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I once heard Tom Donahoe, the former Buffalo Bills president and general manager, call quarterback Drew Bledsoe a future Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Then again, Donahoe used to say a lot of things.

I was reminded of this when taking a glance at players who will make their first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot for 2012.

Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan, who's on the Hall of Fame selection committee and last weekend was elected president of the Pro Football Writers Association, blogged the top newcomers to consider the next few years.

The lists are helpful in speculating when fan favorites such as Andre Reed and Curtis Martin will get their Canton calls. They both were finalists this year -- Reed for the fifth time, Martin for the first -- but weren't added to the 2011 induction class Saturday.

Perhaps that development was fitting for Martin because his coach with the New England Patriots and New York Jets will be on the ballot again. They could get in together in 2012.

Bill Parcells has been a finalist twice, but not since 2002 because rules for coaches changed. They now must wait five years from their last game to be eligible for induction, and Parcells returned to the sidelines with the Dallas Cowboys in 2003.

Is Parcells a Hall of Famer? I know Miami Dolphins fans aren't too thrilled with him these days, but he did add to an already remarkable legacy -- two championships, different teams to the Super Bowl, a few organizational turnarounds -- by guiding the Dolphins from 1-15 to the AFC East title as their football operations boss.

Also on the ballot next year will be Bledsoe, running backs Corey Dillon and Tiki Barber, fullback Mike Alstott, guard Will Shields and coaches Bill Cowher and Marty Schottenheimer.

Bledsoe had a fine career with the Patriots, Bills and Cowboys and ranks eighth all-time in passing yards. But he was a Pro Bowler only four times and never was first-team All-Pro. Bledsoe was helpful in getting the Patriots their first championship, so he does have a ring. But that was Tom Brady's team.

Dillon also was a four-time Pro Bowler and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots. He ranks 17th in rushing yards and never led the league in a major rushing category.

Schottenheimer played for the Bills and Patriots before winning 61 percent of his regular-season games as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers. His 200 victories rank sixth all-time, but his 5-23 playoff record will hurt.

That group of first-time candidates -- plus the newcomers for 2013 -- bodes well for Reed. There won't be any new receivers for him to box out. He already has jockeyed ahead of contemporaries Cris Carter and Tim Brown by making the cut from 15 to 10 in the selection process the past two years. Carter and Brown haven't.

Gaughan highlighted first-year players for next few classes.

2013: Quarterback Vinny Testaverde, offensive linemen Larry Allen and Jonathan Ogden, defensive tackle Warren Sapp, defensive end Michael Strahan.

2014: Running back Shaun Alexander, receiver Marvin Harrison, linebacker Derrick Brooks, safety Rodney Harrison and coaches Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden and Mike Holmgren -- if they don't return to sideline work.

2015: Quarterback Kurt Warner, receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, tackles Orlando Pace and Walter Jones and linebacker Junior Seau.

LaDainian Tomlinson is on his way to visit the New York Jets.

The free-agent running back left the Minnesota Vikings facility Thursday night without a contract, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. That gives the Jets the next opportunity to meet with Tomlinson and present a contract Friday.

Tomlinson wouldn't be the featured back in either offense, so that's not an issue. He has said he would be satisfied as a third-down and short-yardage specialist. His decision will come down to comfort level and money.

Sports Illustrated's Jim Trotter, who has a close working relationship with Tomlinson, tweeted: "If the Jets really want Tomlinson, they'll have to bring it. Vikes really wowed him. Said he could see himself playing there."

He would add a needed dimension to the Jets' backfield. He can catch, a skill for which Shonn Greene hasn't shown any kind of proficiency.

Tomlinson's presence also would help the Jets cope while Leon Washington, who suffered a broken leg last year, completes his recovery. That is, of course, if Washington comes back. The Jets placed a second-round tender on Washington, and his agent has delivered ominous comments about other teams being interested. Talking with Tomlinson might catch Washington's attention.

