Two Bills Drive

June 7, 1965 – AFL TO EXPAND BY TWO TEAMS

The American Football League (AFL) owners voted to expand the league by two teams for the 1966 season. They also approved expansion of the active roster to 40 players.

‘Last season, 11 of the 24 Bills starters were new, and eight of those were in their first season with the Bills. This season, it appears seven of 24 starters are sure to be new, and six are in their first season with the Bills. Obviously, the starting jobs aren’t all decided. The number could jump to nine or even 10 new starters out of 24.’

‘"This deal stinks to high heaven," said Gilman, whose firm is based in Montreal.’

The following key dates for the 2003 Bills Training Camp have been announced.

Wed, Jul 23 Rookies Report

Sat, Jul 26 Veterans Report

Sun, Jul 27 First Day of Practice for Full-Squad

Mon, Jul 28 Night Practice

Fri, Aug 01 Workouts with Cleveland Browns (morning and afternoon)

Sat, Aug 02 Scrimmage with Cleveland Browns (11:00 AM)

Mon, Aug 04 Night Practice

Thu, Aug 21 Break Camp

Additional information will be announced as it becomes available.

Group tickets will be on sale starting June 2, 2003. You would need to purchase at least 15 game tickets for one game to be considered a group. Individual game tickets will go on sale later this summer.

More photos… Endzones being worked on.

‘"It’s tough not to notice the kind of season Ken’s been having," Buffalo offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said on the Bills’ Web site. "One of the great things about NFL Europe is, it gives young players like him the opportunity to get game experience against quality competition, and it’s obvious Ken is taking advantage of that."’

‘There will be Bills interactive games, face painting and performances by the Buffalo Jills from Noon – 3:00 PM. Representing the Bills will be fullback Sam Gash, defensive tackle Pat Williams, kicker Rian Lindell, defensive back Ahmad Brooks, running back Joe Burns, offensive lineman Joey Hollenbeck, linebacker Josh Stamer, tight end Ryan Neufeld and running back De’Mond Parker.’

Ken Simonton continues to make a strong case for the NFLEL MVP. Simonton added another stellar performance last week against the Amsterdam Admirals, rushing for 94 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown in Scotland's 31-20 victory. He also added three kickoff returns for 80 yards.

‘”It always feels good because they always supported me when I was with the Bills. I know there are 10 to 15 thousand season ticket holders here in Rochester,” Jim Kelly said. “When I talk about the Buffalo Bills, you could call them the Rochester Bills.”‘

‘Gregg Williams reminds me a lot of the Black Knight from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”‘

The Bills made the biggest jump as far as talent. Their stats were a little misleading a year ago. Although they ranked 15th overall, that was only because opponents ran the ball so well against them that they didn’t give up a lot of passing yards. The Bills surrendered 132 yards a game on the ground and 4.5 yards a carry.

‘"We have improved the team speed, but it is not one of the faster defenses that I have had the opportunity to coach, but we have improved significantly in that area. This team speed right now is the best since I have been here but we have still got to keep own players healthy. We have a long way to go before training camp starts. We are in some heavy phases of our program right now, in strength and speed phases. These next three weeks are critical and the final five weeks prior to training camp and opening day is another big phase that Rusty Jones and his staff have got to make sure that our guys are right on top of it."’

‘"It’s all going to start up front…with out offensive line," Bledsoe said. "Last year, they showed what they could do. This year they’re working together for the second straight year. I think they’re going to be a dominant group."’

The Bills revamped their entire offense last offseason simply by bringing in one key pawn – Drew Bledsoe. He tied everyone together by being the leader on a team that sorely needed one. Trust and good chemistry exploded among the offensive players, and the team jumped from 3-13 in 2001 to 8-8 and just out of the playoffs last season. The problem? There was little trust that the defense would do its share of the workload, which it rarely did. This offseason, Bills GM Tom Donahoe worked overtime to complete his repairs on that side of the ball. LB Takeo Spikes could turn into the Bledsoe-like leader the defense desperately needs. That in turn should improve the defense and allow the offense to transfer some of the load off its shoulders, rounding the team out and taking it to the playoffs.