Two Bills Drive

A native of London, OH, LeBeau attended Ohio State where he was and all-Big Ten selection as a defensive back and helped the Buckeyes win the national championship in 1957. He then played 14 seasons as a cornerback in the NFL with the Detroit Lions (1959-72) and appeared in three Pro Bowls. In that time, he appeared in an NFL-record 171 consecutive games at cornerback and his 62 career interceptions are tied the seventh most in NFL history.

After Peerless' departure, Johnson claims #81.

‘A veteran of 44 years in the NFL as a player and coach, LeBeau was a defensive coordinator on two Super Bowl teams — the ’88 Bengals and the ’95 Steelers — but his three seasons as Cincinnati’s head coach weren’t nearly as successful. The Bengals were 12-31 under LeBeau.’

Former Denver DE Kavika Pittman visited the New Orleans Saints on Friday and could receive an offer from them this week. If an offer from the Saints does not materialize, Pittman could take visits to the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills.

‘LeBeau, a respected defensive strategist, will serve under coach Gregg Williams and work with defensive coordinator Jerry Gray. He will try to improve a defense that ranked 27th in points allowed, 29th in yards rushing per game and 32nd in takeaways last season.’

‘The 27-year-old five-year pro had 41 catches for 460 yards and 4 TDs in 2002 and has 176 catches for 2,310 yards and 18 TDs for his career.’

‘For a long time, Titans receiver Kevin Dyson wouldn’t have been welcome in Buffalo. He apparently is now.’

‘Five years from now, Price will be in his ninth year and he will be slowing down some. His cap figure provided he doesn’t get a restructure before then, will be unmanageable. That could lead to his release. By contrast, that Bills rookie, whoever he turns out to be, will have just finished his fifth season as a cheap player.’

Their decision to trade a first-round pick to the Bills for WR Peerless Price came down to this: Do they make the deal and acquire a young, accomplished veteran who knows how to play the position, or do they keep their pick and draft a receiver such as Taylor Jacobs of Florida who likely would take a year or two of seasoning before he could be of much help to QB Michael Vick? There is no question Price will provide more impact this year.

‘LeBeau, a respected defensive strategist, will serve under coach Gregg Williams and work with defensive coordinator Jerry Gray. He will try to improve a defense that ranked 27th in points allowed, 29th in yards rushing per game and 32nd in takeaways last season.’

After two weeks of deliberation former Bengals head coach Dick LeBeau, who was fired after three seasons, has agreed to join the Bills’ staff as an assistant. The move has been rumored for weeks but LeBeau wanted to think about it before accepting the standing offer from head coach Gregg Williams and general manager Tom Donahoe.

Maybe the next time the Atlanta Falcons do business with Tom Donahoe, they will realize the Buffalo Bills president/general manager usually doesn’t blink first, not when he sets a level on the price of doing business. This is the 3rd story on the page.

RB Shawn Bryson and receiver Brandon Stokely are scheduled to visit Carolina Panthers Monday.

Williams is working with the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency on expanding his Water Works Auto Detail Inc., currently located on Broadway, not far from the former Buffalo Forge Co. plant. The urban renewal agency is expected to name Williams designated developer for the expansion at its March 13 meeting.

Jerry Gray remains the defensive coordinator and will continue to call all the defensive signals on game day. Williams expects LeBeau to have a positive impact on game planning, and LeBeau will get the chance to do hands-on coaching of techniques on the field during practices.