Two Bills Drive

‘"I want to give John Butler all the credit in the world, but the proximity to Los Angeles was huge," Blank said. "Personally, I’d like to keep him on the East Coast, but he’s been away from home for a long time."’

‘The ties that bind us to Buffalo… What happens when you are forced to leave Buffalo? When the economy is in a slump and taxes are too high and you can’t make ends meet without a decent job? You miss those things that make Buffalo great! You miss those things that allow you to call Buffalo HOME no matter where you live.’

‘Both defensive end Marcellus Wiley and his agent Brad Blank have told NFLtalk that the top free agent defensive end, possibly the top free agent at any position, is now a San Diego Charger… Wiley’s contract is for $40 million over 6 years with a $9 million signing bonus… Just 25 years old, Wiley had a breakout season in 2000 finishing the season with 10.5 sacks despite missing most of the preseason after back surgery… Originally a 2nd round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 1997, taken by then general manager John Butler, Wiley had an apprenticeship behind one of the best in the game, Bruce Smith.’

‘In essence, this is what Tom Donahoe, the Bills’ new impresario, told Flutie and his fans Ash Wednesday night…the loose translation of his statement was “sit on it.”‘

‘Wiley’s agent, Brad Banks, said 14 teams have called since free agency began Friday.’

‘And while Flutie should be held in esteem for overcoming the odds and accomplishing everything he has, there isn’t a stop he has made in the past 16 years where he hasn’t at least contributed to some degree of friction in the locker room.’

‘”It went well,” Wiley said of the visit, before heading home to Los Angeles. “They don’t have much selling to do; I have already researched the situation and it’s a team that I have tremendous respect for, despite their record.’

‘The Chargers may yet sign Wiley, but their decision not to make him an offer might have been an attempt to keep from bidding against themselves. By allowing Wiley to visit with other teams, the Chargers can see what the market will bear.’

‘Tennessee contacted two veteran kickers yesterday, engaging in preliminary conversations that could lead to visits by John Carney and Steve Christie.’

‘How important are the Bills to this community? When Donahoe officially made the announcement that Johnson was the man at 7 p.m. Wednesday, the news conference was carried live by Channel 2, Channel 23 (Channel 4’s sister station) and Empire. And all three 11 p.m. newscasts led with the Bills’ selection.’

‘Speaking of mistakes, local radio outlets certainly were having a field day with another blunder by WGR-AM on a big Bills story.’

‘Stop the presses. A broadcasting executive has admitted a mistake. Bob Koshinski, the general manager of the Empire Sports Network, deserves some applause for admitting that he blew it when he decided against carrying Thurman Thomas’ retirement as a Buffalo Bill live on Wednesday afternoon.’

‘The Bills saved some more salary cap room by spreading out money in Johnson’s contract. The terms were finalized late Thursday night, an NFL source told The News. The Bills now stand about $2.8 million under the NFL salary cap of $67.4 million, according to a source with the NFL Players Association.’

‘Doug Flutie entered the rotunda of the historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace on Friday with a bounce in his step and a smile on his face. This hardly looked like a man who had lost the battle to be the Buffalo Bills undisputed starting quarterback to Rob Johnson.’

‘"I’m not bitter," the 37-year-old quarterback said. "I’m looking at it as a great opportunity for me. For the first time as a free agent in the NFL, I’m not knocking down doors. They’re looking for me."’