patmoran2006
06-16-2010, 03:00 PM
The Buffalo Bills continue to get their work in collectively as a team at OTA and following practice today, head coach Chan Gailey spoke to the media on a variety of topics, including the situation at running back and quarterback as well as Aaron Schobel, the offensive line and good competition at linebacker.
While Gailey will never be mistaken for Jim Mora or Dick Vermeil, his honesty and willingness provide detailed answers to questions is a far cry from the days of Dick Jauron. In fact, I can’t even explain the differences in words—kind of sad considering I’m a writer (of sorts).
Anyway, as expected a majority of the questions Gailey fielded centered around Marshawn Lynch and how the running back situation is expected to play out over the summer.
Naturally, Gailey is glad to have Lynch finally in camp, though he admits the beleaguered pro has plenty of catching up to do.
“We’re glad to have as many players as we can get,” Gailey told the media. “The more we work together, the better football team we are. So it’s always good to have a good football player back working on the football team.”
But again, Gailey reiterated that two practices with his teammates don’t have Lynch up to full speed.
“Both on the field and off the field he has some catching up to do,” he said. “But it seems like he’s a quick study. That’s what it looks like in my initial look at him. So I think he’ll be all right in that respect.”
Gailey admits he’s never had the luxury of having three talented running backs on the roster quite like this.
“I’ve never really been in this situation where we have three like this,” Gailey said. “But I certainly am looking forward to seeing how it all pans out because I think you have a chance to give defenses some real problems with that many good running backs and football players.”
When you have three talents like Fred Jackson, Lynch and first round draft pick C.J Spiller, the most glaring question is giving each of them enough touches to keep them happy and motivated to work hard. Gailey says that for the time being, it’s not something he’s concerned about.
“At this point it doesn’t matter. It only matters when we get to September,” he said. “So I’m not worried about finding out how to do that today. Let’s get everybody on the same page and get all of the basics down, be fundamentally sound. Then we’ll worry about all of that other stuff.”
On the quarterbacking front, Gailey maintains there will still be a competition to name a starter throughout training camp, though he said today for the first time that he’d like have a guy ready to work with the first team regularly, which he admits will give that person an advantage in the race for September.
“By the time we get to training camp we’ll have somebody that is going to work with the first group, somebody that’s going to work with the second group going in just because if it happens that way then you’ve got a leg up,” he said. “If you try to get everybody equal shots from the first day of camp then you’ll probably get nobody ready rather than getting three ready. So we’ll probably make some determination from this, decide for a lack of a better term a pecking order for camp and then go from there.”
“But it still will be open when we go to camp.”
Although Demetrius Bell is still not quite ready to work with the first team at left tackle as he continues to rehab his injury, he’s getting close and don’t automatically assume the team is going to go after Jared Gaither via trade or pursue a free agent like Flozell Adams.
Gailey likes Bell’s potential a lot.
“He’s an amazing athlete first of all,” he said. “Run, jump and change direction all of that was very good. He went in and played as rookie. He started as a rookie. You don’t know how hard that is especially at offensive line. And quarterback and offensive line may be the hardest places to start in this league as a rookie. And he went in and did that and held his own. Now, he made some mistakes and you hope the second year he doesn’t make those mistakes. But he is really a very good athlete.”
Lastly, when it comes to the probable retirement of Aaron Schobel, Gailey says the organization will continue their policy of leaving it in the ninth-year veteran’s hands.
“It’s up to him. He’s a good football player and has been a good football player in this league and in Buffalo for many years. I’d like for him to be on the football team but I understand his situation, too. I really do. That’s part of life.”
While Gailey will never be mistaken for Jim Mora or Dick Vermeil, his honesty and willingness provide detailed answers to questions is a far cry from the days of Dick Jauron. In fact, I can’t even explain the differences in words—kind of sad considering I’m a writer (of sorts).
Anyway, as expected a majority of the questions Gailey fielded centered around Marshawn Lynch and how the running back situation is expected to play out over the summer.
Naturally, Gailey is glad to have Lynch finally in camp, though he admits the beleaguered pro has plenty of catching up to do.
“We’re glad to have as many players as we can get,” Gailey told the media. “The more we work together, the better football team we are. So it’s always good to have a good football player back working on the football team.”
But again, Gailey reiterated that two practices with his teammates don’t have Lynch up to full speed.
“Both on the field and off the field he has some catching up to do,” he said. “But it seems like he’s a quick study. That’s what it looks like in my initial look at him. So I think he’ll be all right in that respect.”
Gailey admits he’s never had the luxury of having three talented running backs on the roster quite like this.
“I’ve never really been in this situation where we have three like this,” Gailey said. “But I certainly am looking forward to seeing how it all pans out because I think you have a chance to give defenses some real problems with that many good running backs and football players.”
When you have three talents like Fred Jackson, Lynch and first round draft pick C.J Spiller, the most glaring question is giving each of them enough touches to keep them happy and motivated to work hard. Gailey says that for the time being, it’s not something he’s concerned about.
“At this point it doesn’t matter. It only matters when we get to September,” he said. “So I’m not worried about finding out how to do that today. Let’s get everybody on the same page and get all of the basics down, be fundamentally sound. Then we’ll worry about all of that other stuff.”
On the quarterbacking front, Gailey maintains there will still be a competition to name a starter throughout training camp, though he said today for the first time that he’d like have a guy ready to work with the first team regularly, which he admits will give that person an advantage in the race for September.
“By the time we get to training camp we’ll have somebody that is going to work with the first group, somebody that’s going to work with the second group going in just because if it happens that way then you’ve got a leg up,” he said. “If you try to get everybody equal shots from the first day of camp then you’ll probably get nobody ready rather than getting three ready. So we’ll probably make some determination from this, decide for a lack of a better term a pecking order for camp and then go from there.”
“But it still will be open when we go to camp.”
Although Demetrius Bell is still not quite ready to work with the first team at left tackle as he continues to rehab his injury, he’s getting close and don’t automatically assume the team is going to go after Jared Gaither via trade or pursue a free agent like Flozell Adams.
Gailey likes Bell’s potential a lot.
“He’s an amazing athlete first of all,” he said. “Run, jump and change direction all of that was very good. He went in and played as rookie. He started as a rookie. You don’t know how hard that is especially at offensive line. And quarterback and offensive line may be the hardest places to start in this league as a rookie. And he went in and did that and held his own. Now, he made some mistakes and you hope the second year he doesn’t make those mistakes. But he is really a very good athlete.”
Lastly, when it comes to the probable retirement of Aaron Schobel, Gailey says the organization will continue their policy of leaving it in the ninth-year veteran’s hands.
“It’s up to him. He’s a good football player and has been a good football player in this league and in Buffalo for many years. I’d like for him to be on the football team but I understand his situation, too. I really do. That’s part of life.”