Archives for May 2015

'With all the complaining from Patriots fans about the severity of their team's penalties in Deflategate, the Bills got a break from the league office in the suspension of nose tackle Marcell Dareus.'

'“We all understand that part of the game,” he said recently. “Things change, personnel change, obviously coaches change. We pretty much just take from what we learned from” Schwartz “and kind of keep it going. I mean, that’s the only way you can do it in this league, because it’s pretty much a revolving door.”'

'“Let’s say you’re in Buffalo and there’s a blizzard going on,” Oakland Raiders special teams coach Brad Seely told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “That’s going to maybe change your thinking. The other part of that is, you still have to score from the 2 in a blizzard.”'

'“It was time to do something a little bigger than football in this area,” Wood said. “Dealing with families of sick kids and kids in general is something I am passionate about. It’s something that I grew up dealing with so I have compassion for those people. I felt like I could really make a difference in their lives.”'

'It’s a wide open, three way battle, between EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel, and Tyrod Taylor. And the Bills coaching staff insists no decision has been on a pecking order at the critical position.'

'It’s far too soon to conclude that the Bills fixed their weakest area on the team, guard, with the additions of veteran Richie Incognito and third-round draft pick John Miller. Or that center Eric Wood will rebound from what he would readily admit was the worst season of his career. Or that tackles Cordy Glenn and Seantrel Henderson will make the necessary strides to provide the consistency the Bills didn’t get from them last year.'

'Kelly and his wife, Jill, picked next weekend for the run because their daughter, Erin, recently published a book called “Kelly Tough,” (amazon.com) and Kelly for Kids, another family foundation, will host a gala the evening afterward in Buffalo and a golf tournament June 1 in Batavia.'

'The success rate for PATs from the traditional spot was 99 percent last season vs. 91 percent on field goals from 33 yards. What changes everything is that the defense will no longer take the extra point off. With a chance to score, and with no fear of the kicking team running a fake from that distance out, it will rush the house.'

'"I think there's still competition for the starters, too," April said. "Ty Powell is having a good offseason. He's competing, he's playing hard for us. He's studying hard. He's smart. He's still in the mix. It's going to be a competitive camp, top and bottom of that roster. There's definitely opportunities there."'

'Jackson definitely still has a role, though. He's the best pass-blocking back on the roster and would be the team's first choice for carries if McCoy got hurt. Is Jackson completely safe? Maybe not, but he definitely shouldn't think about retiring this season. If the Bills, for some reason get rid of him, another NFL team could use his services in 2015.'

'I may not be “Jim Kelly big muscles,” but I am my dad’s daughter! I learned early on the wisdom and joy of doing what he said and striving to meet his expectations. For example, I can’t recall when I learned how to look someone in the eye and give a firm handshake but I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember—because that’s what he taught me to do. “Erin, when I introduce you to someone, you look them in the eye and give a firm handshake,” he’d say sternly. And he didn’t just tell me once or twice; he made it very clear that that’s what Kellys do (and in case it hasn’t hit you yet, I realized I was a Kelly at a very young age). It’s called respect, and he made sure I understood what it meant and looked like in the most practical way from my most tender years—eye contact and a firm handshake.'

'“My father actually tried to do everything he could to convince me not to do it,” Sparano Jr. said. “He told me I was too smart for it and to do something else with my life so I didn’t have to move around and get involved with the hectic lifestyle that the profession can bring. As I got older it was the only thing I saw myself doing. It was my love, my passion, and I couldn’t see myself without the game.'

'“Powell has been the most impressive for me,” he said. “He’s just smart, picks things up quick. Obviously he was more of a special teams guy. Quite honestly, if he doesn’t play a snap, that’s fine by me because that means Preston Brown is playing. But I like Powell. He’s really jumped out to me.”'

'A suspension was not a surprise, and the fact it’s only for one game can be viewed as a win for the Bills. He’ll miss the game against the Colts, but will be back for the showdown against the New England Patriots in Week Two.'

'Dareus, who was drafted in the first round back in 2011, will be eligible to participate in all offseason activities and preseason games. He is coming off a season in which he recorded a career-high 10 sacks. This is a contract year for Dareus.'