Archives for March 23, 2009

‘Allaire said Monday he’s not sure if the star receiver will join the program. Under NFL rules governing offseason workouts, Owens is required to attend only the mandatory minicamp in June.’

‘ESPN will host a Monday Night Football doubleheader that will be part of the NFL’s celebration of the 50th anniversary season of the American Football League. Buffalo will be part of the first Monday night game on Kickoff Weekend as they travel to Foxboro to visit the Patriots for a 7 pm kickoff.’

‘”It’s great to see the guys back,” said Bills strength and conditioning coordinator J.T. Allaire. “A lot of excitement in the weight room and we’re getting after it. It’s a good day.”‘

‘Terrell Owens missed the start of the Bills’ 12-week voluntary conditioning program but is expected to attend at least part of the program.’

‘The Patriots closed the 2008 season on the road against the Buffalo Bills, and they’re going to open the 2009 season against the Bills at home on "Monday Night Football."’

‘"It is what it is," Johnson said Sunday afternoon in the lobby of the St. Regis Hotel, where NFL owners are gathering this week for their annual meetings. "If you’re Dick Jauron, and you’re in his situation, you roll the dice because you’re probably going to get [fired] after this year anyway if you don’t win. So what difference does it make? If you win and everything works out, great. If it doesn’t work out, everybody goes down. He needed something and the coach needed help. So it works out well for everybody."’

‘It was originally speculated that the league would make an announcement about the game during the meetings, but that is not expected to be the case.’

‘Why else would you bring in a volatile player like Owens, risking locker-room problems? Owens does help the passing game, and the draft might add another weapon.’

‘According to several sources with knowledge of the completed negotiations, the New England Patriots will open ESPN’s Monday Night Football schedule against the Buffalo Bills on the season’s first weekend in a throwback game that also will likely turn into a throw-down-the-field game.’

‘Having a true fullback means the Bills can grind it out if they’d like, even if it irritates their touchy new wideout. The ability to lean on power running if they’d like is a welcome alternative even if it’s not frequently chosen.’

‘The Buffalo Bills late Sunday night confirmed Rogers Communications’ interest in taking a second regular-season Bills game to Toronto for 2010, 2011 and 2012 – a move that, if approved, would have the team playing 25 percent of its home games away from Ralph Wilson Stadium.’

‘”Terrell in the past has not been involved in all of those things,” Bills coach Dick Jauron said recently when asked if Owens would be in attendance. “My hope is that he’s here. He knows how important it is for us, particularly in his first year with us.”‘

‘We’re also aware that our hosts have conducted a survey as part of their internal process of evaluating whether to propose an expansion of the series. We have an agreement to play one regular season game for the next four seasons. We have no agreement, nor has there ever been one, to play an additional regular season game in Toronto.’