Niagara Gazette

‘“I’ve been on teams that were better than the teams that made it to the Super Bowl,” Beane told the Gazette in an exclusive interview during minicamp. “A lot of things got to line up. Whether it’s health, whether it’s team chemistry, the way the ball bounces a play here or there, I mean, we’ve had games in the playoffs, where a bounce here, play here, play there, and we’re advancing to another game.”’

‘Offseason shoulder surgery — his second surgery in three offseasons — made Brown limited throughout minicamps, but it was stress-free compared to his back surgery heading into the 2022 season. Brown is also in the last year of his rookie contract, but he’s not concerned with that either.’

‘“I’m a confident kid; I always have been,” Carter said. “And it really starts at home and it’s just the respect we have for each other in my house. … My dad always says a closed mouth doesn’t get fed. So I grew up hearing that 24/7. I’m not afraid to speak my mind, not disrespectfully or anything, but just in the sense of like, if I have something to say, I’m gonna say it if it’s the appropriate time.”’

‘“It’s been awesome I learned so much,” Solomon said. “Not every day was perfect but my goodness, the amount of stuff you build and gain just over and over again being with some really good vets, so Day One and right now it’s completely different in terms of what we’re trying to incorporate ever since I got here but it’s been it’s been a long road. I’ve got to do a lot, got to train a lot; I’m going to try to move around as much as I can, learn as much as I can over the break.”’

‘Kincaid’s 73 receptions were the most by a Buffalo tight end in a season and the fourth-most by a rookie tight end in NFL history, while his 673 yards ranked ninth. After Buffalo reconstructed the receiver position during the offseason, Kincaid — who was second to Stefon Diggs on the team in targets and catches — seems primed to be quarterback Josh Allen’s top weapon this year, but he will need to challenge history to do it.’

‘“Really you focus on yourself and put in the work and whatever reps they give you, you make that rep the best rep it can possibly be and then get more reps on that,” Isabella said. “So that’s all I’m focused on. One rep at a time, one play at a time. Every opportunity I get, whether I get a lot of opportunities or not that much, I make the most of every single opportunity I get.”’

‘Elam has shown flashes of brilliance, but they have far too often come with moments of frustration. Whether it has been injuries that have dogged him for two seasons or a struggle to fit into Buffalo’s defensive system, Elam’s play has made many wonder whether he was going to live up to the expectations of not only being a first-round pick, but one whom the Bills traded up to take.’

‘The first practice at St. John Fisher will be held at 9:45 a.m. July 24, while the Bills will also hold their annual red and blue practice at Highmark Stadium, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 2. There will be no night practices at St. John Fisher, with every practice but one beginning at 9:45 a.m.’

‘“Schematically, this is a time of year for us at least where we try and develop our menu a little bit, try things, throw some things out, add some things,” McDermott said. “It’s really the time of year to try some of that and then my ask of the coordinators is that when we break or before we break that they’ve got a pretty good menu built that they believe in and matches what we know at this point at least to be the strengths of our players.”’

‘There was little resistance during minicamps, but it’s clear the offense still has some tinkering to do as it shifts from forcibly feeding a few guys to spreading the ball around. Quarterback Josh Allen showed no reason to be concerned, but there weren’t many dazzling throws during minicamp.’

‘“I was surprisingly undersized in high school,” McGovern said. “I was always the center because I was the smallest one, and then when I hit my growth spurt finally, I just stayed at center. I went to Penn State as a center and moved to guard, went back to center. It was always something natural. I was always right in the middle and that was comfortable to me.”’

‘“You’ve got learn everybody’s position, not just what you’re doing,” Douglas said. “Like last year, I didn’t know what everybody else is doing. I just know Po told me I had that person, so I was guarding that person. So now I’m kind of learning what the linebackers do, what the D-line do, where I’m going to get my help from and, things like that.”’

‘“He’ll continue to build through the break that we’re going to go on,” McDermott said. “And then hopefully in training camp, he’s at a spot where when we open up, he’s available. It’s just a matter of putting it one day at a time and trying to put practices back to back. Don’t know yet on that and we’ll just have to see.”’

‘“I won the Olympics in 2020 off a last-second takedown,” Steveson said. “That’s near impossible. But to win the Olympics, it’s not impossible. But in that instance, you want to be the best that you can. And I want to come to a new field and be the best that I can. In my eyes, it’s mandatory. It’s a goal. It’s not about just joining a football team. It’s about making it through and being a product that people can look at and be, ‘Hey, this guy has never played football in his life and he made it.’”’

‘“At the end of the day, that’s all I got, is my optimism and my faith,” Miller said. “I know what I can do, what I can still do at the end of the day and you just got to keep pushing. And whenever God says it’s over with, then it’ll be over with. But I still feel like I got a couple of more years left.”’