Bills feel good after first OTA
By: John Kucko
Updated: May 29, 2012
The following is a transcript of comments from Bills players and head coach Chan Gailey following today's OTA session. It begins with Gailey:
On what he thought of the first OTA:
On what he thought of the first OTA:
A lot of energy and a lot of quickness. We looked and we
felt bigger on the field. It felt bigger on the field. It felt quick on the
field. We've got a lot of work to do. Initial observations were
good.
On his thoughts about DE Chris
Kelsay:
He's a good football player. That's the bottom line for
Kelsay. He's just a good football player. There's going to be a three or a four
man rotation in that group all year long, hopefully. Hopefully everybody stays
healthy and we've got a great rotation going there. In my mind they're almost
all starters.
On what QB Coach David Lee can do for QB Ryan
Fitzpatrick:
Technicalities. Some things that Fitz was throwing some
balls across his body and he's been able to help him technically get a little
sounder. Working on some little things about getting the ball up and over
linebackers, things like that. We just didn't get the opportunity to do as much
with because we had no offseason last year. So it's good to get some of those
things worked and work on the technical aspects of the
game.
On if this is the time of the year to work on the
technical aspects for a quarterback:
Yes. You don't change things in the fall. You can change
things and help yourself this time of year but you don't change it in the
fall.
On DE Mario Williams looking big on the
field:
A couple of those offensive linemen on the field are
pretty big, too. Overall it felt bigger on the
field.
On if he ever caught himself looking at
Williams:
No, I didn't. I tend to gravitate to the offensive side
so I didn't look a lot at that.
On the progress of NT Kyle Williams and participating
in individual drills:
It surprised me. They just said he can go out there and
do some individual drills. He did that today. With Kyle you have to be careful
not to push it too fast. He wants to be out there today, yesterday. You have to
make sure that you just don't go too fast. He'll get himself ready and get
himself in shape, all the little fundamental things he can keep doing right now
that'll help him in the long run. But we don't want to push it too fast.
On if he's seen a leadership quality from Mario
Williams:
His work ethic has been outstanding. He comes to work
every day whether it's just lifting weights or running, whether it's practicing
out here. He's done a good job not only fitting in but taking a little bit of
leadership role. I think we're going to be a little fortunate in that we have
quite a few guys who have leadership ability.
On if DE Shawne Merriman will be ready to
practice:
He was gone today. Today was the only day he could see
the doctor for final clearances on some stuff. He'll be back Thursday. It
depends on what we hear from the doctor today.
On what his timetable is on WR Stevie
Johnson:
Training camp. I don't see him making mini-camp. I'd
love to say he would but I don't know if he will or not. We'll
see.
On if Johnson's injury is something they can't
rush:
You don't ever want to rush it to the point where you
have a chance of injuring a guy further so we'll try to be smart about it. If he
can work we'll work him. He needs it. He's like everybody else, we all need
it.
On with the new CBA schedule if he'll be able to get
everything installed he wanted to before training
camp:
Yeah, we will. We adjust. That's what he we do.
Everybody adjusts so you get it done. You may be going a little bit faster a
little bit more than you wanted but you'll get it done. Fortunately we've got
quite a few guys that have been in this offense for a while. I think defensively
we've got plenty of time to get done what we need to get
done.
QB Ryan
Fitzpatrick
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
On how the first day of OTAs
went:
It was good. It was very basic on our end install.
Defense was very basic on their install. We're just trying to get everybody out
there playing fast and in the right spots, understanding the concepts and things
that we're trying to get done. As we progress it gets a little more interesting
with the different route combinations and different things the defense will
throw at us.
On how it was with QB Coach David Lee out at
practice:
He's great. He stays in my ear the whole time just in
terms of challenging me in making sure that sometimes if the completion isn't
good enough. It's the ball location, it was six inches off. He's a guy that's
going to stay on me. He's going to challenge me and really just try to get a lot
of the fundamental stuff that we've been doing and get out there and do it in
those team-like situations. He's going to be really good for me this
year.
On what Coach Lee stays on him
about:
Mechanics. At this point in my career reads are more of
a discussion I think where the mechanics are something that he's really after me
about and making sure I stay on with what we work with. When I miss throws a lot
of the times it's easy to tell why. He's going to be a guy that stays in my ear
about mechanics a lot.
