Two Bills Drive

‘The league will change from its current six-division setup to eight, four-team divisions in 2002. It remains likely that Buffalo, Miami, the New York Jets and New England will stay in the AFC East. Indianapolis almost surely will move out.’

"The NFC East and Central and the AFC East and West seem pretty well set," commissioner Paul Tagliabue said as he unveiled seven of the dozen or so plans under consideration. "The more difficult decisions are in the others."

"We don’t worry about if an end holds up against the run because you can always put more bodies in the box to coverup for a smaller guy,” says Bills coach Gregg Williams, who had great success with Kearse when he was the Titans’ defensive coordinator. "But if he has true defensive end speed, that’s something you can’t coach.”

‘[NOTE: Sam Rogers was an OLB not an ILB] ILB — Sam Rogers, Bills. He was good enough to start for a good team for five years.’

‘If plan A1 makes 20 teams happy then the deal is done. The maintenance of rivalries will get the vote closer to 20. If those four proxies owned by Tagliabue count, 24 of 32 would be needed, and the commissioner would have the right to cast the votes for the Texans, Rams, Ravens and Titans.’

‘While the Super Bowl has become a January tradition for the past thirty-five years, it will soon turn into a February feature. At the owners’ meetings this week, commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced that starting in 2004, the Super Bowl will make a permanent move into month of February.’

‘Bills coach Gregg Williams is a focus of this article on the need for coaches to know how to motivate their players.’

‘Ralph is losing his marbles by pursuing this ill advised slap in the face to the coaching ranks.’

‘The picks are compensation for the losses the Bills suffered during last year’s free-agency season. The Bills lost four unrestricted free agents to other teams – Kurt Schulz to Detroit, Thomas Smith to Chicago, Dusty Zeigler to the New York Giants and Sean Moran to St. Louis. They did not sign any from other clubs.’

‘The allotment of compensatory picks is determined by a formula based on the salary, playing time and postseason honors of players the team lost to free agency in comparison to free agents the team added.’

‘GM Tom Donahoe got what he wanted Monday at the NFL owners meetings, as the Bills were awarded four compensatory draft picks for their free agent losses during last off-season. Buffalo will get an additional third-round choice (95th overall), along with a pair of sixth-round picks (195 and 196th overall), and a seventh-round pick (238th overall) at this year’s draft.’

PrimeTime 24 lost a Supreme Court appeal Monday that sought the right to transmit NFL games to customers in Canada. The court, without comment, turned down the company's argument that it could transmit the games without violating the NFL's copyright. Capturing the NFL game signal in the United States for transmission abroad is an unauthorized act under the copyright law.

The Bears have been counting on three factors being in their favor this year. Salary-cap problems have kept a handful of teams from being serious bidders for top players, leaving teams like the Bears with less competition for talent. Also, the talent pool particularly at defensive tackle has deepened with the release of veterans like Traylor, Lett, Randle, and Stubblefield. More cuts are expected after June 1. Finally, defensive tackle projects as one of the strongest positions in the upcoming draft. As many as a half-dozen defensive tackles are projected in the first round. Angelo Wright has also been in contact with the Patriots…

‘Last time the owners decided on realignment,… commissioner Pete Rozelle decided to let fate draw the NFL’s look. Five of the acceptable proposals were put into a flower vase, and Rozelle’s administrative assistant, Thelma Elkjer, drew out the winning hand that sucessfully integrated the AFL teams in the NFL.’

The Bears agreed to terms with defensive tackle Keith Traylor on a three-year contract Friday but still consider themselves in the running for Ted Washington. Director of business operations Jim Miller says "I talked to Ted's agent [Friday]. It's not dead yet. They're asking for a lot of money. We have a disagreement on his value, but we're still talking." I think Ted is pricing himself out of the market. He better start skating at the Pepsi Center.