Two Bills Drive

ESPN.com has learned that, after striking out with 4 of 5 possible candidates for the newly defined role of general manager, new owner Arthur Blank has received permission to interview Buffalo Bills director of football operations Tom Modrak for the job. Bills president Tom Donahoe confirmed Friday he has granted a request by the Falcons to meet with Modrak, one of the league’s premier talent evaluators. “My priority is to try to keep him here,” Modrak said, “but it’s a good opportunity and I have to let him pursue it. He has wanted to be a general manager for a while now.”

He’s back at the position he held a year ago, QB Coach.

‘Former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Mike Sheppard has emerged as the leading candidate to become quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints. Team officials are expected to announce Sheppard’s hiring as early as today.’

‘Williams said he has spoken with roughly 30 candidates.’

‘"It hasn’t been decided," Clements said. "It will play out as it plays out." Before arriving in Hawaii, Clements met with Coughlin and other Jaguars officials over the weekend. He refused to say last night if he had been in further contact with Coughlin since that meeting. "I don’t want to talk about it," he said. Coughlin also interviewed with the Buffalo Bills last week for their offensive coordinator job. The Bills also have been in contact with former Steelers offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and former Indiana University head coach Cam Cameron.’

‘Clements, 48, also is being courted by the Buffalo Bills to become their offensive coordinator, and Steelers coach Bill Cowher hopes to keep Clements in Pittsburgh as a potential down-the-line replacement for current offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey…One of the lures of the Jaguars’ job is that coach Tom Coughlin is offering near-total autonomy over the offense, Clements confirmed last night.’

‘Kelly, the first USFL player to make the Hall of Fame, is dedicating his honor to his son, Hunter, who turns five next week. The boy has the rare and deadly Krabbe’s disease, and doctors had told Kelly his son wouldn’t live past 14 months with the disease, which attacks the white matter of the brain.’

Stories on those players among others at spring turkey camp.

Len Pasquarelli of ESPN speculates that Gregg Williams may be replaced by Jim Haslett of New Orleans next year. But speculations are often inaccurate especially at this time of year. Not many people were speculating the Patriots would be winning the Superbowl a year ago.

Cam Cameron, fired as coach of Indiana University, had an "impressive" interview with the Bills earlier this week. Clements looks like he’ll take the Jacksonville OC job. Another quote from the article: "Dan Henning is viewed as one of the best offensive coordinators in the NFL."

‘The Buffalo Bills allocated seven players, including practice squad quarterback David Dinkins, to NFL Europe for the upcoming spring season on Thursday.’

‘Winfield took the brunt of the financial hit. Yetts, a former Ohio State wrestler, cheated Winfield out of $1.35 million by putting Winfield’s money into his own personal and business accounts, the commission’s suit alleges. The Bills gave Winfield a $3.5 million signing bonus when they drafted him in the first round in 1999. When the cornerback looked to invest some of the bonus money, he cut ties with All Pro Sports and turned to Yetts. He returned to All Pro Sports after a background check by the Bills revealed a former NFL player had sued Yetts, U.S. News reported.’

Finally, some real use of that opportunity.

When Frank Reich was first told last Saturday of Jim Kelly’s election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his reaction was measured as precisely as a third down pass. “Oh, that’s great,” Reich said, happily but quietly. “That’s really great.” The response was typical Reich — calm and even-keeled, not prone to exaggeration or hyperbole.

The Hinterbichler story begins with the 1991 Super Bowl. Because the Hinterbichler family was originally from Buffalo, Erik and his older brother, Kurt, watched in dismay as the Bills lost to the Giants, 20-19, when the Buffalo place-kicker Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard field- goal attempt with seconds left in the game.