Archives for April 2003

‘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.”‘

‘Dorenbos, 22, guaranteed by the Bills to be the only deep snapper in camp, is expected to report to a mini-camp in Buffalo today.’

‘”One of the things we really liked about him was his versatility,” said Buffalo college scout Joe Haering. “He has good speed so he can be a cover man on kickoffs and punts. He can also return them, and he has the ability to play two positions between safety and corner.”‘

‘McGee said he expects to earn playing time in Buffalo’s nickel package. The Bills were successful turning last year’s third-round pick, Stanford’s Coy Wire, into a starter in his rookie season. “I went up there for a workout and saw they had a really good secondary,” McGee said. “Plus, I’m familiar with (wide receivers) Josh Reed and Eric Moulds.”‘

‘Aiken led the Tar Heels with 68 catches for 990 yards, but his 4.62 time in the 40 might have caused him to fall to the fourth round. He was the 15th wide receiver drafted. “[The Bills] told me my work ethic and my character is what drew them to me,” Aiken said.’

‘Sunday also saw three area players selected. North Carolina wideout Sam Aiken became the first area player chosen in the draft, going to Buffalo in the fourth round (127th overall). Ten picks later, Detroit picked N.C. State safety Terrence Holt in the fifth round. Another Wolfpack player, offensive tackle Scott Kooistra, went in the seventh round to Cincinnati (215th).’

‘Aiken had been talking to his grandmother when the call was disconnected. When the phone rang again, he thought it was her. “That phone call wasn’t her, it was the Buffalo Bills,” Aiken said. “I was very excited. It’s a dream come true.”‘

‘”I must have talked with about 10 guys that are with the Bills and they mentioned the cold weather,” Sobieski said. “I just told them, ‘Hey, I’m from Minnesota. I don’t really have to worry about it.”’

‘Johnson is headed to the Buffalo Bills after signing a free-agent deal late Sunday. “I’m the fourth quarterback on the roster now, so it looks like I’m going to get a decent shot,” said Johnson, who also fielded offers from a handful of other teams, including Miami, St. Louis and Tennessee.’

‘Give Buffalo thumbs-up for this pick. It’s not going to be that much of a gamble.’

‘McGahee has an insurance policy that will pay $2.5 million Jan. 3 if he plays in fewer than five games and decides his career is over.’

‘Know this. Few, if any, college players worked harder than Willis McGahee when he was healthy. None worked harder than when he was rehabbing.’