Thursday, July 2, 2009

Lions new WR Dennis Northcutt, quoted in the Detroit Free Press after being traded from Jacksonville to Detroit in exchange for S Gerald Alexander: "I'm excited. I feel like the Lions went out and won the Super Bowl last year, for real. I'm just excited about playing this game for a team that wants me and came out and got me."

Bengals new S Roy Williams, is open to a competition for the starting SS position, as quoted in the Dayton Daily News: "I want to be the best and will take that onto the practice field. I'm going to compete and whatever I do I will try to do at a high velocity. I see all the other guys are like that as well. The competition is great and we will have a great team because everyone is competing for the same jobs and that's a good thing."

Giants S Michael Johnson, quoted on NJ.com regarding his personal goals for the upcoming season: "Last year, I was second on the team in tackles. This year, I want to push A.P. (Antonio Pierce) and everybody else and try to lead the team in tackles. Personally, I want to grab more interceptions. I want more than the two I had last year. Basically, I want to up all the stats this year."

Free-agent LB Willie McGinest, not ruling out the possibility of returning to the Patriots, as quoted on Boston.com: "Yeah, I've talked to Tom (Brady), (Richard) Seymour and some other guys there. Those guys are lifelong friends, and I've heard some people say that it'd be a good fit. Why wouldn't you want to go to a really good team, which is always close to the Super Bowl, which was in one a couple years ago, was a game away from another one, which has great coaching and is a great organization with a well put-together roster? Why wouldn't you want to be a part of that? And with all the history I have, what we accomplished in the playoffs, that wouldn't be a bad way to finish up."

Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew, quoted on NFL.com when asked if he is preparing differently heading into the season as the featured back: "No, not really. One thing i was told by Fred (Taylor) and a bunch of other guys is that you want to stay with your routine. Once you switch it up, that's when you tend to get injured. I might be more aggressive, but I'm going to stick with what I have so far." Jones-Drew continued when asked what NFL player he least enjoys being hit by: "To tell you the truth, they don't hit that hard. It's really hitting the ground that hurts. I'll have to choose every field in the league as the hardest hitters in the NFL!"

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi, quoted on ESPN.com regarding his future beyond the 2009 season: "After you get past 10 [NFL seasons] I think that's the way you have to do it because you never know what's going to happen within a year. You just don't. So when the season's over, you sort of reassess things and that's how it's going to go again."

Giants QB Eli Manning, discussing his increased leadership role heading into his sixth season and coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance, as quoted in the New York Post: "I think you got a quarterback going into his sixth year and … some young receivers. It's my job to make sure those guys are on the same page and my job to be a leader and take control of the offense and the passing game.  As a quarterback you're always going to be a leader, but now I'm one of the older guys on the offense." Manning added: "It doesn't put me in an awkward situation by any means. When you lose some veteran guys, Plaxico (Burress) and Amani (Toomer), guys who've been around, now it's a younger receiver corps there's more put on the quarterback. You got to make your players better."

Chiefs OLT Branden Albert, quoted in the Wichita Eagle on living up to the lofty expectations placed on him in Kansas City: "I'm trying to be a leader, and I'm trying to win games. Coach (Todd) Haley and (GM) Scott (Pioli) were on me so hard about: 'You know what type of guy you can be. So why don't you be that guy?' " Albert continued: "I want to be a face in the community that people know. They know the name but don't know the face. I want them to come up and talk to me and not be scared. I want people to come relate to me. A lot of people might say I've got the tag of being the franchise left tackle or whatever. I just want people to know that I take this serious."

Cowboys CB Michael Jenkins, posted on his blog that he considers himself to be the team's starting right cornerback (Jenkins is in a position battle with fellow second-year player Orlando Scandrick), as quoted in the Dallas Morning News: "My Job to Keep. Heading into training camp, I'm the starter at right cornerback, and my job is to maintain that position. It's my job to lose, but there's a guy behind me with nothing to lose. If he makes a mistake, it's not going to cause him to lose his job. If I make a mistake, the coaches are going to take a long, hard look at me in that position."

Eagles CB Ellis Hobbs, quoted in the Philadelphia Daily News on any ill feelings that exist toward his former team, the Patriots: "Somewhat. I just think as far as PR went, I wasn't put out there like I felt I should have been. As far as the winning and the coaches, no, I didn't have any ill feelings." Hobbs added this about his new club: "We're loaded with talent and all we have to do is put it together.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Packers' linebackers coach Kevin Greene, quoted in the Green Bay Press-Gazette praising LB Brady Poppinga's work ethic: "Brady's a glass eater. He's a head-buttin', coconut-buttin' guy. I like Brady. He's got a great work ethic."

Dolphins QB Chad Pennington, explaining what made the "Wildcat" offense so successful in Miami last season, as quoted in The Sporting News: "Offensive football is all about energy and providing a spark that creates some momentum and confidence. When you try something that's that off the wall, that new, a lot of times not everyone believes in it, so it doesn't work. Our guys just took it and ran with it and made it work."

Steelers WR Santonio Holmes, proud of the bulk he has added this offseason, as quoted in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "I tipped the scales (Monday) at 201 (pounds). I look at it as if I have to be a complete receiver." Holmes continued: "I've got to be physical, I've got to still continue with my speed, I've got to have the great conditioning to last 16 games, play throughout the playoffs and be able to put in about 60-70 plays every week. I come here with great intentions of putting on weight.''

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson, quoted on ESPN.com regarding the possibility of Brett Favre joining the club: "You're talking about a Hall of Fame quarterback, a guy that I grew up watching. I love the passion he played with. If he is a part of our team when the season comes around, when training camp comes around, we're going to welcome him with open arms and see where the chips fall."

Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, excited about traveling overseas to meet service members as part of the inaugural NFL-USO Coaches Tour, as quoted in The Tennessean: "I've been told many times their gratitude and appreciation for us making the effort is overwhelming and to me that is backward. We are going over there to show our gratitude and appreciation. And everyone that I have talked to that has been over there in recent years, even decades ago, say it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the experience is one of the best things they have ever done. It is an opportunity for me to go over there and get a perspective of what all those servicemen and women are doing to protect our country. Our relationship with Fort Campbell and the interaction we've had over the years, this is an opportunity to take it a step further.''