Archives for March 4, 2004

‘According to Donahoe, “sometimes you do it for change” and, in this case, that’s exactly what Ruben and the Bills needed.’

‘”This is my first free agent visit. I’ve had the great luxury of being with the Pittsburgh Steelers for nine years. This is a unique opportunity for me to see how another organization is run and see the personnel. It’s a great opportunity for me to see some familiar faces in a different organization. I’m really impressed with what I see here in regards to the direction that Tom Donahoe and Mike Mularkey are trying to pursue. I’m really excited about what I’ve seen so far.”‘

‘”Oh yes. You know what teams are going to be in need of a particular position. I knew there would be a chance that Antoine (Winfield) wouldn’t be here and I wouldn’t be in Philly and that the market would be open. It’s not far from home so of course it was a squad that myself and my wife looked at real hard to see if it was a good fit.”‘

”’People have that expectation from being in Buffalo of going to four Super Bowls, and as a player you want to continue that tradition,” Moulds said. ”You feel like it’s your responsibility to keep things going and the last few years we haven’t done that.”‘

‘The Buffalo Bills’ courting of free agents continued on Thursday as they met with tight end Mark Bruener and fullback Patrick Pass.’

The Bills quietly reached an accord with ORG Chris Villarrial, and at a bargain price (four years, $12 million). Villarrial is 31, but he’s a mauler who is rarely beaten or penalized and, along with underachieving ORT Mike Williams, puts Buffalo in position to have the best right side of an offensive line in the NFL. Somewhere, RBs Travis Henry and Willis McGahee are smiling.

‘”Coach Mularkey has a plan he’s going to put into action,” Villarial said. “I think it’s going to work. I’m going to play right guard. I’m going to work with (right tackle) Mike Williams, and we’re going to run the ball. That’s what I’m excited about.”‘

‘Improving Buffalo’s offensive line play and the team’s overall mental toughness are goals spelled out by president and general manager Tom Donahoe. In signing Villarrial, the team feels it has helped address both areas.’

‘The Vikings believe Winfield is the best available cornerback in a strong class. Although he is just 5 feet 9, the former first-round pick from Ohio State is known for his toughness, coverage ability and help on run support. Winfield played two years under new Vikings defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell in Buffalo.’

‘”Chris did a great job for us, but when a player gets out into free agency you have to be prepared to lose him,” Angelo said. “So we’ll still look for offensive linemen. We’re comfortable with the people we have. We have Terrence Metcalf, so we do have a replacement for Chris. But we want to get more linemen in here to create good depth if nothing else.”‘

‘”My intention was to re-sign with Buffalo but as soon as free agency started everything broke loose,” said Moore, a 12-year veteran whose one-year, $900,000 contract will cost only $450,000 on the salary cap because of a veteran exception. “Tampa called and we started talking and it seemed that it made a lot of sense for my situation and my family to be here all year round.”‘

‘Tight end Mark Bruener, released Friday by the Steelers, will visit Buffalo Tuesday to meet with the man who drafted him No. 1 in 1995 with the Steelers, Bills president Tom Donahoe, and his former tight ends coach and offensive coordinator, Buffalo coach Mike Mularkey. “We have interest in him as a blocking tight end,” Donahoe said, “and we’re eager to have him in for a visit.”

‘New Jets defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson wants to play a gambling, blitz-happy scheme that relies on man-to-man coverage and Winfield is the perfect fit. Winfield, a first-round pick in 1999, has played his entire career with the Bills and last season became the first cornerback in club history to lead the team in tackles. Opponents rarely threw to his side with success.’

‘As of last night, the two sides were trying to hammer out a deal. It’s believed the Jets offered a multi-year contract averaging at least $5.6 million per year, including a signing bonus that may top $10 million. One sticking point was the amount of money in the first three years, but there were late indications an agreement could be reached today.’

‘Winfield, 26, viewed as a good fit for the predominantly man-to-man system the Jets want to play, made the Jets his first stop on his free-agent tour. He has other visits planned, but he and his agent spent the night on Long Island and will continue talks with the Jets this morning.’