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The New York Jets were hoping for a bigger name with more starting experience to back up Mark Sanchez. But after giving Sanchez a $58.25 million contract that ensures he will be the starter for at least the next two years, the pool of quality candidates dwindled.

The Jets finally found their backup quarterback Friday. New York announced it agreed to a one-year contract with former Detroit Lions reserve quarterback Drew Stanton. He spent the past four years in Detroit, and three years of those behind Lions franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Stanton, who has four career starts, has thrown for five touchdowns and nine interceptions. He's not the kind of quarterback who can challenge and push Sanchez. But New York showed that's not the goal after giving Sanchez the contract extension.

Here are some other free-agent notes around the AFC East Friday:

• The Jets also announced they agreed to terms with receiver Chaz Schilens. He caught 21 receptions for 271 yards and two touchdowns last year with the Oakland Raiders.
• The New England Patriots officially announce the signings of safety Steve Gregory and linebacker Tracy White.
• Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson said he's happy about the Mario Williams signing and that money was not an issue.

Buffalo Bills center Kent Hull died Tuesday at his home in Mississippi. He was a key figure on Buffalo's offensive line during the Bills multiple postseason runs in the 1990s.

Here are statements on Hull from Bills owner Ralph Wilson, former Buffalo coach Marv Levy and former teammate Jim Kelly:

Ralph Wilson

"I am so very saddened to hear of the passing of Kent Hull. Kent was a terrific player for us, who was often overshadowed by some of the bigger names we had in our Super Bowl years. But Kent was one of the key components of our team and of our high-powered offenses in the 90’s that enjoyed so much success. But he was so much more than just a good player on a good team. He was a great leader on and off the field and respected by everyone who knew him. He was a true gentleman who was as nice as anyone you’d ever want to meet and as tough as any player I’ve ever known. If you were lucky enough to have Kent as a friend, you had a cherished friend for life. This is a sad day for me and all of us in the Bills organization as well as all of our fans. I will miss Kent very much, but will always remember fondly the great man and great player that he was. I want to offer my deepest sympathies to his wife Kay and his entire family in this most difficult time."

Marv Levy

"Kent Hull was one of the most memorable players that I coached during my long 47-year career. He was one of the most outstanding young men I’ve ever known. Kent was a fantastic teammate and a great leader. He had outstanding ability and was a wonderful family man. Kent was revered by his teammates, coaches, all of the great Buffalo Bills fans and certainly by me."

Jim Kelly

"Words fall short when the pain runs so deep. I’m finding it hard to describe what this loss means to me and my family. Kent Hull was my best friend. A man of great courage, faith and character. He will be missed and never forgotten. My family and I will continue to pray for Kent’s wife Kay and his two children, Drew and Ellen as they grieve the loss of this great man."

Buffalo Bills

Defensive coordinator George Edwards is feeling better about his unit than he was this time last year.

The Ralph C. Wilson Foundation has given a $2.5 million gift to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to assist in an expansion project.

Miami Dolphins

Kory Sheets is out to prove that he can be an every-down running back.

Vernon Carey has agreed to take a pay cut and will move from right tackle to right guard.

New England Patriots

Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald: "The persona and identity of the Patriots' defense has started to change. Almost in one fell swoop, the unit, and front seven in particular, has adopted a new attitude."

Matt Light is happy to still be in New England, but he admits he had his doubts during the offseason.

New York Jets

The Jets are reportedly targeting former Ravens receiver Derrick Mason.

Running back Shonn Greene says he is ready to step up and carry the workload.

The Buffalo Bills are living in the moment.

Los Angeles developers are stalking an NFL team for relocation, their owner is 92 years old and reports about the latest labor negotiations indicate small-market teams could have a tougher time competing in the new NFL economy.

Bills chief executive officer Russ Brandon claimed they can't afford to worry about the long-term future of the franchise. He said Thursday afternoon "we focus on the here and now."

But it's rather evident by his words the Bills are simultaneously concerned with here and there, straddling the U.S.-Canadian border.

"Regionalization works," Brandon said, "and it will be a linchpin to everything that we do from a business standpoint moving forward."

A news conference to discuss Friday night's unveiling of the Bills new uniform inevitably turned toward this week's lockout talks and how the club could be impacted by the next collective bargaining agreement.

ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton has reported the latest proposal framework includes mechanisms that require teams to spend almost all the way to the salary cap in current player payroll. That would make it tougher for the Bills to maintain the profitability it's used to.

Under the previous CBA, teams could spend just under 90 percent to the ceiling in cap figures, which could include dead money being paid to players no longer on the roster.

