Two Bills Drive

‘”He told me how he grew up in Lewiston and went to Lewiston-Porter high school,” said Berman. “He said he followed the Bills from their days in War Memorial stadium. He told me he had some job with the team which was somewhere between janitor and general manager, but I can’t recall what it was. He had some intrinsic feel for the Bills and was hired by Mr. Wilson in the early days of the AFL, so he was probably a gopher in the old championship days. But he developed this feel with the team. So this guy is a greater Buffalo transplant who I believe has a psychic connection to the Bills, pre-wagons circling. He probably helped build a couple of the wagons that have been circled.”‘

‘Rather than let a controversy simmer, Mularkey has already come out and said he will depend heavily on both players and will devise plays that utilize each player’s strengths. There are several formations where both Henry and McGahee line up in the same backfield. “I’ve got a name for it, so it must exist,” Mularkey said of that personnel grouping. “You’ve got two guys who can do both, catch the ball and run the ball. That will give some teams some problems. … When you’ve got quality backs like that, you’ve got to get them on the field somehow.”‘

‘Among Buffalo’s allotted players to NFL Europe is QB Greg Zolman, Vanderbilt’s all-time passer who’s with his fifth NFL team since 2002. That fact should not reflect poorly on Zolman, who has had the misfortune – or fortune, depending on how you view it – to play on teams stacked at the position. In his brief time in the league, Zolman has played behind Peyton Manning (Indianapolis), Brett Favre (Green Bay), Brad Johnson (Tampa Bay) and Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger (St. Louis). Now he’s behind Drew Bledsoe.’

‘Owner Ralph Wilson wanted a three-year extension of instant replay but went along with the five years that owners overwhelmingly approved at league meetings in Palm Beach. “I’d just as soon have gone with three years but five years is OK,” Wilson said. “There are so many changes in technology. Too many people felt that in five years something better might come along.”‘

‘Despite positive talks with the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, free agent tight end Roland Williams has not ruled out signing with his first choice, the Buffalo Bills.’

‘”Playing in front of 80, 90 thousand people like that is really a cool thing,” he said. “Even though you’re getting paid for it. The camaraderie with the guys, working for a specific purpose, trying to meet a goal.” But he seemed no less enthused about helping serve meals to a few dozen people at the rescue mission, having a new goal – finding a nice place to live and a good job – and lifting weights in the meantime. “I’m really looking (to) the Lord …” he said. “Whatever He tells me to do, I’m going to do.”‘

‘Hold off the judging of Mularkey until mid-October, at the earliest.’

‘A 1974 graduate of DeSales, Murphy originally had planned on a legal career. Then NHL Hall of Fame broadcaster, the late Ted Darling of Lockport, helped change his mind. “Ted Darling was very helpful. One day, I worked up enough courage and knocked on his door on Locust Street just to see if he’d talk to me about broadcasting, and he did,” Murphy said. “He took me inside his home and sat down with me for about an hour-and-a-half and talked to me about everything — sports and sports broadcasting. That meant a lot.”‘

‘”He just said the right things to me,” said Brown, a salary cap casualty in Buffalo. “He was an honest guy. He didn’t beat around the bush. He was straightforward. He’s going to tell you like it is. There are no two ways about him. There’s only one way and that’s the right way.”‘

‘Brown came at a bargain rate. He gets a $1 million signing bonus, and the total value of the deal is $4.5 million. He can add another $800,000 with escalators tied to playing time and playoff victories.’

‘Brown said it was a mutual parting with him and the Bills, who drafted him in the first round in 1995 (14th overall). While it took Brown awhile to find a home, he said he already feels comfortable with his new team, mostly because of the feeling he got from talking to new head coach Lovie Smith, who did a masterful recruiting job.’

‘Brown, who is 32 years old, said he probably lasted this long in free agency because of his age and long tenure in Buffalo. Detroit was the only other team giving serious chase. “I knew that because at this stage of my career – 32 years old, nine years with one team – that’s not common that teams come rushing out of the closet unless you’re Bruce Smith, you know, one of those types of impact players,” Brown said. “So I knew there was going to be more of a slow process for me.”‘

"He’s doing really well," said rookie HC Mike Mularkey, who reiterated his plans to pair McGahee and starting RB Travis Henry in some formations. "He’s making cuts, running with decisiveness, and isn’t hold back on anything. You can tell he’s excited being back out there."

Mularkey noted at the league meetings that, while the Bills would like to get Kordell Stewart, the QB is not yet ready to concede to a backup role. And make no mistake, if he signed with the Bills, the journeyman Stewart would almost certainly be asked to reprise the "Slash" role he once played with the Steelers. The Bills really don’t have on their current roster the kind of versatile athlete around whom Mularkey can scheme up some trick plays. They might be forced to add such a flexible player through the draft.

‘”The important thing for me is that I get some game experience and the Bills see what I can do in game-type situations. Other than a few snaps in preseason, I really don’t have a lot of game film except for college stuff. I think it will be beneficial to get out there, get on film, and do well. I am going to do the best I can with this opportunity.”‘

His defensive prowess almost landed him a spot in 2003 with the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena League — the eventual AFL champions — but it was all for naught. There just wasn’t enough room on the roster. The Twisters didn’t mind as he came back to Arkansas and became the go-to guy on defense. His achievements good enough to be noticed by Buffalo. The Bills signed Carter and sent him to NFL Europe training camp in Florida as a cornerback.