Archives for February 2005

‘Buffalo hopes the professional playing experience for these five individuals will prove to be as valuable as it was for current Bills punter Brian Moorman.’

‘But I wonder – where did this revelation about Bledsoe and the coin toss originate? Who, outside of someone in the organization, would have been privy to such knowledge? And why would it be worthy of mention unless someone was out to grind an ax?’

‘Colts president Bill Polian used defensive end Phil Hansen as an example of what sophisticated training techniques and hard work can achieve. Hansen weighed 267 pounds when Polian, then the Buffalo Bills’ general manager, drafted him out of North Dakota State in 1991. Hansen got bigger, stronger, faster. He played 11 seasons, most of them at about 305 pounds, alongside future Hall of Fame end Bruce Smith. "We couldn’t make him into Bruce Smith, but he got faster," Polian said. "You can improve a player’s quickness. You can improve his speed to a certain degree, but not drastically. If you can get an incremental 3 percent, that can be the difference between being a good player and a great player."’

‘Parcells will try to figure out how this athlete, who just turned 33 years old, would have Buffalo turning instead to an untested second-year player.’

‘And [Troy] Vincent has ownership interests in a construction company, a spa and Eltekon Financial LLC, a financial services provider based in Austin, Texas.’

‘Coach Gregg Williams got three years. Quarterback Drew Bledsoe got three years. See a pattern here?

‘If Matthews calls it quits, there will be plenty of other options for the Bills. The market is expected to be flooded with veterans by March 2, the start of free agency. Then it becomes a matter of money and the player’s willingness to mentor Losman.’

‘Rusty Jones, who worked 20 seasons for the Bills as strength and conditioning coordinator under six head coaches, has left the club and signed with the Chicago Bears. Jones was given a new title last year – director of physical development and assistant to the head coach – with Brad Roll assuming the strength and conditioning duties, which was Jones’ love.’

‘The deal looked brilliant for the first two months of 2002, when the Bills were the most explosive team in football. Just as important, Bledsoe’s debut rekindled waning interest in the team and sold a whole lot of tickets. The next two-and-a-half years, though, left no doubt that it was time for Bledsoe to move on.’

‘Welcome to San Diego! And the web site of the San Diego (Pacific Beach) Fan Club for Buffalo Bills Fans.’

Interested fans are asked to submit a brief essay (300 words or less) recounting their memory of the game. Were you at the game? Did you remain a loyal listener to the radio? What were you saying as the comeback began to unfold on the field.’

‘While the won-loss record leaves alot to be desired, Donahoe’s era with the Bills has been a success when it comes to managing the cap. The Bills have significantly reduced the amount of dead cap money in recent seasons and go into the free agent/trading period in the best cap shape of the four teams in the AFC East.’

‘The Patriots exposed Bledsoe’s weaknesses — a very poor touch on short passes. He has a strong arm, but not real accurate — especially when he has to move in the pocket. It might not be fair to judge Bledsoe purely against the Patriots, but that is Crennel’s background. Also, the Bills finished at 9-7 last season, but they are letting Bledsoe go in favor of rookie J.P. Losman, so the Bills must have some doubts.’

‘The team wants to keep LT Jonas Jennings and DT Pat Williams, but it might be forced to choose one or the other. Jennings, 27, is young and plays a position that usually draws big money offers. The Bills won’t overpay for a player who has missed games due to injuries in each of his four seasons. But the team would be woefully thin at offensive tackle if it loses Jennings and top backup Marcus Price, another free agent.’

Before he walked out to midfield for the flip, Bledsoe was advised by coaches to choose to defend the east goal if Pittsburgh won the toss and elected to receive. That way, the Steelers wouldn’t be wind-aided when they took the ball. Pittsburgh won the toss. Pittsburgh elected to receive. Bledsoe said Buffalo would defend the west goal.