Two Bills Drive

‘Gabe Northern, a starter for the Buffalo Bills at weakside linebacker the past two seasons, has signed a two-year contract with the Steelers, his agent said Tuesday.’

‘Free-agent linebacker Gabe Northern has signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Wednesday…Both the Bills and Steelers use four linebackers on defense behind three linemen. Northern, 26, a four-year veteran from Louisiana State, will be replaced in Buffalo by Keith Newman, a fourth-round draft choice last year.’

‘A native of Norway, Larsen, 25, went to the Texas-El Paso on a track and field scholarship as a shot putter and never played football before college. He played 10 games last season and recorded 69 tackles. One of the strongest players in college football, he set the NFL combine record by bench-pressing 225 pounds 45 times.’

‘NFL Insider followed Flutie each day through one of the most tumultuous weeks of his pro career. Monday, January 3…’

‘Tennessee is playing at Buffalo. It is 4th and 4, and the Bills are forced to punt. Daryl Porter is lined up in the "gunner" position for the Bills, near the right sideline away from the offensive and defensive linemen. He is checked in as an eligible receiver. Porter is looking to make a big play, and takes off as soon as the ball is snapped…’

‘If any fans are thinking about coming to training camp and asking Phil Hansen about the "L" word when they get his autograph, they better reconsider. Hansen has been hammered with questions about leadership ever since Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed were released.’

‘Ken Irvin suffered a torn ligament in his left ankle toward the end of last season. He has been rehabilitating it throughout the off-season. The June mini-camp was his first real action in more than six months. The ankle passed the test. Here is a Q&A with Irvin from Day 1 of June mini-camp.’

‘When the Buffalo Bills hold training camp at St. John Fisher College this summer, academic performance will get attention on the same field as athletic prowess. Fisher will use the training camp to help launch a new department that is designed to prepare students for careers in the big business of sports, a broad category that includes high school athletic directors, marketers of clothing, managers of fitness clubs and executives with professional teams.’

‘[Martin] Bayless, however, is also a man of action and perseverance. He played with the Bills and four other teams over the course of a 12-year National Football League career but it’s what he has accomplished off the field that made him an attractive recruit by team management to fill the void of director of player development/special projects. Just what job is that you wonder? It is one all NFL teams, in light of the very disturbing series of arrests and allegations against numerous players, is taking quite seriously. In the past such hires would come about in a press release and in a wire transaction note. Now, the NFL wants these jobs to be more high profile. Thus, when the Bills announced Bayless, general manager John Butler was there and coach Wade Phillips presented Bayless as the replacement for Jerry Butler, who left the Bills and the post vacant over a year ago when he took a coaching job with the Cleveland Browns.’

‘Chris Spielman, a former Ohio State All-American, had been sidelined from the Buffalo Bills with a neck injury and was about to announce he was taking a year off to be with his wife and two young children.’

‘The Bills’ final mini-camp practice was its fastest. It appeared that their entire 11-on-11 session was entirely a two-minute drill, but in reality it was more like a double-time march up and down the field.’

‘The new administrative building is in the final stages of interior finishing. This state of the art facility was provided for by the stadium improvement plan outloined in the lease extension agreement reached in 1998. The original administrative building was constructed at the same time as the stadium. The 1972 structure has been cramped and inadequate for years.’

‘Shout/TBD is starting a new feature, "You Make the Call." We will present for you both real and imagined NFL scenarios, and invite you to "make the call" based on the Official Rules for the NFL for 1999.’

‘Wade Phillips said the June 2000 mini-camp really kicked off the new season for the Bills. He was pleased with the team’s intensity as well as the talent levels of the younger players. This was recorded in Active Audio.’

‘One line, about one minute into the program. That summarizes Buffalo Bills coach Wade Phillips’ appearance on HBO’s "Arli$$" (9:30 p.m. Sunday, pay-cable), the series about a sleazy sports agent.’