Two Bills Drive

‘Kicking off with our annual early-bird look at the Buffalo Bills schedule and projected record for the 2004 season.’

‘The Bills don’t need a No. 1 pass target – nine-year pro Eric Moulds is still among the league’s elite and is recovered from a nagging groin injury. But they do desperately need to jazz up a receiving corps that was a big part of the team’s slump to 30th-place rankings in both yards and points during last season’s 6-10 finish.’

‘”We have said publicly we want to take a young quarterback,” Donahoe admitted. ” And I don’t think our stance has changed. But when do you take him? How does the guy develop? What does he turn into? Who knows?”‘

‘And Donahoe doesn’t buy the argument that young players could be stashed on a roster as they learn and mature. “I don’t totally agree with it, if that’s what somebody’s thinking,” he said. “When you have a 53-man roster, you’d like to think all those guys can play. You may need them at some time during the year. To have two to four guys who are redshirts … you’d be scared to death to put them in a game. I don’t think too many coaches want to be in that situation.”‘

Mike Williams, with his very average speed and a good, but far-from-great workout, might linger on the board even longer. Most personnel men now have him going somewhere in the teens, with No. 13 Buffalo said to be zeroing in him.

New England at Buffalo, Week 4 — Both teams will be coming off the dreaded Week 3 bye as they play their first AFC East division game of the season.

“There’s nothing wrong with Lee Evans,” Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Tom Modrak said. “I like Lee Evans a lot. The kid can catch and run.” Modrak, a scout since 1973, was asked to consider the first wide receiver selected in the last 10 drafts and compare them to Evans. In chronological order, the list included Charles Johnson (17th overall pick), Michael Westbrook (4), Keyshawn Johnson (1), Ike Hilliard (7), Kevin Dyson (16), Torry Holt (6), Peter Warrick (4), David Terrell (8), Donte’ Stallworth (13) and Charles Rogers (2). According to Modrak, he’d take Evans over five, he’d take four of the top picks over Evans and one was too close for him to call.

"Based on what occurred last year, the consensus was that (the restricted market) would be pretty active, but that hasn’t been the case," said Buffalo Bills president and general manager Tom Donahoe. "It’s moved back to how it was before (2003)."

‘”I am still doing the things that I have always done, but now I have the assistant to the head coach title,” said Jones. “There is so much paperwork in the offseason to get the group in here and keep things organized. I do flight schedules, help figure out what days we will have off, the payroll, and I also do the addendums to the contracts that are necessary. If the offseason paperwork is not kept organized it becomes chaotic. My duties may very well carry into the season with things like itineraries.”‘

‘It’s hard enough to win on the road in the NFL, but the Bills stretch run in the second half of the season could be a major challenge.’

‘Six of their first 10 games are at home, and their road slate looks decidedly more daunting than their home schedule.’

‘”We have one franchise quarterback,” Donahoe said, “and we’re looking for another one.”‘

‘Twice in the final two months, they will play back-to-back road games, with two West Coast trips.’

‘The Oct. 3 home game against New England could be huge in determining whether the Bills are a playoff caliber team.’

‘The Buffalo Bills appear to have something of a scheduling sandwich for next season, with what could be soft games at the start and finish of the year and a tough middle to chew on.’