Archives for June 9, 2016

'"Yeah, it really wasn’t much thought: just talk more," Brown said. "He told me to be more vocal, that’s what I have to do. I mean, if that’s going to help us win games — me being more vocal, getting people lined up in the right things — that’s what a Mike linebacker’s supposed to do. So it wasn’t no thinking, it was go out and do it if I want to be here.'

'"Absolutely he could do that with Shaq being on the shelf. Yeah, no doubt," Ryan said. "Like I've always said with Manny is Manny can be a catch-all for this team. Outside. Inside. Wherever. You can always play him. But IK's done really well. I think we had him with the one's primarily today. We're bumping guys around and stuff but, yeah, he'll have a chance. IK is a physical player. He's doing a much better job in his pass-coverage responsibility. So I could definitely see him pushing for playing time, without question."'

'“It’s not a serious injury,” Ryan said. “This week I think is the only time he’s missed anything.”'

'I have been really impressed with EJ [Manuel" target="_blank"> this past week, this whole week really. Done a good job, think he has done a great job. We are really emphasized the red zone. So every day we put the ball in the red zone because there are tighter windows to throw through and you know the timing has to be right. Our guy is doing a pretty good job of it. But EJ in particular I like the touch he has had on the football and the accuracy he is throwing with.'

'But, if anything, Wednesday was another reminder that the pecking order at quarterback is clear in Buffalo right now — Tyrod Taylor, EJ Manuel and then Cardale Jones.'

'You'd be hard-pressed to find a downright nicer guy in the locker room than Brown but the Bills need him to show such nastiness this season. If a play is run incorrectly this year, Brown vowed to correct it. If a player gets out of line, Brown vowed to reel that player back in. On the field, he promised to be louder before the snap and let everyone know what's going on. He's taking ownership of the defense. But does he have all of this in him? Those who know Brown best said "yes."'

'“It was very difficult,” Hankerson, a wide receiver trying to hook on with the Buffalo Bills, said recently following an organized team activity at One Bills Drive. “A lot of kids growing up, they need their fathers, they need both their parents, and not having my father figure around to tell me what to do and not to do, it kind of makes you wonder how life would have been if I did have my father.”'

'"I thought he did a really good job, because that's not easy," Rex Ryan said. "He certainly didn't want that to … he doesn't want that mark on him. Everybody sees him as the guy that punched Geno or something like that. This guy's just a football player and that's what he wants to be known as. That's just an unfortunate thing that happened to him."'

'“I meet people in other cities who are from Batavia, and they say ‘Oh, I love your bar. I love going.’” Thomas said. “I go out there anywhere from 10 to 15 times a year and interact with the people.”'

'Of course, the Bills coach would hate losing a game of tiddlywinks to Bill Belichick, but to surrender a player who might help his mortal enemy? Allow the rich to get richer in a position that’s so valuable to Tom Brady? That cuts deep, and the pain is only getting worse for Ryan.'

'Ryan said it was premature to provide any timeline on when Henderson could be cleared for practice.'

'It is known that several NFL owners were against Buffalo's decision to renovate 40-year-old Ralph Wilson Stadium in 2013-14. At the NFL owners' meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., in March, a few commented that it would be in the best interest of the Bills and the league to build a new stadium.'

'“(A year of experience) is going to best serve me because I’ve seen a lot my first year,” the 5-11, 193-pounder said after Wednesday’s OTA session. “I’m more comfortable with recognizing formations and just communication-wise with the vets and guys on the field, so the second year of being in the same defense will help me a lot.”'

'“Yeah,” Jones affirmed when I asked if that was the case after Wednesday’s OTA in Orchard Park. “Because coming out of college, all our runs came out of the shotgun and every time I was under center all I did was a quarterback sneak, so there was really no footwork to that. But, you know, kind of in college with shotgun, almost all the footwork was the same unless we had laterals, zone-read, things like that. But being under center, your footwork changes a lot because you got pulling guards right next to you and fullbacks coming underneath you, so you step the wrong way, you could mess up. You mess up not just the running back’s path, but you can have somebody run into you.”

'The wide receiver spots behind Sammy Watkins (who is still out) and Robert Woods continues to be a big battle, and should continue that way throughout training camp. Today, Greg Little got a lot of work in, and looked very good, especially early in the session during the separate offensive and defensive team portion of work. When the offense and defense came together there was a lot more interchanging, with Leonard Hankerson, Dez Lewis, and Jarrett Boykin all splitting the majority of reps and joining Woods. Lewis made a terrific one-handed catch for a touchdown late in practice.'