An interesting angle to consider: Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer spent four years on the San Diego Chargers' coaching staff, serving as quarterbacks coach while his father, Marty Schottenheimer, was head coach.

That connection could prove pivotal.

Time for another installment of "Speed Dial," where I call three people in my cell phone address book and get their insight on a particular subject.

Today's question: Did the Miami Dolphins overspend when they gave Karlos Dansby, who never has been selected for a Pro Bowl, a five-year contract for $43 million, making him the NFL's highest-paid linebacker?

Marty Schottenheimer, 21-year NFL head coach:

"That sounds to me that it's expensive. It reminds me of when I was 6 years old and used to walk to the little grocery and candy store. When I say little, I mean you could barely fit five people in there. I used to go in there with my four, five, six, seven pennies. I could barely see above to counter. And I would say 'I want to take one of those, two of those, one of these ...' Mrs. Pascoe would have to stop me and say 'I'm sorry that's all the money you have.' That was my first exposure to what it was like to be a coach in the National Football League. My math has never been very good, but I understood what it meant.

"My theory has always been there's an amount of money you can spend, and you need to spread it out the right way to find the players that will help your football team. Some guys get paid more than they're worth, and some guys get paid less than they're worth. The market for Dansby was established somewhere by somebody.

"There are a number of people that would not be willing to make that kind of commitment, but the Dolphins know their situation better than anybody, and there might be other factors they desired other than play on the field -- leadership ability and the like. I've always thought that when it comes to free agents nobody knows what you're looking for like you do. The benefit you have in free agency is you have a pretty good idea how a guy is going to play at this level. Coming out of college, there are no assurances."

Kim Bokamper, Pro Bowl outside linebacker for the Dolphins and sports anchor of Miami's CBS affiliate:

"I've gotten to a point with free agency where I have to wait and see before I have an opinion because so many times they pick up guys you feel good about and they don't perform. That, to me, has always been the biggest question: Will he play as hard now that he's got the cash in his pocket compared to when he didn't -- relative to the amount of money these guys make. A perfect example is Ernest Wilford. He got some money in his pocket and put it in neutral.

"But with Dansby, you bring in a guy at middle linebacker who's a playmaker that they need. It kind of signals that the owner or the management feels that they're close and they're willing to go out and make a splash and spend a big chunk of change on someone who can put them there they need to be this year, and that's the playoffs.

"I have these visions in my head of running backs and tight ends running crossing routes or running down the middle of the field and watching our linebackers trailing them, two or three steps behind. If Dansby resolves that, then I'm all for it.

"Is there another guy out there considered better? If so, then I'd question the money. I don't think anybody can argue you'd pay more for anybody else out there than you would on this guy."

Keith Sims, three-time Pro Bowl guard for the Dolphins in the 1990s:

"I'm hoping we're not talking about another Dolphins free-agent bust like Eric Green, Ernest Wilford or Gibril Wilson. They haven't hit on their free agents. Otherwise, they'd have that cornerback, have that safety, have that receiver.

"Barring injury, [Dansby] will be a solid player for years. My question is whether he's going to be worth the dollars. I think it was a glaring need for the Dolphins, and he's a guy that's been productive. I think he brings a lot to table, and the one thing the Dolphins did not want to do was allow him to go to another team for a visit. He was able to force their hand and force them to pay top dollars to stop him from getting on that plane.

"Maybe they overpaid a little bit, but he solves a huge hole in the middle of the defense. The Dolphins identified what they wanted, saw he was the best player on the market and did what it took to go out and sign him. They went with the -- quote, unquote -- safest guy as they possibly could find and gave him the money.

"It's perfect timing for the player. He had all the leverage in the world. The team was desperate to fill the position, and they could've drafted [Rolando] McClain out of Alabama, but I always feel more comfortable paying top dollar to a veteran who has produced rather than a guy who's unproven, coming out of college."

In a matter of a few hours, Dan Reeves already seems to have backed away from talk of him joining Chan Gailey's staff with the Buffalo Bills.

