Reed's Hall induction gives Bills cause to celebrate

There are two things receiver Andre Reed is most certain of in preparing to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.

The eight-year wait to hear his name called really didn't feel that long. More important, the timing of the announcement in February was fitting given the sudden uncertainty hovering over his beloved Buffalo Bills.

Jim Kelly, the Hall of Fame quarterback and face of the franchise, is in a weakened state while battling cancer. And Ralph Wilson, the team's Hall of Fame owner, died in March. The Bills are on the market, with concerns of the franchise potentially relocating under a new owner.

As a result, Reed views his induction as something capable of providing anyone who's ever had a connection to the Bills a joyous diversion by giving them a reason to celebrate Saturday night.

"This is bigger than me," Reed said. "We all know what's going on with the team and all that stuff. This is like a breath of fresh air. I'm glad I'm at the forefront of this, because there's something to be happy about."

Going from Kutztown State, a Division II school in Pennsylvania, to Canton, Ohio, Reed sparked more than a few celebrations during his 16-year NFL career, the first 15 spent in Buffalo.

When he retired after the 2000 season, Reed ranked third on the NFL list with 951 catches, fourth with 13,198 yards receiving and sixth with 87 touchdowns receiving. He was an integral part of a Kelly-quarterbacked and Marv Levy-coached team that won four consecutive AFC championships from 1990-93, but each time lost in the Super Bowl.

The team was built by former general manager Bill Polian, and has now produced six Hall of Famers, rounded out by Kelly, Levy, defensive end Bruce Smith, running back Thurman Thomas and receiver James Lofton.

Reed's induction was considered by many long overdue.

"Thank goodness," said Polian, who worried whether Reed's chances had passed him by. "I mean, there was no better receiver in football than Andre Reed when he played, and only Jerry Rice, in my humble opinion, is in the same breath."

Though Rice had the numbers and Super Bowl rings, Reed helped revolutionize the slot receiver position.

Despite a wiry, 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame, Reed was fearless in going across the middle to make catches in traffic in what was dubbed the Bills' "K-Gun" no-huddle offense.

"He was a slot receiver long before there was such a position," Polian said, noting that defenses first used linebackers to cover Reed. "He had to go in there in that traffic and do very heavy work."

Lions postpone talks with Suh until after season

The Detroit Lions are postponing contract talks with All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh until after the season.

Suh is entering the final season of his contract, and team president Tom Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew said before practice Monday that negotiations are being tabled. Lewand and Mayhew both expressed optimism that a deal can eventually be reached.

"He's told me he wants to be here. I have a good relationship with him," Mayhew said. "I know I want him to be here. I don't know what else to tell you."

Suh talked to reporters after practice, but he didn't want to discuss his contract situation.

"It won't be a distraction to me," Suh said. "I'm just out here playing football and having fun."

Lewand said Detroit's salary-cap situation isn't the reason for the delay in an agreement.

If the two sides can't reach a deal after the season, the Lions could still keep Suh by using their franchise tag on him.

"I wouldn't close the door on that," Mayhew said. "Every year, we have people concerned about our ability to function under the salary cap, and thus far we've been able to go out in free agency every year and add to our team, make our team better. ... I think the cap is going to go up next year, and probably the year after that too."

The Lions selected Suh with the second overall pick in 2010, and he has 27 ½ sacks in his four pro seasons.

"We have a high degree of confidence that we can work out something that'll be mutually satisfactory at the right time, and the goal hasn't changed in the least. But the timing is such that we think the focus needs to be on the field, starting today," Lewand said. "There's no adversarial nature to this decision. ... I think this is what's right for everybody."

Coach Jim Caldwell, in his first season with the Lions, said he's optimistic a deal will be reached.

"I've been around too many times where I've seen them all get done," Caldwell said. "I think in this particular case, it won't be any different."

Suh did say he hopes teammates won't have to keep answering questions about his future.

"I'm not going to talk about my contract. We're going to continue to talk about football," Suh said. "I would ask you guys not to bother my teammates about something that they have nothing involved in. For sure, definitely don't want them to have to answer any questions about it."

Rudolph ready for bigger year with Vikings after big raise

The Minnesota Vikings have pledged to make Kyle Rudolph a larger part of their offense for, well, his whole career.

Now this enhanced role is almost inevitable: He's carrying 15 fewer pounds this season and playing for a lot more money.

"It's an honor to know that they have the faith in me and the trust in me to instill that value in me, and I'm going to do everything I can to go out on the field and perform at that level," Rudolph said between practices on Monday, after signing a five-year contract extension the night before.

He added: "I want to be the best tight end in the NFL, and that's why I go out every day to work the way that I do."

The Vikings were enamored enough with the soft-handed, slender Rudolph that they drafted him out of Notre Dame in the second round in 2011 despite a nasty injury, a torn right hamstring, that he was still recovering from at the time.

Rudolph won the Most Valuable Player award at the Pro Bowl after the 2012 season, but he has accumulated a modest 1,055 yards and 15 touchdowns over three years in the NFL. Jimmy Graham exceeded both of those totals last season for New Orleans. Rob Gronkowski did the same three years ago for New England.

The Vikings have long believed the 6-foot-6 Rudolph, who used a better offseason diet to start training camp at a lean weight of 258, can become that featured receiver who can catch passes all over the field, in addition to being a go-to target in the end zone.

Rudolph's new deal has a maximum worth of $40 million. About half of that is practically guaranteed, and his annual average salary will be in the top five of all NFL tight ends. Graham makes the most.