Archives for April 27, 2004

‘In accordance with club policy, terms were not disclosed.’

‘Bledsoe was scheduled to get just over eight million dollars this season against the cap. His salary would’ve been 5.9-million dollars.’

‘Williams had a roller-coaster collegiate career that featured two different schools and total of five different head coaches.’

‘Bledsoe’s had seven years left on his old deal, and was due a $7 million bonus had he still been on the Bills roster in November. He was scheduled to make a base salary of $5.9 million this season, a figure that would balloon to $12 million in 2008.’

‘Consider this, the only Buffalo Bills’ draftee on the roster picked before 2001 is 1996 first-rounder Eric Moulds.’

The Buffalo Bills have reached an agreement with QB Drew Bledsoe to restructure his contract, two league sources confirmed for ESPN.com on Tuesday. The new deal will preclude the Bills from having to pay Bledsoe, coming off one of the poorest seasons of his career, an exorbitant option bonus in November to retain him. More important, from a football standpoint, it will almost certainly keep the 11-year veteran in Buffalo beyond the coming season and eases the urgency for the Bills to prepare rookie Losman to be the starter in 2005.

‘One of them is safety Mark Graham, a second-team All-Mid-American Conference selection who led the University at Buffalo in tackles (84) and sacks (three) despite missing two games with injury.’

‘”I think we got a lot better last year and we still played with a lot of young guys,” Gray said Monday. “Those guys are going to be better with experience and the older guys will be more comfortable with another year in our system. We lost (cornerback) Antoine (Winfield) and picked up Troy Vincent, so we evened up there. To me, we’re in pretty good shape.”‘

‘Peters, 6-feet-4, 336 pounds, was among the top five tight ends after catching 21 passes for 218 yards and four touchdowns as a junior. But while he caught the ball well at the scouting combine, NFL scouts said his best upside was playing left tackle given his lack of decent speed and his struggles beating coverage.’

‘A defensive end, Spicer tackled more opponents behind the line of scrimmage (58) than anyone in WCU history. “Buffalo didn’t draft any defensive ends,” said Spicer, who leaves for mini-camp Thursday. “We feel like I’ve got a great chance to make the team.”‘

‘”I don’t know much, other than they didn’t draft any other offensive linemen,” McFarland said. “That’s a great deal for me. There is a huge opportunity there, and there is definitely a spot for me.”’

‘Lawton was the top rushing/pass receiving fullback in the SLC last year, running for 264 yards and four touchdowns and catching 19 passes for 134 yards and two scores.’

‘He signed a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills Sunday night but still felt the sting of not getting drafted. “The way I’m looking at it, I have to prove people wrong,” Williams said.’

‘The statement is loud and clear. This is our quarterback of the future. This is the guy we expect to lead our team for a decade. It also demonstrates the lack of confidence they have in Bledsoe’s future in Buffalo.’

‘Say what you want, Tom Donahoe is not stupid even on his worst days, and Tom Modrak has some smarts as well and so does a Bills scouting staff that was convinced Lee Evans was the one player who could line up and make a difference right now.’