Archives for February 2004

‘Listed below are the five Bills players that have been assigned to play in the NFL Europe League this spring…’.

At the Rhein Fire, Hutchinson will hope to make his mark after losing the Cowboys’ starting position following nine starts during the 2002 season. The former football and baseball star at Stanford has passed for 1,563 yards and 7 touchdowns in his two-year NFL career. He will be up against Atlanta Falcons passer Wesley Phillips, the son of former Denver and Buffalo head coach Wade Phillips, and Greg Zolman of the Buffalo Bills, who owns Vanderbilt school records with 7,981 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Buffalo (6-10): There shouldn’t be much dropoff, even if CB Antoine Winfield somehow escapes in free agency, from the defense that catapulted all the way to No. 2 in the league in 2003. The big task for rookie coach Mike Mularkey, the inventive offensive schemer, is to rehabilitate the career of QB Drew Bledsoe, whose numbers fell off precipitously last season. Buffalo could use another outside playmaker, but Mularkey and his staff figure to upgrade the performances of younger veterans like RB Travis Henry and WR Josh Reed. The OL needs a fix but veteran mentor Jim McNally has worked wonders with even less talent than is on hand here. Obviously, the Bills are in a difficult division, one that includes the reigning league champions, and will need more offense to compete.

The New England Patriots did not exercise their option on RB Antowain Smith on Sunday, making the team’s best runner an unrestricted free agent. Smith played four seasons for the Buffalo Bills before signing with the Patriots as a free agent in June 2001. He was a first-round draft pick in 1997.

‘Levy, 78, said he welcomes the opportunity to be a real coach again. “It could always happen. I’m reinvigorated and in good health. If it comes I welcome it. Maybe people are looking at my age and saying I’m too old. I don’t agree with them,” said Levy, who led the Buffalo Bills to four Super Bowls. “(Dick) Vermeil, Joe Gibbs coming back, Jack McKeon in baseball. Experience is a tremendous quality, as long as you haven’t become complacent, or one of those ‘We’ve always done it this way’ people.”‘

‘Takeo Spikes is one of the best players in the NFL, and has been since his rookie year of 1998. But only now, after his first season with the Buffalo Bills, has the former Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker garnered the votes necessary to play in the Pro Bowl.’

‘It’s too bad Gilchrist is all but forgotten, not only because of his legendary playing career but because he made pro football all-star game history off the field 39 years ago. He not only ought to be remembered for it, he should be celebrated for it.’

‘”Sam played quarterback in the league,” said Bills offensive line coach Jim McNally, who served in the same capacity under Wyche in Cincinnati. “He played under Paul Brown and learned a lot from him. He was with Bill Walsh for a number of years. So he certainly knows all the basics of how to handle a quarterback. I think he’s fired up and ready to go.”‘

‘Coleman saw his first NFL action in 2003 after spending the previous season on the practice squad. An undrafted rookie free agent from Ferris State, he caught eight passes for 69 yards. Bills QB Drew Bledsoe spoke well of Coleman.’

‘Wyche, 58, has been in Buffalo since Tuesday meeting and working alongside Mularkey and his staff in what has amounted to a tryout for the job. Mularkey had indicated he would make a decision on Wyche on Friday, but that did not happen.’

‘If Williams, Buffalo’s head coach the previous three seasons, has a defining style for his defensive teams, it is his stress on creativity and aggressiveness.’

‘Williams’ motto throughout his coaching career has stayed firm: don’t try to make players fit your defense, make your defense fit the players.’

OT Marcus Price: ‘”Earlier in January I had to have knee surgery so I’ve been rehabbing that a little bit. I’ve also been to San Diego rehabbing. I’m just getting my body back and trying to get some rest but enjoying time with family. The next couple of weeks in Texas I’ll get back on my workouts and get prepared for the 2004 season. During Super Bowl week I did some appearances in the area and but I didn’t go to the game. I won’t go to the Super Bowl game until I’m in it.”‘

‘The Bills have a starting quarterback in veteran Drew Bledsoe, but team President Tom Donahoe is interested in acquiring someone who can be groomed to eventually take over. Bledsoe is also coming off one of the worst seasons of his 11-year career, finishing with 2,860 yards passing, with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 16 games.’

‘Williams declined to comment on his time in Buffalo. “I’m a Washington Redskin,” he said.’