Archives for March 2017

'"Reggie had the setback last year," McDermott said, "but I know Reggie from tape in college and what he can do. We'll start with the middle-linebacker position, really, is where we see him, and what innately comes with that position is the leadership skills. I know that his character, really, he possesses those leadership skills to get us lined up, be the antenna, so to speak, of the defense. Over the years, when you look at that position in this system, guys like Luke Kuechly, guys like Jeremiah Trotter, that can check the defense, get us in and out of bad calls, bad defenses, set us up for success, that's an important part of that position, and Reggie, from what I can tell, from what I've observed and been told about him, he has that DNA."'

'The move was announced on Wednesday, two days since the Bills claimed Crichton after he had been placed on waivers by the Minnesota Vikings.'

'That stated, who is still left on the market from other teams? Who are some players the Bills could target to help round out the roster? Here are four candidates I've identified as possible fits.'

'Crichton spent the entire 2016 season on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending concussion / neck injury during the preseason.'

'“The state just got through with a rather expensive renovation on the stadium. I don’t think it’s our place to make demands and ask for things right now," Pegula said. "We have a lease on our stadium until 2023, and we’re looking forward to the football season and not talking about stadiums."'

'The Buffalo Bills today announced that the team has designated DE Scott Crichton as waived/failed physical.'

'“Obviously when I say it’s a group effort, it’s just like everything else I think most businesses do in their life. If somebody feels more strongly about something than somebody else then maybe you lean in that direction,” Pegula said.'

'“I didn’t vote against it, so I guess you know where I stood,” he said. “It’s a difficult issue because I know that the fans in Buffalo went through some hardship, mentally, wondering what was going to happen to their franchise, but these things happen.”'

'"I don't know where that report came from, it's erroneous" Pegula told a group of Western New York reporters covering the NFL meeting here, adding that McDermott and Whaley "get along great" and gave no indication that a change at GM was forthcoming.'

'"We're not going to make excuses," he said. "We are where we are and we feel good about what we've done. Everything we're about is moving forward, and we feel good about the players that were on the roster and then we were able to add critical pieces in free agency. And so we're going to continue to try and do that through every avenue, whether it's the draft, continue to look at free agency, whatever it might be. We're going to try to improve this roster every way possible.'

'Peterman led the Panthers’ highest-scoring offense in program history as a senior in 2016, an attack that put up 40.9 points per game. He also led the ACC in passer efficiency (163.4 rating), starting all 13 games while completing 60.5 percent of his passes for 2,855 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.'

'The biggest that pertains to speeding up games is eliminating referees going under the hood to review plays. Beginning with the 2017 season, officials will view replays on the field using portable tablets, with final decisions made by the league's head of officiating, Dean Blandino, and his staff from NFL headquarters in New York.'

'“I don’t even know,” McDermott said. “We focus on ourselves and getting ourselves better. That’s it. That’s a day-to-day process. Our focus right now is improving this football team in every way we can and that speaks to the communication that happens between Doug and myself and our staffs and really the entire building. It’s what we’re doing going forward. This is a new era of Bills football and we’re excited about it.”'

'By his and several unbiased accounts, Mahomes lit up the combine, and the Bills were probably one of many quarterback-seeking teams who took notice. He performed athletically in all the requisite drills that really shouldn’t matter — does anyone care how quickly he did the three-cone drill or how far his broad jump was? — and then he took the field and showed off that cannon of a right arm.'

'I think the answer I just gave you. Obviously when I say it's a group effort. It's just like everything else most businesses do in their life. If somebody feels more strongly about something than somebody else than maybe you lean in that direction.'