Two Bills Drive

‘Tapping his Buffalo connections again, San Diego Chargers general manager John Butler hired Buddy Nix as director of player personnel Wednesday. Nix spent the last eight seasons as a scout with the Bills.’

‘"We’re confident there will be a fair resolution of this matter … and I expect it will not be a lengthy delay now," said Jerry Whalen, Phillips’ attorney.’

‘With Bills owner Ralph Wilson also on hand, Phillips presented his case to NFL arbitrator Jay Moyer during a daylong hearing in Buffalo. The hearing was closed to the public.’

‘Confidential documents entered into evidence during the Oakland Raiders’ lawsuit against the league reveal that the Bills — who once claimed an inability to compete economically and threatened to move — turned an $11.587 million operating profit in 1999.’

‘The Bills’ $11.58 million operating profit for 1999, the latest year covered in the documents, was nearly double their profit of $5.6 million the year before, according to documents released as part of Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis’ billion-dollar lawsuit against the league’s 31 teams.’

LA Times feature on the value of NFL franchises. Some very interesting information included. According to the Times, the average per-team operating profit jumped to $11.6 million in 1999–which just happened to be the same amount as the Bills operating profit in 1999. Buffalo reaped the benefits of a renovated stadium. There's also a look at which team might be the most likely to move to LA, as well as actual team financial statements for every NFL team, including the Bills. (Thanks to Boston's Sports Guy for the link.)

‘The Bills, in fact, have far more question marks than any of the three teams that finished ahead of them last season.’

‘All of that is fine, but now judgments are being withheld until he coaches his first regular-season game, the same as it would for any new head coach in the NFL. Organizing a minicamp is one thing, managing the clock is another.’

‘But the ’01 rookie class is going to be especially important in 2002. Marv Levy liked to say that the best rookies are last year’s rookies. In other words, the players going into their second seasons represent a team’s best chance for new impact players.’

‘The lads at Ralph Wilson Stadium finally seemed to reach the level people expected of them a year ago. The quarterback controversy has ended, but there are questions about Williams’ ability to run an entire program. He’s a very good defensive coordinator, but so was Rod Rust.’

‘"He’s excellent at what he does," said Donahoe. "I know him, I trust him. We had a great situation in Pittsburgh and we could build a better situation here in Buffalo."’

‘Buffalo Bills President and General Manager Tom Donahoe has offered a job to his friend and highly respected former colleague, Tom Modrak.’

‘Regarded as an unbiased source by Chargers president Dean Spanos, Johnson told Spanos over the course of a half-dozen phone conversations and two meetings in the Florida Keys that the team needed to get the best possible general manager while retaining coach Mike Riley. [Unbiased? With his star pupil coaching the team he used to coach and Butler GM of their chief rival? Sounds like JJ & Butler talked to each other.]

"It wasn’t a league that developed players or tried to make its own stars," Donahoe said. "It was a league comprised of players who, for whatever reason, just weren’t good enough to make it in the NFL. We didn’t scout (the XFL) and I doubt you’ll see even one of their players in our camp."

‘In a twist, Modrak could have some options, with Buffalo Bills general manager Tom Donahoe telling SportsLine.com on Friday he has offered his old colleague a job. The two men worked together in Pittsburgh…’.