‘After the NFL, he did some work as a sports trainer, as a photographer and also served as a defensive coordinator for a high school football team in Arizona, where he still lives. He stopped coaching, he said, because it became too difficult, because he felt a gap in what was once his intuitive reaction to the game.’
Archives for July 2018
Signing with the Bills gave A.J. McCarron his first real chance to win a starting job
‘“Whether they’re going to draft somebody or not, it’s just a great opportunity to be able to compete and really showcase day in and day out what you’re able to do and have a chance to achieve the ultimate goal — and that’s to start,” McCarron said the day he signed his contract back in mid-March. “Whatever they feel is best for the organization, I’m just going to come out and work my tail off for them and for this city. Just be the best player that I can.”’
8 reasons to attend 2018 Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher College
‘The Bills’ quarterback battle should be near the top of the reasons why fans should head to St. John Fisher College. Training camp will give the BillsMafia their first look at No. 7 overall pick Josh Allen. Allen is viewed as the future at quarterback for Buffalo, but can he do enough to win the job out of the gate? With each passing practice, Bills fans should get a better idea of who will be Buffalo’s Week 1 starter.’
Bills Training Camp Capsule
‘Defense should be improved entering its second season, and with plenty of reinforcements. Can offense develop threat beyond McCoy, who turned 30 on July 12. Though long-term future looks bright, given young core of talent on roster, early projection is Bills might take step back in Year 2 of McDermott and Beane’s rebuilding process.’
Camp setup: Bills won’t rest on their laurels
‘”That’s not in our DNA,” said Beane. “We’re wired to win every day. You watch (McDermott) out there, the practices, do you see any less? I mean, the tempo, everything they’ve got to a T. If anything, we said, ‘We’ve set the standard. If we drop down, we’re pointing it back on ourselves. If anything, we’ve got to try to make it an even harder standard.'”‘
Bills: Three key training camp goals, top battle
‘Figure out the defensive backfield sub-packages. The Bills’ starting secondary is set with corners Tre’Davious White and Vontae Davis and safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, but they have a mostly new depth chart behind them. Rookie fourth-round pick Taron Johnson and free agent Phillip Gaines are in line to be the nickel corner, and rookie Siran Neal could work his way into the dime package, while a couple other players to watch are cornerbacks Levi Wallace and Lafayette Pitts.’
Drilling in: Bills unit by unit analysis
‘McCoy’s potential legal problems — nothing has been decided yet — will hang over the Bills until the matter is resolved and he is either exonerated, or deemed to have been involved and ultimately suspended by the league. If that happens, the Bills have veteran options to take his place in Ivory, Jones and Cadet, but it would be a huge step in the wrong direction. Ivory is the best bet, while Cadet and Jones are more third-down types. The Bills might have to look at the waiver wire late in the summer. Murphy showed some flash during the offseason program and could find a way into the roster, though it’s unlikely he’d be ready to assume a key role beyond special teams.’
Bills notebook: McCoy’s legal status remains a concern
‘If the Bills were to lose McCoy for any length of the regular season, they may have to make a move later in camp, either by signing a currently available free agent or waiting for the final cuts to be made. Further, if McCoy is culpable in the incident, the Bills — who have preached culture and character since the arrival of head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane — could opt to release him.’
Countdown to Bills Camp: The Defensive Line
‘The defensive line HAS to be better, simply since it’s hard to fathom how much worse it could have performed last season. Of the 27 sacks, 6 were from players not on the defensive line. The defense wound up needing to rely on timely blitzing to help generate pressure on the pass rush. The addition of Murphy and Odighizawa should help, as well as what looks like a renewed focus from Lawson.’
Training Camp Preview: Linebackers
‘Frazier expects even more out of Milano this year saying, ” He’s in his second season and we need him to really step up and really help us as a starter. Matt has to earn it every single day, he has to continue to grow as a player and we definitely want to put more on his plate to see what he can handle.”‘
Camp Countdown: No. 6 – Who will be the No. 2 receiver?
‘At 6-4, Holmes is the second tallest player in the wide receiver room, Benjamin being 6-5. In his second year with the Bills, and second year of a three-year contract, Holmes has an opportunity for an increased role with the team. The most important thing in his eyes is to make sure that he is helping the team win.’
Bills Training Camp Question 10: Who wins the starting quarterback job?
‘During offseason workouts, McDermott and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll utilized a quarterback rotation that mainly saw McCarron and Peterman alternate between the Nos. 1 and 2 spots before Allen, who had primarily been at No. 3, got some work as a starter in the final practices. The experimental nature of those sessions allows for a good deal of mixing and matching, which also took place on the offensive line and other positions.’
Lawyer: Ex-girlfriend ‘absolutely thinks’ McCoy had role in home invasion, assault
‘“I mentioned that I had a conversation with our client about the ‘criminal burden of proof,’ which is a higher standard than a civil burden of proof, and ‘probable cause’ – legal terms,” she said. “At this time, there is circumstantial evidence, which is not significant enough probable cause for an arrest; so, I said you can’t blame Mr. McCoy without additional evidence.’
Jay Skurski’s Bills Mailbag: Training camp predictions for sleepers, MVP
‘Rookie undrafted receiver Robert Foster. The Alabama product played last year for new Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll with the Crimson Tide. He has the size and speed NFL teams covet at the position – 6-foot-2 and 196 pounds. He plays a position that is crying out for someone to step up and earn a job. Honorable mention goes to his Alabama teammate, Levi Wallace. That’s partly because I love his story of going from a walk-on to a starter in what is always a loaded Alabama secondary. There aren’t as many jobs up for grabs at cornerback, though, so Foster gets the edge.’
Editorial: Jim Kelly shows his stuff — again
‘The procedures have compromised Kelly’s ability to speak, but anyone who has followed his career knows that “compromise” is not part of his vocabulary. Kelly’s five-minute speech held an audience of star athletes and other celebrities transfixed. The basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was among those who sprang to their feet to give him a standing ovation.’