Archives for June 24, 2006

‘Johnny Holland never had time to unpack his suitcase when he joined the Buffalo Bills in January. Two days into his tenure as Buffalo’s linebackers coach, Holland received the call he and his family had been waiting for.’

‘Since retiring in 2000, Thomas doesn’t keep a very close eye on what’s going on in the National Football League, choosing instead to focus on his family first and foremost. That doesn’t mean when fans ask that Thomas won’t happily answer questions about the game in which he excelled at for so many years. “I don’t mind talking about football, if someone wants to talk about it I’ll be more then happy to share my thoughts and my experiences,” Thomas said. “I just don’t watch much of the NFL anymore. That’s not who I am. I had my time as a player, now I want to focus on other things in life.”‘

‘In the meantime he’s rehabilitating and studying the new playbook brought in by head coach Dick Jauron. New plays, new terminology and a new position are in his future. McFarland figures to play both guard and tackle when training camp opens. “The more you can do, the better chance of sticking around you have,” he said. “Our offensive line the last couple of years has struggled a little bit, so there are some new faces this year. There are three or four guys that will be around for sure. After that it’s wide open.”‘

‘When Levy cut disappointing right tackle Mike Williams, one of the biggest busts in NFL history, early on, a strong message was sent that he and new coach Dick Jauron were going to seek players with strong work ethics and character and not overpay underachievers. It may take time, but Levy and Jauron have a plan and they’re sticking to it.’

‘"I talked to the coaches during the off-season and they’ve assured me this defense is very simple," Clements said. "I feel with my ability I can fit into any scheme. I’m not limited to cover 2 or zone, I feel I can play it all. Cover one, fire zone, blitz, whatever."’

‘After scrimmaging the Browns or Packers during the past several training camps, the Bills will be keeping to themselves this summer. New coach Dick Jauron isn’t a fan of traveling beyond the two scheduled road preseason games during camp and scrimmaging usually takes a reciprocal agreement. "Camp compared to what it was years ago is relatively short," Jauron said. "I like the fact of keeping our guys together in one spot and staying focused on ourselves. You really don’t mind sometimes when another team comes to you but I’m not inclined to go visit anyone else and it’s hard to find that kind of relationship every year. I’m comfortable with just keeping our guys and working our own stuff to get ready."’

‘Although RB Willis McGahee has two years to go on his rookie deal, the team and McGahee’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, have had some talks about a contract extension. The talks are merely preliminary at this stage, but the team knows how important McGahee is to its future. The organization believes his best days are ahead of him and it hopes the early contract talks will lead to further discussions that result in a long-term deal.’

‘The Buffalo Bills invite you to audition on Tuesday June 27, 2006 at 3:00 PM. for the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at a home game during the 2006 National Football League Season.’