Archives for September 2015

'"The best thing that could have happened to me happened. I got to come to a great organization with open arms and I'm here now and I'm excited about it," Jackson said.'

'"I really don't want to talk much about the incident," Smith said Monday while meeting with reporters for the first time since he was punched. "I've put it behind me. We're focusing on the Cleveland Browns as a team and we've got a big game ahead of us, so that's all that really matters at this point."'

'"We think that's going to be a good, solid move and get a real classy guy to add to the locker room."'

'"I just want to move on. That's what I've done," said Smith, who did not reveal whether the linebacker apologized to him or whether Smith paid the $600 thought to be the source of contention.'

'Unfortunately, it happened to me, but I'm not going to hang my head. I'm not that type of guy. I'm not weak-hearted."'

'It's presumed assistant offensive line coach Kurt Anderson will be the team's primary OL coach in Kromer's absence.'

'Fluellen rejoins the Bills after being released by the team on September 4. The 6-2, 280-pound Florida State product originally entered the league in 2008 as a third round pick (87th overall) of the Detroit Lions. Fluellen has spent the majority of his career with the Lions, with the exception of two games in 2012 with the Dolphins. The eight-year veteran has played in 77 career games totaling 65 tackles (39 solo), 4.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for loss. Fluellen saw action in eight games for Detroit in 2014.'

'“He has been a very adept pass catcher, and a good pass protector,” Carroll said last week when asked about Jackson’s visit. “He has always been a good runner, he’s got great feel and sense, had a big run in the game last week. He had a 40 yard run last week and scored a touchdown, but he’s been a very adept pass receiver.”'

'“It’s the number one motivating factor,” Jackson said Monday after his first practice in a Seahawks uniform. “… You want to go somewhere where they know how to win and they’ve had some success, and that’s the number one reason I’m here in Seattle. They know how to do it, they’ve been to two straight Super Bowls, and it’s something that I want to be a part of.”'

'It was thought that one of those spots could go to quarterback Matt Simms, who was released Friday. As it stands now, however, that won’t be possible. NFL rules state that a team can’t have more than two players on the practice squad who have spent at least nine games on an active roster is a previous season. Richardson appeared in 12 games last season for the Bills, while Reddick played in 16 games as a rookie in 2013 with New Orleans.'

'This seems like a typical case of a GM favoring his own guy. To a great degree, Whaley’s reputation is tied to Manuel’s, whether he likes it or not. This makes two years in a row where the QB situation was in flux a week before the opener. That reflects poorly on the GM.'

'Mulligan, who has a reputation in the NFL as a strong blocker, may have benefited from what is expected to be an offense emphasizing the run under new Bills head coach Rex Ryan.'

'Fred Jackson didn’t start in high school, wasn’t recruited to play in college, and had next to no chance of hooking on in the NFL, much less surviving and then thriving for eight seasons. If anybody is capable of bucking the decades-long pattern of running backs unable to carry on into their mid-30s, he is.'

'Ikard signed with Tennessee last year, but missed his entire rookie season because of a knee injury. He provides depth to an offensive line that was down to seven players.'

'Ikard played in 52 games with 50 starts in his college career at Oklahoma.'