Buffalo Bills QB Tyrod Taylor
Monday, January 2, 2017
Q: One of the biggest decisions the team has to make is on you. I know that during the season, you were always saying, “I’m not focused on that.” But now that it’s front and center, how are you approaching this offseason?
A: That decision is on them. I feel like I’ve done enough as far as my play to be the starter here. It wasn’t like I was outplayed. It was simply taken from me. Like I said, that decision came from them, and we’ll see what the future holds.
Q: How much did that decision last week impact your thinking? Again, it’s not your choice because the ball is in their court, but how would that impact things for you, in your head, just based on how the week went on?
A: I mean it’s tough to see your guys go out there and battle and lose, and not be a part of it. Like I said, I definitely wanted to be out there, but that opportunity was taken from me. So as far as how it affected me, like I said, I didn’t see where it was fair that the opportunity was taken from me, but like I said, that’s above me. The decision was made. I had to live with it and support my guys.
Q: Has that affected this relationship between you and the franchise, or you and the front office?
A: I guess once the conversation—we haven’t really sat down and talked about it. Once the conversation and it’s actually explained to me why it was done the way it was, we’ll move forward from there. But we’ll see when that happens.
Buffalo Bills LB Lorenzo Alexander
Monday, January 2, 2017
Q: At this point in your career, being here with the season that you’ve had, you’re probably going to be able to go on the market and field some offers. What are your feelings about coming back here and how would that process go for you?
A: I would definitely love to be a Buffalo Bill next year. Obviously, we haven’t really talked about anything quite yet. Everything’s really fresh, but I will definitely weigh my options and see what happens. The coaching change, who’s back – there’s a lot that goes into it. Me and my wife, once we have all the facts and everything has played out, we’ll make a decision that’s best for our family.
Q: What is your perception of Anthony Lynn?
A: I don’t know him that well, but this week, being around him, he obviously commands the room. He’s very direct with you. I think our offense did very well beneath him this year. It wasn’t even, obviously, his stuff. He didn’t have a whole offseason to kind of implement who he was as a football coach there. I think he would be able to do a good job. Obviously, everybody has to be given a chance and he deserves it. Talking around the league, he’s been a guy that’s been overlooked for a long time. They even thought about him for [offensive coordinator] and he definitely has the traits of being a head coach but you just never know what you’re actually getting there until you go through a season with him.
Q: Some of the younger guys like Sammy [Watkins] and even [LeSean McCoy] said that this situation calls for a coach maybe a little bit more disciplined, detail-oriented, stuff like that. Not a slam on Rex [Ryan], necessarily, but do you agree with that?
A: You know, at the end of the day you have to be accountable as a grown man. We all get paid and you know what’s right. In my mind, it’s really no different from most teams that I’ve been on in this league. There’s always guys that like to play in the gray, but it’s [on] leadership to make sure that we pull them in the right direction. A coach can implement a structure, but if guys are not holding teammates accountable – because that’s where you alter your most peer pressure, that’s where guys get in line – if we can’t make guys come our way, then that’s a hit on leadership on players more so than coaching implementation.
LB Preston Brown
Monday, January 2, 2017
Q: Now that the year is over, how disappointing is this for you guys to be sitting here waiting for a transition in the offseason?
A: Yeah it’s definitely disappointing, especially with all the goals set at the beginning of the year to try to make the playoffs and all these things but it didn’t happen this year. It’s another year we didn’t win the games we needed to win to find ourselves in the playoffs.
Q: Which was the biggest disappointment, missing the playoffs or having your coach fired?
A: I think they go hand-in-hand. We wanted to make the playoffs, we still have our coach. It is what it is. We wanted to make the playoffs and we wanted Rex to be here but none of those things happened so we got to move on to next year and see what happens.
Q: There’s a possibility Anthony Lynn’s the coach but in terms of the defense, it looks like there may be major changes, including a change in philosophy. How would you look at that, if things were changed to a 4-3?
A: It doesn’t really matter to me. Whatever we want to play, it’s defense. I don’t really care about the 3-4, 4-3 stuff. We got to go out there and play and make tackles and make plays. Doesn’t matter what system we’re in, we got to play better.
CB Stephon Gilmore
Monday, January 2, 2017
Q: Would you like to stay here?
A: I would like to, but that isn’t my decision to make so we’ll see what happens.
Q: Does the coaching change that’s coming impact your decision-making process?
A: I mean, yeah. I’m pretty sure it does. I’ve been through three coaching staffs and five [defensive coordinators] so it’s kind of like, you just sit back and see who [is] coming next. Hopefully it’s somebody that can change it around.
Q: For a guy that’s only been in the league five seasons, to have five different defensive coordinators – how difficult, frustrating, whatever word you want to use, has that been?
A: It’s frustrating because everybody teaches different things and you’ve just got to find a way to be successful in whatever system they have. It’s hard. Some guys play in a system for a long time and that’s why they’re able to make more plays, but we’ve got to learn to adapt. That’s no excuse not to go out there and win games.
WR Marquise Goodwin
Monday, January 2, 2017
Q: You had a career year going into a contract season. Do you feel pretty good about the body of work you produced?
A: I feel solid. I’m just blessed to be able to be alive, to be able-bodied and be able to play this game. I’m just thankful for this year and I don’t know what the future holds but I know where I go they’ll have a hard worker and somebody who’s willing to do the things that a lot of people aren’t so I look forward to it.
