Two Bills Drive

Rehashes week old news, but throws in some new quotes.

“GM Tom Donahoe left the NFL owner’s meetings in Orlando a day early, but not because he didn’t like the sunshine or continental breakfast. Donahoe traveled to Austin, Tex. to attend the private workout of Longhorns lineman Mike Williams, who could become the Bills’ desperately needed cornerstone left tackle with the No. 4 overall pick in next month’s draft.”

@ Who’s gonna be the next quarterback of the Buffalo Bills? Nobody knows. It could be Alex Van Pelt. It could even be Travis Brown. If the team signs Jeff Blake or trades for Drew Bledsoe, maybe that question could be answered.

9. I think Drew Bledsoe plays in Buffalo this season.

Although the Buffalo Bills thoroughly scout for the very best players year-round, the annual combine held earlier this month kicked off the countdown to Draft Weekend, held April 20th-21st in New York City.

Talk 2002 Draft with Vic Carucci, NFL Insider senior editor, on Wednesday, March 27 from 1:00-1:30 p.m. In the meantime, share your thoughts on what the Bills should do with the fourth overall pick.

Bills quarterback Alex Van Pelt showed off his film study talents this past week, picking three of the five major Oscar winners.

@ The Bills never said they were disappointed with the play of right OLB Jay Foreman last season, but they seem to be telling the three-year veteran something different by entertaining other free agents to fill his spot the past few weeks. Foreman can’t be happy about the Bills trying to find his replacement, but the job is still his for now. It might be just the motivation he needs to take his game to a higher level.

@ Even if the Bills were serious about bringing in Drew Bledsoe, which I don’t believe they are, I wouldn’t get too excited about having him lead the Buffalo offense. Who can be confident that the line will protect a largely immobile quarterback such as Bledsoe?

@ The Bills [and most of their fans] are over the Doug Flutie-Rob Johnson debates, having jettisoned both of them, leaving them with Alex Van Pelt. Van Pelt isn’t bad, but he’s not going to sell tickets. Would the Patriots trade Bledsoe within their own division? If you buy into the fact that Bill Belichick has been able to get into Bledsoe’s head in the past when he opposed him, wouldn’t having Bledsoe in the same division be an advantage to the Patriots?

‘If the Buffalo Bills could figure out a way to pay quarterback Drew Bledsoe, they’d probably give New England a third-round draft pick for him. But the Patriots believe Bledsoe is worth at least a first-round pick and the Bills won’t give up that much.’

@ David Dinkins shone during the scrimmage, completing 3 of 5 passes for 100 yards, including a 37-yard TD pass to WR Marcus Knight (Oakland Raiders). Knight also had a 50-yard catch from Dinkins. Curtis Alexander carried 10 times for 33 yards and scored on a 1-yard touchdown dive.

‘The Bills’ first pick in the April draft might come down to the Big Two, the 374-pound Williams and the 337-pound McKinnie, if Buffalo does not trade down.’

‘Can anyone accurately predict who will be the starting quarterback for Buffalo?’

‘"Other than one Japanese Film study class at the University of Pittsburgh, though, I really have no formal training in this area," Van Pelt adds, "But I feel I’m up to the challenge."’

‘If Wilson is down on less than perfect weather, I wonder why he didn’t insist that there is no place like dome and ask Erie County and New York state to build him a covered stadium. And I’m sure Wilson didn’t mind the weather when his Bills were beating the San Diego Chargers 20-7 in the AFL Championship Game at War Memorial Stadium the day after Christmas 1964.’