Two Bills Drive

‘Here’s what it all boils down to. November 11th. The Bills have until 4pm November 11th to sign McGahee, or else he will NOT be eligible to play in the 2003 season. They can still sign him after that date, but he can’t play until 2004. In a worst case scenario, if the Bills can’t sign him by the time the 2004 NFL draft rolls around next April, McGahee would go back into the NFL draft pool, and the Bills would be unable to redraft him.’

‘"He’s kind of a silent assassin. He keeps his mouth shut and does his work and I like those kind of guys." – Gregg Williams on strong-side linebacker Jeff Posey.’

But the main thing for me this first week is to try and bond with my teammates. I was traded here in February but after mini-camp guys usually just go home. While I’m here I try to do as many activities with the guys as I can. Sometimes I play cards, sometimes we just hang out. It’s been a great way to get to know people.

”’I hope some of our guys get the nastiest, ugliest, meanest bull in the rodeo tomorrow. The only way you’ll ever get good is going against good people. We’re going to win some and they’re going to win some. We’re going to make some mistakes. All getting beat does is open your eyes to what you have to work on.”’

‘"After 14 weeks of the offseason and the first few practices here, I’ve seen these guys in shorts enough," said Bills coach Gregg Williams. "It’s time to see them in pads."’

‘"He’s an athletic guy – big, strong, fast – so he’s going to be all right," said right defensive end Aaron Schobel. "He came in knowing a lot of stuff about football. He’s got to get better at the little things, like everybody does, but he’s got the ability to play this year and play well. He’s pretty far ahead though; he’s not just a raw guy. He knows how to play football."’

‘Williams plans to sit his starters quickly. That means such young defenders as Ryan Denney, Chris Kelsay, Angelo Crowell and Kevin Thomas will go against Cleveland’s better players.’

‘One of the reasons he came to Buffalo is because the Bills are closer to winning than the other teams he considered.’

‘His ” fire zone” scheme is noted for hiding the blitzing players and utilizing techniques like defensive ends dropping into coverage. ” When it’s working right, you’ll see defensive linemen getting interceptions,” Spikes said. ” Crazy things, stuff you don’t think will happen. The key is having athletic guys, not just straight-forward guys who fit the stereotype of a nose guard or an end. We have guys who can move.”‘

‘He last spoke with Buffalo’s chief negotiator, Jim Overdorf, on Wednesday.’

‘“Let’s just say that now I know what to expect from London Fletcher,” Shea said. “Cheap.”’

‘“You never think about things like that when you are a (Hall of Fame) finalist,” DeLamielleure said. “The honor is rewarding enough, but it has helped us out tremendously.”’

‘”Football is not rocket science,” DeLamielleure told the men in pads, his booming chest and muscular arms commanding respect – he was still playing arena football at 42. “One play at a time. It’s that simple. If you did good on a play, or if you did bad, think no more of it. Do well on the next play. I got that advice from one of my coaches, Jim Ringo, a man of few words. But it’s exactly what I did it every day of my career, and it paid off.”‘

‘”He’s like the Dennis Rodman of the NFL,” Shea said. “That’s his game. I didn’t know what to expect last year, but I’ll be ready this year. I’ll have my head on a swivel. If he wants to play dirty, we can play dirty.”‘

“I think I’ll be very helpful with just my natural instincts as a player,” Spikes said. “A lot of people are not blessed with that. A lot of people are athletically built and they look like Tarzan, but play like Jane.”