On if he's surprised that there's still work to be
done on mechanics this far into his
career:
Not at all. You guys have seen me throw. I just go out
there and throw. That's what I've done my whole life. No one's really every
taught me how to do it. Now for a guy to come in and say, "This is why you're
missing that throw low". For him to actually have evidence for me to look at and
say "OK. It looks like that's something I really need to work on." And for a guy
to be as respected as he is to be as knowledgeable as he is, that's somebody
that I'm going to listen to every time. I knew I had a long way to go with my
mechanics but I just didn't know how to find that person or how to improve at
it. He's going to be a very big help for me this
year.
On what the dynamic is like between him and QB Vince
Young:
I don't have the tats that he does. He's 6'5. He's a big
guy. We're actually similar personalities. He's a real nice, easygoing guy.
Obviously the relationship with him, with a lot of the other new guys it will
grow as we get going. It's a good quarterback room with Tyler (Thigpen) and
Vince and Brad (Smith). We all get along well. That's something that's
important. You want to be able to be there for each other. That's kind of the
number one thing you look at in a quarterback room as a
quarterback.
On what degree the offense has been tweaked or
adjusted this year:
That's something they always spend a lot of time during
the offseason reviewing what happened last year. Really figuring out the things
that went well, why they went well and the things that didn't go well and the
reasons for that. It's hard to put a percentage on it. There's obviously a lot
of carryover and a lot of similarities to what we've been doing since he's (Chan
Gailey) been here. In knowing me as a player and knowing our personnel and what
we think we have, we're tweaking some stuff just to fit guys better and really
take, which he does well, really take advantage of everybody's talent. There's
definitely going to be a little bit of a new look. We're doing a lot of the same
stuff and just hoping to do a lot of the same stuff better than we did last
year.
On how much different the defense looks this season
from his perspective:
Those guys look big and mean. I'll tell you that
especially that front four flying around. There's a difference. I think one of
the biggest differences across the board for us this year, not only on the
defensive side but I think at every position, is there's so much competition
right now. Guys are competitive. That's just the nature of a professional
athlete. You just see it every day here. There are guys competing against other
guys that are just as talented as they are. That's been something that has
slowly been changing since I've been here is the talent level from top to
bottom. I feel like that has gotten a lot better and is going to continue to get
a lot better because the better you are on defense the more it challenges the
guys on offense and vice versa. I think we've done a good job of getting that
done and now it's a matter of taking care of what we need to do in these OTA's
and hopefully staying healthy but challenging each other with competition on the
field.
On if he gets a sense of how high the expectations
are throughout the community this year:
There's a big change already with just people coming up
to me, neighbors, or people at Walmart when I'm buying my flannel shirts, stuff
like that. People are excited about the team. There's a lot of expectation
around here. For us I think we expect more about this team than anybody else
does. That was the case last year. I think that's the case again going into this
season.
On if he caught himself catching a glimpse of DE
Mario Williams during practice:
I saw him pre-snap but usually after the snap if I'm
looking at him then it's usually not a good thing. So I didn't really get a
chance to see much today other than him standing there in uniform. He looks
pretty good. He looks like a Madden character you create. You sit there and up,
up the strength and the guy keeps growing and then he's the fastest guy on the
field, too. He kind of looks like one of those
guys.
On if they are as excited as the fans are to get back
to work:
Yeah, absolutely. I think number one we're out here
playing football and that's what all of us love to do. And number two, we're out
here competing and getting better with our friends. This is such a close knit
group of guys. We really enjoy being around each other. It helps everybody push
each other. It helps us and the defense compete against each other. Guys are so
excited to get back on the field. The training and getting back is one thing but
being able to do stuff on the field whether it's routes or going up against a
defense that's where the excitement really picks
up.
DE Mario
Williams
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
On how it felt to be back on the
field:
It was great to get a chance to come back out and run
around the guys. Like you said, finally step back out on the football field. It
was great.
On if he felt
100%:
Yeah, I'm good. I feel great. I've been feeling great
for the last five months. I'm doing pretty good right
now.
On how he liked his burst during team
drills:
Just trying to roll off the ball. That's the most
important thing to a defensive lineman is getting off the ball. I'm basically
trying to get a feel and get back to the fundamentals of getting off the
ball.
