Two Bills Drive

‘He stopped into town as part of his free agency tour, but left early Monday.’

‘The deal, expected to be for six years and $20 million, including a $3.6 million bonus, should be announced shortly.’

‘Once a starter over a younger David Carr at Fresno State, Volek has indicated that he would like to land a starting job or be in position to take over as a starter at some point in the future. He has reportedly visited the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and the Green Bay Packers in addition to talking with the Titans about staying in Tennessee.’

‘Volek did not make himself available to the media following his visit, and the Bills did not comment other than to say that he arrived in Buffalo on Sunday and met with the team’s coaches and management.’

The Titans signed Volek as an undrafted free agent on April 18, 2000

‘”Since the day I watched Bryant McKinnie make mincemeat out of Dwight Freeney in a Miami-Syracuse game last fall, I thought McKinnie was the type of franchise tackle any team would love. I don’t think Mike Williams is as good, though he’s certainly a good player. But to get Bledsoe for next year’s No. 1 — that makes the weekend worthwhile. It’s true that Bledsoe over the past four seasons has morphed into an everyday quarterback, but that’s better than the Bills had. Now, with Bledsoe and Alex Van Pelt under center, the Bills should be at least a 9-7 team this fall.”‘

“The acquisition of Lawyer was a shock at first,” Wire said. “I was really looking forward to the season because I felt I really improved from my first season playing defensive back.”

‘Despite all of the positive comments coming out of Henson’s workout-audition for 20 NFL teams, the best the Houston Texans could get for him was a third-round pick in the 2005 draft from the Dallas Cowboys. That means Buffalo could have had him for the No. 43 pick in next month’s draft but decided he wasn’t worth it.’

‘Buffalo would love to land Vincent, a five-time Pro Bowler who at age 32 hasn’t lost much. He’d replace Winfield and add tons of leadership. However, the Cincinnati Bengals, after clearing $4-5 million in cap space after releasing ex-Bill Jeff Burris, were in the driver’s seat for Vincent as the weekend approached. Vincent played for Bengals defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier in Philadelphia. Carolina and Kansas City are also in the running for Vincent.’

‘Defensive end – Bills pass rush was spotty, despite Aaron Schobel’s 11.5 sacks, helping to explain their NFL-low 18 takeaways. Team has spent second-round picks on Ryan Denney and Chris Kelsay the past two seasons with very little return so far.’

‘The Bills may regret not going after rising young receiver Justin McCareins of Tennessee, a restricted free agent the rival New York Jets picked up in a trade for a second-round pick. McCareins averaged 17 yards per catch last season and is a rising deep threat, something Buffalo needs. Now the Bills will have to face him twice a season.’

‘In my opinion, Willis McGahee needs to prove he can handle the every day grind of being a professional running back. If he makes it through mini-camp and the exhibition season unhurt, he could be a major factor for the Bills this year. I do believe it is McGahee’s time to shine. The only question is, will he take the opportunity and run with it.’

The Bills got the best bargain guard, Chris Villarrial, the former Bear who might be the best of the three. He got a four-year deal that averages $2.82 million, which is relatively mild compared to the other two deals. But even $2.8 million is a lot to pay for a guard. They should be developed, not acquired in free agency. And if you do want a veteran, sign that player to a two or three-year deal with a minimal signing bonus and an average of about $1 to $1.5 million. They’re guards after all.

2004 Players Signed: Chris Villarrial; 2003 Players lost: Ruben Brown, Sam Gash, Keith McKenzie, Dave Moore, Sammy Morris, DaShon Polk, Dainon Sidney, Antoine Winfield

‘But the Bills have been reluctant, and wisely so, to overpay for the sake of quickly closing the deal. Signing the best player available to an excessive pact, becoming a buyer in an overinflated market, amounts to compromising the future for the benefit of immediate gratification.’