Two Bills Drive

‘In Buffalo, Bills officials opened up the box office to accommodate fans who began lining up after news of the trade broke. There was a steady stream of buyers throughout the afternoon.’

‘There should be no doubt the Patriots kept the better quarterback with the bigger upside and the brighter future.’

‘Going strictly by on-field performances, the Bills get the edge because they now have a legitimate quarterback around whom to continue their rebuilding. Alex Van Pelt had his moments last year in relief of the ineffective and departed Rob Johnson, but he’s hardly a long-term resolution to the passing problem.’

‘From a financial standpoint, the Patriots save $1 million this season by trading Bledsoe. But under league rules, the team will still carry $6 million for Bledsoe on this year’s approximate $72-million salary cap. Buffalo assumes Bledsoe’s contract, a 10-year, $103-million package that was signed March 7, 2001.’

‘Patriots-Bills? Pats fans, welcome to your rivalry of the ’00s. Just like Patriots-Jets made this region buzz after Bill Parcells defected in 1997, this is what we’re looking at over the next five years.’

‘Was it the right move?’

‘In many ways he was the franchise. He was the star quarterback, the most recognizable name, the public face for the Patriots. He was the one player who transcended football around here, the one name everyone in New England knew, even if they didn’t know a blitz from a post pattern.’

‘Remember this: Patrick Ramsey is the reason this deal finally went down.’

‘Officials said the box office would be indefinitely open throughout the night because of the large amount of interest the trade has generated.’

‘The deal apparently went over well in Buffalo. Even before it was announced, the Bills opened their box office to accommodate fans who heard the trade was imminent. Buffalo, which failed to sell out four of its eight home games last season, drew 504,709 fans last year, the lowest since 1987.’

‘Drew Bledsoe became a Bill yesterday afternoon because Donahoe, Buffalo’s team president and general manager, was more worried about going into next season without the strong-armed former Pro Bowl QB than Belichick was worried about going into training camp with him.’

‘Bledsoe, who appeared at the early April White House ceremony honoring the Patriots, hasn’t talked to Belichick since the season ended.’

‘Even when he was the star, Bledsoe never publicly criticized his teammates.’

‘There is a certain amount of arrogance attached to the Bledsoe trade, otherwise the Patriots would not have dealt him to a division rival. Kraft could have taken less and spared Bledsoe the humiliation of having to revisit Foxboro twice a year for the remainder of his career. Bledsoe will undoubtedly suck it up and take playing the Patriots as an extra special challenge.’

‘In fact, if the Bills are a bad team again, which would be no surprise at all, it will strengthen the defending Super Bowl champs, who after yesterday’s trade now own Buffalo’s No. 1 pick in 2003, which could easily be in the top five.’