Two Bills Drive

General manager Tom Donahoe is one of the best in the business, but taking McGahee will be a decision that might haunt him. They re-grouped nicely to take Kelsay in the second round to help the pass rush.

It’s a good thing the Bills didn’t need a lot of immediate help because they didn’t get much. The team pulled the surprise of the draft by selecting running back Willis McGahee in the first round. This was a questionable selection

‘Even Bills owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr. said Sunday he had no idea the Bills would take McGahee until "about a half-hour before we made the pick."’

‘It should make for a heck of a race. The Bills are better, but they’re not alone. Miami didn’t have much of a draft, but it signed linebacker Junior Seau to play alongside Zach Thomas. The Dolphins allowed the fewest points in the conference last season and they’re the best defense in the AFC East until someone proves differently.’

‘Aiken’s NFL stock began to rise at the Senior Bowl. He had a great week of practice, showing he could get open against the best college cornerbacks. His strong week culminated in a six-catch, 69-yard outing that earned him offensive MVP honors for the South team.’

‘"I was in bed," he said during a conference call. "I heard the phone ring so I didn’t get to watch it on TV. I was happy. I didn’t really expect it."’

‘[Q:] In what round do you think you will be picked? [A:] I’ve heard as early as late in the third round. But I think a lot of teams have me fourth through sixth. My agent says that he’s had guys rated fourth through sixth before and some of them end up in the second round and some of them have ended up as free agents.’

‘Sobieski missed all of 1999 after having shoulder surgery. He sat out the next season following an operation on his other shoulder. Sobieski saw limited action in 2001. He was bothered by hamstring and neck injuries.’

‘The cell phone rings, and Kelsay moves forward in his seat. It’s the Bills, they’re on the clock, and they want Kelsay. They say they like his motor. Kelsay responds with a rapid series of, "Yes sirs." Five minutes later, he hangs up and lets out a deep sigh. "I’m a Buffalo Bill."’

‘For now, I’m figuring Donahoe will put together something McGahee would accept that fits the Bills’ short- and long-term needs. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. He deserves it.’

‘" Even on tape," said St. Louis Rams special teams coach Bobby April, "it’s clear the guy is amazing. He’s the best I’ve seen this year. And he might be the best in a lot of years, maybe among the top guys I’ve ever seen. I know we won’t take him, because we used a draft pick (in 2002) on our snapper (Chris Massey), and he’s excellent. But I’ll tell you, Dorenbos is something else, he really is, man."’

‘Buffalo’s receivers coach, Fred Graves, compared Aiken to the Bills’ second-round choice of a year ago, Josh Reed, in that he has similar speed and run-after-catch attributes.’

‘We all know there’s only one football. Let the new soap opera begin.’

‘The Bills claimed they were hardly duped. “I’ve known Drew Rosenhaus for 20 years,” GM Tom Donahoe said. “Drew does a great job for his clients. But as good as Drew does his job as an agent, he doesn’t do our job. There’s nothing that he said that had any influence on our decision. We made our decision based on the ability of Willis McGahee and the medical information that we had.”‘

‘Haggan also went to a team in need. The Bills spent the offseason reshaping one of the league’s worst defenses. “It’s a great situation for me to go in there and make a name for myself,” Haggan said. “If I can’t play (at linebacker) this year, then I’ll play on special teams. I just want to help them any way I can.”‘