"I think the response is we just focus here and we focus now on everything that we can control, and that's keeping this building full, keeping all of our business platforms full," Brandon said. "We're a volume business. We're a very affordable business, as you know here with our ticket prices, and that's what we focus on.

"My job and everyone's job in this organization is to focus on this organization and our fans and that’s really what we do on a day-in and day-out basis."

Brandon declined to discuss specifics of the latest CBA proposal, but it wasn't difficult to gather the Bills' viability depends on Canadian interests.

The Bills have been forced to get creative over the past dozen years or so. Brandon said their attempts to regionalize the club have paid off. They moved training camp to St. John Fisher College in the Rochester area in 2000.

The Bills sold off five regular-season and three preseason games to Toronto for $78 million, the annual series running from 2008 through 2012.

Both agreements are likely to continue. Brandon said the Bills' season-ticket base from Southern Ontario has grown 44 percent since they began playing games in Toronto.

"When you look at it from our standpoint we're always looking to do everything in our power to keep this team viable," Brandon said Thursday, "and as you've heard many times from me: regionalization, regionalization and regionalization.

"When you look at our region of totality it's a very large market, and we're looking to bring fans back to Ralph Wilson Stadium. It's been a very successful venture for us and we're going to continue that process moving forward."

Brandon's comments concurred with sentiments expressed by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a conference call with Bills season-ticket holders last month.

"We certainly hope the Buffalo Bills continue to be in Western New York," said Goodell, a native of nearby Jamestown, N.Y. "As a Western New York guy, I know how important it is to that region and how passionate our fans are there.

"The effort we've been going through with the Buffalo Bills and I would call the business leaders in the surrounding areas is to regionalize the team and to draw from a broader area, including Southern Ontario and the Toronto area. I believe that'll be good for the Bills to be successful in Buffalo."

Bills fans ought to get used to sharing. It would be better than waving.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that prominent bond-fund manager Jeffrey Gundlach is trying to field a group to purchase the Buffalo Bills.

"It's not an investment," Grundlach told the Wall Street Journal. "It's because I love the Bills."

The Bills quickly released a statement proclaiming the team is not for sale, but the Wall Street Journal article noted Grundlach's acknowledgment the Bills probably won't be available as long as owner Ralph Wilson is alive. Wilson is 92 years old.

Barron's wrote a feature on Gundlach, a Western New York native, in February. The headline called Grundlach "The King of Bonds" and referred to him in the first sentence as "celebrated" in the industry.

This type of development should be significant to Bills fans not because Gundlach offers any guarantees for keeping the team from moving. Too many problems crop up when trying to pull off such a major transaction. Investors change their minds. Uncontrollable outside variables frequently derail plans.

But what I find notable about this story is that it's another reminder there are a lot of rich folks out there who sports fans have never heard of.

For decades, Western New Yorkers have wrung their hands over what would happen when Wilson passes away. Bills fans have hung their hopes on former Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano, a billionaire from nearby Rochester, and legendary quarterback Jim Kelly, who for years has publicly discussed putting together a group to keep the team in the area but has been vague on details.

Last fall, however, Sabres fans had nary a clue who Terry Pegula is. Turns out, Forbes estimates he's the 128th richest American with a net worth of $3 billion. He also happens to have roots in Western New York, has long been a Sabres fan and bought the team with ease.

Pegula and Grundlach just go to show that trying to figure out the next owner of the Bills is virtually impossible.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's tour of season-ticket holders resumed Monday with Buffalo Bills fans.

The conference call started off poorly. Technical difficulties prevented the second question from being asked until about 15 minutes into the session. Monday's mammoth appellate court ruling that allowed the lockout to endure wasn't discussed. Goodell's answers were dominated by boilerplate spin.

Reporters were allowed to listen in but not participate in the call. Goodell deserves marks for remaining on the line to talk for 46 minutes, but I hung up from the call feeling like I hadn't learned a thing.

Many questions dealt with the Bills as a small-market franchise and wondered how the lockout and new collective bargaining agreement would impact revenue sharing. Predictably, Goodell replied by stating the league's plan would keep small-market teams competitive.

One fan asked if Goodell, a native of nearby Jamestown, N.Y., could ensure the Bills remain in the area. Goodell didn't make any guarantees and emphasized the need to continue playing games in Toronto, a sentiment Bills CEO Russ Brandon delivered March 28. Brandon said the Bills' Southern Ontario season-ticket base had grown 44 percent since the Bills began exporting their games to the Rogers Centre in 2008.

