Two Bills Drive

‘Evans added that his talks with the Bills went well and that he is confident Buffalo will be a good fit. “Yeah, I like it, I like it,” he said.’

‘”They told me to keep my eyes open for Buffalo with the 13th pick, but when they picked Lee Evans we didn’t know what was going to happen,” Losman said. “Everyone’s been telling me this Green Bay and St. Louis type thing, so I was kind of shaky, and I didn’t know. But when Buffalo traded up with Dallas, my eyes kind of opened up and my heart started pounding. Then they called my name, and it was just a sigh of relief.”‘

‘About 90 minutes before the Cowboys were supposed to make their first-round pick, Buffalo president/GM Tom Donahoe phoned the Cowboys and talked about giving Dallas its first-round pick next year in exchange for the 22nd pick Saturday. Eventually, Donahoe offered Dallas second- and fifth-round picks in this draft and the first-round pick in 2005. After making the deal, Jerry Jones and Parcells each smiled broadly as they stepped out of the draft room to munch on brisket, sausage and fajitas. “They baited the trap with cheese,” Jones said of the Bills’ offer.’

‘Taking advantage of a surprising offer from the Buffalo Bills, the Cowboys traded down from the 22nd slot for three picks — a second-round choice (43rd overall) which they used to draft Notre Dame running back Julius Jones; a fifth-rounder today; and a first-rounder in 2005.’

‘In a move that drew immediate criticism from disappointed fans, Dallas traded its first-round pick Saturday to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for the 12th pick in the second round (43rd overall), the 12th pick in the fifth round (83rd overall) and the Bills’ first-round pick in 2005. The swap gave the Cowboys six picks for this year’s draft, one more than they started the day with. More importantly, it gave them two first-round picks to play with in next year’s draft.’

‘Why Losman? “We had four quarterbacks with first-round grades,” Donahoe said. “Once we made our first pick (on Evans) we started looking for ways to get back into the first round to get J.P. He’s got arm strength. He’s competitive. He’s also a fiery competitor, something that has rubbed people the wrong way. But I like the fact that people don’t like his personality. He’s a competitor and will try to stick in everybody’s face.”’

‘The Bills are in a situation with Drew Bledsoe. He has an option in November that, if the Bills pick it up, will kick in the next tier of his contract. Buffalo would like to rework Bledsoe’s deal and he’s so far been unwilling. If they don’t pick up the option, Bledsoe will be a free agent at the end of the year and Losman may be the successor.’

‘”The important thing,” Wyche said, “is that you get the ball there, and J.P. will get it there. He has good technique, so I don’t agree at all with what they said, but at the same time, I’m one of those who always believed that if a guy has lousy technique and still puts the ball where you want it, the best thing you can do is try not to screw him up.”‘

‘”There was a myriad of things running through my mind,” Kalsu said. “I remember when Pat Tillman joined the Army. I was, frankly, taken aback by it. First of all, you wouldn’t think that many of today’s pro athletes would make that decision. At that time I thought, ‘What a man of conviction, to be able to walk away from a life where he was so revered and in the limelight. That’s a man who has his priorities straight.’ Just like my father.”‘

‘The Buffalo Bills, meanwhile, are sending mixed vibes. The Lee Evans selection at the 13th pick was a great one. They balanced the value of the defensive linemen available in the first and second rounds versus the receivers of the top two rounds and grabbed a No. 2 receiver to go with Eric Moulds. But the J.P. Losman move was baffling. Losman might have not gone in the first round. Giving away a first-rounder next year along with three other choices was too much. Sure, that’s an aggressive mentality, but those moves are only setting the stage for replacing players at already good positions. Willis McGahee was taken last year to eventually knock out Travis Henry. Losman may knock out Drew Bledsoe after this year.’

‘Winners: Buffalo Bills.’

‘”You didn’t see it in his play,” rookie coach Mike Mularkey said. “I went back and looked three years ago to compare if there was any difference in his play. And, no, he didn’t have a drop off, I don’t think.”‘

‘One of the true signs of his character and toughness in the workout was that at the time he had a slight hamstring problem, and he said he was going to do all the running stuff except the forty yard dash. He was going to do that at the end of the workout. We worked him really hard in the field drills and my position drill that I did with him. I did not think he would even run a forty because he was gassed. To his credit and his toughness in character he ran a 4.9 forty after everything. There was no problem with is hamstring. He got through everything just fine. He wanted to prove to everybody that he will hold up.’

‘On knowledge of Buffalo: Not really a whole lot. I know we have a couple of ex-Buckeyes in the defensive backfield. A lot of their games aren’t aired here in Ohio, so I really don’t have a real good grasp of them, but I’m definitely looking forward to learning about them.’

‘We still have the second part of the draft to go, but we’re pleased with what we were able to do today. We’ve been talking since the end of last season that we’ve wanted to get a mentally and physically tougher football team. The people we took today address that, and they’re talented football players as well. We’re excited to have them, and they’re excited to be Buffalo Bills.’