Two Bills Drive

‘Former Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy will be the keynote speaker Saturday night at the Sheen Housing “Building Hope Together” gala dinner at Monroe Country Club in Pittsford.’

‘The 6-foot-2, 248-pound Newman, who’s from Tampa, spent his first four seasons in Buffalo, including two when Phillips was the Bills’ coach. He started 40 games at strongside linebacker the past three seasons. Newman, 26, will compete with strongside starter Matt Stewart and projected weakside starter Will Overstreet.’

‘The Seahawks tendered Lindell a $605,000 offer last month, so they retain the right to match the offer. But because Lindell entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie out of Washington State in 2000, the Seahawks will not receive draft-pick compensation from the Bills if they decide not to match.’

‘Lindell, 26, was tendered a one-year, $605,000 offer late last month to remain in Seattle. He made $375,000 last season, in which he made 23 of 29 field goals but did not have a touchback on a kickoff. The Bills are in need of a kicker after they were unable to reach a deal with Mike Hollis, an unrestricted free agent.’

‘The Jaguars took another hit to their depth at wide receiver when Bobby Shaw signed a three-year, $2.7 million deal with the Buffalo Bills.’

‘Newman was a fourth-round draft pick in 1999 from the University of North Carolina and had spent his four-year National Football League career with Buffalo. His signing reunites him with Falcons defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who coached him with the Bills.’

‘Shaw played in all 16 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season and made 10 starts. He caught a career-high 44 passes for 525 yards and one touchdown and averaged 12.4 yards on 24 punt returns, including a 69-yard score.’

‘Reaching certain incentives could push Newman’s salary as high as $800,000 this year. Newman, a fourth-round draft pick out of North Carolina in 1999, has 238 career tackles and 14 1/2 sacks.’

‘The deal is for four years and worth more than $4.2 million, said agent Paul Sheehy.’

‘Shaw was drafted by Seattle in the sixth round of the 1998 draft and spent the next three years with Pittsburgh, catching 92 passes 1,468 yards and nine touchdowns.’

‘Shaw, 27, caught a career-high 44 passes for 525 yards and a touchdown last year, starting 10 of 16 games for Jacksonville. He also averaged 12.4 yards on 25 returns, bringing back one 69 yards for a touchdown.’

Frustrated by unsuccessful efforts to re-sign kicker Mike Hollis, the Buffalo Bills have turned to the restricted free agent market in an attempt to bolster the position for the long-term, with ESPN.com learning the team on Monday evening signed Rian Lindell to an offer sheet.

Lindell is about to receive a contract offer from the Jets or Bills. The Seahawks can retain Lindell by matching it, but that’s unlikely. The offer is apt to be more than the Seahawks want to pay him.

For the seven "franchise" players still without long-term deals — the eighth, WR Peerless Price, was traded from Buffalo to Atlanta and signed a seven-year contract — football is about to become an afterthought.

Shaw should blend in quickly. On his visit to Buffalo, the speedy Shaw pointed out that he spent two seasons with Kevin Gilbride’s offensive system in Pittsburgh. In his three years with the Steelers (’99-’01) he averaged over 16 yards per catch. The 27-year old believes he’ll be able to reacquaint himself with the offense quickly which could help him step right in and contribute.