"We certainly hope the Buffalo Bills continue to be in Western New York," Goodell said. "As a Western New York guy, I know how important it is to that region and how passionate our fans are there.

"The effort we've been going through with the Buffalo Bills and I would call the business leaders in the surrounding areas is to regionalize the team and to draw from a broader area, including Southern Ontario and the Toronto area. I believe that'll be good for the Bills to be successful in Buffalo."

Another caller asked about the possibility of a new stadium. Goodell said he wasn't aware of any proposal to replace Ralph Wilson Stadium and used the opportunity to hammer home one of the league's main talking points about the importance of withholding a larger portion of revenues before sharing with the players.

"It's one of the things we're trying to address in the collective bargaining agreement to make sure the Buffalo Bills and small-market teams can be successful is 'How do we encourage those investments in the stadiums, which are more and more being made in part by the private sector, meaning primarily the teams and-or the business community and the fans?' We need to encourage that, but those costs continue to rise, and those need to be recognized in the system."

There wasn't much news to digest, but the Q&A sessions are meant for the fans, not the media.

The conference-call tour is a brilliant marketing move by the league. Even season-ticket holders who don't participate receive advance notice of the option to communicate directly with Goodell if they wanted to.

Two AFC East owners were heard from over the weekend. Both of them sympathized with the fans in the whole lockout mess.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft attended an event Sunday at Gillette Stadium and shared his feelings about the labor stalemate.

"One of my concerns is that we not aggravate our fan base, and we have to be very careful," Kraft said in a story written by ESPNBoston.com reporter Mike Reiss. "I think we're coming to that point now where we start to hurt ourselves collectively in the eyes of our fans. In the end, the fans just want football. They don't want to hear about all this meaningless squabbling."

Buffalo Bills founder Ralph Wilson spoke with New York Daily News writer Gary Myers about the lockout.

Myers tracked down Wilson to revisit the collective bargaining agreement that was reached in March 2006. Wilson and Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown were the only two not to vote in favor of that CBA. The owners voted 32-0 to abandon the deal in 2008, but Myers wrote Wilson refused to gloat over his foresight.

"I hope the sides come to an agreement," Wilson said. "I hope they can. I miss football like millions of other people."

Wilson, 92, hasn't been involved in the latest negotiations and didn't attend the annual owners meeting in New Orleans two months ago.

Wilson also commented on the economic hardships of doing business in Western New York.

"It's very difficult," Wilson said. "We've had a tough time. We've hung in there. Buffalo has lost population, and it's a tough go. When I came in the league, it was the 14th largest city in the league. All the corporations moved out of Buffalo. We're doing alright. We will make it, but it's not easy."

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills fans have pondered some persistent questions over the years.

How would life have changed if Scott Norwood made that kick?

What will happen to the team when Ralph Wilson passes away?

Was the Music City Miracle really a forward lateral?

How on earth does Tom Modrak still have a job?

Modrak is Buffalo's vice president of college scouting. Modrak, formerly a Pittsburgh Steelers scout during their Steel Curtain years and director of football operations with the Philadelphia Eagles, has held the Bills' top scouting job since May 2001 and worked his first draft for them in 2002.

In that time, the Bills' streak of seasons without a playoff appearance has extended to 11 and counting. Despite holding prime draft-order slots, they have repeatedly squandered them with maddening first-round decisions.

The list is enough to make the most optimistic Bills fan groan: pass-rusher Aaron Maybin (zero sacks) 11th overall instead of Brian Orakpo (19.5 sacks) two years ago; small-school cornerback Leodis McKelvin 11th overall instead of Pro Bowl left tackle Ryan Clady in 2008; safety Donte Whitner with the eighth pick in 2006 and then trading up for defensive tackle John McCargo; trading up for quarterback J.P. Losman in 2004; useless tackle Mike Williams fifth in 2002.

"Certainly we've had our misses up at the top," Modrak said Tuesday at a news conference to preview next week's draft. "We've done pretty well in the middle and at the end, the non-glamour kind of picks. But we've missed some. That is regrettable."

There are additional selections one can criticize: wide receiver James Hardy in the second round; running back C.J. Spiller ninth overall even though the Bills had a pair of 1,000-yard rushers already ...

OK. I'll stop now. That's enough to illustrate why there's frustration over Modrak and his scouting department's evaluation skills.

The fact Modrak joined the Bills to serve under former president Tom Donahoe -- an executive Wilson and Bills fans came to despise -- only adds to fascination of Modrak's continued employment.

Now that I've set the table, let's yank the tablecloth out from underneath the plasticware.

