Two Bills Drive

‘"We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, and I mean we. We’re bringing a great staff in here, starting off on the right foot, getting our systems in place and be ready."’

‘"Deep down, you hope it’s a record that stands," Levy said. "We were able to maintain a continuity on our roster. I think it’s extremely difficult."’

‘"Was it a forward pass, Gregg?" Wilson asked…responded a smiling Williams, who was then the Titans’ defensive coordinator: "As of today, my thinking was it was a forward pass."’

‘Williams impressed Donahoe with a detailed research plan and strategy that he had been preparing since 1992 that would help him land a head coaching job. The plan included a list of coaches whom he’d want on his staff, and he updated it annually, grading the coaches’ performances through each football season.’

Empire Sports reported that Tom Donahoe has stated that only one quarterback [Flutie or Johnson] will remain on the team this season. He also mentioned that there is a possibility that unrestricted free agent Eric Moulds will receive the Franchise Player tag.

Len Pasquarelli reports that Jay Riemersma agreed to reduce his base salary to the veteran minimum of $484,000 and the team guaranteed the balance of $1.116 million in a signing bonus. Washington and Hansen were also notified that they will need to restructure their current contracts.

Here are some select quotes gathered from today’s press conference announcing Gregg Williams as the new head coach of the Buffalo Bills.

Here is a short summary of the Marvin Lewis interview on ESPN radio: Marvin said that he was dissapointed because he never was given the opportunity to know that this [position] would be the best move for his family. He was never shown around Buffalo, never saw were he would be working, and never met potential co-workers (Ralph Wilson included). He did not claim racism, he did not appear to be pissed, and he did not seem to be enthused about the job (for the reasons cited above). Marvin seemed disappointed more than anything else.

‘Donahoe will undoubtedly face plenty of criticism from within the NFL and the outside world in the coming weeks. There are questions he must answer today.’

‘Chris Mortensen presents an objective look at events that led to Gregg Williams hiring and why it is more the NFL’s fault and not the Bills that Marvin Lewis did not get a head coaching job.’

‘Gregg Williams didn’t parlay a National Football League playing career into a spot on the NFL sidelines. He had to start as a high school coach.’

‘Buffalo Bills President and General Manager Tom Donahoe never had met Gregg Williams until the two shook hands in a Nashville hotel a week ago. To say the two became fast friends is the understatement of the year for the Bills.’

‘Seemingly out of nowhere, Donahoe had a candidate who seemed to fit the exact profile of what he wanted in his new coach. He wanted someone with an attention to detail, a man who was well-prepared. Most important, he was looking for someone with an intimate knowledge of assistant coaching candidates.’

‘"There was a big improvement over what happened to me last year in that I was able to interview for three head coaching jobs, and I appreciated that," Cottrell said Thursday night by phone from New York, where he now works as the Jets’ assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.’

‘Gregg Williams has this thing about lists. It appeals to his meticulous nature.’