Happy Days Lois & Clark Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Sunday, March 6, 2005 Bledsoe couldn't complete Bills NFL Insider By Mark Curnutte Enquirer staff writer The Bills lost faith in Drew Bledsoe. Though replacement J.P. Losman is a question mark, Buffalo coaches and management have more faith in the new guy. Simply put, the Bills decided Bledsoe took them as far as he could in 2004. They had the NFL's No. 2 defense and the No. 1 special teams unit and Bledsoe got them to 9-7. Bledsoe threw for more than 250 yards in two of 16 games. He hasn't thrown for 300 in 30 straight games. They're not a title contender with Bledsoe, so the Bills might as well find out if Losman can succeed. The Bengals' Marvin Lewis is among a group of coaches who say Losman has star quality. "Based on what I saw of him at the Senior Bowl last year, you could see that he has all the tools," Lewis said of Losman. "He's an athletic guy, he can make all the throws and he'll do what he has to do to win in the NFL. The sky's the limit for the kid; I really believe that." PATS PARADISE: The mild stroke that might end the football career of Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi wasn't the only offseason sign that New England's Super Bowl run might be fading fast. The Patriots cut Troy Brown. Guard Joe Andruzzi left for the Browns, and wide receiver Derrick Mason bypassed them to play for the Ravens. He'd rather have Kyle Boller throw to him than Tom Brady. There's more: The Pats cut cornerback Ty Law and released linebacker Roman Phifer, and there are reports that personnel genius Scott Pioli wants the Giants' general manager job once Ernie Accorsi retires. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis left for the Notre Dame job, and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel is Cleveland's new coach. Coach Bill Belichick refused to comment on anything when he showed up at a downtown Boston theater for the unveiling of the DVD about the team's Super Bowl championship. BUSY SAINTS: New Orleans needs cap space for potential long-term deals with wide receiver Joe Horn, running back Deuce McAllister and center LeCharles Bentley, all of whom are entering the final year of their contracts. NO CONSENSUS: Looking ahead at the draft, Tennessee general manager Floyd Reese sees no clear order of players. "I think the top is hazier from the standpoint that if you were to ask 10 different GMs or directors as to the top three or four or five players, you might get 50 different answers," Reese said. "I think part of that has to do with the fact that the draft from an overall scheme is moving toward more need. "Which means, if you're looking for a tackle, the kid at Florida State (Alex Barron) looks better than if you're looking for a receiver, where the kid at Michigan (Braylon Edwards) might look better. And if you're looking for a running back, somebody else will look better. And in each one of those different scenarios, that kid pops into the top two or three." NOT OLD: Wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad will turn 32 in May. But no team needed receivers worse than the Bears and their 32nd-ranked offense, so they signed him one day after Carolina cut him to avoid a $10 million roster bonus. "Terrell Owens is 32, Marvin Harrison is 32, Jimmy Smith is 35," Bears GM Jerry Angelo said. "Twelve years ago, Jerry Rice was 32. There's some history of receivers in this age bracket, and they can go into their mid-30s. We're a young football team and want to get older. He's a quality, experienced player." Muhammad is coming off his best season with 93 catches for 1,405 yards and 16 touchdowns. If he catches 43 passes for three touchdowns next season, he'll be better than any wide receiver Chicago had. The Bears also could guarantee Muhammad would be their No. 1 receiver, which is more than most other teams could promise. Written, in part, from notes provided by other NFL beat writers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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