The Bills made it official with a press release that was released in the late afternoon on Thursday. The Bills had cut Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed. The moves came so suddenly, it was shocking to most Bills fans.
BillsBeat - February 11, 2000
Big Three fed appetite of football-crazed city
Bills cut last links to '91 Super Bowl
Buffalo says bye-bye to Thomas, Reed, Bruce Smith
Smith blasts Bills in rejecting offer
Bills manage to keep Washington
Levy happy not to be here
Marino Voids Contract, and Buffalo Releases 3
Bills release Reed, Thomas and Smith
Bills Release 3 Veterans
Bills' official statement
BillsBeat - February 10, 2000
More mind-blowing moves
The Bills waived Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas and Ted Washington today. In an effort to get under the $62.2 million salary cap, the moves were necessary because the three would not agree to the pay cuts the Bills apparently needed them to accept.
Sentimentality killed the Bills
Bills fans’ biggest hope has to be that the team has figured out how to avoid another salary-cap mess like this one. They may seem to be cold, callous, disloyal to their long-term veterans, but perhaps they were too sentimental in the past.