Archives for July 21, 2014

‘But for those currently employed by the team – specifically, front office staffers, scouting personnel and coaches – there’s a more immediate reality. No matter, the team will have a new owner, possibly even before 2015. And those buying pro sports franchises – given their enormous value – have historically put their own people in the positions of greatest responsibility. That’s why there’s so much inferred pressure on President/CEO Russ Brandon, General Manager Doug Whaley and head coach Doug Marrone, in particular.’

‘How disappointed is the coach in his troubled Pro Bowler? “He’s not the only one,” Marrone said. “But obviously you want your players to come in ready to go. We’re here for a long period of time, and we’ll make up for it.”‘

‘It has become shallow and redundant to say the culture has changed, rhetoric that began when Chan Gailey was still the coach. There may have been a shift in attitude, but that didn’t translate to an improvement on the field. The results have looked mostly the same for years.’

‘”Being where we’ve been as an organization on the field is unacceptable,” said team president and CEO Russ Brandon. “It is certainly unacceptable to me. It’s all about winning. There is nothing else, absolutely nothing else that matters. We’ve made changes and we’re not going to sit on our hands and not let any sand get under our shoes when it comes to trying to put a winning product on the field. That’s what we’re all about.”‘

‘”I feel like I’m getting better every day, focusing on the little things and the details,” Watkins said in mid-June, just before the offseason work concluded. “Once I get myself from thinking to just playing, it’ll be easier. When I know what I’m doing, I look good, but when I don’t, it’s kind of like in between. Once I get past that I’ll be OK.”‘

‘”We’re expecting to win, so I don’t understand why everybody keeps saying it’s a win-now situation,” Whaley said prior to the Bills’ first practice at St. John Fisher College on Sunday night in front of a packed and enthusiastic crowd inside Growney Stadium. “It’s always a win-now. That’s what sports are for.”‘

‘”I thought it went pretty well,” defensive end Jerry Hughes said. “It’s the first practice, so we finally got things on tape. Now we can sit down and analyze it tomorrow. We just need to get better day by day. Our plan is to take it inch by inch, day by day and keep improving as a team.”‘

‘He sprinted up field with a smooth release at the line of scrimmage and with one smooth cut created at least two steps of separation between him and cornerback Michael Carter. The ball was waiting for him along the sidelines, and the No. 4 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft plucked it out of the air with ease.’

‘Bills coach Doug Marrone said Henderson will get a chance to compete during camp, but an injury is not a good way for a rookie to start his career.’

‘For three hours, the national media – most of whom haven’t been kind to Buffalo in preseason predictions – will be fixated on the Bills.’

‘Marrone has an offensive line background, so with the right attitude, Henderson could develop into a quality starter for Buffalo. The talent has always been there, it’s just been a matter of motivation and consistent focus.’

‘Jack Meredith stood in the front row of the stands of Growney Stadium at St. John Fisher College and was showing off his tattoo to anyone who was interested. Colored blue, red and white, Wilson’s face was clearly pictured on his right bicep. Meredith, who is from Waterloo, tried to use the tattoo to get players’ attention early on in practice.’

‘For the first time in a long time, Henderson is catching a break. Now the only question is whether he’s willing to help himself and take advantage of this opportunity. Because if he doesn’t, there may not be another one.’

‘”You’ve just got to keep on giving those guys the ball,” Bills offensive coordinator Nathan Hackett said during the team’s mandatory mini-camp. “They all want the ball, and that’s what you want as an offensive coordinator. You want guys that are hungry for it and want the ball every single second.”‘