Archives for July 30, 2013

‘When you talk to any member of the Bills’ staff about new coach Doug Marrone, one phrase is oft-repeated … “Down to earth!” And that’s a high compliment to somebody in his position.’

‘”I’m not paying attention to who gets what. It’s just a learning curve for all of us,” Kolb said of the workload between he and Manuel. “They bring a lot of different looks. They got us a few times today in that third-down period; got me a few times I should say. They mix it up well, so it’s a lot of stuff to look at. But it helps you down the road and I’m glad I get to see it now rather than being surprised by it in the season.”‘

‘”That you need to stay focused,” Lawson said. “Granted, you have your family, and family will always be family. But this is your livelihood. And if you don’t take care of yourself and take care of your body, there’s no way you can take care of them. So focus on your job here and get things done here.”‘

‘Marrone admitted to being nervous about how much information he could share due to concerns about medical privacy laws. When asked whether Williams’ departure from camp signaled more of a concern about the injury than originally believed, he said: “I don’t know. Every time I go to the doctor, there’s always something that could happen. … I leave it up to the layman to put their opinion on it.”‘

‘Kevin Kolb had a day to forget in his battle with rookie EJ Manuel. Kolb, who again got the first-team nod and more practice reps, looked at times like he was trying to complete passes to the water cooler on the sideline.’

‘”This is a whole new team,” he said. “What’s in the past doesn’t matter. There’s a great history here. I had a couple different teams courting me, so to speak, but I like what is happening here.”‘

‘Marrone did not have any update on the injury (or ailment) following Monday’s practice, and also said he will not have a timetable for Williams’ return until he is given a medical report.’

‘At linebacker, four of the seven on last year’s squad are gone and other than free-agent signee Manny Lawson on the strongside and second-year pro Nigel Bradham inside – both likely to start – the other spots are an open competition.’

‘”This is what I dreamed of when I got drafted, I just hoped I could put myself in a situation where I could be a starter,” Brown said. “I just have to go out there and take advantage of the opportunity.”

Trying to prove themselves is nothing new to Legursky or Brown.’

‘Marrone didn’t know which foot was sore or how severe the injury is, nor did he have a timetable for Williams’ return to practice.’

‘Sanders is not guaranteed a spot on the roster, so playing well in preseason is of the essence. “It makes it even more of a big deal,” he said. “You never take anything for granted. I’m humbled by the opportunity to get to play.”‘

‘No one on the current roster was in the NFL the last time the Bills made the playoffs.’

‘Coach Doug Marrone continued to be short on specifics regarding the injury on Monday. He would only say the tests were being conducted away from the Bills training camp facility in suburban Rochester. He added he has not yet received a report from doctors.’

‘The person said Monday the new deal provides the Bills additional salary-cap space and also better reflects Smith’s production over his first two seasons in Buffalo. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the move, and Smith did not reveal the reason behind it.’

‘”His foot was sore. We’re not going to make any mistakes about it. We’re going to make sure that everything’s fine. Our doctors are evaluating him. Where he is or where he goes, I’m not going to talk about that.”‘