Two Bills Drive

‘Newly hired coach Mike Mularkey now has a staff of eight assistants. He still needs to hire coaches for the defensive backs and receivers.’

‘The 2004 season will mark Krumrie’s 10th as an NFL assistant and second with the Bills. Prior to coming to Buffalo last season, he spent eight seasons as an assistant with Cincinnati and 12 before that (1983-94) as a defensive tackle with the Bengals.’

‘Gibbs, on how much the coaching experience of Gregg Williams will aid him as he transitions back into the NFL:

“Gregg is a very meticulous note-taker. He understands every single aspect of the rules in the offseason and what you can do. Basically it’s neat having his calendar back there because you can see what [the Bills] did in the offseason. I’d say all of that is invaluable for me. It really helps having someone well-organized like that. It’s just been terrific.”‘

‘The Bills have a history of picking Senior Bowl participants. In each of the last two drafts, the team has selected four players that have been involved in the nation’s most unique football game.’

‘Daimon Shelton, a free agent fullback who last played with Chicago, reached an agreement to join the Buffalo Bills.’

‘The Bills have to be thinking about grooming a young QB, and finding one in this year’s draft should be a top priority.’

Bills DL coach Tim Krumrie will be staying with the team. Krumrie has agreed to remain on the Bills coaching staff for his second year with the team. The former Bengals player is credited with getting Sam Adams, Aaron Schobel and the rest of his group to contribute a lot to the NFL’s second-ranked defense.

Meanwhile, WRs coach Fred Graves is leaving after three seasons in Buffalo. He’s accepted a position with the Cleveland Browns to become their receivers coach.

Less than a month after finishing his coaching staff at UCF, George O’Leary must fill it again — but not as much as he first thought. OL coach DeGuglielmo resigned on Friday after accepting an offer to coach the same position for the New York Giants. But TEs coach Eric Green, after an interview with the Buffalo Bills on Friday, called O’Leary to say he was staying at UCF. Green played for first-year Bills Coach Mike Mularkey for part of their careers with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

‘Another new face to the coaching staff is Bobby April. April will head up the special teams and comes from St. Louis. The Rams punt return unit was ranked seventh in the league under April. He has also coached special teams in New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Atlanta.’

‘Davis completed the staff by hiring Kennedy Pola as running backs coach and Fred Graves as wide receivers coach Friday…Graves enters his 30th season of coaching football on the college or professional level. He was the wide receivers coach for the last three seasons with the Buffalo Bills…’.

‘Dolphins assistant strength coach Brad Roll has interviewed to become the strength coach in Buffalo. Roll and new Bills coach Mike Mularkey worked together previously in Tampa Bay.’

‘”What I had to get used to on the set was asking questions instead of answering them,” Spikes said. “I think the experience of having to come up with questions really made me realize what it is like to be a T.V. reporter. I have a great respect for the people on T.V. stations now, because I know what they have to go through. At times, they may be taping and at other times they may have to go live. You don’t have a lot of room for error in a lot of those situations.”‘

‘While Hanifan heads to the family ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colo., Buffalo should be in line for great things in 2005 with the hiring of 24-year veteran line coach Jim McNally. Consider that Cincinnati reached the Super Bowl in McNally’s second season there (1981), Carolina made the NFC title game in his second season (1996) and the Giants went to the Super Bowl in his second season (2000).’

‘Lester is a survivor. He was first hired as an assistant by Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy in 1987. He’s now working under his fourth head coach.’

‘A native of Madison, WI, Studesville (pronounced “STEW-dus-vill”) spent the last three seasons coaching running backs with the New York Giants. He broke into the NFL coaching ranks with Chicago as the Bears quality control coach from 1997-2000. Prior to that, he worked in the collegiate ranks from 1991-96.’