In a story posted by Buffalo's CBS affiliate, Reeves told sports director and Bills' play-by-play voice John Murphy "I tell you, if I could help Chan Gailey out, I would certainly be interested in that."

Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz followed up on the report by calling the former Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons head coach at his home.

Reeves said hasn't heard from Gailey since a few days before he was named head coach and had no idea at the time Gailey was being considered for the job.

"It's news to me," Reeves said of talk he might be added to Gailey's staff. Reeves has known Gailey for decades, having coached him in youth baseball.

Reeves came close to returning to the Dallas Cowboys as a consultant last year, but the deal fell through. He told Schultz his desire to return "is fading out. The big thing about the NFL is somebody has to want you. All of the young guys are having success, so they're not that interested [in somebody older]."

Then again, these are the vague and aw-shucks kinds of comments unemployed coaches deliver in moments like these. Marty Schottenheimer also made public statements that belied his true wishes to coach the Bills.

But it didn't sound like Gailey had Reeves in mind when asked about the coaches he was considering to fill out his staff. At Tuesday's news conference, Gailey said he already had begun the process but "the people that we're going to attract probably won't have the names that somebody might recognize right off the bat."

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A day after the New York Jets defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the playoffs, I asked Brian Schottenheimer if meeting the San Diego Chargers in the second round would be special for him.

He claimed it wouldn't be a big deal.

"Somebody asked me if that added merit to [the victory]," Schottenheimer said Thursday at a news conference, "and maybe I wasn't 100 percent truthful."

The Chargers fired his father, Marty Schottenheimer, after going 14-2 in 2006 but losing their first playoff game. Norv Turner just went 13-3, lost his first playoff game and received a contract extension from the Chargers.

"It was important for us to win that game because I have friends on that team," said Brian Schottenheimer, who was Chargers quarterbacks coach from 2002 through 2005, "but it also felt really nice to be able to pick up the phone and be able to talk to my father and tell him that was for him because, obviously, they did a lot of great things ... and 14-2, to get fired is a tough situation."

Jets head coach Rex Ryan knew the significance of Sunday's victory to the Schottenheimer family. Ryan awarded Marty a game ball.

"That meant the world to me," Brian Schottenheimer said. "They painted it up. They sent it down to him. He's coaching in the East-West Shrine Game. That, obviously, meant a lot to him. That meant a lot to me and my father that Rex took the time to think about that."

Brian Schottenheimer will be coaching in his first conference championship game, but he experienced a nightmarish run of them through his father.

Marty Schottenheimer owns a .613 winning percentage in 21 seasons as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins and Chargers. But his reputation is based on his inability to reach the Super Bowl.

Marty Schottenheimer was 0-3 in conference title games. His two Cleveland losses were so epic, they had their own names: The Drive and The Fumble. When he guided the Chiefs to the title game in Buffalo, Joe Montana was knocked out before halftime.

"Those were difficult times," Brian Schottenheimer said. "They were things when you look back, you're like, 'How can that happen to one person, one team?'

"He's always said he didn't want his legacy to be defined by wins and losses, and obviously he won a lot of games. He wanted his legacy to be defined by what people say about him, what his players felt about him, what his coaches felt about him.

"In that regard, he's one of the best of all-time. He doesn't have a Super Bowl ring, but he handled those losses with dignity and respect and class that maybe some people didn't."

Now that the Buffalo Bills have named Chan Gailey their head coach, folks who have been silent about the search process are going to start filling in some blanks.

One prominent agent who represents coaches told me the Bills front office, and owner Ralph Wilson in particular, simply didn't have an appetite for some hopefuls. We're learning who a few those wallflowers are.

Sources close to Marty Schottenheimer told me Tuesday he wanted to the job.

Now Brian Billick is speaking up.

Billick also wanted to be the Bills' head coach but couldn't procure an interview, much less an offer.

