KingTuna
02-16-2005, 07:12 PM
Transcript: Quarterback Drew Bledsoe
Buffalobills.com
02/16/2005 5:00 PM
Opening Statement:
I first just want to say that it has been my privilege and has been my honor to be a part of the Bills organization. The fan loyalty and the national following that the Bills have was truly something to experience. With the exception of maybe Green Bay, there is not a place like Buffalo with the fan loyalty and their devotion to the team. It was really special to be a part of that. When and if the Bills ever win a World Championship, I will be a fan along with all of those people, just because of the experience that I had there.
I also want to express my gratitude to Mr. Wilson, in my experience he is truly a unique figure in professional sports in the way that he approaches professional football. He is a guy that has put loyalty to the Western New York area ahead of making dollars by moving the team and I think that is truly unique.
With that said, it is a sad day for me. I came to Buffalo with the intention of building an organization, and winning a World Championship in Buffalo. I didn't get that accomplished and now I won't have a chance to. It is a sad day for me because of that. With that though, I am very excited for what the future holds. I don't know where I am going to land but it will be someplace, and you will see me on the field next year playing for somebody and going forward with my career with that team. The one and only goal that I have is to win a World Championship.
On if he wishes he had one more year with the Bills:
No doubt. Coming out of last season, obviously we were all hugely disappointed with not having a chance to go on into the playoffs. We really felt like we were one of the hottest teams in the League at the end of the year and with that said, I was very disappointed coming out of last year. I had a great sense of optimism going into next year for what I could accomplish with the Bills and what we could accomplish offensively. It would have been our second year in the system and obviously the Bills defense is going to be strong again. Offensively last year we felt like we were starting to find our way later in the season, so yes, I would have liked another year. Probably for me, the most disappointing part is that I feel like I was here to help with the rebuilding process and it really felt like we were close last year and were going to be nothing but better for next year. It is very, very disappointing for me not to be a part of that team going forward.
On if he feels his release was unjust:
In a lot of ways, there are always metaphors for life that you can find in sports. One of those is that if you are looking for life or football to be fair, then you are going to be disappointed a lot. Do I think this is fair? No I don't think it's fair, but I am aware that that is how it works and I understand that. When I had the conversation with Mike (Mularkey) and first found out that the direction we were taking was with JP, I was beside myself. I was furious and angry. But since then I have gotten around to where I am excited to find out what the future holds and to move on to the next challenge.
On if this is a situation where he and the Bills agreed to disagree:
That is exactly what it is. There is no doubt in my mind that coming out of last season and going into next season that the best option for the Bills to go forward in pursuit of a Championship was with me at quarterback. The organization didn't agree with that and they have chosen to go in another direction. I agree to disagree and I can't understand their point of view, but that is their point of view and that is what they are going to do. I am going to go forward now and look forward to the next challenge.
On how difficult next season will be for JP Losman:
He is going to have the benefit of a defense that is going to play great for him and the Bills are going to have a very strong running game. Willis is going to be back at full strength and with a couple of changes in the offensive line probably, they will still have a good offensive line. JP is going to have a lot of help. He is going to have that defense setting him up like they did for us during that stretch last year when we won a bunch of games. I am sure that they will design an offense that is going to allow him to get out and run around. I don't think he is going to run the same offense that I ran, that wouldn't make much sense. I think they will probably let him run around and use his feet a little bit. It is going to be a challenge for him and it is going to be a big challenge for the team.
On if JP Losman's strengths cater to what Mike Mularkey wants his offense to be:
I didn't get into that. I know that the offense that they will run with JP will be fairly different from what I ran. That's the direction they want to go.
On why there he wasn't a chance to compete for the job:
Mike (Mularkey's) feeling was that he wanted to make the decision now and have it set. Probably the reason is because the offense is going to be different with JP than it was with me, and I think he wanted to clarify that early.
I will say this, after being through what is now the second time where I left a team; I want to commend the Bills in their handling of this situation. It is not a comfortable situation for me; I was pretty pissed off earlier this week. It has been quite a few days now since this decision was made and it didn't start to leak out until yesterday. The Bills handled it in a very classy way and allowed me to move on to another team, so I want to commend them for that as well.
On being a backup:
Backing up anybody is not something that I foresee for me; particularly J.P. I don't see myself as being a backup in this League.”I don't see myself as being a backup in this League. I think that if it comes to that, you will probably see me tip my hat and head back to the Northwest.
On if he is interested in Dallas:
Dallas is intriguing for obvious reasons, playing for my old coach and looking at the weapons they have offensively. But there are a number of teams that are possibilities and Dallas is one of those, but Dallas would be an interesting option.
