Archives for July 2015

'"I cater those workouts to track-specific things, so I don't lose the rhythm I've always had to keep football and track in balance. I don't want to get too much on the football side and gain weight, so I'm as fast on the field."'

'Darby did attend the league’s Rookie Symposium last month, where social media training and domestic violence awareness are typically some of the topics covered to educate players.'

'Teams place bids on prospects in the supplemental draft that correspond to next year’s draft. The team with the highest bid is awarded that player but forfeits next year’s draft pick in that round. If the Bills want to bid on Battle, they will not be able to place a sixth-rounder on him because they do not have that selection in next year’s draft as part of the deal they made with the Vikings to acquire quarterback Matt Cassel.'

'“I think it’s very rare,” Mario Williams said after a one of the team’s minicamp practices last month. “Mostly I’ve seen coaching staff turnover. I’ve had a different coach I think every year just about. But to be able to play in general with guys, especially in the same group, in the same room, I think it’s very important.”'

'Anthony Dixon – This is where the position starts to go completely up in the air. Dixon, as beloved as he is by fans, is in serious trouble to make the roster. Unless an injury happens to one of the top three, Dixon will be battling Bryce Brown for one spot — if they even keep four at the position. Dixon is the better special teams player between him and Brown, but are those requirements filled because of the addition of Karlos Williams? He'll likely have to prove himself as a better runner than Brown.'

'Despite a strong overall performance by Buffalo’s special teams last season, the Bills have some work to do on kick return. The Bills have finished in the bottom half of the NFL in kick return yards in three of the past four seasons.'

'“Athletic, fast, that’s why we drafted him,” said defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman of Darby. “Looks like a pretty good man-to-man cover guy. Usually if you can cover, you can cover. It usually doesn’t matter who it is, but he’s been pretty impressive so far.”'

'“That’s what I did best,” said Holley, an Anchorage, Alaska native. “My vertical’s through the roof. I like to get the ball at its highest point. I don’t let the ball come down and wait. I make the play on the ball. … I might not be the fastest in the room or on the field but I get down the field and make big plays. I’m a big target.”'

'"Put EJ Manuel or Tyrod Taylor here if you want. Whatever—you get the idea," Benoit wrote.'

'“I think it’s very rare,” Mario Williams said after a one of the team’s minicamp practices last month. “Mostly I’ve seen coaching staff turnover. I’ve had a different coach I think every year just about. But to be able to play in general with guys, especially in the same group, in the same room, I think it’s very important.”'

'“That’s what put everything into perspective for me,” Gray said. “I’d rather be playing football. I don’t want to do the 9-to-5 until I have to.”'

'Here's an example of how new Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman did it in San Francisco with the 49ers.'

'“Perseverance,” Miller said. “The little things that he showed through his leadership and him becoming a better person. He always told me – ‘Life is what you make of it.’ And from there, I took that belief. He always said, ‘Whatever you do, you can’t be one foot in. You’ve got to be two feet in.’”'

'The Bills likely will have a new downtown stadium in the next five to seven years. The heavy funding for the facility that team owners Terry and Kim Pegula are expected to provide is bound to at least get the NFL thinking about how it has repaid other club owners who have made such investments: with a Super Bowl.'

'When Doug Marrone decided to opt out of his contract and the Jets let go of Ryan, Buffalo pounced on the chance to get Ryan. The ever-quotable coach has injected tremendous enthusiasm into the fan base, wrapping his pickup truck in the Bills’ logo and talking up the team’s chances at every turn. A team with an already strong defense added offensive weapons, though the question of who will play quarterback could determine the Bills’ fate.'