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Q: What is the deal with Roman Phifer?
SP: The deal with Roman Phifer right now is that he has not signed with Oakland, he has not signed with us, so he is still a free agent. I know that he has talked to them, I know that we have talked to him and at this point in time there is nothing to report in either direction.
Q: Do you have a good feeling about it or are you concerned, worried?
SP: I would say that I am somewhere in the middle. I don't think that I am concerned or worried, again, I would feel a lot better if the deal, if it was done.
Q: In relation to Roman does it make it more urgent to get him considering that there just wasn't a linebacker that you wanted to go out there and get this past weekend?
SP: I wouldn't say it was completely accurate that there wasn't a linebacker out there that we wanted…
Q: Okay then one that you took?
SP: We wanted Roman before the draft and we would like to have Roman now too. Every year there are free agents out there, there are players out there and Roman is a player that we would like to have back, yes.
Q: Would you hesitate to maybe move [Tedy] Bruschi back to the outside if you couldn't come up with Roman?
SP: Things like that are really coaching decisions. I think that moving players around on the field is more of a coaching thing then it would be mine.
Q: Why make the deal now, why not wait and see if someone becomes desperate because of an injury in training camp?
SP: The reason that we did the deal at this point in time is we thought it was the right time to do a deal. It was a good opportunity for everybody involved at that point in time and we just thought it was fair so that is why we did it.
Q: Was there any thought given to how having two quarterbacks like that might affect the team and each other and Tom?
SP: No, no there really wasn't.
Q: By outward indications it would seem as if you are growing a reputation, at least in upstate New York as a hard-line negotiator, would you say that you took a firm stance with Tom Donahoe and the Bills as opposed to the [Terry] Glenn situation?
SP: Well I hope I am not perceived, I am from upstate New York. I am going to get beat up in my hometown that means. Seriously, I really respect the job that Tom has done up there and I think any time that you are trying to do business and get a deal whether it is a trade negotiation or a contract negotiation there is going to be disagreements, there are always disagreements and what you just try to do is bridge that gap and fortunately both sides were able to do that.
Q: Throughout the process did anybody from the Bledsoe camp come to you and say 'I don't want to go here I don't want to go there'?
SP: I never talked to anyone from Drew's, I am not sure what you mean by Drew's camp, but I never talked to Drew and/or his agent.
Q: It was reported that you weren't prepared to allow the Bills to speak with either Bledsoe or David Dunn, what was the reasoning behind that and couldn't Donahoe just have called Dunn anyway in relation to another player who was on the board?
SP: No he couldn't and again players that are under contract with us are under contract with us and I don't think it is in the best interest of anybody to allow one their players to speak to another club unless you feel like there is something imminent or something is done. It is just not in the best interest.
Q: That is the norm anyway right, trade talks where you have the other person talk to your player?
SP: I am not sure what the norm is. Again, that is a good question because I am not sure what the norm is. There are no really hard rules on it. I guess it is different, just like any situation depending on the negotiations, depending on the people involved, depending on relationships those things are different, I just know that that's our approach to it.
Q: Given that fact that you didn't really address linebacking right now and that the chances of hitting a homerun with someone from undrafted free agency are remote, is this going to be a target area for June 1 when there's a whole new group of people out there?
SP: I am not sure if the target area is June 1. I think one of the things that has been consistent in the two plus years that we have been here is organizationally we have tried to use every one of the 12 months, unfortunately if you ask my wife every one of the 52 weeks out of the year, I mean there is time right now. There are people who are unrestricted free agents still that are out there, there are a large number of players that have been released even prior to June 1 and again there may be players that are waived and there are so many ways different ways to use it, but we will continue to use every part of the market to fill in any holes that we have and again that is roster spot one through 53 just to make the team better.
Q: Is it safe to say on the tight end situation, are you done adding tight ends to the team?
SP: I would say that it is pretty safe right now, yes.
Q: On [Daniel] Graham, the draft people say that was a steal making that trade, how much were you willing to give up?
SP: That was as far as we were willing to go and it is funny you mentioned that some people were referring to it as a steal, but you know what I wouldn't certainly characterize it as that because Washington certainly got what they wanted to get. For whatever reason they didn't want to make a pick at that point in time, they were happy with what the compensation for it was going to be and that's the best way to do a deal and that is the best way to do business. Anytime that you can do something that you are happy with and the people that you are working with are happy, that's a good way to do a trade. So to answer the question that was about as far as we were going to go.
Q: Right now you are standing in a position where you might have two first round picks and two second round picks next year, that gives you guys an awful lot of currency to deal with, you could be very creative with that I assume?
SP: Again, hopefully we will be able to do the right thing and get good players. That's why you do things like that because you are always trying to improve your football team. Anytime that you think you have got it figured out or you think your team is all set and everything is perfect I think you are setting yourself up for failure. We are hoping that the moves we have been able to make will help the…hopefully we will be able to make the team a lot better in the future. I was talking to Bill [Belichick] earlier today and asked him, 'When we play the Green Bay Packers during the season we may want to let up defensively and let him [Terry Glenn] get a few extra catches.'
Q: Did you know who Washington was going to target with the 32nd pick? From what has been reported and understood Buffalo probably would have taken [Patrick] Ramsey there and there by submarine things that happened on day two?
SP: I really had no idea what the Redskins wanted to do in terms of who they were going to draft. That wasn't anything that you ever discussed because what happened was there was such a short time where we could make that deal. There wasn't really time to discuss what they were going to do or what they weren't going to do with their draft choice and that 's really not anything that was talked about. Shoot I wish we were that smart.
Q: Other than Buffalo did any other team make an offer for Bledsoe?
SP: This is the only offer that we had that we considered to be serious at any point in time.
Q: In your mind, you evaluated talent, you have obviously taken over the draft the last couple of years, but pro personnel that is what you have done and what is your specialty, in looking at Bledsoe it obvious that he is still one of the better quarterbacks in the league why was there not more interest? Was it because of the salary cap? Would it have been a lot easier if he was only making a million dollars a year?
SP: That is really a question that I can't answer. I think you would have to ask other clubs that were or were not interested. I really can't speak for other clubs.
Q: But in the parameters of the NFL now as opposed to 15 years ago, that is something that has to be considered now when you make a more than ever with these big contracts?
SP: Considering the salary cap?
Q: Yeah.
SP: Yes, absolutely.
Q: Over the last two months you have moved Terry Glenn who people thought was untradable, you got a fourth and possibly a second, now you have moved along another player who was a difficult guy to move just in what he meant and you got a first round pick in addition the team the you were the architect for last year won the Super Bowl, how dizzying is what has gone on for you in the last 12 months?
SP: 12 months ago I wasn't a genius and today I am not genius. Yeah, a lot of the pace of the whole season has been dizzying especially since it has been seven days a week since July, but hey that is the way the business is and you just keep chugging along and you just keep doing your job and whatever is put on your plate to be your job that day and the next day you just keep doing it. Yes it is dizzying at times.
Q: Has anyone from the franchise talked with Bledsoe since the trade?
SP: I am not sure. I had heard or read that Robert [Kraft] had and I haven't had a chance to visit with Robert today. Even though the draft is done, today is a day where we spend a lot of time winding down considering and talking to rookie free agents that we might sign getting an overall view of the roster so I haven't had a chance to talk with Robert yet, but hopefully I will talk with him tonight.