On where things went awry in Buffalo after his first year:
The team decided to go into a different direction after my first year here. Peerless Price, Jay Riemersma, and Larry Centers all went away and that was 60% of our passing offense. Eric Moulds got hurt in the second year and he was our number one guy, and then this last year we decided to go with a power running attack. I also happened to play in my worst season ever weather-wise last year, so the numbers just weren't going to be the same. It was an organizational shift. When I first got there we were an offensive team that struggled defensively, and then the emphasis switched to defense, and our defense is outstanding, no question. As far as the numbers go, it was an organizational shift and how the Bills chose to approach it after that.
On how much the last game of the year versus Pittsburgh played into the decision:
I don't know. Whenever you trade away a bunch of draft picks to draft a guy in the first round, there is a commitment to that guy. In New England, I was the first pick in the draft, so there was obviously a commitment to get me on the field. I think that if they are going to trade away picks to draft a guy in the first round that they are going to try to get him on the field. Had the Pittsburgh game turned out differently and we won a playoff game or two, would the situation be different? I don't know, but probably. That certainly is not my call, but I would imagine that if we went to the playoffs it probably would have played out differently.
On if JP has what it takes to be successful in this League:
Like I said, he is going to have the benefit of a very good team around him. The Bills are going to run the ball effectively and they are going to have a defense that is going to play great for them and really started to turn the ball over for us last year. He is going to have the benefit of all of those things, and that is going to make his life easier.
On if he saw this move coming:
I guess I didn't to be honest with you. I really felt like with what we accomplished after starting out going 0-4 then to get back and get a bunch of wins in a row, I really didn't see it coming. I was really shocked when in the first conversation I had with Mike (Mularkey) he said he was going to try to make a decision; I didn't even see that there was going to be a chance for this happening. So it really was a shock to me, no question.
On if he will have to work himself up to be motivated to play this coming year:
When I first knew that there was going to be a change, there was a period of about 12 hours where I did some soul searching and was trying to figure out if I had the energy to get after it again. Then I started looking at some of the opportunities out there, and I started to get excited about it. I still have an absolute love for this game; I love to practice and the preparation. It's pretty cool to be 33-years-old and to be able to play a game for a living. I am passionate about it and I have some excitement to see what the next thing is, and I am really looking forward to that.
On if he has spoken to former teammates:
I haven't really talked to many guys. I talked to Trey Teague and Mark Campbell, but really the Bills did a good job of honoring our wishes and keeping this thing under wraps for while and we tried to do the same. I really didn't talk to many people just because I didn't want it to get out and there is mutual respect between us and the Bills. I am sure that I will, throughout the course of the day, talk to a lot of the guys.
http://www.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=3106
Buffalobills.com
02/16/2005 5:00 PM
Opening Statement:
I first just want to say that it has been my privilege and has been my honor to be a part of the Bills organization. The fan loyalty and the national following that the Bills have was truly something to experience. With the exception of maybe Green Bay, there is not a place like Buffalo with the fan loyalty and their devotion to the team. It was really special to be a part of that. When and if the Bills ever win a World Championship, I will be a fan along with all of those people, just because of the experience that I had there.
I also want to express my gratitude to Mr. Wilson, in my experience he is truly a unique figure in professional sports in the way that he approaches professional football. He is a guy that has put loyalty to the Western New York area ahead of making dollars by moving the team and I think that is truly unique.
With that said, it is a sad day for me. I came to Buffalo with the intention of building an organization, and winning a World Championship in Buffalo. I didn't get that accomplished and now I won't have a chance to. It is a sad day for me because of that. With that though, I am very excited for what the future holds. I don't know where I am going to land but it will be someplace, and you will see me on the field next year playing for somebody and going forward with my career with that team. The one and only goal that I have is to win a World Championship.
On if he wishes he had one more year with the Bills:
No doubt. Coming out of last season, obviously we were all hugely disappointed with not having a chance to go on into the playoffs. We really felt like we were one of the hottest teams in the League at the end of the year and with that said, I was very disappointed coming out of last year. I had a great sense of optimism going into next year for what I could accomplish with the Bills and what we could accomplish offensively. It would have been our second year in the system and obviously the Bills defense is going to be strong again. Offensively last year we felt like we were starting to find our way later in the season, so yes, I would have liked another year. Probably for me, the most disappointing part is that I feel like I was here to help with the rebuilding process and it really felt like we were close last year and were going to be nothing but better for next year. It is very, very disappointing for me not to be a part of that team going forward.
On if he feels his release was unjust:
In a lot of ways, there are always metaphors for life that you can find in sports. One of those is that if you are looking for life or football to be fair, then you are going to be disappointed a lot. Do I think this is fair? No I don't think it's fair, but I am aware that that is how it works and I understand that. When I had the conversation with Mike (Mularkey) and first found out that the direction we were taking was with JP, I was beside myself. I was furious and angry. But since then I have gotten around to where I am excited to find out what the future holds and to move on to the next challenge.
