Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Wood 'wouldn't be super excited' if Bills moved abroad

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

Speculation has been rampant this offseason when it comes to potential bidders for the Buffalo Bills; anyone with deep pockets and a Western New York connection seems to be in the mix.

The eventual owner of the team is only half the story though, and many are wondering if new management will yield a new location.

While many of the big-name suitors have claimed the Bills would stay put if they were to come out on top, other possible landing spots for the team have been scattered, with Los Angeles and Toronto certainly in the mix.

Another semi-likely scenario would be a move to England, where the NFL has been playing regular season games at Wembley Stadium since 2007.

Skipping across the pond is not, however, on the top of center Eric Wood's wishlist.

"I wouldn't be super excited," he told Sirius XM NFL Radio Tuesday. "I feel like that would be pretty inconvenient for myself and my family, but I think it's neat to talk about. I probably wouldn't be super excited to go out of the country, but playing a game over in London, I think, would be pretty neat, as long as it was just one maybe per year.

"If there's revenue out there it will be explored; that is the American way. I'm sure it will be talked about a lot over the next few months."

Wood has been pretty vocal about his thoughts on the team's Toronto series at the Rogers Centre, calling the agreement a "joke" back in 2012. The deal, which was extended in 2013 for another five seasons, was put off this season so the team could "evaluate opportunities and build on the foundation to enhance future games," according to the team.

That deal's future will likely depend on the team's next owner, a process that will become slightly clearer at the end of this month when the aforementioned parties are required to hand in documents that would deem them interested in the purchase of the team.

Wood, like the team's fan base, is just hoping the team ultimately stays put, which stills remains highly probably.

"You just kind of hope as a player that you just play well enough that you'll keep your job no matter who comes in," Wood said. "I own a house in Buffalo and I love it there, so I'm hoping whoever buys the Bills will keep us there."

Follow Dan @DanBegnoche
Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily