Archives for July 2005

‘Chris Kelsay, who has earned rave reviews from the Bills, has also become a fan favorite in the Buffalo area. He and his wife, Natalie, love the area and are looking forward to their first child being born in Buffalo this winter. Buffalo papers have often cited how much he has contributed to the team. "Buffalo is a lot like Lincoln," Kelsay said. "If you work hard, play hard and try to get better, people appreciate the effort. The Buffalo fans are serious about their football and they’ll love you if you win and get really down if you lose."’

‘Terry Tharps, one of the Gladiators’ most productive wide receivers, will miss the game because he will be having a tryout with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.’

‘It’s so close you can taste it … well, maybe not quite that close.’

‘Offensive coordinator Tom Clements is expected to install more plays that take advantage of Losman’s mobility, and the entire offense will have to adjust to those changes.’

‘In accordance with club policy, terms were not disclosed, but the deal is expected to average roughly $400,000 per year.’

‘Tops said it was pleased with the results of its Bills sponsorship, adding that the three-year deal "delivered everything expected and more." But the chain decided to use its marketing dollars differently, to have a "greater direct impact on its stores and its in-store programs," Zakowicz said.’

‘Everything’s going great and I appreciate your concern. I think that this season we’ll start off how we ended last season. We won eight of our last 10 and I think we started scoring more points as an offense and we started being a lot more productive. I think you’re going to see us start faster this year, even with a new quarterback in J.P. Losman. He’s going to bring some other things to the table that will equal points. I think my role in that is I want to be there for J.P. as much as possible. A lot of times the tight ends run shorter routes and I want to be there for J.P. so he can make some easy throws and build some confidence, and I’m sure he’s going to get the ball to the other playmakers as well. But a big emphasis we’ve made is spreading the ball around and being a more well-balanced team.’

‘He is the second of six draft picks to sign with the team. Running back Lionel Gates, selected in the seventh round, signed with the team a month ago.’

‘A three-year starter at center for Illinois, Preston started every game in which he played from 2002-2004. Over the course of the past two seasons, Preston allowed only one sack and in 2003, Preston helped set the school’s total offense record with 5,356 yards, an average of 446.3 per game.’

‘The Bills have signed fourth-round draft pick Duke Preston. The team has not released the terms of the deal. Preston was a three-year starter at the University of Illinois. The Bills have now come to terms with two of the team’s six draft picks.’

‘”I had never really thought about it until the Bucs coach at the time, Sam Wyche, offered me a player/coach contract,” explained Gray, who has been the Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator since 2001. “I really didn’t know what it would entailed, so I declined and decided to take the year off after retiring from football.”‘

‘The program, designed to provide students with unique experiences that will develop leadership skills in preparation for their continuing education, is open to students who will be juniors or seniors as of September 2005.’

’27. J.P. Losman (Buffalo). If all goes well, I’ll be rating him much higher in preseason 2006. The lack of tears shed in western New York over Bledsoe’s departure suggests that a majority of fans would prefer to see a young QB learn on the job than a veteran QB who already had taken the team as far as he could.’

‘Wilson’s passion for the game remains unflagging at age 86. Whether it’s 85 degrees and muggy in August or 35 and raining horizontal in November, whether his team is 8-2 or 2-8, Wilson can be found on the sidelines at practice, fervently watching his team prepare for yet another battle.’

‘Vacation period in the NFL will end soon, so it’s time to think about the Buffalo Bills and discuss if they have a chance to open the 2005 season as well as they ended 2004.’