Two Bills Drive

‘Dr. James Ailinger, the National Football League’s oldest former player, has died. He was 99…the former Buffalo dentist’s NFL career began and ended in 1924, when he played one season as center and nose guard for the Buffalo Bisons, formerly called the Buffalo All-Americans.’

‘Up front Phil Hansen and Erik Flowers will play on the ends and Pat Williams will slide over from nose tackle to one of the tackle spots. Coach Williams now has to find another starting tackle as the only one currently on the roster is second-year man Leif Larsen who played sparingly as a rookie.’

‘Current Buffalo head coach Gregg Williams was an Oilers defensive assistant on Fisher’s staff in 1995. He was in the room where the McNair versus Carter debate raged, and remembered Wednesday just how tempted the Oilers were to go defense.’

‘That turned out to be a lucrative investment for Hunt, Adams and Ralph Wilson. Their teams (today Hunt has the Kansas City Chiefs, Adams the Tennessee Titans, and Wilson the Buffalo Bills) are now worth more than $500 million apiece. But Hunt, Adams and Hilton (who owned the Chargers) and the other owners were called "The Foolish Club" when the AFL began operations.’

‘[In caae you missed it] Here is our third Mock Draft of the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft, compiled by a panel of seven CNNSI.com "draftniks."… Buffalo Bills: Damione Lewis DT Miami (Fla.). Bills need a replacement for departed NT Washington.’

‘Seven plans under consideration for realignment when Houston rejoins the NFL for the 2002 season. There are other plans also under consideration.’

‘The league voted Wednesday to extend the current replay system through the end of the 2003 season. One reason given: the league could make adjustments to replay without having to worry about the system being approved.’

‘Next season, the referee will be the QB’s guardian angel. The league will instruct referees to consider disqualifying a defender for a flagrant foul against a quarterback. “If in doubt about a roughness call or a potentially dangerous tactic on the quarterback, the referee should always call roughing the passer,” according to the rulebook.’

‘The San Diego Chargers are one of a handful of teams that have shown interest in Christie, a placekicker who became an unrestricted free agent last month when the Bills did not re-sign him.’

"I know that I will have a larger impact this season because I didn’t play that much last year. The 4-3 is what I have played in my whole life and that is what I am used to playing. I feel that I can do so much more in that style of defense…"

‘An 11-game preseason national television schedule featuring rematches of two recent Super Bowls and an American Bowl in Mexico City was announced by the National Football League. [No Buffalo games are scheduled]’

‘Rob Johnson and Doug Flutie had a not-so-friendly rivalry while competing for the quarterback position in Buffalo until Flutie was released and signed with San Diego. The teams will meet next season. "Yeah, I’m looking forward to it," said Johnson, the former USC quarterback. "This will definitely be a [big] game for many reasons. It’s a game everyone will star or circle on their calendars. "They’ll probably put it on Monday night even though neither of us made the playoffs."

‘Donahoe’s path eventually led to Miami and a temporary consultant’s job with the Dolphins, to ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Conn., and in January, to Buffalo where the Bills doubled his salary to $1 million and tripled his responsibilities by making him president and general manager.’

‘Buffalo Bills coach Gregg Williams said Tuesday he would be interested in pursuing former Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Josh Evans if and when Evans is reinstated from a year-long substance abuse suspension this spring or summer.’

‘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.’