Data suggest the Bills haven't drafted much worse than the average NFL team since 2002.

ESPN researcher John Fisher -- he claims no relation to St. John Fisher, the namesake of the college where the Bills hold their training camp -- shuffled some spreadsheets and came up with some information that's not particularly damning when compared to the rest of the NFL.

• The Bills have drafted five Pro Bowlers with Modrak in charge of scouting. That's tied for 14th in the league. One of those Pro Bowlers was Willis McGahee for the Baltimore Ravens, but Modrak was the chief scout who drafted him. What the Bills did with McGahee afterward that isn't his fault. Same goes for Marshawn Lynch.
• Although a game started for the Bills isn't as impressive as a game started for the New England Patriots the past nine years, Bills draftees from the first through third rounds have started 804 games, 15th in the league.
• Bills draftees from the fourth round or later have started 417 games, eighth in the league.
• When it comes to individual statistics accumulated with the teams that drafted them, Bills taken from 2002 onward have ranked third in 1,000-yard rushing seasons, tied for seventh in 1,000-yard receiving seasons, 20th in total sacks and 19th in total interceptions.

While the Bills have missed badly on several of their prominent selections, they have done quite well in the latter part of the draft with gems such as cornerback and Pro Bowl kick returner Terrence McGee (fourth round in 2003), Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kyle Williams (fifth round in 2006), receiver Steve Johnson (seventh round in 2008) and left tackle Demetrius Bell (seventh round in 2008).

Top running back Fred Jackson and perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters -- traded to Philly two years ago -- weren't drafted at all.

"If you look at other teams, they do it. They miss at the top," Modrak said. "When you don't win, it's magnified. It looks bad.

"But I think from a strictly homer point-of-view [late-round success] is the work and the labor that goes into it and the detail that's paid to those kinds of things. That does not say that other teams don't do the same thing, but we have a good group, and we fortunately have done that."

The Bills have had some obvious blind spots in the draft.

A refusal to pick a tackle earlier than the fifth round since 2002 has hurt them. Peters' success as a converted tight end is a factor in that trend, but the Bills were having contract problems with him while he still was on the roster. Foresight would've been helpful. But that's an organizational philosophy more than Modrak's domain.

The Bills' track record at tight end is miserable, too. They've drafted five: Tim Euhus, Kevin Everett, Derek Schouman, Derek Fine and Shawn Nelson. Everett was the lone selection sooner than the fourth round. A broken neck while covering a kickoff on opening day in 2007 ended his career.

That tight end quintet has combined to score five NFL touchdowns. Of the 143 tight ends drafted since Modrak joined the Bills, 43 of them have scored more than five touchdowns individually.

Some might also say finding a quarterback has been a failure. Starting quarterbacks, however, aren't easy for any team to locate.

Forty-seven quarterbacks have been drafted within the first three rounds since 2002. The only three teams not included in this pursuit have been the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys. The Bills took two within the first three rounds, Losman 22nd overall in 2004 and Trent Edwards 92nd in 2007.

That league-wide group yielded nine Pro Bowlers, but just two of them -- 24th overall pick Aaron Rodgers and third-rounder Matt Schaub -- weren't selected in the top 11. Rodgers and Schaub served as backups for three seasons before they became starters.

Bills general manager Buddy Nix explained that scouting is only one of three critical phases that determine whether a draft pick explodes or fizzles.

"You've got to pick the right guy," Nix said Tuesday. "He's got to have enough athletic ability and enough intelligence, production to do the job, which is what you spend the year doing. We're scouts and personnel guys.

"The second phase, now -- and don't make light of it because it's just as important -- is coaching, strength coaches, trainers. That's the second phase, and both of those things have to be in place. If not, the development of the guy is retarded.

"I'm not going to name teams, but you can name teams every year that get top guys and they don't get any better. They actually may go the other way, and it's the developmental part."

Chan Gailey is Buffalo's fourth head coach -- fifth if you count interim coach Perry Fewell -- since Modrak came aboard. Coordinators have passed through a revolving door. The Bills also have overhauled their strength and conditioning program a couple times.

Nix then stressed that even if the precisely correct draft choice is made and the proper infrastructure is in place, a third phase still can torpedo development. The player can ruin his future if he's "not willing to be a professional and do everything it takes."

"You can go back and look at the so-called busts, and it's one of these three phases," Nix said. "You've got to have it all for them to be really good.

"So even though we put it all on one thing -- 'That was a terrible draft. That was a bust. Those idiots don't know.' -- that's just about a third of it."

Another element that must be considered when discussing Buffalo drafts is the question of who makes the final pick.

