Clements To Work With Bledsoe: Tom Donahoe was glowing in his remarks about the new offensive coordinator Tom Clements. He said he was a finalist for the job a couple of years ago when Gregg Williams hired Kevin Gilbride instead. He indicated that he would have liked to hire Clements and has known him since high school. He said Clements is known for doing great things with quarterbacks and he should be able to help Drew Bledsoe excel since he is more talented than Kordell Stewart and Mark Maddox. Two QBs that Mike Mularkey and Clements resurrected in Pittsburgh.

Donahoe On Hiring Process: Tom Donahoe said that they got the right guy but the NFL procedures on interviewing assistants that are still in the playoffs hampers those coaches. He said it wasn't important to get a guy with head coaching experience. It was more important to get the right guy. He felt the interviews were very good and the seven candidates were an impressive group and each candidate had his strengths. He also felt it was good to go with a coach that he knows well.

Mularkey Feels Bills Are Close: Mike Mularkey said he's very excited about the opportunity in front of him. He feels it is prestigous to work for a man like Ralph Wilson and an organzation led by Tom Donahoe and Tom Modrak. He said he knows he's very fortunate to join an organziation that is real close to winning. He said he's working hard already in developing his staff and it is falling into place including two hires. He says there are just a couple of pieces of the puzzle missing and that it is his job to fill the holes. His staff will be filled with creative people that are good teachers. He said Super Bowl is his password and it is his and his staff's objective to get to the big game. It is the one goal that he is short of and he will surround himself with the people that will help the team achieve the goal.

McNally, Clements Aboard: In his press conference Mike Mularkey made it official that Jim McNally is joining his staff as the offensive line coach and Tom Clements will be the offensive coordinator. Clements was the QB coach in Pittsburgh and McNally is one of the most well respected offensive line coach in the league. He was with the Giants last year. Mularkey has spoken to the current staff and plans to sit down with each of them tomorrow. He said he has spoken to both Jerry Gray and Dick LeBeau about the defensive coordinator position and right now that job is on hold.

Bledsoe Definitely Staying: Mike Mularkey said he had a very good conversation with Drew Bledsoe and will keep him. He plans on sitting down with him in a couple of weeks to get a feel for each other. He said Drew is not "broken" and feels offensively the team may take a step back in order to take two steps forward. He said you have to put players in position to use their strengths and that may have been a problem with Bledsoe this year. Offensively they will not start over from scratch since the terminology will be similar to what they have had in Buffalo. He feels they will have a methodical offense that will wear teams down, control the football, and score in the red zone. Mularkey will not call the offensive plays, he will let his coordinator do that.

Donahoe Says Mularkey Has Mental Toughness: Tom Donahoe introduced the 13th head coach in Buffalo Bills history at a press conference this afternoon. Donahoe said it is a great day for the organization and the community. He thanked Ralph Wilson and Tom Modrak who were instrumental in the hiring process. He said the team is very honored to have Mike Mularkey as the head coach. He called him an outstanding candidate for the job and there were certain things that stood out about Mularkey like leadership and the ability to teach and communicate. He feels Mularkey will bring mental toughness that was missing from the team. He feels the most important quality is his ability to understand players. He feels he will be a very special coach for the team and will coach to the strengths of the team. He admitted that is something they did not do this past year.

Clements Probably To Join Mularkey: It seems like barring a last minute snag, Tom Clements will become the offensive coordinator for the Bills. Empire is reporting that the Steelers QB coach will in fact accept the job with the Bills. There is a chance there will be an announcement during this afternoon's press conference. Of course, we will have complete coverage of the introduction press conference throughout the late afternoon.

Mularkey's Deal Details: It seems Mike Mularkey will get a much better deal than the man he is replacing. Reports say he is getting a five year deal worth either slightly more or slightly less than $1.5 Million a year. That would make him the highest paid coach in team history. His deal is similar to the one signed by Jim Mora Jr. in Atlanta last week.

Gilbride Interviews In Cornell: It is a forgone conclusion that Kevin Gilbride will not return to the Bills. He interviewed this week for the head coaching position at Cornell University. The Bills needed to give him permission and did see he won't return.

McNally Should Join Staff: It has been widely speculated that if Mike Mularkey got the Bills job he would bring with him one of the best offensive line coaches in the league. WGR radio is now confirming that sources within the Bills organization have told them that former Giants offensive line coach Jim McNally will join the Bills staff. Nothing is official about any assistants at this point.