Archives for July 2016

'“He’s more like the pied piper, people follow him,” Ryan said of Reed, who he coached for seven years in Baltimore and for the last half of the 2013 season in New York when Reed closed out his magnificent career with the Jets. “And that was even when he wasn’t the dominant player that he used to be with Baltimore,” Ryan continued. “When I had him with the Jets, he took that whole group and they’d follow him. They all want part of that wisdom he has and I thought for our team, you can’t have a better guy.”'

'Obviously McCoy’s spot is safe, and it would appear Gillislee’s is, as well, knowing what he did in his limited time towards the end of last season. Karlos Williams is facing a four-game suspension and after showing up out of shape and overweight to minicamp, some have speculated his roster status could be in jeopardy. However, since Williams won’t count against the final 53-man roster during his suspension, there’s really no reason to make that move until after he’s eligible to return and surveying the situation at that time. Unless, of course, the team is totally convinced he won’t be able to get back on the right track long-term.'

'Don't be surprised to see Douzable getting more reps then you might anticipate, at least near the start. He played for Rex Ryan with the Jets and knows his scheme, giving him an early leg-up on some others in camp.'

'Things have gone awry when Whaley has tried too hard to sound GM-ish. It isn’t a place he’s comfortable. When Whaley wanted to project that he wasn’t concerned about Sammy Watkins’ injury history, it came off as exactly the opposite. The “humans shouldn’t play football” quote doesn’t make you feel more confident that Watkins’ foot will heal properly. And we all know the idea of Watkins missing time scares the hell out of Whaley (and every other Bills fan, coach, front office person).'

'Zimmer will probably have to show what he can do mostly on special teams, but if any injuries occur ahead of him, he’ll get his chances to impress, as well. He could ultimately be a perfect practice squad candidate, but he’ll be a player that will get noticed at camp because of his strength and athleticism.'

'Known around the locker room as a great teammate and a hard worker, Manuel will have his chance during preseason this year to impress not only the Bills, but future employers in the NFL as well. His NFL story isn't over by any means, he's got enough to work with to land elsewhere. However, as far as the Bills are concerned, 2016 is likely to be the swan song for Manuel.'

'By no means am I a proponent of Nick Foles. In fact, I remained unimpressed with Foles even immediately after his unbelievable run with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. To me, he was the byproduct of Chip Kelly's system going unchecked in the head coach's first year in the NFL.'

'“I’ve been with Chad Pennington and Drew Bledsoe, I’ve been with Vinny Testaverde, those guys all had that common thread of preparation,” said Bills quarterbacks coach David Lee. “Tyrod’s in here at 6:15 every day. Last season he was out at 7:30 pm. He knows how to prepare, and that’s going to pay off.”'

'“I think for me everywhere I’ve been you have to have a plan,” Whaley told Buffalobills.com. “Everyone has to completely buy into that plan. And ownership is the most important part of the organization that has to be committed to the plan. So much so that it drowns out all the outside noise, because once the outside noise begins to influence your plan, that’s when knee jerk decisions happen and it compromises the process.”'

'How about running back?'

'Asked if he thought the discussions would lead to an agreement, the source said, "I would guess, yes."'

'“You think you have a pretty good plan as I went into it. I’ve altered that a few times, just with office days and travel and strategically planning my schedule, which I didn’t realize at the time was much easier with just the Bills. But we talk about working in team sports and if you’re in this role that I happen to be in, you’d better live it every day – the true definition of team.”'

'The Bills haven’t even reported to camp yet this year, and there is already a reason for the tire-kicking on Bush. Second-year running back Karlos Williams has been suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the season for flunking a drug test. Rookie fifth-round draft pick Jonathan Williams got busted for driving while intoxicated in Arkansas.'

'Can the Raiders win the AFC West? The division seems there for the taking, with the Broncos likely starting Mark Sanchez at quarterback and the Chargers coming off a 4-12 season. That leaves the Chiefs and Raiders. Anything less than a 10-win season and playoff spot would be a disappointment for Oakland.'

'Zak Kromer spent the past four seasons as a student assistant for the University of Oklahoma's football team.'