Two Bills Drive

For the third straight day Buffalo will interview a candidate for the vacant head coaching job. This time, Bills President and General Manager Tom Donahoe will meet with Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey.

‘There are some indications that former Bears head coach Dick Jauron has emerged as the Bills’ leading candidate.’

‘The Bills have a high regard for Weis’ play-calling and his ability to do more with less in New England. Weis only has met with one other team, the New York Giants, who Tuesday picked Tom Coughlin. So the Bills probably could get Weis if they want him, as soon as New England’s season ends.’

‘During the brief sentencing, Neil Cuomo, Crafts’ lawyer, told the judge Crafts has an offer to try out with the Detroit team in the Arena Football League. Cuomo said that Crafts, a recovering alcoholic he described as “the vagabond of football” after playing in professional leagues in the states, Canada and Europe, knows he is “at the end of the road” athletically. The lawyer said his client, the father of two young children, got involved in the drug ring because he was “looking to get some money” for his family.’

‘Of the seven teams with head coaching vacancies this off-season, Buffalo ranks with Chicago and Atlanta for greatest potential for greatest turnaround, according to many league insiders. Others believe the new man will suffer the same fate as Williams unless the offensive line is completely rebuilt or the Bills statue for a quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, is replaced. The defense, meanwhile, is good but far from complete.’

‘”We just feel Mike’s one of the outstanding coaches in the league,” Donahoe said. “He has a very good offensive mind and he’s been interviewed by some other teams and been close to a couple jobs. We think he offers a lot and we’re eager to sit down and talk to him in detail.”‘

‘There are whispers around the league that Fassel, who interviewed in Buffalo yesterday, has been offered the Bills job, though his agent, Steve Rosner, denies it. If Fassel lands in Buffalo and Green in Oakland, Johnson would be Crennel’s only competition for the Cardinals job. And, for what it’s worth, Crennel and Bears general manager Jerry Angelo were colleagues with the Giants. Weis also is believed to be in the running for the Bills job.’

‘The candidacy of the 47-year-old Weis makes a lot of sense in Buffalo as his expertise (offense) is the Bills’ primary area of need. Furthermore, he could potentially inherit close to an entire defensive coaching staff, eliminating one of the primary challenges for a first-time head coach. The Bills would also weaken a division rival.’

‘Jerry Gray, a former UT All-American defensive back, is a prime candidate to replace Reese if secondary coach Duane Akina is not promoted. Gray, most recently the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, has expressed interest in returning to college coaching. Gray, who interviewed for the Bills head coaching job on Monday, had not been contacted as of late Tuesday afternoon.’

‘The Dolphins still haven’t heard whether Tom Modrak, assistant general manager of the Buffalo Bills, is interested in the job.’

‘Former Buffalo coach Gregg Williams, whose defense was ranked second in the NFL last season, remains the frontrunner for the Jets’ job.’

‘In addition to his acceptance of a deal, Redskins sources also told SportsLine.com that Gibbs has already met with and signed former Bills head coach Gregg Williams to become his new defensive coordinator. Williams was the hottest defensive coordinator on the open market and was previously set to fly to New York on Friday to interview with Tom Coughlin.’

‘Labeled a “quarterback guru”, Fassel was credited with recruiting and coaching Broncos quarterback John Elway at Stanford. He later coached Elway to his finest season as a pro in 1993, when the Broncos quarterback earned the AFC Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors. That year, Denver’s offense ranked third in the AFC and fifth in the NFL and scored 373 points to rank first in the conference and third in the league. Fassel also tutored Kent Graham into a solid player and helped rejuvenate veteran Boomer Esiason and Kerry Collins.’

‘As for a time frame, Fassel backed away from earlier reports that said he wanted to have something finalized by the end of the week. “I thought that that might happen, but like everything else, a lot of guys go through different processes. But I would imagine it would be sometime over the weekend or something like that, I’d have a pretty good idea.”‘

‘Fassel, fired last month by the Giants, who fell to 4-12, flew home to New Jersey after the meeting. He described it “as a good day” in a brief interview with Buffalo’s WGRZ-TV. But Fassel declined to say whether the Bills had made him an offer, adding he hoped to have a better idea of where he stood by this weekend.’