Two Bills Drive

‘Stay well: Rob Johnson emerged as Buffalo’s quarterback in the playoffs when coach Wade Phillips benched Doug Flutie before the Tennessee game. Key issue: durability. In two seasons with the Bills, Johnson has started eight games and played in 11 but had to leave four of them because of injuries. Secondary issue: Can Flutie tolerate the backup role?’

‘Antoine was one of our best defensive backs — last year. Maybe the best, in grading overall films," coach Wade Phillips said. "He had a tremendous rookie year and I expect him to just keep going from there. He’s really a heady player, a great tackler, a real competitor and he makes plays. He’ll make some more interceptions for us, too, with experience. I just feel he’s got a great future."’

‘Kurt Schulz was never a Pro Bowl performer, and even though he signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the Detroit Lions, it is unlikely he will ever become a Pro Bowl player. Schulz was a good solid player, nothing more and nothing less. The Bills will miss the veteran who started the past five years at free safety. However, with Daryl Porter, Keion Carpenter and rookie second-round draft pick Travares Tillman to choose from, coach Wade Phillips doesn’t think the Bills will have too much trouble replacing him. "I think both Porter and Carpenter can play well enough to help us be back at the top where we were last year," said Phillips, referring to Buffalo’s No. 1 league rankings in overall defense and pass defense. "I have confidence in both those guys going in."’

‘"He’s awfully sick," coach Wade Phillips said. "Maybe we should have kept him out before he got as sick as he was. Hopefully he’ll be back tomorrow."’

‘Come the end of next month, Fisher will be assigned to a transportation unit with the 59th Squadron in Fayetteville, N.C. In the meantime, the Bills seventh-round pick from the 1999 draft is hoping to make a lasting impression on the coaching staff. "They are more concerned with getting ready the players who can help them this season, and I understand that completely," Fisher says. "I just hope to do enough to convince them that I’m worth a serious look next summer when, hopefully, I’ll be free of my military obligations and able to do this full-time."’

‘The Bills originally had been scheduled for a morning walk-through and an afternoon practice, but Wade Phillips gave the team the morning off from work on the field. Rob Johnson missed the afternoon session. He wasn’t even on the field . . .’

‘This year, the Bills are preparing to give McDaniel more work — behind Moulds and Price — after dropping receivers Andre Reed, Kevin Williams and Kamil Loud in the off-season.’

‘Johnson has now missed three practices since catching the bug sometime last weekend. He’s lost some weight and is still on fluids, and the Bills aren’t exactly sure when he’ll be ready to return. "He’s awfully sick," coach Wade Phillips said. "Maybe we should’ve taken him out before he got as sick as he was. But hopefully, he’ll be back tomorrow."’

‘Syracuse University football coach Paul Pasqualoni was saddened when he heard news of David Byrd’s departure from Bills camp. "Obviously, David’s doing what he feels is best for David to do and for his family," said Pasqualoni while attending Bills camp Tuesday. The Bills signed the former Syracuse defensive back as a free agent last April. After participating in the team’s two minicamps and the first two practices at training camp, Byrd failed to show up on Sunday, informing team officials that he wasn’t coming back. The Bills plan to waive him.’

‘Columbia football coach Ray Tellier likes to compare Marcellus Wiley with Mark Messier, the NHL superstar. "He was probably the loudest and most entertaining player we’ve ever had here," Tellier says. "He was just an unbelievable leader. He just took care of everything. Messier, he was that kind of leader for us on a smaller scale."’

‘The Bills’ star left guard reported to training camp in the greatest shape of his life. He lost 40 pounds since last season, dropping from 325 to 285. "When I got here, he was wearing a Dr. J jersey," said Brown’s agent, Eric Metz, referring to basketball great Julius Erving. "And the thing is, he looked like Dr. J." Metz was joking, but there’s no exaggerating how good Brown looks. "I feel great, and I’m really enthusiastic about this season," Brown said.’

‘There isn’t much argument about where the team’s chief vulnerability lies. Two starting members of the secondary, cornerback Thomas Smith and free safety Kurt Schulz, were lured away by free agent dollars. Backup safety Manny Martin was not re-signed. Cornerback Reggie Durden of Florida State came to Pittsford unheralded, but everyone in this camp is talking about him. Safety Nick Ferguson, fresh from the champion Rhein Fire of NFL Europe, also turned heads. As of Tuesday afternoon’s practice, so did Quincy Coleman, who made a diving interception of a Doug Flutie pass and came right back with a nifty breakup of another pass on the next down. That’s convenience.’

‘Flowers will receive a $400,000 base salary this year, followed by base salaries of $500,000, $600,000, $700,000 and $800,000, according to figures obtained by The News. The Bills created about $200,000 of extra room under the salary cap that helped them sign Flowers by restructuring the contract of running back Antowain Smith. Smith has two years remaining on the original five-year contract he signed with the Bills. He is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2001 season. As with most restructured contracts, Smith will receive the same amount of money he was scheduled to earn. The Bills converted some of his base salary this season into bonus money, some of which they can count toward next year’s cap.’

‘The sponsoring businesses are taking advantage of the opportunities, rolling out new products and offering one-of-a-kind discounts to the crowd. "This is an excellent opportunity to build our brand in our home markets and give us exposure where we haven’t had it before," said Randall L. Scroger, regional manager for Heluva Good Cheese Inc. "The Bills are a legendary thing in western New York and we’re celebrating our 75th anniversary, so we think it’s a natural tie-in."’

‘”My sense is we’re doing well,” Mayor Frank A. Pagano said Friday. “We have a large tourist industry, and the Buffalo Bills were only a small part of that. The economic impact is negligible. But maybe it was more a sense of pride that’s gone. We saw that `Fredonia’ byline in the papers every night. That’s what it was, a sense of pride.”‘