Archives for September 2001

‘"It wasn’t an easy decision. It’s something we gave a lot of thought and consideration to over the last couple of weeks. We certainly wish all the best for Henry. He’s been an outstanding player here and a better person for the organization and the community. We wish him well."’

‘With the release of veteran safety Henry Jones, the Bills have about $20.5 million in cap space committed to players who are no longer on the team. That means 30 percent of their $67.4 million salary cap total for this year is devoted to invisible men.’

‘The coach had other ideas. No matter how good the Bills were on defense last year, they weren’t as good as the unit Williams had overseen in Tennessee. The Titans’ relentless, swarming defense yielded the fewest yards in the league. They played out of the 4-3, and so would the Bills. If the personnel didn’t fit the mold, well, he’d cram it home.’

‘City officials and representatives from the Buffalo Bills will hold a news conference at noon Tuesday at Emerson Field, next to Emerson Vocational High School on Sycamore Street. They are expected to discuss a $243,000 restoration that will include an improved playing surface, new bleachers and a new scoreboard.’

‘"We’ve got a certain style of defense that we are trying to implement here and it requires a strong safety to play a little differently than maybe the previous defense required the strong safety to play. "The strong safety in our defense plays more like a linebacker, probably more than some of the other defenses in the league so, philosophically, we have a different style of defense."’

‘”Stunned,” said Jones, a 10-year veteran, after his release. “There’s no other word for it. I never saw it coming. There were no hints at all.”‘

‘Without Jones, the most experienced player in the backfield is third-year veteran Keion Carpenter. Backing up Jones on the current depth chart is Raion Hill, who appeared in 16 games last season, mostly on special teams.’

Curtis Alexander, RB, Alabama

Reggie Allen, WR, Central Michigan

David Bowens, DE, Western Illinois

Jon Carman, T, Georgia Tech

Kwame Cavil, WR, Texas

Henry Jones, S, Illinois

Brian Leigeb, S, Central Michigan

Jarrett Procell, DE, Louisiana Tech

Jimmy Robinson, LB, Western Illinois

Josh Whitman, TE, Illinois

Jimmy Williams, CB, Vanderbilt

‘He’s too short. He’s not fast enough. He doesn’t make enough big plays. He can’t cover the top wide receivers. If those things are true, why is Irvin starting at right cornerback for the Buffalo Bills? Is it out of the goodness of the Bills’ heart that he’s been a starter for three of his first six seasons in the NFL? Or is it that maybe, just maybe, Irvin is better than he’s been given credit for.’

‘Johnson needs to adopt some of that old Jim Kelly swagger, the attitude that says, "I’m the Man and I don’t care what anyone thinks." Could you imagine Kelly complaining that Sports Illustrated had photographed him in a hot tub and depicted him as a playboy? He’d have thrown a party at his house and handed out copies.’

‘In the last 12 games, starting with the Jets at The Ralph on Oct. 7, the Bills play just two 2000 playoff teams. Even with a horrible start could they make enough hay in the next three months to make a run at a wild-card spot? Or is 8-8 the best we can expect?’

‘The Bills have to cut their roster to 53 players by 4 p.m. today.

Here is the depth chart as of Saturday afternoon…’.

‘Arthur N. "Archie" Diemer, who was considered the Buffalo Bills’ first season-ticket holder, died Saturday (Sept. 1, 2001) in United Memorial Medical Center, Batavia, after a lengthy illness. He was 81.’

‘"I knew [the Bills] were going to cut somebody out of there," [A.J] Smith said. "We didn’t know which one, but we did suspect it, because of Doug’s age, and it’s well-documented that Ralph Wilson does not like Doug Flutie."’