"I just wanted to make sure I was clear that [Bills general manager Buddy Nix] had not called," Billick told reporter Aaron Saykin of Buffalo NBC affiliate WGRZ. "Why he had not called a coach with a Super Bowl ring, 10 wins a year for nine years, having orchestrated the highest-scoring offense and defense in the history of the league, is a question worth asking. But I never spoke with Mr. Nix."

Good question, indeed.

Gailey isn't an awful choice. He has fine credentials.

But why the Bills wouldn't at least interview Schottenheimer or Billick is beyond me.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Contrary to the diplomatic comments he made on his radio show, Marty Schottenheimer actually did want the Buffalo Bills head-coaching job.

Badly.

Bills owner Ralph Wilson, however, wasn't interested, sources close to Schottenheimer informed me Tuesday after the club introduced Chan Gailey as their man.

Schottenheimer had a strong desire to return to coaching after three years away from the sidelines and had an ally in former Bills general manager Buddy Nix. They became close while working together with the San Diego Chargers.

Schottenheimer played linebacker four seasons with the Bills, winning an AFL title with them in 1965.

But the Bills couldn't consider Schottenheimer a candidate because Wilson wasn't comfortable with him, the sources said.

Schottenheimer has a 200-126-1 record as head coach for the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins and Chargers. He took his teams to the playoffs 12 times, but owns a 5-13 record there.

The Bills did extend an interview request to Schottenheimer's son, New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. The Jets granted permission last week, but Brian Schottenheimer declined the invitation.

The Buffalo Bills -- or any other interested NFL team -- wouldn't be allowed to interview Brian Schottenheimer until the New York Jets have been ejected from the playoffs.

So there's no sense in asking him about head-coaching vacancies. Schottenheimer, one the NFL's hottest assistants, couldn't discuss them if he wanted to.

After Saturday's 24-14 playoff victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Paul Brown Stadium, Jets head coach Rex Ryan bemoaned what he claimed is the near-certain loss of Schottenheimer after this season.

"I realize we're probably only going to have him for as long as we're in this tournament," Ryan said, "but we're enjoying it right now."

Schottenheimer might not be interested in leaving the Jets

On Sunday, he reiterated his comments from last week that he's content with the Jets. He said he's fascinated by their future with rookies such as Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene and young Pro Bowl linemen Nick Mangold and D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

"I'd love to be a head coach, but I say that with an asterisk," Schottenheimer said. "That's my dream, but I want to be a head coach when the time is right, when the situation is right. I don't want to just take a job to take a job.

"For the first time in three years, I'm really, really happy. I'm happy working for Rex. I love the area. I love the Jets fans. I love what we've done. I love the guys on our roster."

That didn't sound like an ode to Jets head coach Eric Mangini.

Neither does this:

"In the past couple years, I've been looking [for head-coaching jobs] and hoping it works out," Schottenheimer said. "This year is totally different. I'm in a really happy spot in my life.

"I hope it happens at some point down the line, but I won't be disappointed if I'm here the next five or six years."

Schottenheimer's father, Marty, has been a rumored candidate for the Bills' opening because of a close friendship with new general manager Buddy Nix. Some fans fancy the idea of both Schottenheimers coming to Buffalo.

"I think his days on the sidelines are over," Brian Schottenheimer said.

I asked Brian Schottenheimer if both Schottenheimers have discussed a situation where the father would serve under the son.

"We joke about it more than anything," Brian Schottenheimer said. "I always say I want to pay him back for all the long hours I worked under him.

"He's really happy being retired. He's enjoying being a fan, and he's there for counsel with me and is always good at giving me feedback.

"Besides, I probably couldn't afford him."

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Two years ago, Buddy Nix and Marty Schottenheimer were shopping around for jobs together and appeared close to landing with the Atlanta Falcons.

With news the Buffalo Bills have promoted Nix from their scouting department to general manager, you have to wonder if this opens the door for Schottenheimer to be the Bills' next head coach.

On Nov. 24, Schottenheimer told the audience of "The Red Zone," his show on Sirius NFL Radio, that he wasn't interested in returning to the sidelines.

"From the coaching standpoint of it, you know, I'll be very candid with you and say it's nice to think that people would consider you," Schottenheimer said, "but the reality of it is is that after 30 great years, I'm really not going to go back down that road again."

Sure, and Bill Parcells was done coaching after the New York Jets. And Nick Saban wasn't a candidate for the Alabama job.

Could Nix's promotion sway Schottenheimer, who played linebacker for the Bills in the 1960s?

When the tandem was being considered for the Falcons, Chargers general manager A.J. Smith noted how close Nix and Schottenheimer were in San Diego.

"If true, I believe a Buddy Nix-Marty Schottenheimer team in Atlanta would be a perfect fit," Smith told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Buddy got along well with Schottenheimer. They socialized together, went out to dinner, golfed together, sat together on the plane, talked football all the time."

The Falcons instead hired Thomas Dimitroff, from the New England Patriots front office, to be general manager and Mike Smith to be head coach.

In case you're keeping score in the Buffalo Bills' search for a head coach, another prominent name apparently isn't interested.

NFL.com senior columnist Vic Carucci reports Mike Holmgren "has rejected an overture from the Bills" because the former Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks coach and executive is believed to have his eye on an administrative job rather than one on the sidelines.

That means every one of the so-called A-list of Super Bowl-winning candidates has been accounted for in reportage -- for now.

Mike Shanahan has accepted an invitation to meet with the Bills about the opening. Jon Gruden, Bill Cowher and Holmgren declined.

Marty Schottenheimer also stated publicly he has not been in contact with the Bills about the job and, in regards to coaching, "I'm really not going to go back down that road again."

In the days after firing head coach Dick Jauron, the Buffalo Bills generated some electricity among their fans when reports linked them to the sexiest candidates on the market.

The reports, citing team and league sources, suggested the Bills were in hot pursuit of an elite coach. Former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan agreed to discuss the opening.

But in the span of a few days, three well-known coaches have indicated they're not interested in Buffalo.

A weekend report from Buffalo TV station WIVB stated the Bills contacted Jon Gruden and "went after him hard," but he spurned them. ESPN's John Clayton and the NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora reported the Bills had contacted Bill Cowher, who said he won't interview with anybody until the season is over.

On Tuesday afternoon, former Bills linebacker Marty Schottenheimer essentially took his name out of the running.

Schottenheimer, co-host of Sirius NFL Radio's "The Red Zone", discussed comments ESPN's Chris Mortensen made on the "Monday Night Football" pregame show. Mortensen said Schottenheimer could be a candidate for the Bills' vacancy.

"I think [the report] may have had something to do with a reunion of that 1965 Buffalo Bills team that we had," Schottenheimer said. "That’s probably a lot closer to the reality of it.

"I was a bit taken back. My wife looked at me kind of like, 'Hello?' And I said, 'I'm home!' It's flattering but there’s nothing there."

Alex Marvez, host of the "The Red Zone," asked if Schottenheimer had any interest in returning to the NFL as a general manager or a head coach.

"I’ve never really considered the general manager thing," Schottenheimer said, "other than some dialogue that I had with Clark Hunt [of the Kansas City Chiefs], and it was more of a discussion about the various roles and can a guy do both or can a guy go from the coaching side of it to the administrative or executive side of it, if you will. And certainly [Bill] Parcells has indicated that you could.

"But to be very candid with you I don't really think that I'm a candidate for any GM role, first of all, because I think it's a totally different animal. And Parcells may think otherwise, but it's not something that I would have an interest in.

"And from the coaching standpoint of it, you know, I'll be very candid with you and say it's nice to think that people would consider you, but the reality of it is is that after 30 great years, I'm really not going to go back down that road again."

Now that the Buffalo Bills have fired Dick Jauron, who are the candidates to be their head coach in 2010?

Here are some thoughts on a few potential candidates in no particular order:

Bill Cowher: It would take a gigantic change of philosophy for Bills owner Ralph Wilson to sign off on a larger-than-life coach such as Cowher. Wilson's modus operandi has been to pursue coaches who don't command a high salary and don't expect organizational control. Cowher essentially has his choice of any openings and will need to be dazzled by an offer the Bills have no history of making.

Mike Holmgren: See Cowher.

Mike Shanahan: See Holmgren.

Jon Gruden: See Shanahan.

Tony Dungy: See all of the above. Plus, he seems to enjoy retirement. He had peace of mind in leaving one of the NFL's elite franchises. It would be a colossal stunner if he would consider joining one of the decade's least successful clubs.

Marty Schottenheimer: The former Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers head coach has a reputation for getting his teams into the playoffs but not Super Bowls. Bills fans certainly would settle for that. Schottenheimer spent four seasons playing linebacker for Buffalo, winning an AFL championship his rookie year.

Jim Haslett: Many observers see the former New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams head coach as the perfect choice. Teams often like to go with a coach that has a different personality from the one they just fired. Haslett would be that. He's fiery. He also has a history with Buffalo. He played linebacker for the Bills from 1979 through 1985 and got his start in coaching as an assistant for the University of Buffalo.

Brian Billick: If the Bills wanted a coach with an offensive background, Billick is available. He was Baltimore Ravens coach for nine seasons, winning the Super Bowl in 2000.

Mike Martz: Similar to Billick, he's an offensive coach with Super Bowl credentials and currently works for the NFL Network. He coached The Greatest Show on Turf with the Rams for six seasons.

Jim Fassel: Fassel likely would be reasonably priced. He has been eager to get back into the NFL since he was fired as the Ravens' offensive coordinator in 2006. Fassel was head coach of the New York Giants from 1997 through 2003, winning one NFC title.

Perry Fewell: The Bills' defensive coordinator has been named interim head coach. He never has been a head coach at any level, but when clubs look for an interim coach from within, they generally look to the offensive or defensive coordinator. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was installed 10 days before the regular season and hasn't exactly done a bang-up job.

Bobby April: Buffalo's assistant head coach and special-teams coordinator would seem to be a candidate based on how highly he's respected around the league. But it doesn't bode well that Wilson bypassed him for Fewell.

Other names to consider: Todd Bowles (Miami Dolphins secondary), Ted Cottrell (former Bills defensive coordinator), Jason Garrett (Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator), Turner Gill (University of Buffalo head coach) Leslie Frazier (Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator), Mike Leach (Texas Tech head coach), Paul Pasqualoni (Dolphins defensive coordinator), Brian Schottenheimer (New York Jets offensive coordinator), Marc Trestman (Montreal Alouettes head coach).

	US Presswire
	Bills legends Ralph Wilson Jr. and Bruce Smith were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

CANTON, Ohio -- There was little doubt what anyone who stepped to the microphone needed to do to get a reaction from the crowd at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony Saturday night in Fawcett Stadium.

Roger Staubach is no dummy. When he wanted to generate more applause for Bob Hayes' family, he announced they were from Buffalo. They aren't, but Staubach knew his audience.

Carl Peterson, the former Kansas City Chiefs executive who spoke for the late Derrick Thomas, made it a point to remind everyone Marty Schottenheimer played for the Buffalo Bills back in the day. Schottenheimer, already an emotional mess from listening to the memories of the great linebacker, trembled even more when the fans cheered.

2009 Hall of Fame Induction " Enshrinement Zoom Gallery " HOF Speech Transcripts " Ceremony has Bills flavor

And when Rich Eisen tried to tell some jokes about Rod Woodson and heard crickets, he should have just pumped his fist into the air and screamed "Buffalo!" Then he would have gotten a response. A big one.

Canton is the new South Buffalo this weekend.

