Archives for April 2004

‘The veteran tight end had talked to the Buffalo Bills about possibly signing with the team near his hometown. But with this contract he’ll go back to the team that released him following knee surgery in 2003.’

‘”We’re more interested in what the value of the player is,” said Donahoe, “and where is the player a good pick, and that’s the way we stack our board. Some guys are going to go earlier than where we have them graded, and some guys are going to go later, but that’s the nature of what you do when you evaluate the players.” For Buffalo’s brass however, need at some point is a factor, so Bills Digest has put together a rundown of the team’s more pressing need areas. We also assess when those needs might be addressed, and what prospect might be available for Buffalo at that time.’

‘”I can name six positions,” said Mularkey, who was in Rochester on Wednesday to tour the Bills’ training camp facilities at St. John Fisher College for the first time. “Some would be immediate, some would be support roles, some will depend on what we do the next three weeks in free agency. But I think we’re going to have a pretty good choice at a couple of positions that we’re looking at.”‘

‘Scouts will have a list of players they want to evaluate, but very often that list is lengthened. “The thing that is deceiving is you’re going to a school with five or six prospects and you think you’re going to have smooth day,” said Modrak, “then you talk to the school’s pro liaison and ask if there’s anybody else he would recommend. Sometimes they’ll recommend a handful of other guys, and if you’re doing your job you have to look at all of them. So a five player visit might turn into a ten player visit.”‘

‘The Buffalo Bills have shown interest in Falcons linebacker and restricted free agent Matt Stewart, Stewart’s agent Brian Parker confirmed.’

This month – Coach Mike Mularkey

‘Perhaps no team in the NFL has such defined needs as the Bills. Their need for a top-flight wide receiver to complement Eric Moulds screams for attention. Their need for a successor to Drew Bledsoe is also evident. Finally, their lack of a dangerous pass rusher is just as obvious.’

‘At home, Still and his wife, Liz, share a philosophy. “The secret of staying young is always having one in diapers,” he said. Think they don’t believe that? The Stills have 11 children: Afa, 19; Niko, 18; Aquina, 17; Meleana, 17; Luka, 16; Lanai, 15; Usala, 12; Kalani, 9; Valia, 6; Esaia, 3; and 14-month-old Faitasi.’

‘Quarterback Greg Zolman made the most of his first NFL Europe opportunity this past weekend, completing 7-of-9 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown to help the Rhein Fire to a 26-25 victory over the Cologne Centurions. Teammate Mike Shafer, also allocated by the Bills, added a 35-yard field goal in his only attempt.’

‘”He told me how he grew up in Lewiston and went to Lewiston-Porter high school,” said Berman. “He said he followed the Bills from their days in War Memorial stadium. He told me he had some job with the team which was somewhere between janitor and general manager, but I can’t recall what it was. He had some intrinsic feel for the Bills and was hired by Mr. Wilson in the early days of the AFL, so he was probably a gopher in the old championship days. But he developed this feel with the team. So this guy is a greater Buffalo transplant who I believe has a psychic connection to the Bills, pre-wagons circling. He probably helped build a couple of the wagons that have been circled.”‘

‘Rather than let a controversy simmer, Mularkey has already come out and said he will depend heavily on both players and will devise plays that utilize each player’s strengths. There are several formations where both Henry and McGahee line up in the same backfield. “I’ve got a name for it, so it must exist,” Mularkey said of that personnel grouping. “You’ve got two guys who can do both, catch the ball and run the ball. That will give some teams some problems. … When you’ve got quality backs like that, you’ve got to get them on the field somehow.”‘

‘Among Buffalo’s allotted players to NFL Europe is QB Greg Zolman, Vanderbilt’s all-time passer who’s with his fifth NFL team since 2002. That fact should not reflect poorly on Zolman, who has had the misfortune – or fortune, depending on how you view it – to play on teams stacked at the position. In his brief time in the league, Zolman has played behind Peyton Manning (Indianapolis), Brett Favre (Green Bay), Brad Johnson (Tampa Bay) and Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger (St. Louis). Now he’s behind Drew Bledsoe.’

‘Owner Ralph Wilson wanted a three-year extension of instant replay but went along with the five years that owners overwhelmingly approved at league meetings in Palm Beach. “I’d just as soon have gone with three years but five years is OK,” Wilson said. “There are so many changes in technology. Too many people felt that in five years something better might come along.”‘

‘Despite positive talks with the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, free agent tight end Roland Williams has not ruled out signing with his first choice, the Buffalo Bills.’

‘”Playing in front of 80, 90 thousand people like that is really a cool thing,” he said. “Even though you’re getting paid for it. The camaraderie with the guys, working for a specific purpose, trying to meet a goal.” But he seemed no less enthused about helping serve meals to a few dozen people at the rescue mission, having a new goal – finding a nice place to live and a good job – and lifting weights in the meantime. “I’m really looking (to) the Lord …” he said. “Whatever He tells me to do, I’m going to do.”‘