In Boston, Ben Volin wrote it is "one thing to sign one or two character risks," but the Bills this offseason added G Richie Incognito, WR Percy Harvin, LB IK Enemkpali and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, and it "isn't sitting well with the Bills' fan base." Bills Owner Terry Pegula has been "incredibly supportive" of new coach Rex Ryan and is "thrilled with the juice Ryan has injected into the fan base." Ryan had "better be careful about bringing too much poison to the locker room, because the renegade act won’t fly for long in Buffalo if the Bills don’t start winning right away" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/16). In N.Y., Gary Myers wrote Ryan "should have stayed away from Enemkpali out of respect for the Jets by refusing to give a job to a player who’d just committed an unforgivable act of workplace violence" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/16).
BEAR SKINNED: In Chicago, David Haugh wrote under the header, "Hard To Believe Bears GM Ryan Pace After Kevin White Fiasco." A team in transition, "bound to struggle, needs to earn the public's trust, not destroy it before the season opener." First, Pace "signed accused domestic-abuser Ray McDonald in the spring before having to cut him two months later after an arrest." White will now begin the season on the PUP list, and two weeks after calling the WR's leg injury "minor, the Bears face a major hurdle getting anybody to have faith in anything they say" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/16). ESPN CHICAGO's Jon Greenberg wrote under the header, "Kevin White News Shows Bears Can't Be Trusted." Sometimes it "makes you wonder what these executives and coaches actually think they do" (ESPNCHICAGO.com, 8/15).
NOTES: In Detroit, Josh Katzenstein reported Lions President Tom Lewand on Saturday "shut the door" on the possibility of a third jersey for this season. He said that the Lions will "stick with their home and road jerseys for the 16-game schedule." Katzenstein noted the NFL "gave the Lions the option of wearing an alternate" in '15. But Lewand said that the team "deferred until next year, though things could change" between now and '16 (DETROIT NEWS, 8/16)....In Miami, Barry Jackson noted there is "evidence of renewed Dolphins interest" by fans The Dolphins have already "surpassed last season’s final season ticket sales count of 44,623," and Thursday’s preseason game against the Bears drew an 8.5 local rating on WFOR-CBS, compared with 5.8 for last year’s preseason opener (MIAMIHERALD.com, 8/16).
