Archives for March 16, 2004

‘The New Orleans Saints have added one of the NFL’s top fullbacks to their backfield with the signing of two-time Pro Bowl FB Sam Gash to a one-year contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice-President/General Manager Mickey Loomis.’

Veteran fullback Sam Gash signed with the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday. The Saints also cut three players, including cornerback Dale Carter.

‘The Bills today announced that the contract of quarterback Alex Van Pelt has been terminated/failed physical.’

‘”First of all, Mr. Wilson and his reputation there’s not much I can say about him. We all know what he’s done for the National Football League. He’s given us all an opportunity to live out our dreams. I think more importantly coach (Mike) Mularkey. When I met him, I didn’t know much about him but I’ve heard of him before and what he’s done in his years at Pittsburgh. He was just real. He was a genuine gentleman. He wasn’t trying to paint a picture of what he can do. He wasn’t making any promises. First and foremost he started talking about his family in our discussion. My family comes first. I think everything else takes care of itself after that. He emphasized that. He emphasized that he was not going to be on the couch sleeping here at the stadium all night. He was going to come in and get his work done and he expects the same from the players. I can truly appreciate that. I can appreciate his honesty.”‘

‘Vincent broke into the NFL as a first-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 1992 out of Wisconsin and was the seventh player selected overall. He spent the 1992-95 seasons with the Dolphins before joining the Eagles as a free agent in 1996.’

‘Troy Vincent finalized his deal with the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday, signing a six-year contract.’

‘Voted as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2002, Vincent participated in numerous charities in suburban Philadelphia.’

‘A first-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 1992 and the seventh player selected overall he moved to Philadelphia for the 1996 season.’

‘In his 12-year career, Vincent has started 172 of the 174 regular season games in which he appeared and has recorded 42 interceptions, 858 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 14 forced fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries.’

‘”I always thought that coaching may be something I want to do when I am done playing football,” Neufeld said. “I worked in the offseason last year as a coach for St. Francis High School in the Buffalo community, and that helped me obtain the internship I have now.”‘

‘How much star-caliber football does Vincent have left? That’s a key question. The Eagles did not make any effort to re-sign him. If Vincent could play two good years at cornerback and then successfully switch to safety, that would be a good scenario for Buffalo.’

‘More significantly, Vincent was a strong presence in the locker room. As the team’s players’ union representative, he served as the go-between for the players and coach Andy Reid. The Trenton native also was extremely active in the community with various business and charity ventures.’

‘But the Eagles felt that at 32 years old, Vincent had lost a step, was becoming injury prone, and was no longer the player he was a few years ago.’

‘”He’s made his decision and he feels very good about it,” Bodley said. “What made it so hard and what took so long was that he was dealing with three very good teams, three very good coaches, three very good front offices and three very good cities. He couldn’t have gone wrong.”‘

‘He received a $3.6 million signing bonus, a good deal for a cornerback who will be 33 in June, but less than nine other free agents at that position have signed for since the signing period began March 3.’