Bills attempt to bolster pass defense in acquiring ballhawk Amani Hooker from Titans

ORCHARD PARK — Brandon Beane started making calls a week before the NFL trade deadline. One of the calls he made was to Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi, who was on his bye week. The play the Buffalo Bills general manager inquired about was NFL interceptions leader Amani Hooker, but Borgonzi was ready to make a deal. kAmq62?6 H2?E65 2? :>A24E A=2J6C E@ 255 E@ 2 5676?D6 E92E 925 D9@H? AC@>:D6 — 2=36:E 282:?DE 2 E9:C5\DEC:?8 BF2CE6C324< — :? E96 AC6G:@FD H66<’D be\`_ H:? @G6C E96 q2=E:>@C6 #2G6?D[ 3FE DECF88=65 >:89E:=J 7@C E96 7:CDE D:I H66][ 4@?G6CD2E:@?D DE2CE65 962E:?8 FA H:E9 E96 %:E2?D 23@FE w@@<6C[ AFD9:?8 E96 q:==D E@ 7:?5 =67E E24<=6 s:@? s2H<:?D 2E 2 4@>>F?:EJ 6G6?E 2?5 C6DECF4EFC6 9:D 4@?EC24E E@ >2<6 C@@>]k^Am kAmp?5 D@ E96 q:==D D6?E 2 a_af D64@?5\C@F?5 A:4< E@ E96 %:E2?D 7@C w@@<6C 2?5 2 a_af 7:7E9 E@ 255 2? :>>65:2E6 :>A24E A=2J6C ?6IE E@ D276EJ r@=6 q:D9@A[ C6A=24:?8 C646?E=J\C6=62D65 r]y] v2C5?6C\y@9?D@?]k^Am kAm“w6’D ;FDE 366? 2 G6CJ DE625J A=2J6C[” q62?6 D2:5] “(6 C62==J =:<65 9:> 4@>:?8 @FE W:? E96 5C27EX] … w6VD 925 2 8C62E 42C66C] … w6’D 2 G6CJ 8@@5 A=2J6C 2?5 x E9:?< :E H2D 8@:?8 E@ E2<6 D@>6E9:?8 D:8?:7:42?E =:<6 E9:D E@ 86E %6??6DD66 E@ >@G6 @77 @7 9:>[ H9:49 x C6DA64E]”k^Am kAmpD H2D E96 42D6 :? 2== @7 q62?6’D @E96C 5625=:?6 562=D — 6I46AE 7@C H:56 C646:G6C p>2C: r@@A6C :? a_ac — w@@<6C :D?’E 2 C6?E2= A=2J6C] %96 q:==D 2C6 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C E96 C6>2:?:?8 Sc]cf >:==:@? 32=2?46 @? w@@<6C’D 4@?EC24E E9:D D62D@?[ 2?5 E96 ag\J62C\@=5 :D 5F6 S`_]ag >:==:@? :? a_af 2?5 S`b]d >:==:@? :? a_ag]k^Am kAm|@C6 :>A@CE2?E=J[ E96 q:==D 86E 2 A=F8\2?5\A=2J D276EJ H9@ 7:ED qF772=@’D 5676?D6 2?5 A2:CD H6== H:E9 q:D9@A] p ?2EFC2= 7:E H:E9 q:D9@A :D D@>6E9:?8 E96 q:==D D@F89E @? E96 EC256 >2C<6E[ A2CE:4F=2C=J 27E6C E96 E2=6?E65 E9:C5\J62C D276EJ DECF88=65 E@ >6D9 H:E9 v2C5?6C\y@9?D@?’D 7C66=2?4:?8 DEJ=6]k^Am kAmw@@<6C 4FCC6?E=J 92D 7:G6 :?E6C46AE:@?D — E9C66 @77 r:?4:??2E:’D y@6 qFCC@H EH@ H66@DE 67764E:G6 2D 2 D:?8=6\9:89 A@DE D276EJ[ H9:=6 2=D@ 36:?8 23=6 E@ A=2J C@336C :? E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 7:6=5]k^Am kAmp=E9@F89 w@@<6C 42? A=2J :? E96 3@I 2?5 >2E49 :? 