Two Bills Drive

‘”He’s played at good level for a long period of time. He’s been on the leaders on our team,” Donahoe said. “It just boils down to when you have a new staff come in there are changes that are inevitable. Ruben won’t be the only change as we move forward, but he obviously is a significant chance for what he did here.”‘

‘Brown came under fire after he missed Buffalo’s regular season finale against New England. The team had excused him from playing after he had spoken out against then-offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.’

‘Brown was due to receiver a $1.8 million bonus had he been on roster Wednesday, the first day of free agency. He also was due for a base salary of $2.7 million this season.’

Despite reports claiming Henson will also audition for Buffalo, team president Tom Donahoe told ESPN.com that he will not arrange for an individual workout unless he is convinced a contract agreement can be reached. Donahoe remains doubtful on that front. Agent Tom Condon also told ESPN.com that he doesn’t think the Bills will request a Henson workout.

The Buffalo Bills have decided to part ways with eight-time Pro Bowl guard Ruben Brown, ending the tenure of one of the franchise’s most recognizable offensive lineman. Originally drafted by the Bills in the first round (14th overall) of the 1995 draft, the former Pittsburgh All-American played and started in 136 games and has been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the last eight seasons, an accomplishment no other Bill can claim.

‘Buffalo could have offered Tucker a one-year minimum tender ($628K), but it would have offered no protection against losing him to another team. The minimum tender only demands that another team that signs him away from Buffalo compensate the Bills with a draft pick equal to the round in which Tucker was drafted. Tucker, however, was an undrafted free agent coming out of college, so there would have been no compensation.’

‘The Bills are 34th with a frustration index of 2.95. And the Sabres, with a score of 2.12, rank 98th. That makes them Buffalo’s least frustrating team, despite their weak performance in recent seasons.’

‘The Bills will start free agency with about $7.8 million in cap space but that figure will fluctuate greatly. Off the bat, the team must decide if it wants to retain eight-time Pro Bowl guard Ruben Brown, who is due a $1.8 million roster bonus that will have to be accounted for.’

‘The Bills aren’t being bashful about their interest in NC State quarterback Philip Rivers, one of the fastest rising players in the draft. Buffalo is in the market for Drew Bledsoe’s eventual successor and taking a quarterback with its 13th pick is being heavily considered.’

‘Coach Mike Mularkey recently sat down with Brown to discuss his future with the club. Part of the conversation addressed Brown’s falling out with the previous coaching staff. Brown was excused from the final game of the season at New England after arriving late for a practice and having a confrontation with offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.’

‘For now, trading for Drew Henson remains a possibility for the Bills. But the more Buffalo explores ways to acquire Henson from the Texans, the more difficult a deal appears.’

‘Tom Donahoe and Tom Modrak haven’t missed on many drafts during their careers as president/general manager/college scouting gurus, so we have to believe they will make the right choice. The good news for the Bills is there won’t be any wrong choices at No. 13. The Bills’ needs are specific – quarterback, speed at wide receiver, interior offensive line, cornerback (if Antoine Winfield doesn’t return), pass-rushing defensive end and tight end.’

‘Winfield said he’d like to return to Buffalo, but the Bills won’t get into a bidding war. His bargaining power improved last week when some of the top free agent cornerbacks were either franchised (Oakland’s Charles Woodson and Baltimore’s Chris McAllister) or put on the trading block (Washington’s Champ Bailey).’

‘”No. 1 is “smarts,’ ” he said. “I want players with football intelligence. If I’m told a player needs a lot of repetitions to get things right I’m not interested. The NFL is far different today than what it used to be. Defenses are so sophisticated now it’s like looking into a box of coat hangers for linemen deciding what to do on a blitz.”‘

‘Some lucky youngster will get the thrill of a lifetime this spring if he wins the auction for a special turkey hunt with Buffalo Bills center Trey Teague.’