Two Bills Drive

Perhaps a position change is the next step for Flowers, who will most certainly be signed in the near future. In the NFL, speed on defense is held at a premium, and teams will be hard pressed to find a player with more pure, straight-ahead velocity than Erik Flowers. But as NFL teams are beginning to realize, there’s more to being a football player than speed.

‘Coach Gregg Williams said Ahanotu (whose name is pronounced CHEE-dee uh-HAHN-uh-too) would not play Saturday in Indianapolis.’

‘"The defense doesn’t have to be great because the offense is going to be pretty damn good," he said. "But if they stop the run on first down, now they can dictate to the offense and tee off on the quarterback in the passing game."’

Erik Flowers among the nine players released by the Bills.

Complete list:

Daryon Brutely, CB (Northern Iowa)

Erik Flowers, DE (Arizona State)

Demetrious Maxie, DT (UTEP)

Jeremy McDaniel, WR (Arizona)

Devonte Peterson, DT (Catawba)

David Priestley, QB (Pittsburgh)

Milton Proctor, S (Kansas State)

Marc Samuel, K (Georgetown)

Tom Schau, C (Illinois)

‘Ahanotu and Price bring a combined 18 seasons, 240 games and 47.5 career sacks to a defensive unit that’s raised nothing but red flags this preseason.’

‘Flowers, taken with the 26th pick by former general manager John Butler, started only six games. He had four sacks.’

‘To be sure, after the horrific play of the offensive line in 2001, bringing in just about anybody to bolster that unit qualified as an upgrade.’

‘"I was hoping for a winning record, but now it looks more like six or seven wins. We just can’t stop anyone with our defensive line."’

The Buffalo pass rush is so flimsy that it might be more productive to send threatening letters to enemy quarterbacks.

The Bills reshuffled their undermanned defensive line by signing veterans Shawn Price and Chidi Ahanotu, but they opened a roster spot by releasing 24-year-old defensive end Erik Flowers, the 26th player selected in the 2000 draft. Flower’s release was expected because he had fallen onto the third team in the defensive line rotation before the signings of Price and Ahanoto. The 273-pound Flower only started six games in two seasons and had only four sacks. The Bills invested a first-round choice in Flowers with the hopes of developing him into an every down pass-rusher. Foot problems slowed him, and his playing time diminished once Gregg Williams took over as head coach last season.

‘The Bills didn’t disclose financial terms. The National Football League’s minimum salary for players with nine years of experience is $650,000.’

‘"I feel I played pretty good last year for being a rookie. But I’ve got to keep improving to keep that position," Schobel said, as the Bills continue training camp in suburban Rochester. "Six-and-a-half sacks is good for a rookie. But I need to improve. I need to try to get double digits."’

Important dates in Buffalo Bills history

Away games are a little different from home games. I have to pack two uniforms and make sure that I have all my necessary toiletries along with my Walkman for the plane ride and pre-game in the locker room. Being on the road, we have to adjust to sharing a room and sleeping in a different bed.

‘"When London said he was leaving the Rams, I said, ‘I’m going where ever you go, London,"’ said Ahanotu, impressed by how Fletcher quarterbacked the Rams defense. "I didn’t think it would happen. But here I am. … I was watching. It was in the back of my brain of why I might come to Buffalo."’