NFL NOTEBOOK
Chuck Knox, former Rams, Seahawks, Bills coach, dies at 86
Chuck Knox, the former NFL coach who took the Los Angeles Rams to three straight NFC championship games and also led the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills, has died. He was 86.
The Rams and Seahawks said Sunday that Knox died Saturday night.
Called “Ground Chuck,” for his run-first offenses, Knox was the NFL Coach of the Year in 1973, 1980 and 1984. He went 186-147-1 during 22 seasons as an NFL head coach, including two stints with the Rams. He won five straight NFC West titles from 1973-77, and he returned in 1992 for the franchise’s final three seasons in Los Angeles before its move to St. Louis.
The Pennsylvania native left the Rams in 1978 for the Buffalo Bills. After five seasons, he took over the Seahawks in 1983 and immediately led the franchise to its first playoff berth and the AFC title game. He spent nine seasons with Seattle.
Knox entered professional football in the AFL with the New York Jets as offensive line coach in 1963, and played a key role in the recruitment of quarterback Joe Namath .He remained with the Jets until 1966, and was then offensive line coach with the Detroit Lions from 1967-1972.
Bills sign first-round pick
The Buffalo Bills have signed first-round draft pick Tremaine Edmunds of Virginia Tech to a four-year deal.
The team announced the signing of the linebacker Saturday. Buffalo traded up to the 16th selection to get Edmunds. He had 109 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2017.
That leaves the Bills with two of eight draft picks unsigned: Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen (first round) and Stanford defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (third round).
NFL makes ruling
The NFL has determined the Buffalo Bills acted properly in the aftermath of team president Russ Brandon’s resignation amid allegations he had an inappropriate relationship with a female employee.
The league released a statement saying it will take no further action against the Bills. The league determined the team “addressed the matter in a timely, thorough and appropriate manner.” The statement comes a week after the NFL wouldn’t rule out launching an investigation in announcing it planned to contact the Bills to discuss the reasons behind Brandon’s abrupt departure.