Archives for March 2010

‘With Demetrius Bell coming off season-ending knee surgery, the Bills are most likely to spend the No. 9 pick in the draft on a left tackle. The pool of talent is deep, led by Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung, Iowa’s Bryan Bulaga and Oklahoma’s Trent Williams.’

‘One of the key building blocks will be linebacker Andra Davis, the former Cleveland and Denver star who signed a two-year free-agent deal. At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, he’s the kind of physical presence a successful 3-4 defense needs.’

‘He was known as a solid, dependable player, the same reputation he earned in his long career as a general supervisor in manufacturing at Harrison Radiator (now Delphi Thermal) in Lockport. He was a “hardworking, low-key, very steady guy,” said former Bills tight end Charley Ferguson, who also was Mr. Patrick’s supervisor at the plant.’

‘"Winning," Nix said matter-of-factly at the Ritz-Carlton Resort, the site of the NFL owners meetings. "We’ve got to get started winning. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what will change it. Nothing else will."’

‘Are the Bills making a bid for McNabb? He’s a six-time Pro Bowler who has guided the Eagles to five NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl appearance so it would make sense given their quarterback situation. Bills coach Chan Gailey said he’s still mulling over how to deal with the position, but added he won’t turn his back on anything that could improve the team.’

‘Just two weeks after his former teammates hosted a fund raiser for him, former Buffalo Bills Fullback Wayne Patrick has passed away. He died after a long illness. Patrick was 64-years old.’

‘”We have one guy that’s kind of proven really,” said head coach Chan Gailey. “Lee (Evans) is a proven guy. The rest of the guys we’ve got to take a look at and see what they can do. They’ve got some talent and we feel real good about them, but we’ve got to get them in here and get them to work and see what we’ve got. It’s not a lack of quality. I think it’s unproven at this point.”‘

‘”The statistics don’t make a rip to me,” Gailey said Tuesday during an AFC coaches breakfast at the league winter meetings. “Did we win, did we lose? There’s a lot of ways to win. The statistics are used by people out there to evaluate you. The statistics are only important if you lose. Now you’ve got to decide why you lost. If you win, the statistics don’t matter.”‘

‘”I would love to play for them,” Culpepper said Tuesday. “It would be great to have a chance to go up there and compete. All I need is the opportunity. Buffalo, give me a call.”‘

‘Young cancer patients at Women & Children’s Hospital got a treat Monday -a visit from Buffalo Bills cornerback Lydell Sargeant, who came bearing gifts.’

‘"We don’t get excited about the first week or being up there at midnight, 12:01, signing somebody," Nix said. "We let it play itself out and try to make sure that the guys we get fit what we need and fill a need. To me, that’s what it’s basically all about."’

‘”I feel like Homer Simpson because I can’t work out or anything,” he said. “I can’t do a whole lot of anything right now in terms of maintaining a fitness level. The only thing I’ve really been doing is working on getting my range of motion back.”‘

‘”We weren’t expecting it at all … it came as a surprise,” Wendling said of his release. “But with new coaches and that type of thing, you never know what direction an organization is going to go. As far as I knew, I was going to be back in Buffalo. Unfortunately, I had knee surgery after the season was over, and I don’t know if that hurt me or what."’

‘With a month to go before the NFL draft, here’s a review of the rest of the glaring needs on the Bills’ roster…’

‘The Buffalo Bills would be bucking team history if they select a quarterback in the first round of the NFL draft on April 22 – but I believe it would be worth a try if they can make Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen the No. 9 overall pick – or Tim Tebow a second-round pick.’