On if this is a situation where he and the Bills agreed to disagree:
That is exactly what it is. There is no doubt in my mind that coming out of last season and going into next season that the best option for the Bills to go forward in pursuit of a Championship was with me at quarterback. The organization didn't agree with that and they have chosen to go in another direction. I agree to disagree and I can't understand their point of view, but that is their point of view and that is what they are going to do. I am going to go forward now and look forward to the next challenge.
On how difficult next season will be for JP Losman:
He is going to have the benefit of a defense that is going to play great for him and the Bills are going to have a very strong running game. Willis is going to be back at full strength and with a couple of changes in the offensive line probably, they will still have a good offensive line. JP is going to have a lot of help. He is going to have that defense setting him up like they did for us during that stretch last year when we won a bunch of games. I am sure that they will design an offense that is going to allow him to get out and run around. I don't think he is going to run the same offense that I ran, that wouldn't make much sense. I think they will probably let him run around and use his feet a little bit. It is going to be a challenge for him and it is going to be a big challenge for the team.
On if JP Losman's strengths cater to what Mike Mularkey wants his offense to be:
I didn't get into that. I know that the offense that they will run with JP will be fairly different from what I ran. That's the direction they want to go.
On why there he wasn't a chance to compete for the job:
Mike (Mularkey's) feeling was that he wanted to make the decision now and have it set. Probably the reason is because the offense is going to be different with JP than it was with me, and I think he wanted to clarify that early.
I will say this, after being through what is now the second time where I left a team; I want to commend the Bills in their handling of this situation. It is not a comfortable situation for me; I was pretty pissed off earlier this week. It has been quite a few days now since this decision was made and it didn't start to leak out until yesterday. The Bills handled it in a very classy way and allowed me to move on to another team, so I want to commend them for that as well.
On being a backup:
Backing up anybody is not something that I foresee for me; particularly J.P. I don't see myself as being a backup in this League.”I don't see myself as being a backup in this League. I think that if it comes to that, you will probably see me tip my hat and head back to the Northwest.
On if he is interested in Dallas:
Dallas is intriguing for obvious reasons, playing for my old coach and looking at the weapons they have offensively. But there are a number of teams that are possibilities and Dallas is one of those, but Dallas would be an interesting option.
On where things went awry in Buffalo after his first year:
The team decided to go into a different direction after my first year here. Peerless Price, Jay Riemersma, and Larry Centers all went away and that was 60% of our passing offense. Eric Moulds got hurt in the second year and he was our number one guy, and then this last year we decided to go with a power running attack. I also happened to play in my worst season ever weather-wise last year, so the numbers just weren't going to be the same. It was an organizational shift. When I first got there we were an offensive team that struggled defensively, and then the emphasis switched to defense, and our defense is outstanding, no question. As far as the numbers go, it was an organizational shift and how the Bills chose to approach it after that.
On how much the last game of the year versus Pittsburgh played into the decision:
I don't know. Whenever you trade away a bunch of draft picks to draft a guy in the first round, there is a commitment to that guy. In New England, I was the first pick in the draft, so there was obviously a commitment to get me on the field. I think that if they are going to trade away picks to draft a guy in the first round that they are going to try to get him on the field. Had the Pittsburgh game turned out differently and we won a playoff game or two, would the situation be different? I don't know, but probably. That certainly is not my call, but I would imagine that if we went to the playoffs it probably would have played out differently.
On if JP has what it takes to be successful in this League:
Like I said, he is going to have the benefit of a very good team around him. The Bills are going to run the ball effectively and they are going to have a defense that is going to play great for them and really started to turn the ball over for us last year. He is going to have the benefit of all of those things, and that is going to make his life easier.
On if he saw this move coming:
I guess I didn't to be honest with you. I really felt like with what we accomplished after starting out going 0-4 then to get back and get a bunch of wins in a row, I really didn't see it coming. I was really shocked when in the first conversation I had with Mike (Mularkey) he said he was going to try to make a decision; I didn't even see that there was going to be a chance for this happening. So it really was a shock to me, no question.
On if he will have to work himself up to be motivated to play this coming year:
When I first knew that there was going to be a change, there was a period of about 12 hours where I did some soul searching and was trying to figure out if I had the energy to get after it again. Then I started looking at some of the opportunities out there, and I started to get excited about it. I still have an absolute love for this game; I love to practice and the preparation. It's pretty cool to be 33-years-old and to be able to play a game for a living. I am passionate about it and I have some excitement to see what the next thing is, and I am really looking forward to that.
On if he has spoken to former teammates:
I haven't really talked to many guys. I talked to Trey Teague and Mark Campbell, but really the Bills did a good job of honoring our wishes and keeping this thing under wraps for while and we tried to do the same. I really didn't talk to many people just because I didn't want it to get out and there is mutual respect between us and the Bills. I am sure that I will, throughout the course of the day, talk to a lot of the guys.
http://www.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=3106