Nix and Gailey have been clear Nix makes the final call, although Wilson still can exercise his ownership privilege.

Before Nix became GM last year, trying to decipher who was to credit or blame for a Bills draft choice was like a "Three Stooges" scene. The irate boss hears a commotion, storms into the room and asks "Say! What's the wise idea? Who did this?" Moe pointed at Larry. Curly pointed at Moe. Larry pointed at Curly.

Modrak has been a constant since 2002, but there have been many voices in the Bills' draft room in that period, from Donahoe to GM Marv Levy to chief operating officer Russ Brandon to the various opinionated head coaches who lobbied for prospects they hotly desired.

The Bills' scouting department clearly needs to step its game up to help turn around the franchise. They'll never be the kind of team that lures top free agents because of their market conditions. Buffalo simply isn't as sexy as Miami or San Diego or New York and doesn't offer a perennial chance to win like New England or Pittsburgh does.

But, believe it or not, the Bills' drafts could have been substantially worse since Modrak arrived.

» NFC Draft Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: decision-makers.

Buffalo Bills

This will be the second draft for general manager Buddy Nix, assistant general manager Doug Whaley and head coach Chan Gailey. Vice president of college scouting Tom Modrak is back for his 11th draft. Bills founder Ralph Wilson has been known to get involved on draft day, but Gailey recently said he hasn't seen the Hall of Fame owner meddle. "He is the boss," Gailey said. "He has all influence, every bit of influence. He says 'Take this guy,' we take him. But he's smart enough not to do that. He hired people to do a job. He lets them do their job. He's letting us do our job. That's what I've seen."

Miami Dolphins

For the first time since general manager Jeff Ireland joined the club in 2008, he will run the show without Bill Parcells watching over his shoulder. Parcells stepped away from the Dolphins a few days before the 2010 season opener, leaving his hand-picked GM at the controls. Head coach Tony Sparano also would appear to have a bigger voice with his contract extension. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross made the move to make amends after an embarrassing flirtation with Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh.

New England Patriots

Bill Belichick is entering his 12th draft with New England. He remains in control of every personnel move and hasn't missed without Scott Pioli, who departed for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009. Belichick receives help from senior football adviser Floyd Reese and director of player personnel Nick Caserio. The Patriots' draft room must be a sight to behold. On the first two days of last year's draft, they made a series of trades in which they acquired 10 picks (including a 2011 second-rounder) with an average value of the 69th pick and peddled eight picks with an average value of the 85th pick. So these minds somehow accumulated more picks and higher in the order.

New York Jets

General manager Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Rex Ryan enter their third draft together. Top college scout Joey Clinkscales is highly respected in the business, but Ryan has considerable say on whom the team selects, especially when it comes to defensive players. Tannenbaum isn't afraid to make moves on the fly, executing several trades to move up and select key players: quarterback Mark Sanchez, running back Shonn Greene, cornerback Darrelle Revis and linebacker David Harris.

NEW ORLEANS -- The Buffalo Bills' preparations for their first-round draft choice won't be as easy as 1-2-3.

They own the third overall selection. One might think they'll only need to identify three franchise players they'd be satisfied with, accounting for the prospects who'd be taken first and second.

"That's a very simplistic way to put it, and that is very true," Bills coach Chan Gailey said Tuesday at the NFL owners meeting in New Orleans. "But you've got to have the whole thing worked out because if somebody calls you in that 15 minutes with an offer you can't refuse and gives you No. 9, you better have nine."

Gailey also provided some insight on how Buffalo's draft room operates at such a time.

He said general manager Buddy Nix "makes the decision on whether it's best to move up, move down, all that kind of stuff." Gailey suggested he and vice president of college scouting Tom Modrak provide input as required, but that it's Nix's show.

"I try to make sure he understands what I think we need for our football team," Gailey said, "where we need the most help, and if he asks my opinion about the players that are in the draft, I've watched them and how their abilities might fit into what we're doing."

I asked Gailey what would happen if the Bills were on the clock and a player was on the board he truly coveted.

"Me? I have a guy?" Gailey said. "I don't have a guy. It is our guy."

Gailey then broke into an imaginary debate that would take place among scouts and coaches in a draft room.

"This guy would bring this. This guy would bring this. This guy would bring this," he said. "Whichever one we choose, that's our guy.

"I've been in rooms where the best arguer got his way. Whoever could argue the best or the loudest or was the most persuasive ... I've been in rooms like that.

