Archives for March 2005

‘Henry said this week it is the Bills who are holding up a straight-up swap between Henry and Cardinals tackle L.J. Shelton. ESPN reported that Buffalo wants to make a switch of second-round picks part of the deal. The Cardinals choose with the 12th pick of the second round (44th overall), while the Bills have the 23rd pick (55th overall).’

‘And if you want a bit of a stretch, the Vikings’ secondary coach is Chuck Knox Jr., son of the former Bills’ head coach (1978-82).’

‘Jon Kitna and former Bills Frank Reich, Don Beebe and Henry Jones will be the star attractions at Athletes in Action’s fourth annual Victory Beyond Competition Experience breakfast in the Adam’s Mark Hotel.’

‘”Just because (Kent) got stronger and bigger doesn’t necessarily mean that he did steroids. When he first came in, I thought Kent was a great center right off the bat. It wasn’t like he wasn’t going to make the team. (Assistant and NFL Hall of Fame lineman) Jim Ringo said immediately, ‘This guy’s good.’ “He was country boy strong, and if he gained weight, it was from getting older and naturally putting on weight. And it wasn’t drastic then.”‘

‘The Bills won’t be on the board until the 55th overall pick. Offensive and defensive lines seem to be the most pressing needs.’

‘Haslett indirectly implicated Buffalo center Kent Hull as a beneficiary of steroid use. Hull, contacted in Mississippi by D and C sportswriter Leo Roth, denied ever using steroids. They played together for just a few weeks in training camp in 1986. Haslett was later cut by the Bills.’

‘Haslett said they introduced a former Bill and USFL lineman to "the pill" and he went from 270 pounds to 305. Haslett called him probably one of the all time greatest players in Bills history. He did not name the player. Kent Hull told Leo Roth of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle that the accusation is false and he may have to give Haslett a call. Hull says he’s never weighed 300 pounds in his life and he resents the implication by Haslett.’

‘"So did I get a raw deal? To a certain extent. There was a shift in philosophy that didn’t include helping out the quarterback. It does bother me that a lot of the blame for our lack of success was placed right on my shoulders. But I’m never going to be one of those guys who say that I’m being treated unfairly when I’m playing a game for a living. It didn’t work out and am I unhappy about that? Yeah. But I’ll never say they did me wrong."’

‘"Everybody wanted an advantage, so you tried it. I tried it. Everybody tried it," Haslett said.’

‘Haslett played in Buffalo from 1979 to 1985, and finished his career in 1987 with the New York Jets. He said he used steroids for one season early in his career. ”It started, really, in Pittsburgh. They got an advantage on a lot of football teams. They were so much stronger (in the) ’70s, late ’70s, early ’80s,” Haslett said. ”They’re the ones who kind of started it.”’

”’I know he’s frustrated,” Mularkey told reporters during the NFL owners meetings in Hawaii this week. ”We have done everything we can to really honor his request for a trade. … If it doesn’t happen, Travis has a contract with us and is required to be here when camps come around. But I think there’s still time.”’

‘”I didn’t think it (steroids) was very good for you,” Haslett told the Los Angeles Times. “I was hyper all the time. Got bloated, a fat face. But if you didn’t (take steroids), you weren’t as strong as everybody else, you weren’t as fast as everybody else.”‘

‘”I have never weighed 300 pounds in my freaking life, even now when I’m retired,” Hull said.’

‘The Cardinals are offering left tackle L.J. Shelton, but the Bills apparently don’t feel they are getting a fair exchange with the player-for-player deal. Green is intrigued by Henry’s skills. "I think he’s tough as hell," Green said. "He’s got exceptional balance, which allows a guy to get a lot of yardage. He’s smart but powerful, compact, very difficult to tackle. I think he’s a good player."’

‘"We were really pleased that they wanted to come play for us," Tice said. "Of course, Ted was instrumental in a lot of that because these guys want to come back and play for Ted again."’