Archives for May 2017

'“You’re not going to see big splashes of free agency. Free agency sets you up for your draft. You don’t want to go into the draft needing a cornerback – needing an offensive tackle. If me and my staff do our job, we’ll look at where we have some holes after the season, we’ll plug a few holes, and then we’ll be able to draft for need when April comes.”'

'“I’m going to ask these players to battle every day,” said head coach Sean McDermott. “They’re coming in to earn the right to be on this football team and this roster and we’ll see where it goes from there. When you look at the players with Tre’ (Tre’Davious White) and Zay, they have that type of DNA over the course of their careers in college where they’ve earned everything that they’ve gotten.”'

'Mike Reiss, New England Patriots reporter: I particularly liked the Bills’ approach as they laid the foundation for longer-term sustainability (e.g., trading down and picking up a first-round pick in 2018) and establishing the type of culture coach Sean McDermott believes in with the type of hard-nosed, no-frills players they are targeting. It seems they have a defined plan, and that stood out as something different from the norm.'

'Milano, a former Boston College standout, and Vallejo, who played at Boise State, are expected to compete for backup spots and contribute on special teams.'

'"Yeah, I would say Coach McGeoghan really got me pro ready when it came to this last year," Jones said during a conference call with reporters after the Buffalo Bills made him a second-round pick in last month's NFL Draft. "He introduced me to the entire route tree and just different things, and it has really helped develop my game becoming a complete wide receiver.'

'Asked if it was "frustrating" to face the Patriots through the years, Gilmore said, "They did a lot of great things playing against them. I'm happy to be over here and learn from the guys and learn from the coaches. (We've) got great coaches. So I'm looking forward to it."'

'After signing Milano and Vallejo, the Bills can turn their attention to signing Tre'Davious White, Zay Jones, Dion Dawkins and Nathan Peterman.'

'Cromartie and Washington were both offseason signings made by the Bills. Cromartie had spent the last three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He appeared in 21 games with San Francisco and recorded 21 total tackles.'

'Zay Jones is likely to replace Robert Woods as Buffalo's No. 2 receiver. Buffalo will likely turn to wide receivers coach Phil McGeoghan, Jones' wide receivers coach at East Carolina, to learn how to best utilize the receiver in Rick Dennison's offense.'

'Buffalo freed up room on its roster by releasing three players, including Marcus Roberson, a third-year player who appeared in seven games with the Bills last season. Also cut were cornerback Marcus Cromartie, an offseason free-agent addition, and receiver Corey Washington.'

'White will compete for a starting job right away. But it’s not going to be handed to him. Ronald Darby should be the No.1 CB headed into the season with Kevon Seymour and White the clear front-runners for the spot opposite him. But it may not matter who ultimately winds up there, because new head coach Sean McDermott is most likely going to be playing a lot of nickel this year meaning three cornerbacks will be on the field on a high percentage of downs. So the only question would then be who plays inside and who plays outside between White and Seymour? Both can do it and both probably will in camp to find the best mix.'

'These contracts mean a third of the Bills’ 2017 draft class is signed. Only Buffalo’s top three draft choices, Tre’Davious White, Zay Jones and Dion Dawkins and fifth-round pick Nate Peterman remain unsigned.'

'"He's well thought of by the people in Carolina," Polian said. "He's well thought of by people around the league. He has extensive experience on all of the administrative sides of the game. Salary cap, player acquisition, rules, roster. The most important thing is he and Sean know each other. They obviously have a working relationship. That wasn't the case with Doug Whaley with any of the three coaches, really, under which he served or with whom he served I should say. So this will be a happy marriage and one that bolds well for the Bills. It's a good hire. He's not there simply because he knows and worked with Sean. It's because he's done a good job in his own right."'

'Marquavius Lewis projects to play the defensive tackle position in the NFL and is a name to follow, as he tries to earn a spot on the roster for the upcoming season.'

'An NFL source said McDermott would function in the same manner as Reid, who gave McDermott his first job in the league with the Philadelphia Eagles and has long served as his professional mentor. Unlike his predecessor, Doug Whaley, who virtually disappeared from public view after McDermott became the Bills' coach last January, Beane is expected to be more visible, as is the case with Dorsey.'