Posted on Tue, Apr. 29, 2008

NFL NOTES

Toronto golden for Bills

Staff and Wire Reports

The Buffalo Bills will receive $78 million -- more than double their calculated 2006 operating income -- to play eight games in Toronto over the next five years.

The payment to the Bills was disclosed for the first time in Rogers Communications' 2008 first-quarter report released Tuesday. The Toronto-based company is part of a consortium that negotiated a deal with the Bills to have them play five regular-season and three preseason games, starting this year, at the downtown Rogers Centre.

In becoming the NFL's first team to play annual games outside the United States, the Bills are scheduled to host Pittsburgh in a preseason meeting at Toronto on Aug. 14, followed by a regular-season game against Miami on Dec. 7.

Rogers spokeswoman Jan Innes would not comment beyond the one-paragraph statement included in the company report, except to say the $78 million figure was in Canadian currency. The Canadian dollar hovered around par to its U.S. counterpart during the first quarter this year.

Broken down, the Bills will make nearly $9.75 million per game in Toronto, something they'd be unable to make in Orchard Park, N.Y., where the small-market team has perennially had the lowest ticket prices in the NFL. The Bills' average ticket price for this season is about $51 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, which has a 72,000 seating capacity.

Ticket prices for the games in Toronto have not yet been released, but are expected to average more than $100 at a facility with a seating capacity of 54,000 for football.

Local connections

TCU Horned Frogs guard Matty Lindner, who started all but one game over the past two seasons, signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Lindner is the fifth TCU player from the 2007 team to sign a free agent contract. He joins safety/return specialist Brian Bonner (San Diego), linebacker David Hawthorne (Seattle) defensive end Chase Ortiz (Cleveland) and safety David Roach (New Orleans).

Longhorns receiver signs

Texas wide receiver Billy Pittman, who played a key role in the Longhorns' 2005 national championship season, signed with San Diego.

Pittman played in 36 career games at Texas, starting 21, and finished his career with 80 receptions for 1,283 yards and nine touchdowns. In the Longhorns' national title season, Pittman had 34 receptions for 750 yards and five touchdowns.

Considine gets a tryout

Louisiana Tech offensive tackle Ryan Considine, a graduate of Arlington Martin High, will be in Green Bay this weekend for a free agent tryout.

The 6-foot-6, 297-pound Considine started 36 consecutive games on the Bulldogs' offensive line in the past three years.

"I'm thrilled," Considine said Tuesday evening. "Other teams had been calling me. Green Bay came out of the blue."

Considine was a two-sport standout at Martin. He earned first-team all-district honors in football and all-region honors in wrestling.

Briefly

Chargers: Tackle L.J. Shelton, who has started 125 of 130 career games, signed a two-year contract. Miami released him after he started all 16 games at right tackle.

Texans: Offensive lineman Fred Weary, one of five players from Houston's inaugural 2002 season who remains on the roster, has agreed in principle to a one-year deal, his agent said Tuesday. Weary started 12 games for Houston last season before breaking his leg.

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