Bills hold final full practice at St. John Fisher
By: John Kucko
Updated: August 14, 2012
The Bills held their final open practice on Tuesday night at St. John Fisher. The team breaks camp tomorrow and will resume the training camp in Orchard Park. Below is a transcript of post-practice comments beginning with head coach Chan Gailey:
On if anyone was dinged up during
practice:
We took a couple of guys in for x-rays, (Kellen) Heard
and (James) Carmon. We took those two guys in for some x-rays. We will see how
those come out.
On what DT Kellen Heard might have
injured:
It was his leg. They did not know if it was a knee or
ankle, just that it was the outside part of his leg.
On where the offense's progress with QB Brad
Smith:
We are a lot further along as far as how to use him and
what we are going to try to do with him. I think we have a chance to have a
great little package with him. It is going to be good for us, I believe.
On if he was satisfied with how training camp
went:
Camp was good. I really think we accomplished a great
deal. We were able to evaluate a lot of players. I think our players got better.
During this time, they had to fight through some hot days, some rainy days. They
had to fight through it and it was good for us. We got a little get-together
tomorrow morning and we will be done.
On if he is closer to decisions in regards to the
position battles:
Well we are closer to answers than we were when we
started this thing. We'll see where we need to go after this ball game. We are a
lot closer to answers than we were.
On if the starters will get increased reps against
Minnesota:
A little bit more. Maybe 20. We tried (against
Washington) to go about 15 with them. We will probably go around 20 with those
guys (against Minnesota).
On if QB Vince Young will be the backup quarterback
against Minnesota:
Yes. He will go second.
On if QB Vince Young and QB Tyler Thigpen are making
the number two QB position battle tough:
Yep, they have made it tough the whole time. Vince was
really behind the eight-ball early. But he has come on strong. It is going to be
a tough decision for us.
On this camp being different than previous ones under
the new CBA:
Yeah, it is a little bit different. We can only practice
once a day. There is no such thing as a two-a-day anymore. It is a little bit
unique but really the reason we are out so early this year is the way the
schedule fell. It just fell that way. So it is one of those things that was
great for us but it will be good to get home too.
DB Stephon Gilmore
PM Practice - Tuesday, August 14, 2012
PM Practice - Tuesday, August 14, 2012
On his first NFL camp and practicing very
strongly:
I played well and I got better everyday. I have learned so much since I have been here to now, so I think I just have to keep taking it one day at a time and I will be good.
I played well and I got better everyday. I have learned so much since I have been here to now, so I think I just have to keep taking it one day at a time and I will be good.
On if he reached his goals in his first
camp:
I got better everyday. I would not say I had goals; I just wanted to come out and get better and gain my team's trust and come out and compete on defense.
I got better everyday. I would not say I had goals; I just wanted to come out and get better and gain my team's trust and come out and compete on defense.
On players' talking about his maturity and his level
of play:
I just feel like this is in me. I am here to come out and just compete and play my game. I love playing football and that is what I love to do. My team has got my back and I am happy to be here.
On the spirited workout tonight; is it time to move on and get after other teams?
Yes it is time. I am ready to go against other teams because we have been going against each other and have been wanting to hit each other so it is going to be a good feeling getting hit by other teams and trying to get wins.
I just feel like this is in me. I am here to come out and just compete and play my game. I love playing football and that is what I love to do. My team has got my back and I am happy to be here.
On the spirited workout tonight; is it time to move on and get after other teams?
Yes it is time. I am ready to go against other teams because we have been going against each other and have been wanting to hit each other so it is going to be a good feeling getting hit by other teams and trying to get wins.
On already playing physical with his teammates; will
he have the same physicality at games:
Yes I am going to play the same. Every time I step on the field, that is the only way I know how to play is hard, so that is what I am going to do.
Yes I am going to play the same. Every time I step on the field, that is the only way I know how to play is hard, so that is what I am going to do.
S George Wilson
PM Practice - Tuesday, August 14,
2012
On finishing the season strong opposed to starting
off hot then dwindling down the stretch:
That is something we have always said since the
off-season. It continues to be our mentality. Nobody is going to let off that
pedal because we know how we started last year and how we ended the season. And
we cannot allow a repeat performance.
On how things went this year at
camp:
As a team overall, my first training camp here was '05,
and I can say by far I feel like this was my most productive camp individually.
But just seeing where we were as an organization, as a team in the past, to see
where we are now I really think this has been our most productive camp as a team
overall. It has been a different mentality since day one of our off-season
program. We continued to talk about the direction we want to go in when we
reported here on July 25. And still to this day guys do not buy into the media
hype, the fans hype, because we know that ultimately it is up to us to convert
what's on our roster and what we have on paper onto the playing field. We have
to continue to push the envelope and get better and be ready when we take the
field in New York on week one.
On how camp works out for the players under the rules
of the new CBA:
We love it. That is something we talked about when we
first got here and they handed us the weekly schedule. You know anybody who was
here under the old collective bargaining agreement and had to go through the dog
days of two-a-days, back-to-back two-a-days, knows how valuable those changes
have been. For a lot of older players it can allow them to extend their careers.
A lot of younger players, it can keep them healthy and keep them healthy longer
at a younger age. And so I really think this is going to benefit most of the
players and the owners in the long-run, because your money-makers are going to
continue to be healthy.
