Two Bills Drive

‘Why did Buffalo bother attending Henson’s workout in Houston this week? He probably will be traded by the Texans for at least a high second-round pick and perhaps a first-round pick. The Bills need immediate help in too many areas (wide receiver, defensive end and tight end) to use one of their top picks on a project QB.’

The Buffalo Bills reached a three-year, $2.2 million agreement with guard Ross Tucker, 24, that could grow to $3.2 million depending upon his playing time. Tucker is a great success story for the Bills, a former undrafted player claimed off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys who ended up as the starting RG the final 5 games of last season. The 6-4, 316-pounder is projected to be a starter next season. Included in the deal is a $225,000 signing bonus. He was scheduled to be a RFA.

‘No stranger to Bills fans, Murphy recently completed his 16th season alongside Miller in the booth as the radio network’s color analyst. He first held the analyst job from 1984-89 and then again from 1994-2003. A native of Lockport, NY and graduate of Syracuse University, Murphy has also served as the sports director at WKBW-TV (Channel 7) in Buffalo since 1989.’

‘Henry proved last year he can carry the load. Playing much of the season with bruised ribs then a broken leg, Henry ran for over 1,350 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. "That’s a credit to him and how tough he is and his commitment to the team," Studesville said of Henry. "He’s an impressive player."’

‘”Being the second-highest scorer in the league as a rookie, I asked for a raise and they wouldn’t give it to me. I’ll tell you very frankly, I signed for $11,000 and I asked for 20. So I played out my contract. I didn’t talk to anybody and I became a free agent and that’s when the Giants approached me and signed me,” said Gogolak. “In Buffalo, I think they thought I was a traitor, basically. I really loved Buffalo and I loved the team. It was a great football town. Very frankly, it was the best two years in my professional career and it was a wonderful place to play for. The whole town was behind you. I think it was just kind of a financial situation. I felt that I was worth that kind of money and the management felt that I wasn’t.”‘

‘”I’d like to be a head coach someday, there’s no question. That’s the only reason I got in this business, to be a head coach. I know that it’s a long journey, but I’m prepared for that.”‘

”’He’ll never be able to do what daddy did,” said Kelly, who led the Buffalo Bills to an unprecedented four straight AFC titles in the early 1990s. ”But he’s going to do greater things. He’s going to make a difference in kids’ lives. He already has.”’

Green Bay’s Mike Sherman and Buffalo’s Mike Mularkey were the only head coaches in attendance. Buffalo’s Tom Donahue[sic], Miami’s Rick Spielman and the New York Giants’ Ernie Accorsi were the only general managers.

‘The Buffalo Bills’ new quarterbacks coach has a damaged heart and a broken voice, but you gotta like his drive.’

‘"The one thing that happens in a drill like this is you can’t make a final decision," said Bills quarterbacks coach Sam Wyche. "What you can do is eliminate. I don’t think anyone eliminated him today."’

”I don’t think the season went too well. I think there are a lot of things I need to do a better job at next season. I didn’t do anything to jump start the team at all. My kickoffs weren’t as consistent as I would have liked, or I thought they would be. In the offseason I want to get my leg strength better and get more consistent on the kickoff. My kickoff steps were new as far as how I did those. I used to put the ball on the hash and step it off so everybody knew where I was going. This past season I put it in the middle. It will be nice to have an offseason to continue getting better on my kickoff steps and just get better on the field goals.”

‘Casserly won’t say exactly what the Texans want for Henson, but the team would love to get a first-round pick in return. The Bills, Packers and Dolphins are apparently among the teams that are most interested.’

‘”I saw him (Henson) on film last year from his days in Michigan,” Clements said. “I have an idea of what he looked like on film and I was impressed with him at Michigan. When you go down there you’re just going to see how rusty he may be. You want to see what athletic ability he has, how he’s throwing the ball and whether or not he’s accurate and if he still has the same zip on it. Just guessing, I expect him to be fairly impressive in person. He’s going to just display his athletic ability and how he can throw the ball.”‘

Buffalo Bills: Seven of eight picks made the roster. The class produced only two starts. The key to this draft is what McGahee and Chris Kelsay do in the future.

Included in the high-profile mix are five former NFL head coaches, the most recent being Gregg Williams (Washington) and Dick Jauron (Detroit), who were let go this season by the Bills and Bears, respectively. Others include Gunther Cunningham, the former Chiefs head coach who has returned to become Kansas City’s DC; Wade Phillips, a former head coach in Denver and Buffalo who will be in charge of the Chargers’ defense; and Dick LeBeau, a former head coach in Cincinnati who is returning to Pittsburgh, where he spent 1992 through ’96 as an assistant coach and then defensive coordinator.