‘”He just said the right things to me,” said Brown, a salary cap casualty in Buffalo. “He was an honest guy. He didn’t beat around the bush. He was straightforward. He’s going to tell you like it is. There are no two ways about him. There’s only one way and that’s the right way.”‘
Archives for April 3, 2004
Brown fills the bill for Bears
‘Brown came at a bargain rate. He gets a $1 million signing bonus, and the total value of the deal is $4.5 million. He can add another $800,000 with escalators tied to playing time and playoff victories.’
The icing on the cake?
‘Brown said it was a mutual parting with him and the Bills, who drafted him in the first round in 1995 (14th overall). While it took Brown awhile to find a home, he said he already feels comfortable with his new team, mostly because of the feeling he got from talking to new head coach Lovie Smith, who did a masterful recruiting job.’
Bears feel they hit the target with Brown
‘Brown, who is 32 years old, said he probably lasted this long in free agency because of his age and long tenure in Buffalo. Detroit was the only other team giving serious chase. “I knew that because at this stage of my career – 32 years old, nine years with one team – that’s not common that teams come rushing out of the closet unless you’re Bruce Smith, you know, one of those types of impact players,” Brown said. “So I knew there was going to be more of a slow process for me.”‘
Around the league
"He’s doing really well," said rookie HC Mike Mularkey, who reiterated his plans to pair McGahee and starting RB Travis Henry in some formations. "He’s making cuts, running with decisiveness, and isn’t hold back on anything. You can tell he’s excited being back out there."
Mularkey noted at the league meetings that, while the Bills would like to get Kordell Stewart, the QB is not yet ready to concede to a backup role. And make no mistake, if he signed with the Bills, the journeyman Stewart would almost certainly be asked to reprise the "Slash" role he once played with the Steelers. The Bills really don’t have on their current roster the kind of versatile athlete around whom Mularkey can scheme up some trick plays. They might be forced to add such a flexible player through the draft.