Archives for July 2015

'Darryl is assigned the “Stans” of the world because he has the ability to defuse their critique of his play and the play of his teammates and the patience to listen to it. It’s agonizing to hear for the millionth time what he or one of the guys could’ve or should’ve done to win those games. Discussing what many fans consider a failure, the loss of four Super Bowls, and his ability to point out their successes on the football field reinforces Darryl’s pride in himself and his teammates. And with that, both Darryl and Stan get something from the experience.'

'"It could definitely be harder," said Hogan, who reportedly has a base salary of $585,000 for 2015. "There’s a lot of guys we’re going to want to put the ball into their hands. It is what it is. At the end of the day, if we’re winning, that’s all I care about. If we’re playing at the end of January, or early February, that makes all the difference."'

'Kromer's likely departure from the team will leave a void, but, assistant offensive line coach Kurt Anderson is thought of to be a candidate to replace him. A former offensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears, Kromer was hired by the Bills in January.'

'His 2015 impact may be limited, mainly due to the expected level of quarterback play in the upcoming season. Since the trio of quarterbacks have yet to show a consistent presence in throwing longer passes, it could benefit Harvin from a volume perspective. He'll likely be lined up both on the outside and in the slot, and will be given the opportunity — and even depended on at times — to get yards after the catch. His season statistics will not likely be indicative of his talent.'

'The upcoming season will certainly be an interesting one for Bradham. He faced the most adversity of his career when playing in the Mike Pettine defensive scheme that was mostly a 3-4 scheme for the linebackers. Rex Ryan's scheme will be multiple, but Bradham will need to acclimate to the odd-front defense with a lot more ease than he did two years ago. However, Bradham also has the opportunity to be a weapon in Rex Ryan's defense. One of the most overlooked strengths to his game is the ability to blitz and put pressure on the quarterback. With Ryan's pressure-based system, it would be fair to expect Bradham to be a thorn in the side of quarterbacks on a weekly basis.'

'In this offense, with these quarterbacks, Clay has a chance to really be a focal point for the Bills. That's not to belittle some of the other receivers the team has on the roster, but the tight end is generally considered to be a 'security blanket' for a quarterback. That normal factor will likely be multiplied by offensive coordinator Greg Roman's tight end friendly offensive system. Clay has the athleticism to make a solid impact this year, but isn't likely to become one of the upper-echelon tight ends as his contract would indicate.'

'One NFL personnel executive who studied Brown closely out of college believes he can handle Ryan’s scheme. Year 1 seemed to debunk the concern that he's too slow. Brown ran a 4.86 at the NFL scouting combine before falling to 73rd overall.'

'That doesn’t figure to leave a whole lot for a third receiver, which is the spot I am expecting Harvin to fill. That also doesn’t mean he will be an afterthought. The Bills want him to be more than the gadget-type player he has been for most of his six NFL seasons. They likely will still involve him in sweeps and screens, but as receivers coach Sanjay Lal pointed out during offseason workouts, those plays aren’t nearly as effective if the Bills don’t first allow Harvin to establish himself as a legitimate threat as a true receiver.'

'I defer to coach Ryan and Doug Whaley who run that part of our operation. The entire organization has been focused on improving this team, and obviously we had a very aggressive offseason, a very solid draft the last few years that Doug Whaley and his staff have put together, coupled with the veterans on this team that have done very good things. A year ago we were 9-7 with the fourth-best defense, and people also forget that we had the third-rated special teams unit, so we have some excellent building blocks in this organization. But the development of the quarterback position, Greg Roman, David Lee, Chris Palmer, and the coaches that surround that position, they’ll do everything in their power to get as much production as possible. We’re looking forward to seeing good things from that position.'

'After fighting through injuries last year, Watkins should enter the season at full strength. With a full offseason under his belt, Watkins will be a better play in 2015. The problem is he will also have to share the ball with Harvin, Woods, Clay and running back LeSean McCoy. There won't be a lot of passes to go around in Buffalo this season, and Watkins likely won't get the numbers he deserves.'

'He was a mentor who never had a bad word to say about anybody (except when Don Paul stole time from his sportscast). After my worst day in broadcasting, filling in as a sports anchor on a weekend that included Bills pre-season highlights (trust me it was a train-wreck of truly epic proportions), that following Monday Van looked at the tape and said, “Rico, as a sports guy, you’re a pretty good newsman.” I never forgot that support.'

'"It's been great," Cassel said. "It's as good of a fan base as I've been around my entire career. And obviously I've played against the Bills and been on the opposite side. I'm really excited to be coming into the Buffalo Bills and having them be part of that home-field advantage for us. The 12th man so to speak."'

'“Whatever they’re going to do, they’re going to do. It’s not anything right now that I can even focus on. It’s out of my hands. I’m just going to continue to do what I have to do for the team, because they have me for a year. And at the same time I’m going to do the best I can no matter if they’re paying me one, two-hundred, it doesn’t even matter to me. I’m just going to do the best I can. I love my job, so it is what it is.”'

'Williams will once again be depended on as the mainstay of the safety position in 2015, now that Duke Williams and Corey Graham will battle it out to be the starter next to him. He's at his best when he's reading the quarterback and can make a play on the ball. And when he was under the tutelage of Mike Pettine as defensive coordinator in 2013, his production was quite evident. He'll look to return to that level of play in 2015 with the similar defensive play-calling style that Rex Ryan will provide.'

'In an effort to revamp the entire offensive line, the Bills declared that all starting positions would be up for grabs. It's really not that big of a stretch to think that the Bills don't have another option at left tackle besides Glenn, though. He'll likely resume his role as a starting left tackle, but the pressure is on him this year. He is a free agent as of March, and will need to show he can regain the form of his first two seasons before hitting the open market, or, to prove to the Bills that he should be re-signed when they have a bevy of other players on the roster to do the same with.'