Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘“The tight end is an important position for a quarterback,” McDermott said. “Being around a couple good tight ends in my history, both in Philadelphia and Carolina, namely in Chad Lewis and then in Greg Olsen, you see how that helps a young quarterback whether he becomes a security blanket, he can turn a five-yard completion into a 15-yard gain. Obviously, the work on third down and in the red zone, I think it goes without saying how important the position is.”’

‘What the combine provides coaches such as Sean McDermott and general managers such as Brandon Beane is the chance to gauge and compare the players in a similar environment. Everything is the same in Indianapolis — same watches timing the 40-yard dash and the cone shuttle, same 225-pound bar on the bench press rack, same benign indoor conditions for the quarterbacks to throw and receivers to run routes and catch, and, most importantly, it’s the same, unbiased medical experts examining the players.’

‘Congrats to Robert Kraft on 6 Super Bowl rings and 1 prostitution ring.’

‘Hughes will be in the final year of his contract and turns 31 in August, so there’s a chance he may not be with the team beyond 2019. Then again, the way he has played since joining the Bills in 2013, it’s possible the Bills could re-sign Hughes to an extension before he becomes a free agent after the season.’

‘With Clay gone, the Bills have a glaring need at the position as the only player currently under contract on the roster is unproven Jason Croom. Logan Thomas is a restricted free agent, and given his lack of production, he may not be a player the Bills are interested in bringing back.’

‘In one memorable game against the Dolphins — who were then coached by Gase — Long flubbed several snaps, which caused former Jets coach Todd Bowles to pull him. Thereafter, he played guard the rest of the year.’

‘And then came the text: “Go Bills.’’’

‘“Maybe you’re thinking what I’m thinking…not another surgery,” she continued. “I know. Another mountain to climb. But…also, another opportunity to trust God and walk by faith.”’

‘Newton won the 2015 NFL MVP award on Dorsey’s watch, and the Panthers won an NFC title.’

‘It’s true that Edmunds had a topsy-turvy rookie season and there were certainly moments when he looked lost, but let’s also remember that the 6-foot-5, 250-pound freak of an athlete is the youngest drafted player in NFL history.’

‘Now, McDermott must find someone who can take over the huge job of guiding Allen, a raw talent who needs much refinement of his mechanics, especially his footwork.’

‘“This year was definitely a learning experience,” Allen said. “There was a lot of good, some bad, but you get to learn from the bad and next year when we go into it we’ll try to make those positives. There was a lot of growth, and having Derek (Anderson) and Matt (Barkley) in helped me a tremendous amount. I’m super thankful to have those guys, and I’m excited to get back there and get back to work.”’

‘“He’s a player, a young man with good instincts, good football instincts,” McDermott said late in the season. “Levi can continue to grow and improve. That’s the mindset we all have to take; we’re not a finished product. We have to embrace that mindset of (knowing), I’m not where I need to be yet, but I’m going to get there if we continue to grow and continue to put in the hard work.”’

‘Instead of celebrating two exciting title games that pitted the old (Drew Brees, Tom Brady) vs. the new (Jared Goff, Patrick Mahomes), fans, media, players, coaches and league officials are back debating two old issues: instant replay and overtime.’

‘“Absolutely I do think it can happen,” said Allen, who played in 11 more games as a rookie than did Mahomes. “Kudos to him for having such a great season. He’s having a season that quarterbacks dream of. He’s a really good dude, an outstanding player and I’m really happy for him. I definitely think that it can be attained by a young quarterback and why not me? That’s what we all strive to do, to win games and have a fun time doing it. That’s something we’ll be chasing here, not the stats or the MVP or whatever, but winning football games and hosting the AFC Championship.”’