Two Bills Drive

‘Schottenheimer said last night that if Cottrell abandons his pursuit of the Bills’ head coaching position, it is possible that he could hire Cottrell by this afternoon.’

‘The job is now considered to be a two-man race between defensive coordinators Marvin Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens and John Fox of the New York Giants.’

‘[Donahoe] has told friends there that his choice of a new Bills coach would most likely come down to which person interviews the best and whose philosophy is closest to his.’

‘Fox, who came to New York as Jim Fassel’s defensive coordinator in 1997, interviewed last winter for the Saints’ job that went to Jim Haslett.’

‘Fox’ association with Bills general manager Tom Donahoe when both worked for the Steelers a decade ago made the Bills the most logical fit for Fox.’

‘If Fox is hired by the Bills, it is possible that Jim Fassel would promote Johnnie Lynn, the defensive backs coach, to defensive coordinator. There is also a chance that Fox would ask Lynn to join him in Buffalo.’

‘New York Giants defensive coordinator John Fox will interview for the Buffalo Bills’ head coaching job.’

‘Shout recently released the most detailed salary cap information you will find in print or online. The analysis was so thorough that it has inspired one subscriber to pen his own solution to the Bills salary cap woes…’

‘He gets Jim Kelly to help him make the transition to the NFL, both on and off the field. He gets the resources of a marketing firm that handles national accounts for companies such as Motorola and Coors beer. And Dan Kelly, Jim’s brother and president of the company, will assist in negotiating Vick’s contract after he has been selected in the draft.’

About becoming a head coach: "Am I encouraged? Yes, possibly," Lewis said Thursday of his prospects of moving up. "When that comes, we will look toward that. It’s something I can’t worry about now. Right now, I am just trying to keep my players’ attention, and my attention, on the task at hand."

‘Capers agent, Jimmy Sexton, arrived in Houston on Thursday evening for contract negotiations. The two sides met late into the night and, barring a breakdown, an agreement could be reached as early as today. A news conference has been tentatively scheduled for Monday. He appears set to take the Texans’ job without even meeting with the Bills.’

‘A chance to be the Washington Redskins’ defensive coordinator appears extremely close for Buffalo Bills coordinator Ted Cottrell. The only question is whether he would give up his seemingly remote shot to be a head coach.’

‘The question, of course, is Cottrell’s future in Buffalo. Certainly he could still be named head coach, though, historically general managers prefer to hire people with whom they’ve worked previously and Donahoe’s other three candidates fit that description.’

‘The Bills had the NFL’s third-ranked defense this past season while using a 3-4 alignment, and Schottenheimer said of the system that Cottrell might use if he is hired: "You might look to what Buffalo has done, because that’s what he’s most familiar with."’

‘But DeLucia, a 14-year-old student at Tonawanda Junior High, is the Web master for www.wademustgo.com a protest site that has had Phillips in its target sights all season.’