Two Bills Drive

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.’

‘Cowart…said Thursday he doesn’t know much about Williams, but is well aware of the talent on the Titans’ defense. "They were full of athletes, guys who make big plays," Cowart said. "Hopefully, he can bring that mentality over to Buffalo. We weren’t a bad defense, but we can get better in some areas, and I’m sure he’s the guy for that."’

‘So . . . Williams might not be in Buffalo today if it weren’t for Frank Reich & Co. in 1993.’

‘See, in Buffalo, no one really cares whether you’re black or white, qualified or unqualified, paid well or poorly. There’s only one thing they really want to know: Are you a Flutie guy or a Johnson guy?’

‘Call it racism on Buffalo’s part if you want, but bad timing’s more like it, at least where it concerns Lewis.’

‘Anderson said he and Lewis became suspicious about the Bills’ hiring process rather quickly. At no point was there any indication from Donahoe that Lewis would meet team owner Ralph Wilson, tour the city of Buffalo or the team’s facilities, or talk contract parameters, Anderson said.’