Archives for August 2002

Vic Carucci is only CBS expert (of 10) who predicts the Bills make the playoffs, even as a wild card team.

New England at Buffalo, Nov. 3 — Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe gets to face his old team for the first time.

Bledsoe wasn’t exactly thrilled with the way he was treated at the end, forced to watch the Super Bowl as a spectator after years of good service, so he will be a little pumped.

With the final cut one week away, who do you see being the odd-man-out in the Buffalo backfield: Bryson or Morris. I would prefer to keep Bryson.

It’s an interesting situation in Buffalo, and I’m not sure what they’ll do. I know there are rumors that the Bills are simply waiting for a major-RB injury to try to trade Bryson, and that would seem to make the most sense, as they wouldn’t get anything for any of the other backs. i think you will see them keep all 4 RBs, shaking down this way on the depth chart: Henry, Bryson, Huntley, Morris. Morris is a very good special-teams player who they won’t just give away, and we know what Bryson can do after subbing in for Henry last season. Huntley has been solid in the preseason so far too, so they’re in good shape at RB.

In order to get to the 65-man roster limit, the Bills also designated defensive lineman Leif Larsen as waived-injured. He injured his groin earlier in camp.

‘"My mind and my heart still say play, but my knee says no," Ostroski said.’

"Nothing will ever be able to replace that feeling of getting into the end zone at Ralph Wilson Stadium and have all those fans, sold-out fans, cheering for you. It's very special. That feeling and others like it is why you play the game."

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Bengals defender Takeo Spikes will miss the rest of the preseason after injuring himself while attempting to injure Drew Bledsoe. In the first week of ersatz play, Spikes was attempting to lift Bledsoe for the illegal body-slam maneuver when he suddenly gasped and clutched his chest; attempting the body-slam had caused Spikes to tear a pectoral muscle. “I was trying to pick him up and dump him,” Spikes admitted to The Associated Press

Oddly, the most improved team in the AFC East could be Buffalo, yet the Bills are destined to finish last. They won only three times in ’01, ranking next-to-last in points scored and allowed.

Buffalo Bills veteran offensive lineman Jerry Ostroski announced his retirement Tuesday afternoon. "My mind and my heart still say play," Ostroski said at his press conference. "But my knee says no."

‘Given his lack of activity this summer, the retirement did not come as a surprise to Buffalo officials, who had suggested a few weeks ago Ostroski might have to accept a salary reduction to remain with the team.’

He was unable to fully recover from knee surgery, announced his retirement on Tuesday. Ostroski, who was entering his ninth season and had been the longest serving member of the Bills, had spent all of training camp on the PUP list recovering from knee surgery. After breaking his right leg in August 2001, Ostroski returned to the Bills to start seven games last season.

“My mind and my heart still say to play, but my knee says ‘No,'” said Ostroski. “This has truly been a great ride.”

He went on to play nine seasons with the Bills (1994-2001) and appeared in 106 regular season games, more than any other current Bills player. He also made 102 career starts for the Bills, including 36 at right guard, 34 at center, 29 at right tackle, and 3 at left guard.

‘Cotton took advantage of the CFL-NFL agreement to join the Bills despite still being under contract to the Stampeders. The deal between the two leagues gives NFL teams until Feb. 28 each year to sign CFL players entering the option year of the Canadian contracts. If the players don’t make an NFL squad, then they must honour the remaining year of their CFL deal.’

ESPN's John Clayton lists NFL coaches on the hot seat:

"5. Gregg Williams, Buffalo: Getting quarterback Drew Bledsoe raises the bar on the expectations for Williams, which is a little unfair. The franchise took the direction of weeding out high-paid aging players on the front seven of their defense last season, and the rebuilding process in that unit won't be complete until next year."

‘His release leaves the Bills without a proven long-snapper.’