Archives for June 2016

'The Bills can talk him up all they want, but it's hard to imagine Manuel's teammates have any faith he's going to lead them to victory.'

'Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly has agreed to take part in a question and answer session with neurosurgeon Anthony L. Petraglia of Rochester Regional Health, Aug. 18 at Frontier Field.'

'Lawson (the Manny version) has already been working as the starting outside linebacker opposite Jerry Hughes throughout the team’s Organized Team Activity sessions. And after all the issues with last year’s communication, the soon-to-be 32-year old says things are going much, much better already.'

'The Bills are tied with the Jets and ahead of the Dolphins as far as odds to win the AFC East, but with a huge betting-odds gap between them and the Patriots:'

'"As long as I can make a difference and give them a chance to fight and continue to fight, that's what the good Lord put me here for."'

'The kickoff is a fundamental part of football. Those “super humans” who play it professionally accept the risks, because they believe in their ability to handle them.'

'Neither Ford nor Roach ever played a regular-season game for the Bills but may have caused some fateful moves. The Ford bust may have led Buffalo to select another speed receiver, Don Beebe, in 1989. The Roach bust caused Buffalo to bring back Scott Norwood for another season.'

'McCoy ultimately wasn't charged in that – and isn't expected to face any league discipline – but the team can't be happy that these are the types of headlines McCoy continues to make. It's pretty weak that he hasn't spoken to the media yet, just like it was when he bailed early after the Bills lost to the Eagles last season. It's time for the Bills to at least make McCoy available. It's not like the questions for him will go away with time. There's no guarantee he'll answer any of them, but it would be nice to hear whether he feels like he owes the Bills an explanation or apology for the negative press he has provided.'

'"He's more of a nickel-type corner. He's been pressed into some action outside as well in this camp. He's smart. He knows what to do. But his main purpose here is to compete for that punt returner's job."'

'“Man, I’m honored at the opportunity and I just want to come out here and showcase my skills,” Worthy said. “Just (to) prove that I belong here and prove that I can help this organization win. Just be a key player in this defense.”'

'Ryan and his assistant coaches are absolutely operating under the premise that they have to "get it right" this year. That drove the shakeup of the staff, especially on the defensive side. That drove the drafting of three starters "right off the bus" with the first three picks of the draft.'

'Team president Russ Brandon and a few strength coaches drove by, Knox said, but nobody stopped.'

'Sure, this was the NFL's top rushing team last season. But if the Bills are going to make progress — as in improving on their 8-8 record in 2015 and making a playoff appearance — they'll need the Taylor-Watkins combination to be even better than it was in allowing Watkins to lead the team with 60 receptions for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns.'

'Ragland will have an every down role in Rex Ryan's defense immediately as a rookie, and has quite a bit of experience in the scheme from his time at Alabama. With Shaq Lawson sidelined, Ragland will likely be the highest impact rookie the Bills have on their roster. And, if Preston Brown begins to struggle again in 2016, don't rule out the idea that Ragland could get switched over to his more natural middle linebacker spot, where he can show off his instincts, and his ability to stack-and-shed would-be blockers.'

'Wood will once again be in the middle of the offensive line at center, and could be in line for a bit of an easier road this upcoming season. With Richie Incognito once again to his left, and John Miller — who the Bills are expecting to progress significantly in 2016 — to his right, Wood's production may go up as the Bills once again will try to set the tone on the ground. As long as he stays healthy, he'll once again be an unquestioned starter and mainstay of the line all year long.'