Archives for May 7, 2015

'“I learned that you can’t mistakes,” he said. “You’ve just got to work really hard in the NFL. In college, you could make a mistake here, make a mistake there, you’re stronger, faster, smarter than the guy, you can get away with it. But here, it’s professionals. It takes a lot of work, and this is my job.”'

'“I had the benefit of meeting most of these players, and I feel great,” he said. “No player that we have in that locker room is perfect. Everybody’s had something in their lives they’re probably not proud of. I know certainly I’ve had more than my share.'

'It makes McCoy seem petty and resentful, like he’s too proud to accept the fact that Kelly got rid of him because he didn’t feel he was worth top running back money. Maybe what Kelly didn’t like was backs who don’t always hit the hole and run sideways at times.'

'"You see how fast he got rid of all the good players, especially all the good black players; he got rid of them the fastest," McCoy said, referring to himself and wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. McCoy, who was traded by Kelly to the Bills in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso in early March, then added, "There's a reason he got rid of all the black players — the good ones — like that," though he didn't elaborate on what he actually meant.'

'Given the serious punishment handed out in Spygate (first-round draft pick taken from Patriots), Bountygate (a year's suspension for Saints coach Sean Payton), Textgate (four games for Browns GM Ray Farmer) and Noisegate (fifth-round draft pick and suspension of Falcons president/CEO Rich McKay from the competition committee), I'd expect at minimum a four-game suspension for Brady, the Patriots stripped of a first-round draft pick and some hefty fines.'

'"Well I had the benefit of meeting most of these players and I feel great," Ryan said. "I think there is a common…no player we have in that locker room is perfect. Everybody has had something in their lives that they are probably not proud of. I know certainly I have had more than my share. It does not mean they are a bad person or whatever. These guys I know for a fact will respect the guys in the locker room and that is all I ask. We all respect each other and play your butt off. That is what they are going to do. As far as outside in the community, I expect them to be respectful of the people in the community and to be good characters. I believe we will have that."'

'While the league doesn't have precedent for this type of issue, it's safe to wonder whether Brady could be suspended. Any time the star quarterback misses for New England would only help the Bills' cause of getting a leg up in the AFC East, but it's also worth noting that the Bills play the Patriots in Week 2.'

'"We are not going to be lined up, but I think it is better for our fans just like you guys reporting here—this goes to our fans and I would rather be honest," Ryan added. "We are not going to be 100-percent lined up. Why? Because we do not feel like we have to come out and, 'Here is a blank statement.' Somebody reads it and then he is going to follow it up."'

'Spikes did not have the smoothest departure from New England. He sent out tweets saying he couldn't wait to hand the Patriots two losses a year and seemed happy to be out of Bill Belichick's locker room.'

'"When you look at it from my perspective, I had the opportunity to have dinner with him, and that's what I did. I'll just leave it at that."'

'He'll become the third Syracuse player to join the Bills in rookie camp. Running back Prince-Tyson Gulley and defensive back Darius Kelly will also be with the Bills this weekend.'

'"The relationship was never really great," McCoy told ESPN. "I feel like I always respected him as a coach. I think that's the way he runs his team. He wants the full control. You see how fast he got rid of all the good players. Especially all the good black players. He got rid of them the fastest. That's the truth. There's a reason. … It's hard to explain with him. But there's a reason he got rid of all the black players — the good ones — like that."'

'McCoy said that he has no animosity toward Kelly and that he intends to call his former coach soon. He understands the NFL is a business, but he said he felt disrespected with how the trade went down without his prior knowledge.'

'It seems more likely, given all we know about Kelly and all we have heard from McCoy since his departure, that the coach got rid of all of the players who viewed themselves as bigger than the system he was selling.'

'Those inclined to agree with McCoy are so entrenched in a mindset of racial bias that even the most logical argument against McCoy will not register with them.'