On getting knocked in the knee during
practice:
I took a knee to knee. That's never good. That's all it
was but I'll be fine.
On if the knee to knee worries him happening on the
first day:
No. That's the last thing I'm worried about. The little
things like that happen. You just would like for it to be from the offense and
not your own defensive player (laughs). It is what it is. We're all going hard
and just trying to get the proper reads.
On if this practice has any special meaning for him
being his first practice with his new
team:
I don't even think about anything else but going out and
working and then day by day and game by game. Honestly the significance is just
us coming out here and performing together and fixing the things that we need to
fix and working hard.
On saying he wanted a fresh start and today being
that for him:
Yes, definitely. But I wouldn't say it's from the draft
to free agency to the first day of being here. Technically we've already been in
here working out. We've already been here studying and things like that. That
was my first thing is getting here and getting into the books and talking to the
coaches.
On his impression of the talent on this
defense:
We have a boatload of talent. At the end of the day I
think the biggest thing we want to get across is this mentality. Coming from the
defense from last year that's what it was about. The coaches that we had in
there with their scheme and philosophy and how they do things and having to
understand them on the field is what it's all about. Once you get that
understanding and expect you've just got to roll with
it.
On how he's getting along with his other teammates on
and off the field:
It's all about leading by example. You don't have be a
hooting and hollering guy. It's all about going out there whether we're working
out. There is no limit. The sky is not the limit. We don't see that. You've got
to go past that. The way we see it and the way I see it is anytime I can be
around the guys and I can work out, we do drills or we're playing, you've got to
give it everything you've got. It doesn't matter what you're doing. If you're in
the meeting room and your coaches are asking you questions. We've all got to be
on top of our game and know what we're doing. To me it's just about going out
there and giving everything I got.
On how he's enjoying Buffalo so
far:
I love it. I'm from a small town about 2,000 people or
so. I think this is just small city, big town. It's where I see
it.
On if he likes the
weather:
It's hot right now. I'm about to start sweating
actually. I think the biggest thing is I'm not in that Houston heat. We were
outside, I'm pretty sure they were outside earlier today. My weight's been
staying on me pretty good. We're getting after it in the weight room. Coach
Gamble definitely has us going. Everything's working
out.
On if he senses that the guys feel it's different
because he is here:
I mean I can say yes but I guess any addition you're
going to feel different. When Mark (Anderson) came, when Vince (Young) came. It
doesn't matter whether they're going to be labeled as this or that, a starter or
whatever, we feel something from that. It definitely just shows that we have
more tools and we have more weapons. I guess if you were to say that I guess. I
guess that I'm all about getting after it.
WR STEVIE
JOHNSON
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
On how he's
feeling:
I'm feeling good. They got me doing a lot of work in the
pool and in my first day out here doing ladders and strides. Right now we're a
good five weeks and I don't really feel too much in my groin. It's just a little
bit in my hamstrings. Once we get that out of the way then I'll be full
go.
On when he expects to return to the
field:
I really don't know exactly when I'm going to be back.
It's just whenever this little pain goes away. Right now, I feel good. But I
don't want to step out there, go hard and then something snaps and I'll have to
get back further on the schedule that we were on. So I'm just doing whatever
they're telling me to and Greg (McMillen) is doing a good job with me getting me
stronger so I can be ready. I'm looking forward to getting back. Looking at the
guys out there, they're looking sweet and everyone's looking real good. I just
want to be back out there with them.
On not being out there on the field with the new
guys:
You just want to be there. There were guys that are out
right now that played a lot. But me being one of the guys that played a whole
lot last year and now coming to see all of the new faces and everyone run around
and watch the receivers it's kind of hard because I don't really talk a lot.
It's hard for me to tell somebody what to do. I talk with T.J. (Graham) about
what to do but it's like I'm not even out there so how could you really listen
to somebody like that? But he's looking good and everybody's looking good. I
just want to be running around with them. That's
it.
On the optimism around the team's offseason
moves:
It just means that we're here and we don't have that
extra voice in the back of our head saying 'Will we ever get paid or will we get
paid? Now it's OK. We know we're going to be here. And with the defensive
additions we're going to have more opportunities on offense. We'll have to be
ready to play because they're going to give us the
opportunities.