"But Buddy and I, when we started this whole thing, we said, 'If somebody is trying to persuade us, we're going to put him out the room.' I told the coaches, 'Don't try to talk us into anybody. Give us information. Then let Buddy make a decision.' "

And what kind of vote does owner Ralph Wilson have?

"He is the boss," Gailey said. "He has all influence, every bit of influence. He says, 'Take this guy,' we take him. But he's smart enough not to do that. He hired people to do a job. He lets them do their job. He's letting us do our job. That's what I've seen."

NEW ORLEANS -- Buffalo Bills founder Ralph Wilson was honored Monday night with one of five American Spirit Awards from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

Also honored at an event to coincide with the annual NFL meetings here were Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams, New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford and San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos.

Wilson, 92, enlisted in the Navy during World War II and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific.

Wilson is not in attendance for the NFL owners meeting. He's represented by a contingent that includes chief operating officer Russ Brandon, executive vice president Mary Owen, treasurer Jeff Littmann, senior vice president Jim Overdorf, general manager Buddy Nix and head coach Chan Gailey.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported Monday the WWII Museum is kicking off a program that showcases how the NFL and football aided the war effort through selling bonds and donating gate revenues from exhibition games.

Until further notice, the NFL has ceased to be about X's and O's. Now the game revolves around the almighty dollar.

So who has the most?

Forbes has released its annual list of the world's billionaires, and there are plenty of NFL owners on it.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross ranked 362nd on the planet with an estimated net worth of $3.1 billion.

Ross was second in the NFL behind Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen, who came in 57th with $13 billion.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft registered 833rd overall (tied with former Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano, by the way) at $1.5 billion. The Patriots were said to be worth $1.367 billion in Forbes' latest team-by-team breakdown.

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson didn't make the list, but he's part of the Johnson & Johnson medical and pharmaceutical fortune. The Johnson family consistently ranks among the top 10 richest American families. Two years ago, Forbes estimated the family's net worth at $13 billion.

Forbes calculated that the Jets were worth $1.144 billion, sixth in the NFL. But the team also has the league's highest debt-value at 66 percent in large part because of its new stadium.

Bills owner Ralph Wilson didn't make the billionaires club, but his team is estimated to be worth $799 million.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Some have been suspicious about the Buffalo Bills' interest in using their third overall draft choice on Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.

Multiple outlets have reported general manager Buddy Nix is infatuated with the Heisman Trophy winner. Nobody within the organization has dismissed those reports. Instead, their comments reinforce the idea.

That's why thoughts of a smokescreen waft about when considering, gee, the Bills have been a little too forthcoming in their curiosity of Newton, even though head coach Chan Gailey already has stated his allegiance to quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the roster has so many holes.

Could the Bills' interest in Newton be subterfuge? Have those stories been planted?

It's possible, but I don't think so.

In the hour I spent Thursday listening to Nix and Gailey talk about their team and their valuable No. 3 draft choice, Newton questions were the most prevalent.

Nix and Gailey delivered the impression there's legitimate interest in drafting Newton if -- over the course of the next two months -- they evaluate him as a franchise quarterback and he's still there after the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos select.

As someone who has covered boxing for two decades and sat in Don King's living room, I've developed what I would consider an acute ability to detect -- what's the polite phraseology? -- deceptiveness. My tolerance for it is slight.

And I've found Nix and Gailey to be two of the most genuine men I've dealt with in the NFL. They're not liars. They'll withhold information before they spread a falsehood.

In fact, the Bills have been more likely to telegraph their intentions than misdirect them.

At last year's owners meetings in Orlando, Gailey sat across the table from me and said he wanted to draft one of those "quick-as-a-cat water bugs that are running backs-slash-receivers that might give you a little bit of a punch on the field, maybe make a big play."

Shame on everybody -- me included -- for assuming Gailey meant they would draft a scatback somewhere in the second or third round. After all, they had 1,000-yard backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch.

They took Clemson running back C.J. Spiller ninth overall.

Twice in the past four months, Bills owner Ralph Wilson has declared a desire to upgrade at quarterback.

Wilson told Associated Press reporter John Wawrow in October that finding a new quarterback was the team's top priority. Fitzpatrick hadn't become a fan favorite at that point and went on to throw for 3,000 yards and 23 touchdowns in 13 games.

But this month Wilson reiterated the importance of finding a quarterback in an interview with Fanhouse columnist Thomas George.

"Buddy, the scouts, the coaches, they are working," Wilson told George. "I know it's not going to be an instant turnaround. I think it will take two or three years to have a playoff team -- and that's if we get a quarterback.''

