Two Bills Drive

‘Though he has not seen the Bills do any type of work since their wild-card playoff loss to Tennessee in January, Clayton — as he does every team in the league — has a good feel for what to expect from the Bills this season. "They’ve been drafting well year after year, that’s the one thing this franchise has done, they’ve brought in good athletes and because of that, they have a chance," he said. "And this division is the most changed in the league. Every team has taken a step back except Indianapolis. "I think Indy has the best team and there’s going to be a battle for the No. 2 spot between Buffalo and Miami and right now I think Buffalo has the advantage."’

‘Buffalo Bills coach Wade Phillips said only two players will not participate in the opening workout. Defensive end Marcellus Wiley is recovering from lower back surgery, and free agent cornerback Courtney Jackson will be placed on the injured reserve list and will miss the entire season after blowing out his knee during the last mini-camp in June. Also, Erik Flowers’ situation remained up in the air as of last night. As for the rest of the players, Phillips expects everyone to be in tip top shape and ready to work.’

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‘Recorded in active audio, Wade Phillips says the Bills will likely be without Erik Flowers and Travares Tillman for at least the first meeting of training camp this evening. This was his first press conference of training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, N.Y.’

‘Bills second-round draft pick Travares Tillman agreed to terms Thursday, leaving only first-rounder Erik Flowers unsigned. Tillman was expected to arrive in Pittsford, N.Y., in time for the team’s first training-camp meeting, at 7 p.m.’

"He’s so smooth that sometimes it seems he’s not moving so fast," said Johnson, whose superior arm strength should boost the a 6.10 yards per pass play rating that ranked in the middle of the NFL statistics last season. "Peerless sort of glides by people and then, when the ball is in the air, he kicks it into another gear and really goes after that thing."

‘Sensing he had more to lose by missing training camp, safety Travares Tillman, a second-round draft pick, agreed to a four-year deal worth more than $2.1 million with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday…"It’s a good deal for everyone. We’re glad to get it rectified because it wasn’t worth it for him to hold out,” Dogra said. "We were very close, the difference was so minute, it made sense to get the deal done. … You’ve got to seize the opportunity."’

"I lost a nice amount of weight, but I’m not telling how much," he said. "I took it upon myself to get a new diet, without starving myself, and a lot of treadmill, bike, Stairmaster. I took a six-week program, and I’d say I’m 90 percent better and stronger coming into this year than last year. I have a better look, attitude, feel, more strength, everything."

‘"It was just a matter of time,” Reed said of his contract negotiations. "I wanted to finish on my own terms and go where I thought I could fit in. I think that’s here."’

‘The switch came down to numbers. Chautauqua County, where Fredonia sits on the northern edge, lists a population of just under 140,000. Rochester’s Monroe County has over 700,000. While the Bills rarely drew 1,000 fans in a day at Fredonia State, they’re hoping for five times that many at St. John Fisher. “The move to Rochester has been a major success for us”, said team owner Ralph Wilson Jr. “It gives us a presence in an area we’re trying to promote as a regional franchise. “Fredonia was great to us, but it’s not centrally located … people wouldn’t drive there. I was surprised how few fans came to camp last year”. And, oh yeah, the Bills sell 20 percent of their tickets in Monroe County, 14 percent in Rochester alone.’

‘The Bills are addressing the demand for autographs this camp by creating the McDonald’s Kids Autograph Tent. Children under the age of 14 will have a chance to get autographs following each practice session. Three players per session will be available for 15 minutes, and each child will be able to have one item signed. Because of high demand, the lines will be cut off at a certain point. The Bills want to avoid a situation in which a child stands in line but doesn’t reach the players’ table during the 15-minute signing period.’

‘The Bills’ staff was busy getting ready for the coaches and players, all of whom are to be on campus by 4 p.m. Thursday. "We’re working diligently," said Russ Brandon, the Bills’ vice president for marketing, just before he ran off to take care of another detail. All of the players and staff will stay in dorms at Fisher.’

‘Never in the team’s 40 years have the two facets of football, the game, and football, the business, been so intertwined. Only 10 years ago, Buffalo’s marketing staff consisted of one person; it now numbers near 30. For 19 summers, the team was content to train in sleepy Fredonia, Chautauqua County, drawing a couple hundred fans per practice on average. In Rochester, the Bills’ second-largest fan base with tentacles that can reach as far east as Albany, they expect crowds in excess of 5,000. The Bills say they can’t survive into the new millennium without becoming a regional franchise, much like a Green Bay or a Kansas City or a New England. "This is about the long-term viability of our franchise," said Russ Brandon, vice president of business development and marketing.’

‘Talks with the agents for Flowers and Tillman were ongoing yesterday, but when asked if he’d get the two young defenders the Bills are counting on heavily this season under contract on time, Butler wouldn’t say. "I have no idea, and I never do until a deal is done," he said.’