[Buckskin86]

Bills' Whitner Buys No. 20 From Williams

POSTED: 5:38 pm EDT August 7, 2006
UPDATED: 5:49 pm EDT August 7, 2006

PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- It didn't take long for Buffalo Bills rookie safety Donte Whitner to start spending part of his new signing bonus.

The No. 8 draft pick's first purchase? Negotiating what Whitner would only describe as a five-figure deal to buy the No. 20 jersey from running back Shaud Williams.

Whitner, who wore No. 36 during spring minicamps in Buffalo, debuted the new number Monday when he took the field for the first time in training camp after signing a five-year contract, believed to include about $13.5 million guaranteed, Saturday.

Whitner said the reason for the change was because he didn't want to wear the same number his predecessor, veteran Lawyer Milloy, wore last season before he was released in March. Whitner wore No. 9 at Ohio State.

New jersey number aside, Whitner is focused on catching up after his stalled negotiations led him to missing the first eight days of training camp in suburban Rochester.

"Right now, I don't feel far behind, maybe a little in conditioning," Whitner said. "I know my job, now I need to figure out what everybody else is doing around me."

Projected to be the team's opening day starter, Whitner practiced with the Bills second-stringers.

Whitner spent Saturday and Sunday holding individual workouts and meeting with his coaches.

Coach Dick Jauron said Whitner's progress will be evaluated before determining whether he'll play in Buffalo's preseason opener at Carolina on Saturday.

"I do want to play in that game, but it's coach's decision," Whitner said.

For Williams, this is the second time he's has changed numbers. Williams wore No. 40 as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2004 before he switched to No. 20 after making the team.

Smiling, Williams made clear he's not against switching numbers again for the right price.

"If anybody wants to switch, we can sit down and talk," Williams said. "But I think the most important thing now is Donte's here, he's working and we're in the process of getting him on the field and helping us win ballgames."
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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