANY player in the NFL. They are generally prideful men. They can be fiercely loyal. I’ve been there when Ruben Brown talked about being drafted by John Butler. It’s safe to say that you don’t forget the guy that brought you into the league.’

‘San Diego placed the six-year veteran on injured reserve with a minor- injury designation on October 13, a move that positioned them to release the linebacker once he and the team agreed he was healthy.’

‘The move was made by first-year general manager Buddy Nix, who is familiar with Merriman. Nix previously worked in the Chargers’ front office when they drafted the outside linebacker with the 12th pick in 2005. Merriman won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award in ’05.’

‘”It’s definitely exciting to have an opportunity to have a guy like that come out here and having a chance to learn whatever you can learn from him,” said Maybin.’

‘”I think it’s big for us as a whole on the defensive side of the football,” said Donte Whitner. “It just shows that we are going to do the necessary things that it takes to get pressure on the quarterback and be a successful defense.”‘

‘”As we have said many times before, we are constantly evaluating our roster and will do things that we feel can improve our team," said Bills GM Buddy Nix. "We think Shawne can help our defense and so we have claimed him off waivers. He has been an impact player in a 3-4 defense and we feel this is a good opportunity to make our team better.”‘

‘Aaron Maybin told Joe Buscaglia that the former Chargers’ linebacker is coming to Buffalo. In addition, George Wilson had heard that the decision had been made before the Bills hit the practice field.’

‘Merriman must report to the Bills anytime in the next five days or he’ll be placed on the commissioner’s did not report list, then he would not be able to play the rest of the season at which point his status would be determined by the next collective bargaining agreement. At the moment, Merriman plans to report to Buffalo, sources told Schefter. He is not expected to play Sunday vs. the Chicago Bears, however. The Miami Dolphins had also planned to place a waiver claim for Merriman.’

‘Bills general manager Buddy Nix was instrumental in drafting Merriman when Nix was still with the San Diego Chargers, who placed Merriman on waivers earlier this week.’

‘A company that provides game-day security for Buffalo Bills games at Ralph Wilson Stadium has been fined $194,000 by the state for employing unregistered security guards and violating other sections of state business law.’

‘”We’re getting a little bit better pressure on the passer on third downs,” said head coach Chan Gailey. “I think we’re understanding what the other team likes to do in third down a little bit better. So that’s been a real plus and a real positive. That’s something that you can build on.”‘

‘What Chicago can do is play defense. The Bears rank third in scoring defense (allowing only 16.3 points per game) and sixth in total defense (305.3 yards per game). Buffalo ranks 29th in total defense (384.3) and 32nd in scoring defense (30.1).’

‘"When you don’t get as much pressure on the passer, they haven’t had to throw it as much. All of that plays into it," Gailey said. "If they’ve got the lead, they’re not throwing it. That’s when you get a lot of your opportunities to get interceptions, whether it’s safety or any position. Right now, we’re playing even or behind, so the other team is able to run it."’

‘Q: Is there anything comparable between playing a defensive position in the NFL and having “game” in the kitchen? A: It can be intense in the kitchen as well, if you’re pressed for time, expecting people over and things are not going right. I’ve had food on the stove, and left to take the trash out and come right back, but ended up locking myself out with the stove going. At the end of the day, you have to take it step by step and not spread yourself too thin.’