Archives for April 25, 2013

‘”Larry was basically the voice of sports in Buffalo for a generation,” said Howard Smith, former executive sports editor at The News. “He interpreted what went on, and his opinion really helped color the opinions of a whole generation of sports readers.”‘

‘Let’s take a look at the options…’.

‘So if Buffalo stays there, my gut says they go for Smith’s favorite target at West Virginia, wideout Tavon Austin, and grab their QB at No. 41 in the second round … or even trade up to get him.’

‘The day after his retirement dinner a dozen years ago, one of the easiest columns I ever wrote was recounting the tremendous impact he had on my career. In hindsight, I couldn’t have picked a better mentor … and am proud he so willingly shared his wisdom with me. I’ll miss you old friend.’

‘In the previous draft, the Bills passed over quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick based on the misguided belief Fitzpatrick could be the franchise quarterback. Dalton and Kaepernick were taken with the next two selections after Buffalo drafted cornerback Aaron Williams 34th overall in the second round in 2011.’

‘They went 6-10 and have lost more starters than they’ve signed since the season ended. The Bills have serious needs: quarterback, receiver, tight end, guard, linebacker, cornerback and safety among them. The Bills have only six draft picks.’

‘Historically, the bust rate on first-round quarterbacks is about 50 percent. Why so high?’

‘But if they identify someone else as their franchise QB, so be it. It’s their job to find the right guy. Just do it. It’s not the end of the world if he turns out not to be great. The worst thing is not taking a shot at all.’

‘Here’s a position-by-position look at the offensive prospects, broken into tiers.’

‘Here’s a position-by-position look at the defensive prospects, broken into tiers.’

‘A Buffalo native, Felser began his newspaper career at the Courier-Express in 1953 and worked there for 12 years before joining The News. He covered the Buffalo Bills from their inception in 1960 to his retirement in 2001. He continued to write a weekly sports column in The News until 2012. He held the title of sports editor for the last 20 years of his News tenure.’

‘Nothing changes Thursday night when the 2013 NFL Draft gets underway; these next three days must be stupendous for the Bills if they hope to start clawing their way out of irrelevance.’

‘Here’s what four of them told me about how those visits went…’.

‘”Long-term? I think you’re looking at a guy who could be a good backup and who, when he plays, can win a few games for you. But I don’t look at him as a future starter.”‘

‘He knew EVERYBODY! I was captivated as he would tell stories about having dinner with Vince Lombardi. He could pick up the phone and talk to anyone in the NFL, from the Commissioner to the game’s legendary owners to the top General Managers. If I wanted to find out what the Bills were thinking, who better to ask than Larry? Ralph Wilson used to call him for opinions and advice.’