Archives for September 2015

'"As I have said from day one, we like all three of the guys and we never want to lose anybody, obviously," Ryan said. "So that is why we made the decision we did."'

'Everything starts with the quarterback, and now that Tyrod Taylor has won the competition for the starting job, the fifth-year pro has much to prove for the Bills. Considering he's thrown only 35 passes in his NFL career, Taylor is an unproven commodity. Above all else, Taylor has to show that his playing style can hold up over the course of the season. Can he hang in the pocket and make throws down the field? Can he be a productive runner while staying healthy? Will teams catch on to him quickly? Time will tell.'

'"Obviously, you know about (Taylor's) accomplishments as a runner," Ryan said last week. "I mean, it's very well documented. "But we brought him in because No. 1 — it's a brand-new offense — but he grasps our offense. And then his ability, not just his mobility, but his ability to throw the ball was the overriding thing."'

'“Aw, man, the fans in Buffalo are tremendous,” Jackson said Monday. “The reactions that I got from them was something that as a player you hope to get. That you affected a community, a team, an organization, to where the fans respect you so much, I got that accomplished. And I love every bit of it. Those fans will always be in a special place in my heart for it, and I genuinely and whole-heartedly appreciate everything that they’ve done for me.”'

'As good as Buffalo's defense was and should continue to be, the offense last season was pretty bad. The team finished 26th in total yards (318.5 per game) and 18th in points per game (21.4). This quarterback situation is a black hole. The Bills have plenty of weapons with McCoy, Harvin and Clay on board, but the Bills will need an effective quarterback to emerge if they hope to truly challenge the Patriots for the division title.'

'The 33-year-old is on his third team in four seasons. Overall, he has a 33-38 record in starts split between New England, Kansas City and Minnesota.'

'Cassel was acquired from the Minnesota Vikings in March, but was released during final roster cuts last week as the Bills appeared set to go with third-year quarterback E.J. Manuel as the primary backup to new starter Tyrod Taylor. Cassel had originally been set to earn $4.15 million this season, but the 33-year-old is expected to make significantly less under his new deal.'

'"I think I'm ready to play," Watkins said. "For the most part, it's just about getting mentally and physically prepared for this game and enduring some physical battles. So I think I'm in shape. I'm ready to go."'

'“He’s been playing outstanding. He’s the smartest guy on the D-line,” linebacker Preston Brown said. “He’ll tell you what’s going on, what play to expect. He really gets the guys going. It’s great to have him down there. He’s another brain on the defense, so it’s good to have him out there.”'

'“What was important to me is the entire room,” he told reporters shortly after the announcement was made that the team had resigned Cassel. “Those three guys, I mean they work in concert with each other that is important I think, in all those types of things. They push each other, yet they are there for each other, they watch tape together. It is really a unique deal because sometimes when you get competition, especially three guys going, sometimes it is not always like that. But here it is kind of a unique deal and you know what we said, as we mentioned day one we like all three and we kept all three.”'

'“We brought Matt Cassel back,” Ryan said in an unscheduled meeting with reporters. “We said all along we like our three quarterbacks which is obvious. For your depth chart purposes Matt will be two, EJ [Manuel] will be three, but that means…. As I have said from day one we like all three of the guys and we never want to lose anybody obviously. So that is why we made the decision we did.'

'Cassel was due $4.75 million for the 2015 season, and his release gave the Bills a savings of just over $4 million. Though we don't have the official numbers, it is likely Cassel was re-signed for a much lower amount, saving the Bills a lot of money.'

'For now, Manuel will play the part of Andrew Luck this week to try and get the Bills defense prepared for the Indianapolis Colts. And if the situation arises where there’s either an injury or poor play with the quarterbacks ahead of him, Manuel will still be there. The Bills, despite the demotion, have continued to say they have confidence in the former first-round pick.'

'“The end result is I am where I’m supposed to be,” said Cassel. “When you look at this situation and the hard work that went into the entire offseason, I thought it was the best place for me. I’m happy to still be a Bill. I’m happy to start the season and getting ready to go.”'

'"What was important to me is the entire room. Those three guys, I mean they work in concert with each other that is important I think," Ryan said. "They push each other, yet they are there for each other, they watch tape together. It is really a unique deal because sometimes when you get competition, especially three guys going, sometimes it is not always like that. But here it is kind of a unique deal."'