Archives for February 2015

'Bradford, who has a salary of $13 million for 2015, was reportedly given permission to seek a trade, though Rams coach Jeff Fisher denied as much at the NFL Scouting Combine last week.'

'A Yahoo! Sports report from Tuesday afternoon that the Bills were in pursuit of St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford via trade, but sources to WGR says that the notion is not real and the Bills are not currently attempting to acquire the quarterback.'

'“There’s a possibility that I could be in a Bills uniform,” Spiller said. “We never know how this situation is going to play out. The organization knows that I want to be there, so pretty much the ball is in their court. At the same time we’re going to weigh all our options and see what suits me best. The biggest thing is you want to go somewhere where you’re wanted. That’s the biggest thing. That’s pretty much how I’m approaching this thing. I’m looking forward to it.”'

'” I think Doug Marrone did a very good job coaching this team and making it better. But you can argue that maybe getting Rex Ryan is a little bit of an upgrade. That’s encouraging too. Are they a contender for a wild card? Yes.”'

'“Yes, we’re going to have to expand on tight end,” said GM Doug Whaley. “Greg Roman is a big tight end guy. He likes to use three to four tight ends so we’re going to have to add some tight ends. We’re also going to need to start over at fullback.”'

'Bills ownership and management made peace with his sordid history, and fans quickly fell in line. Incognito fills a hole. You could argue that he’s more likely to carry himself like a Boy Scout with the Bills because they gave him an opportunity. He makes them better, so who cares?'

'Spiller is a free agent who probably won't be re-signing with Buffalo. Fred Jackson is 34 years old and really shouldn't be anything more than a third-down back for whatever time he has left in his career. The Bills sent a fourth-round draft pick to Philadelphia last year to obtain Bryce Brown, but he remains an unproven commodity as a full-time workhorse. Anthony Dixon is a nice backup to have.'

'Clay, who has played four seasons in Miami, has had at least 50 receptions and over 600 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons. Bills general manager Doug Whaley mentioned at the NFL Scouting Combine that new offensive coordinator Greg Roman likes to utilize the tight end position, so Buffalo is going to have to upgrade. Clay is the type of athletic playmaker who can play the "move" role on offense and make plays out of the backfield and as an in-line tight end. That versatility will appeal to head coach Rex Ryan, who likes to use a fullback on offense.'

'Any shot the Browns, with the 12th and 19th overall picks, or the Bills, without a first-round pick after trading up to take Sammy Watkins last year, had of seeing Winston or Mariota drop is pretty much gone.'

'“He’s always Presidential,” Whitfield says of Manuel. “There are two guys that I’ve come across, EJ Manuel and Kirk Cousins, who are just very Presidential in how they carry themselves. Very classy, you just admire that. The position is one of leadership and its character driven. We knew that from EJ off the bat.”'

'Though the Bills are encouraged by young tight end talents on their roster like Chris Gragg and Marqueis Gray, the demand for numbers at the tight end position by Greg Roman’s offense will require Buffalo to increase the total on their offseason roster. Whether that’s accomplished through free agency or the draft is the question.'

'How will they go about getting one? The first option is the free-agent market, which opens March 10. The Bills are known to be taking a hard look at one possible free agent from the AFC East, Charles Clay of the Miami Dolphins.'

'So now you're talking about midround guys like Bryce Petty, Brett Hundley and Garrett Grayson, which prompted NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock to say, "I don't think it's a great quarterback class, and most of them are projections."'

'“Having a dominant defense is great,” Mortensen told host John Murphy. “Jim Schwartz did a terrific job. Obviously they have talent on that side of the ball. Offensive line–that will get fixed. Greg Roman is known for that Ground and Pound, and that’s a nice, tricky catch phrase, but you still need a quarterback.”'

'“I’m not a person that believes if you make one mistake in this world you should be thrown away and cast out on an island,” Whaley said. “I know a lot of people judge people that way, but I know this: There has been nobody perfect in this world except one.'