| Serving Bills Fans Since 1998 | Index |
| WEEK IN REVIEW - JULY 9TH - JULY 15TH, 2001 | PREVIOUS WEEK |
Bills Release Holecek; Sign Two
It was a fairly busy week as we buzz forward towards training camp. The Bills shocked fans and some of the players as they cut John Holecek on Thursday. They also signed two street free agents. We take a closer look at all the news and give you our take on the issues:
The cutting of John Holecek shocked fans and players on Thursday. He was released in a cap cutting move and to allow Sam Cowart to move back inside to middle linebacker. Tom Donahoe called it a very difficult decision. Holecek however, ripped Donahoe and said he isn't honest. He also foresees problems between Donahoe and Gregg Williams. Our Take: We hate to see a warrior like Holecek go, but if Cowart really is better inside than getting rid of Holecek and saving $1 Million in cap money was the only decision to make. Holecek's reaction is understandable although I don't know how accurate his comments are. Now the club has money to sign the draft picks and they made Cowart happy which can help keep him when he becomes a free agent next off season. In other roster moves this week, the Bills signed free agent center Michael Early and free safety Brian Leigeb while cutting center Randall Cummins. Early spent two seasons in NFL Europe while Leigeb is a rookie. Our Take: Minor moves as these players are most likely camp fodder. The Bills put individual game tickets on sale Saturday morning and they are selling briskly. The opener against New Orleans and the Pittsburgh game no longer have individual tickets remaining. To get those games you would need to get season tickets or a power pack. The Jets and Miami games only have the green level left which is the higher rows of the upper decks. The three honoree games late in the season still have all levels available. Our Take: No matter how the Bills promote the late season games they will still be tough to sell. Although we fully expect the Kelly game against Seattle to sell out, We don't expect the Caroling and New England games to go unless playoff berths are at stake. On the season ticket sales front, the Bills are expecting an increase from a year ago. Last season they sold 36,501 and are trying to reach 40,000 this season. Our Take: With certain games close to sell outs, people may buy season tickets to get better seats. Tickets are selling well in Southern Ontario where there seems to be no backlash to the cutting of Doug Flutie. Now that the cap is under control the Bills need to get their remaining draft picks under contract. The agent for Travis Henry says he is close to a deal and it could be signed this week sometime. The agents for the other two unsigned picks also say they expect a deal before training camp for their clients. Our Take: With the Bills being a very young team this year more than ever it is so important to get all the picks in camp on time. In ex-Bills news, Jonathan Linton had a workout with Tennessee but it is unclear if they will sign him or not. Our Take: Linton is a serviceable back who should find work somewhere especially if a team gets some injuries in their backfield. Ruben Brown held a football camp for kids on Tuesday at the Stadium for youngsters between 9 and 12 years old from the Salvation Army youth programs. Brown was also honored by the Sporting News as one of 99 "good guys" in sports. Our Take: Brown definitely is one of the good guys in sports. Talk about it on The Stadium Wall
Week in Review index
Latest News Section
Archives Library
Back to Bills Daily Homepage