Archives for July 27, 2012

‘”He exemplifies what what we want players to do and how we want them to be,” Nix said. “So that’s the reason he’s here."’

‘”Everywhere I go, especially in Buffalo, it’s ‘Hey how are you?’ It’s something I’m not really accustomed to. Fans are fans in general but when you go everywhere (even) just getting gas, it doesn’t matter, somebody’s going to come over to you and someone is going to say something to you. It’s definitely a big difference because this is Bills territory.’

‘”I love it,” Fitzpatrick said. “If I didn’t love it, I don’t think I would play the position of quarterback. That’s why we do it. I want all the pressure to fall on me so that the other guys can just go out there and play. Me being one of the older guys in the huddle, especially with our skill players, I love taking the pressure, because it takes it off them, and they’re just able to go out there and play. My shoulders are big enough for that.”‘

‘”Even in May I was up in the air. I’m definitely more encouraged,” he said. “I’d be lying if I threw a number or a guess out there (on how close he is to 100 percent). I can’t really tell. Some days feel better than others. But I have progressed these last couple months, and I’m happy about that.”‘

‘”If I didn’t love it, I don’t think I would play the position of quarterback,” Fitzpatrick said Thursday as the Buffalo Bills opened their 13th training camp at St. John Fisher College under a dark gray, though dry, sky.’

‘”There are 11, 12 guys out here competing,” Easley said. “Steve’s the No. 1 guy and it’s an open competition after that.”‘

‘”Nobody even told me about it until I got here. I’m sleeping on twin-size beds and no TV. It’s not a big deal, but I just didn’t know so it was a shock.”‘

‘”I’m serious, I cried. And screamed pretty loud. When free agency started I barely went to class for three days and followed all of the news on TV, the radio and message boards,” said Bromley, who lives in Pittsford and will be a junior a Buffalo State College. “It was kind of unreal when we got him because it’s not really a Buffalo-like move but one of those things where you can tell the culture is changing.”‘

‘”It’s exciting, and it’s another opportunity to get out here and show what you’ve got and improve and get better,” Williams said. “I am focused on football, and I just want to play. I am not worried about the other stuff.”‘

‘”I think a lot of it has to do with the way we competed last year in the first seven or eight weeks of the season,” Nelson said. “When we were all healthy and firing on all cylinders we were competing with the best teams in the league. Fans understand that we have pieces in place and we added key components.”‘

‘Limping no longer, the Bills, as a whole, blasted off on the right foot in opening camp in suburban Rochester with a near fully healthy roster. That’s quite a turnaround for a team that ended last year with 17 players – nine of them regulars – on injured reserve.’

‘As far as the first day goes Gailey said, “It was typical, I mean other than not having pads on. In years past we’ve put pads on the first day, but it’s almost still like OTA’s and Mini Camp than it is real Training Camp. When we get the pads on, that’s when the real football will start.”‘

‘Poloncarz would not discuss which issues must still be resolved or where there are areas of agreement. But he says he does take fan concerns about potential team relocation protection , the TV blackout rule, lower ticket prices, and even the Toronto games into account when he has discussions with the Bills. Poloncarz says the only area of agreement he can share is that they won’t discuss the exact status of the negotiations.’

‘”It is a lot of the same install we went through in OTAs,” said Fitzpatrick. “The biggest difference for me is (WR Stevie Johnson) is going to be on the field. He was not on the field for some of that stuff. Get him going a little bit. Maybe not on the first or the second day because of the coverages they are running and what we are throwing, bust to get that chemistry back on the field.”‘

‘Nick Barnett, Bills linebacker, said, “Good having everybody healthy all the guys back we expect so much out of everybody we have to go out and build that team all the guys are excited to play I’m excited so well see what happens.”‘