Archives for June 2016

'He's dressing up average and calling it exceptional. It's a lot of hot air floating even more hope.'

'Renfrow was one of seven players the Bills brought in on a tryout basis to their three-day mandatory practices, which ended Thursday.'

'Buffalo also designated safety Phillip Thomas as waived/injured.'

'The Sammy Watkins watch will be on during the summer at St. John Fisher College. Watkins underwent offseason foot surgery and the Bills have yet to release a firm timetable as to when he's expected back in action. The Bills don't believe he's in any jeopardy of missing time in the regular season, but at the very least, it's a situation worth tracking. Once he's back on the field, Watkins hopes to combine with starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor to top the marks they had together over the final nine games in 2015. If they can recapture the magic, the sky is the limit for Watkins in 2016.'

'For Dareus, it's a bit of a scheme switch for him in the upcoming season. However, with how the Bills have shown through minicamp that they're going to make their defensive linemen essentially interchangeable, Dareus won't be stuck at either nose tackle or at five-technique defensive end. Instead, they can find the weakness on an opponent's offensive line, stick Dareus there and exploit it all game if they so choose. With a healthier and talented front-seven around him, expect a few more flash plays from Dareus in the upcoming season.'

'Following the conclusion of minicamp, the outlook for Stephon Gilmore this season is looking a little murky. Clearly not happy with only a one-year contract, Gilmore abstained from all 10 session of Organized Team Activities, and only watched practice from the sidelines during the three-day, mandatory minicamp. He even hinted that he might hold out from training camp if the two sides don't have a new deal in place. The short-term isn't looking good for Gilmore. However, if/when he gets back on the field, he's immediately one of the best the Bills have.'

'Listen, as far as OTAs and minicamps go, we’ve all fallen into the trap of being fooled by standout play. The truth of the matter is this: offseason practices are a watered down version of football. There isn’t any hitting and contact is minimal, which allows some players to shine through. But with Tyrod Taylor, his offseason matters, and here’s why: Even in these few workouts, Taylor just looks different.'

'Some pictures are worth 1,000 words, and then there's this one.'

'"A lot of times kids in the inner city don't get enough credit," said Butler. "I was one of those kids that went against the grain but was able to come out positive. Now I want to be a positive impact on my community."'

'An undrafted prospect in 2014 out of Miami, Renfrow has been on the roster of four different NFL teams over the last two years, but has not appeared in any games. A former defensive end early in his college career, Renfrow is still young at the offensive tackle position and is likely seen as a developmental prospect.'

'Whether it’s been throwing needle threader passes, directing traffic pre-snap or providing feedback or counsel to a teammate, Taylor knows all the requirements of the job and is delivering on each and every front.'

'"It's really so much further along than where we were," he said. "Almost, individually, you can see it that this guy's getting better."'

'"I wanted to come in because I had heard Rex talk about how great this team and the people in the building (were), from the management to the coaches to the players," he said. "He was so excited about this place, I wanted to see for myself … to see what it was really like."'

'"It's a given, you have to talk out there," Reed said Thursday, as the Bills wrapped up their three-day mandatory minicamp. "If you're not talking, then something's wrong. In order for you to talk, you have to understand your job, what you have to do to get guys lined up. If you're not talking, we're not going to be successful."'

'The Buffalo Bills head coach held a "lottery" for one player and one coach to have the final minicamp practice off. The winners? Safety Corey Graham and offensive coordinator Greg Roman. While he joking that he wanted the rookies to get their hopes up, only players with at least three years of experience were eligible.'