Professor

Democrat & Chronicle: Bills

excerpt:

If there is anything coach Dick Jauron culled from the past four weeks of watching his Buffalo Bills run around in practice without pads on, it's that he thinks his team is going to be better in 2007 than it was in 2006.

He also added, "I'm pretty certain you can go to 32 teams and you'll get the same thing; everybody kind of likes what they see right now. Now we'll go to training camp, put the pads on and start playing football, and we'll get a feel for what we have."

Wednesday afternoon the Bills ended their mandatory mini-camp, which followed three weeks of organized team activities. They will have six weeks of vacation before reporting to St. John Fisher College on July 26 for the start of training camp.

While Jauron recognizes that all NFL teams are filled with excitement about the upcoming season when it's June and everyone is 0-0, he said he genuinely believes the Bills are on the upswing.

"In terms of ability, we're significantly better," said Jauron, in a particularly chipper mood perhaps because of his hole in one the other day playing at Crag Burn Country Club in East Aurora. "We're bigger, faster and stronger, but it's got to translate to wins."

Jauron, who will have some time to play a little more golf because he and his coaching staff will also take a few weeks off to recharge before the grind at Fisher begins, was clearly impressed by what transpired over the past month.

"Generally our OTAs (organized team activities) and mini-camps went really well," said the second-year Bills coach. "We got a lot of teaching done. We got to look at the younger players who we didn't know, a long look at them, and we like what we see. I'm pleased with the direction that things are going in, but it doesn't count until you can figure out ways to win more games."

Now that he has had four weeks of practice sessions to monitor, Jauron said he has a better feel for the pulse of the team, especially the new players.

One area he feels better about is quarterback. Starter J.P. Losman has looked good throughout the off-season, backup Craig Nall made strides in his second year in the system, and rookie third-round pick Trent Edwards has shown why the Bills thought so highly of him.

"I like our total quarterback picture after the draft," he said. "It was really clouded going in, and not a whole lot was said about it, but I feel good about it now."

Jauron also thinks defensive tackle John McCargo, a 2006 first-round draft pick who was unable to participate in any of the on-field drills because of off-season foot surgery, will be ready when the team starts practice at Fisher.

"I do believe he will be at least on schedule," said Jauron. "I'm not certain that I will have him on the field all the time; I'll have to see. But we're counting on John. We think he's going to be an outstanding player."

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