Archives for July 22, 2014

‘Start with the fact that Buffalo’s first-round draft pick, wide receiver Sammy Watkins is the real deal.’

‘The Florida State product is in a very different situation than he was last summer. A year ago, Manuel was learning a new offense from a new coaching staff, adjusting to new teammates and battling for the starting quarterback position with veteran Kevin Kolb. This year, coaches named Manuel the starter before practices began and he appears to be more comfortable around his teammates and the media.’

‘Williams appears to have found his happy place after a sometimes tumultuous first two years with the Bills. While his on-the-field play has mostly lived up to what the team hoped for when it signed him to a contract worth up to $96 million in 2012, Williams made reference to the off-the-field issues he’s gone through.’

‘He faces a stiff challenge in doing so with the Bills, who are deep at receiver. “Definitely intense,” Roosevelt said of the atmosphere after his first practice. “It’s definitely good competition. I think when there’s good competition like that, it makes everybody better.”‘

‘Once again, it was the Sammy Watkins Show. The rookie receiver from Clemson wowed the crowd with his speed, twice getting behind defenders for long touchdown passes from EJ Manuel, once in one-on-one drills and again in 11-on-11 work.’

‘Might this have been a prelude to the upcoming Bills’ season? Fans sure hope so. So does the coaching staff, for that matter.’

‘He spent the past two seasons on NFL practice squads, with the Detroit Lions last season and the Cleveland Browns in 2012.’

‘Watkins may be stealing the show early in camp, but there have been plenty of developments in the first two practices.’

‘”I like it here, so I don’t see why the Bills would want to leave here,” he said. “The fans are great, the city’s great.”‘

‘The Bills have already had some bad luck with injuries, so watching Watkins go down put a scare into them for a second. Luckily the rookie won’t miss a beat.’

‘For a successful season – which is now measured by making the playoffs for the first time since 1999 – everything rides on Manuel’s ability. It’s only his second season but he’s under the gun to produce to make the franchise attractive for a potential buyer. Let’s hope it’s not either rocker Jon Bon Jovi, who wants to move the team to Toronto, or loudmouth Donald Trump, who would initiate the Buffalo Shuffle, namely “firing” a massive amount of on-and-off personnel.’

‘”I know for a fact Jon never said he was going to move the team to Toronto,” Jaworski said in an interview at St. John Fisher College, before the Bills’ afternoon practice. “I think there was much speculation because people tried to read the tea leaves and said he’s talking to guys from Toronto, so he must be trying to move the team to Toronto.’

‘”He’s just a young guy, but at the same time we hold him accountable just like everybody else,” star defensive end Mario Williams said.’

‘Despite Bon Jovi’s Toronto-laden ownership group, the constant speculation around the league about the Bills moving there or to Los Angeles appears to be overblown and more than a bit misguided.’

‘”We got it all figured out Saturday night, just a phone call,” Cohen said in a phone interview Monday night. “I’m familiar with some of the guys here, some of the coaches and a little bit of the scheme. I decided that this was the best fit for me.”‘