Two Bills Drive

‘”Bobby Shaw is going to be a very good player for us this year,” Bledsoe explained. “He has a very good feel for this offense, and where he needs to be and when he needs to be there.”‘

‘Tony Driver, who entered camp as the team’s backup strong safety is now the team’s third string free safety. Ahead of him on the depth chart are Pierson Prioleau and Izell Reese. Replacing Driver at backup strong safety is Ainsley Battles.’

“When you have a guy of Sam Adams’ caliber who is 340 (pounds), a Pro Bowl player, he’s been on Super Bowl defenses, you know the offense has to respect him,” said Fletcher. “They’re not going to be able to single-block him. They’re not going to be able to single-block Pat. They’re not going to be able to single-block myself or Takeo. They’re going to have to pick their poison.”

‘Pat Williams feels rejuvenated now that he has Sam Adams as a teammate on the Buffalo Bills. Adams is happy, too, finally getting a chance to play under highly respected defensive line coach Tim Krumrie.’

‘Afterwards, Dana was presented a game ball and a personalized Bills jersey, displaying the number 100, from head coach Gregg Williams and the team’s 2002 captains – quarterback Drew Bledsoe, linebacker London Fletcher and running back Sammy Morris.’

‘”Joe is one of the toughest guys on this football team,” he enthused. “He’s in competition at a very deep position, but don’t count him out, because he’s a tough dude and the locker room loves him."’

It’s not hard to miss just how easy it is to dismiss Josh Reed, the second-year wide receiver, and a short guy who will play a big role in determining the success of the offense. A former second-round pick and the Bills’ No. 3 wideout in 2002, Reed has to fill big shoes, but seems more capable, at least from a physical dimension, of fitting into a pair of ballet slippers, rather than the clodhoppers the departed Peerless Price left behind.

Since the Bills play in the AFC East, arguably the most evenly contested of the league’s eight divisions, there is no guarantee that 2003 will bring a welcome end to a three-year playoff slump. What seems certain, though, is that the Bills will bring the wood. And will bring it with a front seven that is not only stouter, but also quicker to the ball, than those units the franchise has recently fielded.

‘The defense completely dominated the offense in the 11 on 11 drills. It came to the point where Bledsoe seemed to pull his offense aside and cuss them out for their poor performance.’

‘"If you went into the dictionary looking for old-school football, you’d find Sam Gash’s picture," Bledsoe said. "He brings an attitude, an aggressiveness, a physical style of football that can be infectious through your whole team. It’s always fun when your on the field with Sam. When he runs through the line of scrimmage and runs into a linebacker, you don’t have to see the impact; you can hear it."’

‘The Bills invited Sam Dana, the NFL’s oldest living player, to today’s practice. The Kenmore resident will celebrate his 100th birthday on Thursday. Dana played for the NFL’s New York Yankees in 1928 after playing for Canisius College and Columbia University. At Columbia, he was football teammate of baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig.’

‘Johnson might be the nicest guy in the world, as many local charities will assert, but the five-year, $25 million deal he got from the Bills ranks among the great heists in NFL history.’

‘” Jeff Posey, to be quite honest, is better than I thought he was,” coach Gregg Williams said. ” Takeo and London (Fletcher) are getting a lot of the publicity right now, but if you were picking up sides in the backyard, you’d pick him, too. He’s quiet and does his work, and I like those kinds of guys.”‘

‘Leg injuries can devastate players carrying 370 pounds. But Williams’ current injury isn’t related to the leg ailments that kept him out of two games as a rookie. Buffalo’s first-round draft pick in 2002 started the other 14 games.’

‘"The defense got the upper hand," said head coach Gregg Williams. "It was obvious. It was good in one respect but the offensive has to bounce back."’