Two Bills Drive

‘"We had a lot of options on the table, took visits to a couple different teams," Battle said following his first practice with the Bills. "Just on paper and the free agent acquisitions, Buffalo seemed like a very good fit for me."’

‘Battles will wear jersey #30 and is expected at this afternoon’s practice.’

‘Battles is a three-year veteran who spent the last two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Pittsburgh in 2000.’

”’It’s like a dream come true,” Reed said, following a recent training camp practice. ”Having a guy like that (Moulds) root you on, and having your coaches having the belief in you that you can do it, and getting a year under my belt, it’s just a lot of confidence.”’

Interactive is the perfect word to describe Bills training camp. After the fans walk through the camp pro shop they come to the interactive area adjacent to the practice field. There are games and obstacles from field goal kicks, and catching passes, to quarterback throws to entertain the kids.

‘"He can be as good as he wants to be in our system," Bills coach Gregg Williams said. "We’re going to give our tight end a lot of flexibility on running vertical routes, but we want to be able to knock defensive ends off the ball in the running game."’

‘"Drew is an excellent negotiator, but he didn’t go to medical school," Bills President and General Manager Tom Donahoe said after practice Monday. "We will go with what our doctors say. Our No. 1 priority in this whole situation is Willis’ health and his future."’

Just two years removed from the misery of a 3-13 season, Bills fans are excited about their team. They figure there will be a better balance between the run and pass on offense, and the defense was greatly bolstered with the off-season acquisitions of linebacker Takeo Spikes and defensive tackle Sam Adams.

Dan Metzger, Chris Schultz and Pat Smyton – all students at Rochester Institute of Technology who are from Tonawanda – wedged their way into an open space along the fence so they could watch last night’s practice.

‘The Bills had just 31 sacks and a National Football League-low 19 turnovers last season. If they are going to become a playoff team this fall, they will need to turn up the heat on the quarterback, and that’s where Jones could factor in. He will turn 30 on Aug. 15, and if he can regain his health, he’ll be penciled in at the left defensive end spot vacated by Chidi Ahanotu.’

‘”The motto of this camp,” Williams says, “is because you gave us a commitment in the offseason, we’ll practice with great tempo and great enthusiasm, but we’ve backed off on two-a-days and we’ve backed off on some of the contact.”‘

‘Working after 6:00 PM with cooler temperatures and a large crowd is something some of these players have never experienced before. “It gets the blood flowing and gets you thining about Sunday’s,” said new linebacker Takeo Spikes.’

‘The decision he made on his contract is the kind of big time decision that makes the difference between greatness and mediocrity. If it works, he will have taken a great risk and will receive a major personal and financial reward.’

‘"We have to prove that we can win with the run. Look at Tampa Bay, they had a potent passing attack. They have some guys who can run the football and their efficient when they pass the ball and that’s the way we have to be. We’re going to take our shots up the field make some plays in the passing game, but we want to run the football and get better and I think that if we run the ball well it creates play action passing and that’s one of Drew’s strengths."’

‘Bills president Tom Donahoe disagreed. Saying that Rosenhaus is attempting to improve his position in contract talks, Donahoe added that the agent should “leave the medical opinions to the medical people.”’

”’He’s got some personal issues that he’s trying to work through right now,” Denman’s agent, Joel Segal, said Monday. ”He’s wading through the problems trying to figure out what he’s going to do.”’