Archives for January 13, 2017

' I guess there's been a perception we're inaccessible. But I've been consistent from Day One when I bought the Sabres and then with the Bills, by owning these teams it's about the players and coaches. We didn't buy teams to be visible in the media. We bought teams to keep them in the area and to flourish with them. I let the coaches and the players be out front and be the story.'

'Lynn is known for his work with running backs, leading the Bills to the NFL's best rushing attack each of the last two seasons. He had been a longtime NFL assistant but enjoyed a rapid ascension in 2016, being promoted from running backs coach to offensive coordinator when Greg Roman was fired after an 0-2 start, and then being promoted again to interim coach after Ryan was fired.'

'He and new Bills head coach Sean McDermott worked together with the Philadelphia Eagles, from 1999 to 2002, when Frazier was their defensive backs coach and McDermott was a scouting administrative coordinator, assistant to the head coach, and defensive assistant and quality control.'

'On Friday at 2 p.m., the man of the hour will be Sean McDermott.'

'After watching Taylor for two years, I believe he's reached his ceiling, which was low to begin with. He regressed as a passer this season, though his defenders point to his last game here against Miami, when he actually threw for 300 yards, as if it were some athletic epiphany.'

'The Bills made the playoffs only once from 1967 to 1979, but that changed under Knox, who led the Bills to the postseason in 1980 and ’81 with Ferguson under center and Joe Cribbs at running back. The Bills went 11-5 in 1980, earning Knox various Coach of the Year awards. Knox reportedly couldn’t hammer out a deal to return to the Bills after the 1982 strike season and left for Seattle to become coach of the Seahawks.'

'Seven years later, Frazier is finally coming to Buffalo, this time as the Bills defensive coordinator to work under new coach Sean McDermott. Multiple reports Thursday night indicated it’s already a done deal.'

'Make a pact with Doug Whaley to not get on each other’s nerves.'

'A total of 1,223 people on Twitter voted in a poll I posted on Wednesday.'

'The 2016 season was Frazier's first with Baltimore. Pro Football Focus recently ranked the Ravens as the league's 10th best secondary this season under Frazier.'

'It's safe to assume that the people speaking highly to Wood are players that McDermott coached in Philadelphia or Carolina. Messages like these could go a long way in the locker room. Kyle Williams' retirement decision, for example, could be based on what he hears about McDermott.'

'Castillo has been coaching in the NFL since 1995 and has coached both sides of the ball. His most extensive experience is as an offensive line coach, the role he has served in Baltimore for the last three seasons. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line coach from 1998 to 2010, which was the entire duration of McDermott's coaching career in Philadelphia.'

'Incognito started in all 16 games this season with Buffalo and was graded by Pro Football Focus as the team's best pass and run blocker. He was a part of a unit that helped the Bills finish first in rushing for the second consecutive season. Behind Incognito and the rest of Buffalo's offensive line, the Bills were able to set a new franchise record for rushing touchdowns in one season (29).'

'Secondary coach Leslie Frazier, who was instrumental in the improvement of the team's defensive backfield in 2016, will also depart and become McDermott's defensive coordinator in Buffalo. In his one season with the Ravens, Frazier's impact was felt as the team tied for the league lead with 18 interceptions, more than they had the previous two years combined, and finished with the NFL's ninth-ranked pass defense. ESPN first reported Frazier's departure.'

'Before his mid-season promotions this past season, Lynn – a former all-conference running back at Texas Tech – had spent almost his entire NFL coaching career overseeing his former position, doing so in Jacksonville, Dallas, Cleveland and New York (with the Jets) before following Ryan to Buffalo in 2014.'