Fans made the four-hour drive to watch two more of their Bills -- founder Ralph Wilson Jr. and defensive end Bruce Smith -- get inducted.

On Sunday night, the current Bills will play the Tennessee Titans in the annual Hall of Fame Game. It will be the Bills debut for future Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens.

Of the 12,695 fans in attendance Saturday night, a third reportedly hailed from the 716 area code.

	AP Photo/Tony Dejak
	Buffalo fans were in full force at Saturday's Hall of Fame inductions.

Not even a steady afternoon rain would deter them. Diehards wearing jerseys of almost every former Bills star you could imagine streamed into town to hear Wilson and Smith deliver speeches in their yellow jackets.

"Certainly feels like a home game," Smith said with a smile after he walked to the lectern. Calls of "Bruuuuuuuuuce" cascaded from the concrete bleachers.

Wilson and Smith bookended the evening. Wilson's presenter, ESPN's Chris Berman, played to the crowd by asking them to recite their favorite catchphrase with him: "No one circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills."

After Randall McDaniel, Hayes, Woodson and Thomas were honored, Smith went last.

His presenter, former Bills defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, asked all the Bills who played on those Super Bowl teams to stand. Of course, Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, James Lofton and Marv Levy were on the stage. Mixed among the crowd were Darryl Talley, Andre Reed, Steve Tasker, Kent Hull, Will Wolford and others.

Bills fans, who haven't seen their team in the playoffs since the 1999 season, wistfully cheered each name as it was announced.

Smith's speech was wonderfully paced. He paid homage to his family and his mentors. He thanked the Washington Redskins and his agent. He mentioned each of his doctors by name.

Then, about 12 minutes into his speech, when he was supposed to be wrapping it up, he really got started, heaping praise on Buffalo.

"What a ride it was," Smith said before ticking off the accomplishments: four straight AFC titles, the K-Gun offense, the Comeback Game.

"And the record-breaking attendance set by the greatest fans in the NFL," Smith said.

Fawcett Stadium erupted.

"Thurman Thomas, you're undoubtedly the most complete running back of our era," Smith said while lauding his former mates. "My life would be a little less right if I didn't have you to laugh and joke with.

"P.S. I hid your helmet."

Fawcett Stadium erupted again. Without so many Bills fans in attendance, the crickets probably would have resumed chirping.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports Bill Cowher on Tuesday night turned down an invitation from the New York Jets to discuss their coaching vacancy.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

NEW YORK -- Jets owner Woody Johnson was appalled by his team's performance throughout the course of the season, but said he made up his mind Sunday night he would fire head coach Eric Mangini.

So, Jets fans, feel free to us this forum to share your favorite Mangini memories or lobby for your preferred replacement. Here are a few names to mull:

• Bill Cowher
• Marty Schottenheimer (father of Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer)
• Jim Fassel
• Brian Billick
  
• Bill Parcells (could be a free agent)
• Herm Edwards
• Steve Spagnuolo
• Josh McDaniels
• Mike Mularkey
• Rex Ryan
  
• Paul Pasqualoni
• Urban Meyer

The Jets finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs despite a splendid showing deep into November, when they had compiled an 8-3 record after consecutive road victories over the New England Patriots and the undefeated Tennessee Titans.

"We just felt we could get a better fit moving forward with someone else at this point," Johnson said at a Monday morning news conference.

But Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum were vague and dodged questions when reporters tried to get specific reasons why Mangini was fired.

Maybe Mangini refused to accept demotion to the cafeteria. We're not sure yet.

Johnson suggested he had decided a change was needed early in the season, but there's no way Mangini's dismissal would be in the cards in November, when they were the fashionable pick to win the AFC and perhaps play an all-New York Super Bowl against the Giants.

Tannenbaum, who made the decision to trade for Brett Favre and cut Chad Pennington, apparently is safe.

"Mike has done a very good job trying to get talent and to fill all positions with talent and backups," Johnson said.