Q: What do you think about your future? Being unrestricted, you can pick your spot. Have you had any thoughts or conversations about coming back here?
A: It is what it is. This process could be tough, could be tricky but I just try not to worry about it. Can’t really until March anyways so just take some time off, be with the family, be with my wife and see where it goes from there.
Q: Have there been any talks with the Bills about coming back?
A: What do you mean?
Q: Contract talk.
A: Not with me personally. My agent does all that. I just play football, I got the easy part.
RB LeSean McCoy
Monday, January 2, 2017
Q: What belief do you have that, after two years here, that this team has the vision to move forward as far as the direction they have?
A: Well we have no other choice. I mean all you can do is be positive and whoever they select to be our new head coach, come in here and be respectful and just be professionals and just try get that main goal to get to the playoffs and win our division. Hopefully get a championship.
Q: Everybody talks about accountability and proving it. Yesterday you’re hurt and you’re still trying to push your way into the game. Is that the way you do that to your teammates, to show them?
A: You always want to do your best and you want to be out there with your teammates. So that’s just loving the game. I love this game and the game has been good to me, so just try to go out there and support my teammates and just play with them.
Q: Is Anthony Lynn a guy who does that?
A: I like Coach Lynn. I really do. I think he makes everyone accountable. He’s that leader type of coach that we need. A lot of players like playing for him, myself (included). When I first got here as a running back, he’s my coach. Dealing with him on a day-to-day basis, I fell in love with him. So I’m actually excited that he’s up for the job and we’ll see. Hopefully he gets it.
S Aaron Williams
Monday, January 2, 2017
Q: What is your future?
A: I don’t know yet. I’ll probably go upstairs in a little bit and ask how much time do I have before I need to give a final decision, but like I told (Chris Brown), it’s been back and forth with, ‘yeah I’m going to play this year,’ to, ‘man I feel good not playing.’ I’ve been doing it for so long it’s pretty much all I known. Change can be scary sometimes but this offseason made me realize how precious life really is. Getting carted off again into an ambulance, into an emergency room, having your family being stressed and worrying about my health, it was very frustrating. It’s one of those things where I don’t want to make an irrational decision, just coming back here today and seeing all the guys and being happy to be here and then making a decision, “yeah, I’ll be here,” but then maybe two weeks later they say, “your health isn’t—we can’t do it.” I’m going to go upstairs and communicate with the guys and see how long it will take before I get a final decision.
Q: Until they need to know from you do you mean?
A: Yeah. I don’t have an answer for them yet. I need to know what my timeframe is looking like before I make that final decision.
Q: How do you think you’ll eventually reach that decision?
A: Just being with my family, talking to some of my teammates, talking to my coaches, talking to—it’s everything. Saying my prayers, just realizing what’s important in life. I know football is very important to me, but how important is it to my future?
C Eric Wood
Monday, January 2, 2017
Q: You also said you were a Rex guy. Any disappointment knowing this team is going through a third head coaching search in four years?
A: Yeah that’s unfortunate and that’s on us as players. Coaches affect games but the players need to make plays and I’ll leave all the quotes—I thought LeSean and Sammy said it well last week but accountability’s got to grow and it’s on players to make plays and not keep the coaches getting fired.
Q: The accountability seemed to be here with you and Richie and Kyle, even in training camp. How did things seem to unravel?
A: It’s hard to say. It’s little breakdowns, it’s blowing an assignment, it’s maybe a lack of preparation here and there but just the consistent week-to-week grind of the season, it didn’t appear toward that kind of middle of the end where we had a couple of blown games from like the Miami game and a few other ones where we weren’t as sharp mentally as we were at other points of the year.
Q: There seems to be a belief that Anthony Lynn will be the successor. What thoughts do you have on Anthony?
A: I’m very excited. If that’s the direction we go, I’m all for it. I think he’s a great leader. He will be able to command a franchise, he has that capability. He has kind of the unique point of view that he played, but he’s also a pretty stern guy to be around. So he knows how to relate and talk to a player but also get a point across like, hey, this is what we expect of you and if it’s not happening, there will be consequences. I’ve always liked him, I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for him and if that’s the direction we go, I’m for it but like I said earlier, I trust our management to get a guy in but ultimately it’s on us making plays as players and I think we got guys around here who can make plays.
WR Robert Woods
Monday, January 2, 2017
Q: Robert, what are your priorities in free agency?
A: I don’t know right now. I’ve got to weigh all my decisions. I’ve got to see how it plays out and what comes. There’s so much that goes into it. The team, the quarterback – everything. Everything plays into it.
Q: Is there a part of you that looks forward to free agency where it’s almost like you’re getting recruited for college again?
A: Like I said, I’ve never been a part of this. [It’s my] first time. [College recruiting] is how it seems. It seems kind of like a waiting game. Teams will offer and teams will fill in their teams trying to get you and at the end of the day, it’s my decision so we’ll see how it plays out.
Q: How discouraging is it? You’ve been here long enough to see this thing make a little progress and then you go backwards and the future may not necessarily be bright. How do you look at that?
A: Yeah, I don’t see us taking any step backwards. I know we’ve had ups and downs with our coaches but I feel like in this room, with the players and our team, we all are trying to give everything to find ways to win. I know guys are committed to a team and I know I want to be a part of it.
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