Archives for May 2016

'“I’m here to do my job,” Lawson said. “They drafted me to get after the passer and because I’m the player I am. I don’t really think about Mario Williams. He was a great player here, but I’m going to come in and do what I do best.”'

'Tyrod Taylor may progress into the franchise quarterback Buffalo has been seeking for decades now, but there’s nothing precluded the Bills from taking more shots at the dartboard in the meantime.'

'The speed. The swagger. It's not rooted in bluster. Two days after the draft, Listenbee starts a conversation by repeating he's not arrogant. Rather, he was being honest. A lot of work was put in, a lot of work lies ahead and it all feeds an inner-belief that he can roast any defensive back any play any day.'

'When I think of Cardale Jones, I can't help but go back to 2014, back to that magical run when he led Ohio State to victories in three postseason games.'

'"[The Bills" target="_blank"> think I'm a great blitzer, they think I can move well in space, and do a lot of things. I'm a pretty simple guy. Wherever the coaches play me, wherever they think I fit to help the team win, I'm happy to play. If they decide to move me around, I'll pretty much do whatever. It really doesn't matter to me what position to play."'

'For Rex Ryan to get back to his defenses of old, he'll need defenders that specialize in versatility. As luck would have it, Ragland was asked to do just about everything at Alabama — including rushing the passer. On plenty of occasions the Crimson Tide lined up Ragland at defensive end in a four-man front, and as you can see below rushing from the right side of the defense, he can bring a little to the table as an edge rusher and delivers a big hit. The more a player can do, the more an offense has to guess where he'll be from one play to the next.'

'The six-year veteran played for Chicago over the last three seasons primarily at left guard. Slauson does have good familiarity with Bills head coach Rex Ryan. He played for Ryan his first three seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets.'

'The Arkansas running back chose to return to school for his senior season rather than go pro — he saw a team that could compete in the SEC, he was voted a captain, he was set to become a household name. Then, in an Aug. 15 scrimmage, Williams planted and a player stepped on his foot.'

'“Once the players started getting that cut, we saw salaries go,” Parker said. “The money has to be spent. It can’t be hoarded. Everybody realizes they have to pay. That system was put in place in 1993. Once the system was put in place, salaries skyrocketed. Players were being reimbursed, and that’s a good thing.”'

'There is no indication that this is a step toward staying in OP long term. At the league meetings, the team made it clear it is in no hurry to build a new stadium, be it at its current location or downtown. The team has invested a significant amount of money into upgrading amenities at the ADPRO Sports Training Center.'

'So take the following roundup of 2017 mock draft picks for the Bills from the national media with a grain of salt. Or a block of it.

'At 6 foot 6, 345 pounds, he can maul defenders in the run game. While there are questions elsewhere on offense, he's as sure a thing as you'll find, capable of getting out in front of runs in Greg Roman's complex running scheme. Glenn and Incognito both found a rhythm with top back LeSean McCoy and the entire Bills' backfield. And in the pass game, he mostly handled the opponent's top pass rusher one on one. The likes of Kansas City's Tamba Hali, Philadelphia's Brandon Graham and Miami's edge rushers were complete non-factors against Glenn.'

'Incognito said Bills players watch the videos on Monday mornings and get a good laugh. He even thought about awarding prizes to the craziest fans but quickly thought better of it. "Oh my god, there's so much liability involved with that that's a terrible idea," Incognito said. "It would be madness."'

'It might be the best money they ever spend if it keeps Taylor up-right, untouched, and healthy because the team’s alternative at quarterback isn’t inspiring to anyone not sitting behind the desk of GM Doug Whaley.'

'The land purchased is an empty lot that had been previously used as a private parking lot for events at Ralph Wilson Stadium.'