Two Bills Drive

‘"I was surprised although the fact that Chuck and I didn’t get along, it probably shouldn’t have surprised me," Seymour said. "But I was surprised that it was an unconditional trade and that (the Steelers) didn’t know that I was coming off (knee) surgery. In fact, I told them that they were really getting the short end of the trade because I was still recovering. The week before (the trade) I could barely walk, but they put me in on a couple goal line plays in a game against Detroit and showed the film to Pittsburgh and said that I was okay. Pittsburgh believed it."’

‘Bess still makes his home in Minnesota with his wife, Sonia, and their daughter, Brittany, who is a high school junior. For the past 14 years, he has worked as a industrial technology teacher and this year became Minneapolis North High School’s school-to-work coordinator in tech education. He is also the school’s head football and baseball coach.’

CFL WR Jason Tucker is one of the most coveted free agents on the market. He has worked out with the Buffalo Bills and expects to hear later this week whether they’ll make an offer. His first choice in the CFL is Edmonton, but he’s open to other offers.

‘”It took a little while to put this staff together, longer than some other teams have done, but it was important, for the sake of the personality of the team, to make sure we had the right fit,” said Mularkey, the former Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator who was hired on Jan. 13. “To be honest, I was very lucky to get all of these guys and keep the guys around here that we did.”‘

‘There are six unrestricted free agents but GM Tom Donahoe is expected to allow each to test the market, including starting CB Antoine Winfield. The Bills have been in talks with Winfield but the player would like to explore his options. The franchise (guaranteed top five salary) or transition tags would give Buffalo right-of-first-refusal options but they are not likely to be exercised.’

‘McNally is among the very best at his craft and he’ll have his work cut out in Buffalo, where the Bills allowed an NFL-most 51 sacks last season and quarterback Drew Bledsoe is among the easiest targets to hit.’

‘Already, two things are apparent: It’s good to have Wyche’s sense of humor back in the league, and the Bills will be heard from when it comes time for the Henson deal to get done. We’re not saying Henson, the former Michigan standout turned baseball player turned Houston Texans-owned trade bait, should start picking out a winter coat for upstate New York. It’s just that, for the second time in three years, Buffalo might be in the best position to trade a high-round pick for a quarterback being shopped far and wide.’

‘Granted, Drew Bledsoe’s dismal season in 2003 raised serious questions about the position in both the short and long run. For the immediate future, Donahoe’s clearly banking on Mularkey, Clements and Wyche to rebuild Bledsoe’s faulty mechanics and soothe his fractured psyche through better coaching and game planning.’

"We do have 40 suites to sell yet. That will be a big challenge for us," said Erland "Erkie" Kailbourne, still chairman of the Business Backs the Bills committee that, then and now, is very involved in lining up clients for the open suites and club seats.

‘Bledsoe has been sacked 103 times the past two seasons. Some of that has to do with Buffalo’s offensive line, but Wyche plans to teach Bledsoe how to help them help him. For one thing, Bledsoe can tuck the ball and run more. Bledsoe, run? “Sometimes you’re groomed one way and you don’t test yourself in certain areas,” Wyche said. “We’re going to test him.”‘

It appears Tucker will go to camp with a chance to win the starting spot at right guard, where he played very effectively in the second half of last season. In his first Bills start, in November, the offense totaled 403 yards. The Bills rushed for over 200 yards in his second start.

‘Tucker, who started five games at right guard in place of Mike Pucillo late last season, was set to become a free agent on March 3. Tucker joined the Bills after starting half the season for Dallas in 2002.’

‘Why did Buffalo bother attending Henson’s workout in Houston this week? He probably will be traded by the Texans for at least a high second-round pick and perhaps a first-round pick. The Bills need immediate help in too many areas (wide receiver, defensive end and tight end) to use one of their top picks on a project QB.’

The Buffalo Bills reached a three-year, $2.2 million agreement with guard Ross Tucker, 24, that could grow to $3.2 million depending upon his playing time. Tucker is a great success story for the Bills, a former undrafted player claimed off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys who ended up as the starting RG the final 5 games of last season. The 6-4, 316-pounder is projected to be a starter next season. Included in the deal is a $225,000 signing bonus. He was scheduled to be a RFA.

‘No stranger to Bills fans, Murphy recently completed his 16th season alongside Miller in the booth as the radio network’s color analyst. He first held the analyst job from 1984-89 and then again from 1994-2003. A native of Lockport, NY and graduate of Syracuse University, Murphy has also served as the sports director at WKBW-TV (Channel 7) in Buffalo since 1989.’