Month: April 2006

Peerless Price is a Buffalo Bill again! The WR agreed to terms on a new contract with the team, rejoining the Bills’ new Offensive Coordinator, Steve Fairchild. Fairchild was with the Bills for Price’s last year with the Bills, when he had his biggest NFL season. In 2002, Price pulled in 94 catches for 1252 yards and 9 touchdowns, all of those are career highs.

Price was cut before the start of the 2005 season by the Atlanta Falcons, and later lst year joined the Dallas Cowboys, and his old QB partner, Drew Bledsoe. Peerless never really fit in there, either, and found himself on the Free Agent list here in 2006.

With Moulds moving on to Houston, the Bills were looking for some veteran help at WR, and think they have found that in Price. Fairchild was an offensive assistant in 2002, and is excited to have Price back in his receiver corps.

This is an interesting pattern developing at One Bills Drive. First the team brough back Marv Levy to head up the team. Then a few coaches (like Fairchild) who have had tenures with the Bills prior to this season. Now they have re-signed Peerless Price. In a recent article, former QB Jim Kelly spoke of taking a more official role with the team in the coming season.

Perhaps we’ll see Jim returning to QB this season? That would put an end to the supposed controversy. He can’t be older than Vinny Testeverde, or Brad Johnson, who started again last year for their former teams. Put #12 back at the helm, maybe bring back WR Don Beebe. He says he can still outrun all of the players where he coaches high school football. Darryl Talley was looking for a coaching job. Perhaps the Bills could hire him.

Not sure where this will all lead, but in the end, I do believe Price is a good addition to the team. Assuming a similar scheme to when he was here (modified for whomever may be our starting QB) and that he can play at or near the level he was at in 2002, things could be looking good for the Bills on offense. The move is likely good from a fan perspective, since Price was a popular player, and will be remembered for the great season he had with the Bills.

Let’s hope all of these great Bills of the past can pick up where they left off, and maybe we’ll even see the playoffs come January?

That would be priceless. Or, would it be “peerless”?

Click to Read a BuffaloBills.com Article about Peerless Price

Well this feature will not be weekly anymore, due to my other responsibilities in life, but there was enough stuff this week (and enough time before the next show) that I thought I’d offer our take on the latest Bills’ news, as well as some links to pertinent articles.

2006 Schedule Released
I posted an article about the schedule yesterday, along with some links, so I’ll direct you to that (immediately below this entry). Suffice it to say, the three December home games (and one in late November) against warm weather teams is a huge bonus for the Bills. The three opening games against division opponents, with two on the road, will be a difficult challenge, but as some Bills players believe, could also quickly put the Bills in a great position within their division. An unlikely 3-0 start would definitely give them a great jump on the season.

We’ll also likely be part of Brett Favre’s farewell tour, with the Packers coming to town on November 5th.

The Bills are not scheduled for a nationally televised game, but that could change if one of their late season games happens to be a good matchup. The NFL is going with a flexible schedule for the first time this year, and will determine the nationally televised NBC game of the week once the first 10 weeks have been played.

Further Reading..
BuffaloBills.com Official 2006 Schedule
BuffaloBills.com [4/6] Bills Announce 2006 Schedule
BuffaloBills.com [4/6] Bills Schedule Hist Divisions Hard

Eric Moulds Traded To Houston Texans

It’s finally official. Eric Moulds has been traded to the Houston Texans for a 5th round draft choice in this month’s draft. Levy was quoted as saying there was nothing the Bills could do. They had hoped to keep Eric, but he wanted to be traded. There was obviously some bad blood between Moulds and the Bills, but overall Moulds is leaving on good terms.

Moulds signed a $14M deal over 4 years, with a $5M plus signing bonus. To my knowledge, that’s less than the Bills were offering him in a restructuring deal, but I am bad with numbers. Moulds was also slated to be the number two recevier with the Bills next season, giving way to 3rd year receiver, Lee Evans. That did not sit very well with #80, as he still considers himself a #1 receiver in the NFL. He might get that opportunity with the Texans who were a dismal 2-14 last year.

Moulds looks forward to the frest start and predicts that the league will not be seeing the “same old Texans”. “We’re going to put on quite a show,” claims the Texans’ new receiver.

Moulds played ten seasons in Buffalo and was a fan favorite during his time here. Many fans will be anticipating the matchup on November 19th, when the two teams will face off in Houston.

Further Reading..
BuffaloBills.com (4/7) – Bills Officially Trade Eric Moulds
NFL.com (4/6) – Texans Complete Trade for WR Moulds

Ralph Wilson’s Campaign For Fair Treatment
Bills President and owner Ralph Wilson gave a press conference today in which he detailed his recent visit with New York Governor George Pataki. Wilson is not happy with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in March between the NFL owners and the Player’s union. Some of the stipulations of the agreement are not “fair” to smaller market teams, Wilson alleges.

“We need to get some political influence,” Wilson stated, saying that he had requested that Gov. Pataki get involved in petitioning the NFL to ensure the fairness of this deal.

There has been some specualtion that the Bills would move out of Buffalo. Wilson did not deny that, however he said he will fight hard to keep them in this city. Wilson also emphatically stated that he does not with to sell the team.

Further Reading..
WGR550.com [4/7] – Ralph Wilson Concerned About The Bills’ Future

Bits and Pieces

• Bills 2006 Free Agent Moves
• BuffaloBills.com – Levy Ends Losman Trade Rumors

That’s a wrap for the this edition of TheRunDown. If you have any Bills news from this week, or comments on stuff we covered here, please add your comments below!

ORCHARD PARK, NY – The Buffalo Bills announced their 2006 schedule today. There are no nationally scheduled games at this time. All regular season games will be played at 1:00pm Eastern Time. This may change, however, as the later nationally televised games of the season (weeks 10 and following) will be determined according to the best matchups at that time. This may move a game later in the Bills’ schedule to the new NBC Sunday Night game.

The Bills will open the regular season on the road against the New England Patriots at 1:00pm on September 10th.

Highlights of the schedule include three December home games (as requested on The Review by Uncle Josh!) against San Diego, Miami, and Tennesee. Also, head coach Dick Jauron will have back to back road games in October against two of his former teams, Chicago and then Detroit.

The bye week falls at week eight, so almost the middle of the season. That is usually advantageous. In addition to the regular season schedule, the pre-season schedule was announced. The Bills will open the pre-season on Saturday, August 12th at the Carolina Panthers.

Click here for the official Buffalo Bills 2006 Schedule.

Also, check out the BuffaloBills.com take on the schedule, here.