Archives for July 21, 2000

‘"There may have been some questions by a lot of people, a lot of guys on the team even, about the moves that were made in the offseason," veteran strong safety Henry Jones said. "It was a time to clear the air for us and to say, ‘OK, every year there’s change, the only difference this year is that some veterans who were here a very long time are gone.’ But that just means some guys are going to have to step up and play."’

‘Though he has not seen the Bills do any type of work since their wild-card playoff loss to Tennessee in January, Clayton — as he does every team in the league — has a good feel for what to expect from the Bills this season. "They’ve been drafting well year after year, that’s the one thing this franchise has done, they’ve brought in good athletes and because of that, they have a chance," he said. "And this division is the most changed in the league. Every team has taken a step back except Indianapolis. "I think Indy has the best team and there’s going to be a battle for the No. 2 spot between Buffalo and Miami and right now I think Buffalo has the advantage."’

‘Buffalo Bills coach Wade Phillips said only two players will not participate in the opening workout. Defensive end Marcellus Wiley is recovering from lower back surgery, and free agent cornerback Courtney Jackson will be placed on the injured reserve list and will miss the entire season after blowing out his knee during the last mini-camp in June. Also, Erik Flowers’ situation remained up in the air as of last night. As for the rest of the players, Phillips expects everyone to be in tip top shape and ready to work.’

The 14th castaway has been voted off Buffalo Bills Island. This former OG was recently elected into the NFL Hall of Fame. His combination of grit, skill, and determination finally won him his place in Canton. Only two players are left! Vote in the final round!

‘Recorded in active audio, Wade Phillips says the Bills will likely be without Erik Flowers and Travares Tillman for at least the first meeting of training camp this evening. This was his first press conference of training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, N.Y.’

‘Bills second-round draft pick Travares Tillman agreed to terms Thursday, leaving only first-rounder Erik Flowers unsigned. Tillman was expected to arrive in Pittsford, N.Y., in time for the team’s first training-camp meeting, at 7 p.m.’

"He’s so smooth that sometimes it seems he’s not moving so fast," said Johnson, whose superior arm strength should boost the a 6.10 yards per pass play rating that ranked in the middle of the NFL statistics last season. "Peerless sort of glides by people and then, when the ball is in the air, he kicks it into another gear and really goes after that thing."

‘Sensing he had more to lose by missing training camp, safety Travares Tillman, a second-round draft pick, agreed to a four-year deal worth more than $2.1 million with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday…"It’s a good deal for everyone. We’re glad to get it rectified because it wasn’t worth it for him to hold out,” Dogra said. "We were very close, the difference was so minute, it made sense to get the deal done. … You’ve got to seize the opportunity."’