Archives for March 2009

‘In 1993, Reggie White stunned the NFL by signing with Green Bay, claiming that the Lord directed him to Wisconsin. It’s unlikely the same heavenly message is responsible for the shocking arrival of Terrell Owens in Cheektowaga.’

‘Buffalo isn’t a glamorous place, the climate isn’t great, and not a whole lot of people believe the NFL franchise is immediately bound for glory. So what the Bills required was a still potentially great wide receiver, with few other options, willing to take their money and take his chances.’

‘One is blue-collar; one is diamond-studded collar, with platinum stitching. One makes ESPN; one makes local TV. And most jarringly, one is all about drama, and the other is deep into its drab stage. Dick Jauron as a head coach will do that to you.’

‘”We took it up a notch today,” said general manager Russ Brandon. Oh, yes, the Bills took it up a notch. They gave hard-ass coach Dick Jauron the roster equivalent of a snake coiled beneath the paper nest of the Easter basket. They gave quarterback Trent Edwards, who might not have made it anyway, an unenviable grip on the slippery fire pole of his confidence. And they gave Terrell Owens $6.5 million for the pleasure of his company. Quite a bargain.’

‘It is a testament to the incestuous nature of the NFL that Owens will now be coached by a man who played a part in Owens’ evolution into the most destructive teammate in NFL history.’

‘They could have had T.O. for the same one-year deal the Bills gave him. Instead, they passed and continue to ask Jets fans for patience. You should be seething.’

‘The colorful and controversial Owens has worn out welcomes with San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas, but Buffalo isn’t worried about locker room chemistry because, frankly, there isn’t much of that after finishing with a 7-9 record three consecutive seasons.’

‘The team’s most important free agent is one that can’t get away. RB Fred Jackson, who emerged as a strong No. 2 behind Marshawn Lynch, is an exclusive rights free agent. The Bills tendered him a one-year deal at $460,000 to retain his rights. He’s hoping for a long-term contract and the Bills are open to talking, particularly with Lynch facing a suspension following his arrest in California on weapons charges.’

‘The Bills and left tackle Jason Peters, their lone Pro Bowl player, have exchanged proposals on a new contract. The Bills have cleared a lot of cap room and are in position to make Peters the team’s highest paid player. The sticking point is whether Peters will also want to be the highest paid linemen in the league, Carolina’s six-year, near $60-million deal given Jordan Gross sets a very high bar for Buffalo. Miami’s Jake Long, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, has a five-year, $57.5-million contract with $30 million guaranteed.’

‘Buffalo hasn’t made the Playoffs since 1999. They kept Head Coach, Dick Jauron, despite 3 straight 7-9 seasons, including a 2-8 collapse down the stretch last year. And – oh yeah – they’re playing home games in Toronto. This last decade has been one kick to the face.’

‘Who’s more of a threat, Evans, or Owens? Evans, but it’s a lot closer than you might think. With Owens, the Bills now have two of the top-15 players from 2008 in yards-per-catch. Evans was tenth, Owens was 15th. That’s stunning. Now, if the Bills would only trade for Jay Cutler, like I typed last week…’.

‘Suddenly a few more prime-time network games aren’t out of the question, and don’t forget the team’s annual regular-season game in Toronto. The five-year across-the-border series kicked off to mixed reviews and lukewarm reaction last year, following a 16-3 loss to Miami at which at least a third of those in attendance were rooting for the Dolphins.’

‘Of all the dumb things this franchise has ever done, this might just be the dumbest.’