Archives for June 2017

'Second round draft pick Zay Jones is now back in full participation mode, after missing most of the OTAs with a knee strain. He’s looking to challenge for playing time outside, and he thinks being on the sideline for the last several weeks was not a significant setback.'

'“I just want to be respected. It goes back even when I was coming out of high school when I was being recruited by Iowa. Since day one they were there and interested in me, respected me for what I could do on the football field and even off the football field. It’s kind of the same aspect in free agency. I just want to be respected,” Hyde said. “Buffalo was there since day one, showing interest and I loved it. I talked to my agent before the free agency process and I said that I wanted to go somewhere that I will play and also I want good coaching and to be respected. I can’t think of a better place than Buffalo.”'

'"But at the end of the day, I'm trusting what the doctors told me, (that) my left knee is just as strong as my right one," Ragland told reporters. "So, after that, I'm like, 'OK, cool. I'm trusting it.' So ever since then, I really didn't think about it on the field."'

'“I just wanted them to have fun,” Hyde said. “It wasn’t mostly about learning football. Their coaches … growing up will teach them the right techniques and lots of football. We wanted to give them a little bit of that, but beyond that we just wanted them to have fun."'

'“There is a big picture,” McDermott said last Thursday before the team’s final two OTA sessions. “There is a vision that I want it to look, that we want it to look like, as we progress every practice. I wouldn’t say that there’s a potential sticking point we have to be by, at this point, by the end of the day tomorrow. What I would say is we have to continue to improve. We do that through the focus of the process, the work we put in, and the work’s been phenomenal.”'

'As part of the visit, Zandon was given a bag full of Buffalo Bills memorabilia. McDermott went through each of the items with him. He asked Zandon who his favorite players were, and Zandon answered: Sammy Watkins and Taylor.'

'"It’s been challenging," Dareus said. "Dealing with an ex-Marine, he don't play no games, he ain't cutting no corners with us. But it’s well-deserved; we need it. We're trying to be the best we can possibly be and he’s a hell of a coach and we're excited to have him."'

'It's possible the Bills will play better, but their record, based on what looks like a tough schedule, might not reflect as much. As of now, I'm not optimistic that this team will snap its 17-year playoff drought, but I reserve the right to change my mind.'

'When looking at the team's roster, there are plenty of players under-25 that will play large roles for the team this year. Here's a look at the Bills' 10 most important players under-25 entering the 2017 season.'

'It’s been a hectic offseason for Hyde. After spending the first four seasons of his pro career with the Packers, the former Iowa Hawkeye became a free agent and signed a five-year contract with the Bills in March.'

'But, according to Gillislee, the Pats’ foothold on success is an across-the-board approach that you don’t see unless you’re inside the building. He’s been a member of the team for less than two months, but he sees a stark contrast from his time in Buffalo.'

'"For a young player to go through what he went through in his first couple of days, the way he handled it mentally, I thought, was phenomenal," McDermott said. "Yes, he was disappointed, more so disappointed in letting – he felt, from an accountability standpoint – his teammates (down). That was hard on him, but credit to him. He got himself right mentally and then got himself right, now, physically with the work he put in."'

'When a team makes a coaching change, there’s always a lot of news being made, and that has certainly been the case in Buffalo. Not counting the switch from Rex Ryan to McDermott, here’s my list of the 10 most noteworthy things that have happened since that franchise-pivoting event.'

'"Plenty of Buffalo's defensive stalwarts have already earned Pro Bowl nods," said Sessler. "Same goes for quarterback Tyrod Taylor and star back LeSean McCoy. Watkins is under pressure to generate a massive season after the Bills refused to pick up his fifth-year option and appear reluctant to sign him to an extension. Seemingly endless injuries have made Watkins a disappointment, but the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft is clearly the No. 1 guy ahead of Andre Holmes, Corey "Philly" Brown and rookie Zay Jones. Just 23, the hugely gifted Watkins has a prime opportunity to turn his career around in 2017."'

'“This guy is on a mission," Hyde said. "Since day one, the first conversation I had with him I could really see it. I wasn’t a part of these last 17 years; a lot of guys on this team weren’t a part of these last 17 years. So when we’re thinking playoffs I’m thinking, “let’s do it…” Going from Green Bay and contending for a Super Bowl every year and coming here, Sean McDermott. He is just on a mission like I said and I just can’t wait to see what this season has in store for us.”'