Archives for January 21, 2016

'A restricted free agent can sign a contract offer from another team, but if their original team – in this case, the Bills – offered a one-year qualifying offer at a price determined by the NFL, that original team would have the right to match whatever contract offer the player receives, or possibly be entitled to draft-pick compensation, depending on the amount of the qualifying offer they made.'

'The Bills did not make Smith available to the media Wednesday night, nor did they include any comments from her in their release. A team spokesman said he planned to talk with her in “upcoming days” and guessed the earliest she would address reporters would be at some point after the Super Bowl, which is scheduled for Feb. 7.'

'Gilmore plays a premium position in today's pass-happy NFL — cover corners are rare. So the question is, do the Bills pay him like an elite cornerback? One of the greats believes so because he sees Deion-like traits in Gilmore. Five-time Pro Bowler Darren Woodson views Gilmore as at least a “top 6” cornerback who is “absolutely” in the upper echelon.'

'"You just have to be able to relate to guys," Reed said. "Relate to players, relate to the person. I've been running my football camp for 14 years, and coaching kids, and trying to help kids out. I mentored a bunch of guys on every level — high school, college and pros. So I think I've already been a coach for that matter.'

'“His thing is how you approach the game. He’s monitoring everything, where Rex is more if it’s a big game against whatever team — you know how important this game is, I shouldn’t have to tell you to study, I shouldn’t have to tell you to get in your playbook, I shouldn’t have to tell you those types of things. You shouldn’t be out late, you should be already mentally focused for this game. Chip’s more on you. He has his thing with the sleep and different things. They’re obviously a lot different but they all have the same goal.”'

'As the Bills look ahead to 2016, they can at least take solace in the fact that they are set at this key position (though Gilmore is in the final year of his contract and needs to be extended) and they can take aim at safety and linebacker to improve the defense.'

'Smith takes the place of Michael Hamlin, who was relieved of his duties shortly after the 2015 season ended. Smith has worked 13 years in the NFL, the first 12 with the New York Jets, and last year with the Bills.'

'Smith, whose official title is Quality Control-Special Teams, spent the 2015 season as the Bills' administrative assistant to the head coach. She has worked in the NFL for 13 seasons, 12 with the New York Jets (six with coach Rex Ryan).'

'The achievement is both admirable and historic, and Smith, 30, got here by climbing the NFL's proverbial ladder the way anyone else might. In fact, she did so without any sort of connection to the anyone in the league and with a glass ceiling in place because of her gender. This promotion was her way of breaking that glass ceiling for her and other women hoping to achieve similar status in the male-dominated NFL.'

'"Well two days later — it wasn't the weekend — he called me and he was like, 'So what you thinking?' My son, he wasn't for it at first. He's actually a Patriots fan. So I was like, 'Coach, we got to sell my son a little bit more, man. You got to get him some gear.' And he was like, 'He can get whatever he wants.'"'

'Most NFL teams have “quality control” assistants for offence, defence and special teams. These full-time positions are purely entry-level in terms of responsibilities; they usually involve a lot of gofer work.'

'The league also had its first full-time female on-field official this season, having hired Sarah Thomas last spring.''

'Rex Ryan is helping to break down gender barriers in the NFL.'

'Rex Ryan and the Bills made the right kind of history Wednesday by hiring Kathryn Smith as its special teams quality coach, making her the NFL’s first full-time female coach.'

'The Buffalo Bills have made NFL history.'