Archives for July 2012

‘”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.”‘

‘”I hope we just take it one step at a time, like the Bills have done in the past, one game at a time, and if they do that, and they stay healthy, looks like they have some depth, could be time to go up,” said Califano.’

‘”The biggest difference for me is (Stevie Johnson) is going to be on the field here at training camp,” said Fitzpatrick. “He was not on the field for some of the spring stuff. I want to get him going a little bit to get that chemistry back on the field.”‘

‘He is not a rah-rah kind of guy. He is much more of a “go make plays” kind of guy. That is the kind of leadership he provides.’

‘It is good to be back just to get everything started. I love training camp. I love getting away. Being able to kind of put normal life aside for a little bit and getting here being able to focus one-hundred percent on football. I think this team is ready. I think we are excited to get going, to improve and to progress as the season nears. There is a lot of excitement here.’

‘”That was invaluable for our rookies to be able to do that,” said head coach Chan Gailey. “I think our rookies were able to realize what’s going to be expected of them and have worked themselves into better shape so they can come out and be people that not only participate, but contribute early.”‘

‘"We have good players but things can look good on paper but they (sometimes) do not pan out on the field," said defensive tackle Kyle Williams. "Things do not pan out on the field unless you lay it on the line here in training camp. When you get here, you get to work and you put the kind of work in that you need to get in to be successful."’

‘”Coming to Buffalo, the fans welcoming him as they did, he saw the blue-collar city, the connection between our organization and the community, he saw the guys he’d be playing with and just looking at everything as a whole, this was a good fit for him and his family,” Wilson said.’