Archives for April 25, 2002

-Decided Sunday to take off conditions and just make the trade for the pick straight up.

-Spoke highly of RJ as a person and a player but felt his injuries kept him from being a success. Classy treatment of RJ.

-Did say he feels Bledsoe can bring leadership that was lacking. Met him for the first time on the plane flight to Buffalo and said they guy is excited and dialed in on being the Bills QB. Impressed with his character.

-Said the turnout for a 5 minute rally was unbelievable.

-Didn’t want to call the Bills a playoff team yet,the ability of the team to gel and foster some chemistry will go a long way towards their success.

-Said he IS glad the players are starting to talk playoffs. You want the players fired up as that can only lead to good things.

-Said he hasn’t seen such excitement anywhere that he is seeing in Buffalo right now

‘Various scouting reports list his strength, intensity and awareness in getting to the ball among his pluses. Conversely, scouts say he sometimes relies too much on his strength when trying to disengage from blockers and lacks an explosive first step.’

‘"I’m really excited with how it turned out. Just to be taken is an honor," said Bannan, who leaves for Buffalo on Thursday to participate in the team’s first mini-camp. "I’m going to a great organization. They told me they needed help (at defensive tackle) and they made me feel wanted."’

‘The Bills plan to use Stevenson at outside linebacker and in nickel situations, he said. He’ll also be used on the special teams. Stevenson doesn’t have long to celebrate his selection – he leaves Thursday for the Bills minicamp.’

‘Those who question Erie County’s unemployment figures would have done well to check the stadium parking lots on Wednesday. What other reason would there be for nearly 2,000 otherwise able-bodied folks to be out tailgating at “The Ralph” on a sunny weekday afternoon? There were even vendors hawking food, drinks and Bills’ merchandise.’

As Western New York welcomed Drew Bledsoe to the Bills family the newly acquired quarterback expressed his admiration for the Buffalo franchise. He said he always considered the Bills a high caliber organization. But what made him hold the team in such high regard, even as an opponent, was his respect for the team’s quarterback at that time, "It means a lot to me to follow in the steps of one of my heroes, Jim Kelly, who was a guy that I admired greatly."

‘Only a few laws in the NFL are inviolable — unless you’re Al Davis, I mean. One of them is: Don’t eat the yellow snow in Green Bay. And another is: Never trade a starting quarterback to a team in your own division.’

BUFFALO: April 26-28 (rookies); May 20-23; June 4-7.

‘Bledsoe looked like a rock star – a conservatively dressed rock star.’

‘Drew Bledsoe’s arrival has created very high expectations for the Buffalo Bills. Anything less than a winning season and the playoffs would be a disappointment. That’s fine with Bledsoe because he feels the same way.’

‘"Any time something like this happens, they seem to rally around the team, and it’s really nice to see. It was a carnival atmosphere out there. You have to laugh to a certain point, but then you think about what it means for everybody here. It means on Mondays when they wake up to go to work they might be smiling again."’

‘It’s a rare town that will hold a rally for a football player and treat him like some head of state. But it’s good that Buffalo can still turn on the small-town charm at times like these.’

A VERY BIG THANK YOU to Mr. Wilson, Mr. Donahoe, and Mr. Williams for bringing Drew Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bills! What an incredible stroke of luck and brilliance! I am so proud to be part of this community and to be a Buffalo Bills fan!

‘In his first trip to One Bills Drive nine years ago, Drew Bledsoe was knocked to the turf and out of the game by Buffalo linebacker Cornelius Bennett. On a return visit Wednesday, Bledsoe was floored again. In a happier, less painful way.’