It also should be noted Fitzpatrick is entering the final year of his contract. If the Bills don't draft a quarterback, then they almost will be forced to invest in Fitzpatrick. He will make a base salary of about $3.2 million next season, not exactly "you're our guy" money.

At the combine, Nix and Gailey gave even-tempered responses to multiple questions about Newton. Never once did they give any indication reporters were misguided in their line of questioning.

Would they directly tell a reporter he was sniffing in the wrong place? No, but after an hour you'd get a hint from two fellas who don't enjoy wasting their breath on repetitive questions.

All of that information gives me the strong impression they will draft a quarterback if they deem one worthy of the third pick. That would include Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, Washington's Jake Locker or Arkansas' Ryan Mallett, too.

The term "franchise quarterback" is an ambiguous one. The meaning could change depending on the person using it. So I asked Nix to tell me how he defines "franchise quarterback."

"A guy who can win for you for years," Nix said. "That, to me, is what that is. You get a lot of guys that will play good for you a year or two. But somebody that can be a 10-year guy to the point you don't have to worry about that position anymore" is a franchise quarterback.

Buffalo has myriad roster needs and affection for Fitzpatrick, but it can't win with him for the next decade. He falls more in the other category Nix mentioned, a guy who can hold down the position for a couple seasons.

Nix joked that any personnel executive who waits until he doesn't have a quarterback before he drafts his next one won't be the one making the pick. In other words, that GM would be fired before he got the opportunity, because his team wouldn't be winning.

The Bills don't intend to draft this early every spring and haven't had such a high pick in 26 years. If they want to snag a quarterback, then they have to view this as their best chance. Again, they need to identify someone worthy of the top pick first.

Why would Buffalo lie about its interest in drafting a quarterback?

I can think of two plausible reasons:

• Tempt teams that really want Newton or Gabbert to trade up to get him.
• Induce Carolina or Denver to draft a quarterback so another targeted player such as Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley or Louisiana State cornerback Patrick Peterson falls to the Bills at No. 3.

On the first point, Nix seemed to shoot down that possibility when saying the Bills wouldn't be interested in trading the third pick unless the player they covet is gone once the Bills are on the clock. Nix noted he doesn't believe in moving down. That indicates the Bills will not shop the pick.

On the second point, it's a possibility. The overwhelming need for quarterbacks around the league could make another team twitchy. But any potential ruse would be rendered moot if Carolina chooses Newton. Denver has incumbent starter Kyle Orton and last year's 25th overall pick, Tim Tebow, on the roster.

"You want your spot to be worth something, or you want to get the guy you want," former New York Jets executive Pat Kirwan explained Sunday at the combine. Two years ago for NFL.com, Kirwan wrote a fascinating feature on the art of the smokescreen and a couple he helped pull off.

"Everyone does it to a certain extent. So what would be their motivation of doing it this year? Usually what drives the top part of the draft are quarterbacks. If Gabbert or Newton emerges as the clear-cut best quarterback, you could easily see a team saying 'We're going to take Gabbert' and see if you could get a team like the Washington Redskins to trade up there."

But not in February.

"No one ever does this stuff until a week before the draft," Kirwan said. "Now is too early to sustain it, and gives too much time for someone who's interested to come up with another plan. Later is better."

The information adds up to Buffalo being legitimately interested in Newton as its future quarterback.

Can a team put too many players into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Bill Polian doesn't think so.

Polian assembled the Buffalo Bills teams that went to four straight Super Bowls. Five members of those teams already have bronze busts in Canton: quarterback Jim Kelly, running back Thurman Thomas, receiver James Lofton, defensive end Bruce Smith and head coach Marv Levy. Bills owner Ralph Wilson has been enshrined, too.

"It seems like every second or third year somebody gets inducted into the Hall of Fame and we have a reunion and get to reflect on it," Polian told me Thursday night. "It's a big family that has stuck together and still stays in touch.

"It's a blessing. To be associated with guys like that? It's a special, special group."

Polian insisted more Bills belong in the Hall of Fame and is bothered that wide receiver Andre Reed hasn't gotten in yet. Reed could get the Canton call Saturday. He is among the 15 finalists who will be evaluated by the selection committee for five openings on the 2011 class.

"It's shocking to me that he's not viewed as a shoo-in Hall of Famer," Polian said. "Andre Reed was our biggest big-play player on a team that went to four Super Bowls. How he could not be included in the Hall of Fame when he's one of two guys who dominated is beyond me.

"Go with the facts. Don't go with perception. Go with reality because if you go with reality, you have to say Andre Reed belongs, without question. To me, it's just baffling."

