Archives for July 2011

‘”I think Torell has done a great job of improving his core strength,” said Smith. “I only got to speak to him a couple of times prior to the lockout, but he’s worked hard and I think he’s going to make huge strides this coming season. I think he’s got the ability to be an excellent player.”‘

‘A person with direct knowledge of the Buffalo Bills’ plans says the team is on track to open training camp in suburban Rochester within two weeks, barring a breakdown in labor talks.’

‘”Levi did a nice job of picking up what we did (offensively),” said Bills quarterbacks coach George Cortez. “He’s got good skills and a lot of confidence. He’s got a short memory. It doesn’t really matter how bad a play was, it doesn’t affect him. He’s a smart kid. He picked things up smoothly.”‘

‘"We all try to get together as much as we can," Reed said Wednesday from his home in Southern California. "We were always a tight-knit group and we’ve stayed that way even after our playing days. Jim Kelly just had his 25th celebrity tournament to help various kids organizations and the guys were together there, too."’

‘Stephen Lynch, the owner of Sports Performance Park in the Eastern Hills Mall, is paying to have the 86,000 square feet of old turf hauled away from the stadium and temporarily stored at the mall until recipients are identified and selected. The old turf, which was cut up and rolled up in sections, was sitting in the stadium parking lot on Tuesday.’

‘”Obviously you don’t play as long as both those guys have in this league without having the ability and the intangible qualities necessary,” said Wannstedt. “They’re both coming off of surgeries from last year so I think when you combine their health status, their current physical state… I know we’ll get their best effort. They’re high character guys. They know what it takes to win.”‘

‘"Actually I have an uncle that lives in the New York area and he just sent me a text the other day saying he’s read on the internet that the Giants are a possible spot for me. I mean, so yes, there’s a lot of interesting possibilities out there and the one thing about free agency, all players, I think, you want to know your true value. You want to know how other teams value you and what they think of you, so that’s the interesting part of it. But, I mean, the Giants, along with several other teams, there are some interesting opportunities out there, that’s for sure."’

‘”Definitely, because of that connection," Posluszny said. "I love Coach Fewell and the type of defense that he ran when we were in Buffalo, you know, had a good relationship together. Actually I have an uncle that lives in the New York area and he just sent me a text the other day saying he’s read on the internet that the Giants is a possible spot for me. I mean, so yes, there’s a lot of interesting possibilities out there and the one thing about free agency, all players, I think, you want to know your true value."’

‘The Buffalo Bills say new turf is going in at the western New York field. The old stuff will be donated. Erie County Executive Chris Collins is expected to reveal the recipient on Tuesday.’

‘The Buffalo Bills are desperate to rebuild their defense into a credible unit that allows them to compete with the heavyweights in their division, but pinning their hopes on a star with a flickering flame might not be enough to lead the charge back to respectability.’

‘”I think what you’ve got is a guy that’s very well developed run and pass,” said Smith. “He can obviously play in base defense and in nickel situations with the pass rush. He’s got the whole gamut. He can do it all so we’re going to put him out there.”‘

‘For that matter, it wasn’t that long ago professional jocks had to supplement their fan-sized income with offseason work. In Buffalo, Butch Byrd, one of pro football’s top cornerbacks, used his out-of-season time to build recreation rooms in Western New York basements. We bought carpets from offensive linemen Paul Costa and Joe O’Donnell. Ron McDole, the Bills’ star defensive end, and Al Bemiller, one of pro football’s foremost centers, went into the construction business. McDole once plastered our ceiling.’

‘”I’ve kind of been hearing, you know, the possibility of maybe missing a few preseason games,” he said. “But as far as regular-season games, I can’t see us missing any. It just seems like there’s too much at stake. You’ve got to just think there’s smart people working that can figure out a way to get this all resolved.”‘

‘"Being in the position that I’m in I never really had the opportunity to go to any camp and we have very few professional athletes in the area so I thought it was just a fun thing and a great thing to do for the community and give back to the young kids."’

‘”Just watching him on film I thought he had a very natural feel as a runner,” Modkins told Buffalobills.com. “He did things instinctively. When you’re a runner there are some things that you can’t teach and Johnny did those things. When I found out that he hadn’t played running back his entire college career I was even more impressed with him.”‘