The Buffalo Bills will feature a new look whenever the 2011 NFL season kicks off. The team unveiled new uniforms in an elaborate ceremony Friday night at Ralph Wilson Stadium, retaining the charging buffalo logo but going back to white helmets and royal blue uniform tops. "We listened to our fans," Bills CEO Russ Brandon told the team's official website. "We have done a lot of research (and) this is a long process to go through. We just wanted to get back to our storied tradition while we still highlight our brand."

Bills safety George Wilson likes what he sees and hears about the players' recent discussions with NFL owners to end the lockout. "We're definitely optimistic we're moving in the right direction," Wilson, the Bills' player representative, said. "Right now, we feel like we're having meaningful discussions. ... We feel we have the right people in the room, discussing the right things, and both sides want to get a deal done. But even though we're moving in the right direction, we're not there yet." Wilson said conference calls held in the last two days mark the first time in a while that players have been briefed on a lockout that's in its fourth month. "That's because there haven't been any developments the last little while," he said.

The Buffalo Bills announced two changes to their Fan Behavior policy on Tuesday. In order to become more in line with the NFL's recommendation for stadiums opening their parking lots, the Bills lots will now open four hours prior to kickoff. In previous years, the lots opened five hours prior to kickoff. Additionally, Ralph Wilson Stadium will now be a smoke-free facility. There will no longer be designated smoking areas as in past years. This change will take effect beginning with the new uniform unveiling ceremony later this month. Bills CEO Russ Brandon said, "We have listened to the vast majority of our fans who want to enjoy the game day experience in a smoke-free facility and we wanted to notify all of our fans well in advance of our first home game of this change in our Fan Behavior Policy. It is important that everyone understands that there will be zero tolerance on this element of our policy."

NFL employees have had their salaries trimmed by 12 percent since April. Those reductions will increase if there's no labor deal by August and seven teams have instituted pay cuts or furloughs since the lockout began March 12. The teams are the Bills, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Chiefs, Dolphins, Jets and Lions.

The Bills plan to give wide receiver Lee Evans a bigger role in the offense next season. Evans had the worst productive season of his career in 2010. He missed three games, but was overshadowed by Stevie Johnson. "I'm looking to get [Evans] way more involved in the offense this year," quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick told WGR 550-AM in Buffalo, "Some of the attention will go off him and he won't see the constant double-team."

Aaron Maybin's weight in training camp may help determine the 2009 first-round pick's future with the Bills. He was down to 235 pounds last season, which proved to be way too light for his position. Buffalo would like to see him add 30 pounds to that frame.

The Bills will unveil their new look with a uniform launch set for June 24 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Fans are invited to attend the launch, which will feature U.S. military personnel involved with the unveiling ceremony. The team announced in February that they were changing the style of their uniforms to the ones they've had since 2002. They provided no details of the changes, except to say it will retain its logo of a charging buffalo.