That would give the Bills five Hall of Famers who played or coached all four Super Bowl teams. Lofton played on only three of them. Bills owner Ralph Wilson also has been inducted.

Put that group up against the New England Patriots, who won three Super Bowls in four years.

"The teams are comparable," Polian said.

There aren't that many slam-dunks from all three of New England's championship rosters.

Head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady are surefire Hall of Famers. Beyond that, Adam Vinatieri has a strong case for his heroics, but there are no guarantees for kickers. Jan Stenerud is the only Hall of Fame kicker or punter. Maybe defensive end Richard Seymour or cornerback Ty Law will be considered.

Beyond that, much of the Patriots' roster was comprised of semi-stars such as linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel, who went to one Pro Bowl apiece, and transients.

That the 1990s Bills will send more players to Canton than the 2000s Patriots is fascinating to me. It shows how incredible the Patriots have been at navigating free agency and the draft to maintain a consistent winner with a fluctuating roster -- and how truly magnificent that collection of talent was for Buffalo.

"That'll never happen again," Reed told me last week. "You won't see an assemblage of players like that -- at least not in Buffalo. I know that."

Those Bills teams also featured offensive linemen Kent Hull and Jim Ritcher, linebackers Cornelius Bennett, Shane Conlan and Darryl Talley and special-teams star Steve Tasker.

Polian is an advocate of Tasker's induction into Canton, too.

"Steve Tasker was, pound-for-pound, the greatest special-teams player ever to play," Polian said. "If you value special teams, then Steve Tasker belongs in the Hall of Fame. I am also an unabashed Ray Guy fan.

"I've seen every player that's played in this game since 1977, and I can tell you Ray Guy literally changed the game -- as did Steve Tasker."

So that would make at least seven Hall of Famers from the 1990s Bills if Polian had his way.

When you consider how much talent Polian gathered with the Bills -- and his success with the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts since then -- there's no way you can't consider Polian himself.

But for now, Andre Reed is on deck.

"Andre is clearly, clearly, clearly deserving to be inducted," Polian said. "By any measure in the era he played, Andre Reed is a Hall of Famer."

I listened to a hockey news conference and a football blog broke out.

Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano formally announced Thursday afternoon he was selling his team to Terry Pegula. As a former Sabres beat reporter for the Buffalo News, I listened with interest as the owner I used to cover bid farewell.

But I'll admit as the self-congratulatory sentiments dragged on, I zoned out and commenced writing about football.

Golisano's news conference faded into background noise until, about a half-hour in, AFC East Blog Fan Club president Jill Pitzonka grabbed my attention. She popped up in my chat window: "Didn't Golly just hint that he wants to buy the Bills?"

Wait. What?

The future of the Buffalo Bills long has been an emotional topic in Western New York. Ralph Wilson, their Hall of Fame owner, is 92 years old. Little information has been divulged about what will transpire when the inevitable occurs.

There's great fear the team will be sold and move away. They're trying to build a stadium in Los Angeles, you know. Wilson's decision to sell games to a Toronto promoter haven't calmed the masses.

But Golisano is a potential savior. Forbes estimated the Rochester, N.Y., native is worth $1.2 billion. He has the resources to put together a group to buy the Bills and keep them in Buffalo, just as he did when he pulled the Sabres out of bankruptcy in March 2003.

"Would I be interested in the Bills?" Golisano repeated when asked. "I think the key issue would be the level of concern I would have about them leaving the community, and the higher the concern, the more interest I probably would have.

"If there were people in here in the community who had the wherewithal and the desire to take over the team and didn't need what I had to offer, I'd say that would be great. I would be happy. But the level of interest will vary greatly, depending on the level of concern."

Golisano claimed at the news conference that he could have sold the Sabres for another $70 million to a prospective owner who wanted to move the Sabres. But he took less from Pegula, who will keep the Sabres in Buffalo.

The problem with any kind of Bills conjecture, Golisano stressed, is the Bills have not been for sale.

"The Buffalo Bills just like the Buffalo Sabres are a very important asset to this community," Golisano said. "But the thing that always comes to light is nobody has ever said that they're for sale or going to be for sale.

"Ralph Wilson is a very smart guy, and if he thinks he has an estate tax problem or is going to have an estate tax problem, I would have to assume he's already done something about it. Now, I know he plays his cards very close to the vest, but I don't ever know if the Buffalo Bills are going to be for sale."

Still, Golisano raised hopes among Bills fans by uttering nary a word that suggested he doesn't want to become an NFL owner.

"I would say it's within the realm of possibility that something else might happen" in sports, Golisano said.