Two Bills Drive

‘The Bills and Pats talked further this week about a deal. The Bills remain in a position of bargaining strength. There’s no other team at the moment that is interested in talking trade with the Pats. So the Bills have the luxury of waiting – probably until draft week – and seeing if the Pats will blink.’

‘The Bills already have been awarded four extra draft choices, a third-rounder and three in the seventh, and they have to be prepared to use them well. The glamour and fizz take place on the first day of the draft, but the difference between a winning and losing season often hinges on how well a team does on Day Two, when the names mean little to the average fan.’

‘The Bills can either stick with Alex Van Pelt, deal for Bledsoe, or sign either Jeff Blake or Chris Chandler, a couple of free agents they’ve maintained contact with. Pasquarelli, who worked with Bills general manager Tom Donahoe at ESPN, said the guy they want most is Bledsoe.’

@ He just won’t take those kinds of chances with Ralph Wilson’s money.

@ Reasons?

1. Lure team desperate for QB/OT

2. Plenty of DTs available

3. Save significant salary-cap dollars in this and future years

‘At Buffalo, Johnson was flattened like a hash mark more times than his scrambled mind cares to remember. In fact, in 20 games over the past two seasons with the Bills, he was sacked 79 times for a loss of 487 yards. "When I was out there, I thought I played fine. I just couldn’t stay healthy," Johnson said. "I got hit a bunch, whether it was scheme or me holding the ball or not protecting, it was one of those things that happened. When I’ve been healthy, I’ve played well."’

Is you head spinning trying to keep up with all the offseason activity the Bills have been involved in? Worry no longer, here is a complete summary of what has happened at One Bills Drive during the past three months.

@ Buffalo added some insurance at strong safety with veteran Billy Jenkins. Jenkins is a good fit for the Bills’ style of defense because he’s a very aggressive and active guy in run support. But he’s also erratic at times, especially in the open field, where he misses too many tackles. He’s also a liability in pass coverage. Finding the right fit at strong safety is very important to Buffalo.

‘Jenkins reportedly received a $200,000 signing bonus, with a base salary of $525,000 this season and $750,000 next year.’

‘The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Grant has the bulk to stop the run and the speed to get the passer, which is why he’s a serious candidate to be taken by the Bills in the first round.’

‘Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson has sent a package of Bills hats, shirts and other items to a U.S. military unit serving in Afghanistan.’

‘With the Bills one of a handful of teams without a prime-time game, Channel 4 stands to carry between eight and 14 games courtesy of CBS next season.’

‘The Patriots and Bills were busy this week trying to strike a deal that would send Drew Bledsoe slightly northwest, to AFC East rival Buffalo, Patriot sources said yesterday.’

Buffalo is a great place to play football. There’s a good tradition for guys like me at the Defensive End, guys like Bruce Smith. They are a young team and on the rise. The coaching staff and the people of Buffalo are great, since I’ve been here. They show a lot of interest in football.

I’ve been looking at Buffalo for a while. I actually saw a magazine and the cover had my photo and it said ‘Will He Be a Bill?’ I’ve heard that for a while that I might be coming here. I have been looking at the team more closely.