Archives for May 2005

‘As for veteran help, general manager Floyd Reese continued to downplay the talk of acquiring Travis Henry from Buffalo, saying no new talks have been held. Henry is entering the last year of his contract and is scheduled to make $1.25 million. Reese did acknowledge that if the Titans were to get serious in that regard, he would try to rework the contract. “I think if we traded for him, we’d rework the deal,” Reese said. “I think right now, their inclination is to hold onto him rather than trade him. They like him. It’s not like they want to get rid of him and he’s a bad character or any of that stuff, and they understand that if I can’t get such and such in compensation, there’s no reason to trade him.”‘

‘The Buffalo Bills will host more than 250 Western New York high school and college football coaches at the fifth annual Buffalo Bills Coaches Clinic presented by Gatorade and Dick’s Sporting Goods on Saturday, May 21st in the Buffalo Bills Fieldhouse.’

‘German made the Dolphins is 2002 as a college free agent. He’s played in 11 games with his only start coming at RG. Miami cut him a week ago.’

‘Jerman said the way the Bills turned the season around last year, winning eight of their last 10 games, makes Buffalo an attractive destination for him. “This is really a team on the rise, I believe,” Jerman told the media during his visit. “Now that I’ve been here and met with all the coaches and seen what kind of program they have, I’ve been really impressed with everything.”‘

‘In the past, the Bills were reluctant to practice on the carpet-style artificial turf inside Growney due to the wear such surfaces cause on knees and joints. But synthetic athletic fields such as the one Fisher is getting are kinder on athletes’ bodies – crushed rubber pellets surround plastic grass blades, acting as millions of tiny shock absorbers. “The players really like it,” Mularkey said. “If we were on it more (in camp), I don’t see it as a problem at all. And any time you can create a game-type atmosphere, that gets the adrenaline flowing.”‘

‘”When the Bills drafted J.P., everybody was saying, J.P.’s a cocky guy,” CBS analyst and former Bills special teams legend Steve Tasker says. “I laughed. When Jim Kelly came to Buffalo he led the league in cocky. He came to Buffalo in 1986, kicked ass and took names. Jim was a blue-collar, beer-drinking, hard-living guy with a swagger. The reason people in Buffalo loved him was that he was willing to point the finger at himself. He was a great leader. Jimmy was the only quarterback from the Class of ’83 who after he threw an interception, he’d go after the guy. He broke a guy’s leg tackling him. That’s what people in Buffalo expect from their quarterback. They expect passion.”‘

‘Tickets, priced at $8, may be purchased either in person, over the phone or via the Internet.’

‘The Bills announced Tuesday that the team has waived RB Dante Brown.’

The ring, which dates to Simpson’s 1980 induction to the Bills’ “Wall of Fame” at Ralph Wilson Stadium, was apparently found at the Belleview Biltmore Hotel in Clearwater, Fla.

‘"We live under a microscope," Vincent said. "We strive for zero tolerance; those are our intentions. We think we’ve put the right mechanisms in place to deter usage of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs. But you’ll always have those cases. You live in an area where people are competitive."’

‘Jim McNally, offensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills, will be the guest speaker Thursday at the 153rd annual dinner of the YMCA of Greater Buffalo.’

‘Contrary to media reports, Reese said he has not had any recent conversations with the Buffalo Bills regarding the availability of running back Travis Henry.’

‘The Bills Monday announced that the team has signed RB RaShard Lee. In accordance with club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.’

‘Free agent LG Bennie Anderson has fit in nicely with the offensive line. His size (6-5, 345) and physical playing style will be an asset as the team plans to feature a power running game with heavy-duty RB Willis McGahee. Anderson is comfortable with the offense and what his role is in it. Team has a while before it puts on the pads, but Anderson is already giving an indication that he’ll add some much needed muscle to the interior of the offensive line.’

‘In a twist of irony, the team Jacksonville should call is the team responsible for the Jags landing Taylor — the Buffalo Bills. The Jags need to send Buffalo a high pick in next year’s draft to acquire running back Travis Henry. The move makes sense for both sides.’