Archives for February 19, 2015

'“I think, in an ideal world, you’d have a veteran quarterback with a young quarterback,” Ryan said Wednesday during a gathering with Western New York media at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that, whether it’s a young guy starting, a veteran backup, or vice versa. But we’ll see how it shakes out. I know we’re going to try to upgrade that position, if you will, or add to that position, certainly, any means necessary. So we’ll see."'

'“I think the first thing is, I’ve” coached “against Richie Incognito, and I know he’s an outstanding player,” Ryan said Wednesday during the first of multiple gatherings with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine. “If he wasn’t an outstanding player, would I have had the conversation with him? No. The truth of the matter is, no. But knowing what kind of player he is, we wanted to find out for ourselves where he’s at and have a conversation with him.”'

'Crossman makes no apologies about the fact that he is downright begging General Manager Doug Whaley and the rest of the Bills’ hierarchy to keep Easley, whose salary shouldn’t be all that expensive, relatively speaking. As an exclusive-rights free agent, Gay doesn’t figure to go anywhere, especially after his ability to consistently boom kickoffs deep. But will Ryan be as enthusiastic about tying up a roster spot with a kickoff specialist as his predecessor, Doug Marrone, was?'

'I read the accounts of bullying that got you suspended from the NFL, but I don’t know what really went on except for what I’ve read. Whatever occurred, a lot of people seem willing to give you a second chance. So I’m going to imagine you learned a powerful lesson and that you are really grateful to be given a new opportunity to use the physical and mental gifts with which you have been blessed.'

'"He's an outstanding player," Ryan said. "If he wasn't an outstanding player would I have had the conversation with him? No."'

'It was "terrible" watching the Patriots win the Super Bowl. And on catching the Patriots: "Obviously we have a lot of ground to make up."'

'"We'd certainly like to have him back and remain a Buffalo Bill," Ryan said. "He's a talented guy. I would think that he would want to do that, being in this kind of system, seeing the success that other backs have had in this kind of system. But we'll see how it works out, also recognizing that, the NFL, sometimes you're not always able to keep the guys you really want."'

'Tampa Bay coach Lovie Smith gave a glowing endorsement on McCown as a locker room presence but said it was best for the two sides to move on. Last offseason, McCown was the most sought-after free agent quarterback on the market. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported that McCown has at least one more visit planned in Indianapolis this week.'

'“Quite honestly, I’m the head coach of the Buffalo Bills and you probably have Jets coming up later,” Ryan said about Johnson’s allegation. “You can ask them. I’m moving on. Respectfully, I’m not going to answer that question because it serves no purpose. For me, anyway."'

'"I'm going to let that one go by, too," he said. "I might foul it off, but, no. And it's not about him. "Quite honestly, I'm the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, and you probably have Jets coming up later or whatever, so you can ask them. I'm moving on."'

'Ryan continued: “But knowing what kind of player he is, we wanted to find out for ourselves where he’s at and have a conversation with him. Obviously, we felt good about him moving forward and doing things, you know, conducting himself in a way where he’s a good teammate, and I expect him to be that.”'

'But he said he thinks the “majority of the people in our community in particular, are going to take a wait-and-see approach, and I think that’s all Richie wants, and in my opinion that’s what people deserve.”'

'"Well, it's really a dead period so you really can't talk with him about football-specific things, but I did see him, I did meet him, I shook his hand, but that's about it," Ryan said. "Obviously, I knew EJ when he was going through this process a few years ago and I was very impressed with him. One thing I know about EJ is he's got a great work ethic, and I think that's key when you're trying to reach your potential and things like that."'

'“I’m not a big believer in investing in a position just because you think you have a need,” says NFL Draft analyst Mike Mayock. “It’s got to upgrade the existing position. I’m not sure you can do that at quarterback this year in the second or third round.”'

'“It was a great visit,” Ryan said, but wouldn’t commit to McCown being a viable starting option. “Well, we’ll see. We’re not going to tip our hand one way or the other on what our thoughts are, but it’s safe to say that obviously we’re interested in him, that’s why we brought him in.”'