The Bills preseason opener didn’t exactly inspire confidence either, committing 11 penalties, prompting Rex Ryan to say, “that was last year’s team”.
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According to reports on Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills will lose two more pieces of their starting defense in Marcell Dareus and Manny Lawson, this time to suspensions for both. We didn’t know what it was about up until now, when Dareus revealed in a media day that he missed a drug test. On Wednesday, the former Alabama standout addressed the suspension at a press conference.
“I’m not even going to sit here and lie and say I wasn’t nervous, because that probably was the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life”, Washington said of the anticipation of his first National Football League action. I’m pretty sure he addressed it and released a statement of how selfish the act was. Corbin Bryant is listed as Dareus’ backup and is coming off a 2015 season in which he started 10 of 16 games and finished with a career-high 45 tackles with Kyle Williams going down in Week 6 with a knee injury. Dareus however, doesn’t consider himself a “me first” guy. “I never put myself first”. You watch me play and you’ll see that. It’s not like I’m kicking them to the curb, but I’ve got to focus on myself. Nobody is ideal, but at the same time I’ve got to continue to work and move forward. “I’m going to come back and do the best I can”. The Bills have not reached the playoffs since 1999. He won’t be able to have contact with coaches or spend any time at the team’s training facility in Orchard Park.
“We will support him as an organization in any way we possibly can”, Ryan said. Again I’m not preaching, I’m not saying anybody’s ideal. “But, he’s got to make better choices, he’s got to make better decisions”.
On the field, the 26-year-old is considered one of the NFL’s top defensive tackles.
“I really don’t have much to say”, Dareus said. “Obviously it’s a lot faster than college, but I feel like I’m doing a good job of making that transition”. I will not #makeexcuses for the events in question and will allow the process to proceed as is required by the @NFL; however, please know and understand I am committed to the game and am more committed to my #Billsorganization and fans. He said Wednesday that he that has yet to hear back from the league. “Words really don’t mean anything now. It’s all about action”. It’s the second year in a row Dareus was suspended, frustrating team ownership.
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“But the biggest improvement I think I did is just stop thinking and just going and play”.