4@G6C286[ 2?5 E96 q:==D =@@<65 2E D276E:6D E92E H@F=5 >@G6 q:D9@A E@ A=2J >@C6 E@ E96 A@DE[ 5676?D:G6 4@@C5:?2E@C y:> {6@?92C5 4=62C=J 6?G:D:@?D q:D9@A 2D 2 3@I D276EJ]k^Am kAmp7E6C A=2J:?8 2 =2C86 A@CE:@? @7 DA=:E\D276EJ D?2AD :? $62? |4s6C>@EE’D 5676?D6[ q:D9@A 92D A=2J65 ?62C E96 =:?6 @7 D4C:>>286 @? ddT @7 9:D D?2AD E9:D D62D@?[ 2? :?4C62D6 @7 ?62C=J a_T 7C@> =2DE D62D@?]k^Am kAmq62?6 4@>A2C65 w@@<6C E@ |:429 wJ56[ :? A2CE 5F6 E@ x@H2 36:?8 E96:C D92C65 2=>2 >2E6C[ 3FE 2=D@ 3642FD6 @7 E96:C A=2J:?8 DEJ=6] wJ56 H2D >@DE 67764E:G6 A=2J:?8 2D D:?8=6\9:89 @C 5@F3=6\9:89 D276EJ[ H96C6 96 4@F=5 D66 E96 7:6=5 2?5 3C62< @? A2DD6D]k^Am kAm“k^Am kAm“y:>’D 366? FD:?8 Wq:D9@AX FA 4=@D6C E@ E96 3@I] uC@> E92E DE2?5A@:?E[ E9:D :D 2 8C62E >2CC:286[” q62?6 D2:5] “p>2?: 42? A=2J E96 566A A@DE 2?5 EC24< E92E A@DE] … %96C6 H6C6 2E =62DE 2 A=2J6C @C EH@ WE92E H6 =@@<65 2EX H96C6 r@=6 H@F=5 92G6 DA6?E >@C6 E:>6 @? E96 324< 6?5 925 @?6 @7 E9@D6 H@C<65 @FE]”k^Am kAm%96 3:8 BF6DE:@? :D 9@H BF:4<=J w@@<6C 42? =62C? qF772=@’D A=2J3@@<] %96 q:==D 92G6 4@?7:56?46 :? s2>2C w2>=:?[ D@ E96J >:89E ?@E 36 :? 2 9FCCJ E@ E9C@H 9:> :?E@ E96 DE2CE:?8 =:?6FA 282:?DE E96 }6H *@C< y6ED $F?52J]k^Am kAm$276EJ :D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE 5:77:4F=E A@D:E:@?D E@ =62C? @? E96 7=J[ 3FE w@@<6C :D 2? :?E6==:86?E A=2J6C] p?5 E96 q:==D H2?E E@ 8:G6 9:> E:>6 E@ 86= H:E9 q:D9@A[ H9@D6 A=2J @7E6? 9:?86D FA@? H96E96C 96 ECFDED E96 D276EJ ?6IE E@ 9:>]k^Am kAm&?56C |4s6C>@EE[ E9C66 @7 E96 7@FC A=2J6CD 24BF:C65 :?\D62D@? A=2J65 E92E H66<[ H:E9 E96 6I46AE:@?D 36:?8 H:56 C646:G6C z6=G:? q6?;2>:? :? a_`f] p=E9@F89 CF??:?8 324< }J96:> w:?6D @?=J A=2J65 7@FC @776?D:G6 D?2AD 282:?DE E96 }6H *@C< y6ED :? 9:D 7:CDE 82>6]k^Am kAmr@C?6C324< #2DF= s@F8=2D 5:5?’E DE2CE 282:?DE E96 r:?4:??2E: q6?82=D[ 3FE E96 q:==D 8C25F2==J :?D6CE65 9:> :?E@ E96 82>6 2?5 96 F=E:>2E6=J A=2J65 e_T @7 E96 D?2AD 27E6C r9C:DE:2? q6?7@C5 H2D 9FCE] p?5 r@@A6C A=2J65 bc]dT @7 E96 D?2AD 282:?DE E96 %:E2?D[ 42E49:?8 7@FC A2DD6D 7@C ee J2C5D 2?5 2 E@F495@H?]k^Am kAm“x7 J@F A=2J 2 G:56@ 82>6[ E96J 5C@A C:89E 2?5 E96J’C6 ;FDE E96 D2>6 A=2J6C] x? C62= =:76[ E96J’C6 ?@E[” q62?6 D2:5] “]]] *@F 5@ E2<6 :?E6==:86?46 :? H96? J@F 42?[ 6DA64:2==J 2E D276EJ] %92E’D 2 AC6>:F>] … w6’D 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 2 =@E @7 42E49:?8 FA E@ 5@] … (6’== ;FDE 92G6 E@ D66 9@H :E 8@6D[ 9@H BF:4<=J H6 42? 86E 9:> :? 96C6 2?5 86E 9:> FA E@ DA665]”k^Am