Archives for April 2001

‘The Bills began yesterday with 10 picks, but thanks to a pair of trade-down maneuvers in the first and second rounds, they accrued two more without affecting their player selection strategy.’

‘"I’ve coached so many guys who won’t take a chance," Williams said. "That really irritates me. . . . guys who stand out there and cover grass. There are a lot of those kind of guys in the NFL. You got to want to make a play."’

‘"I don’t think it’s a secret we need depth. We’re hurting for bodies in Buffalo. We have 12 picks in this draft and we intend to do the best job with each and every one of them."’

‘After splitting time with Jamal Lewis as a junior, Henry exploded for 1,314 yards and 11 touchdowns on 253 carries in 2000 and seems completely recovered from 1997 knee surgery.’

‘Henry will never be known for his speed, nor his explosiveness or even his size. His toughness and determination were what made him a nightmare to tackle in college.’

‘Schobel captured the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year award in 2000 despite playing with nagging injuries most of the season. The 6-3, 264-pounder collected 56 tackles and 6 1/2 sacks in his senior season.’

‘Clements was the first cornerback taken in the draft, and is considered a need for the Bills who were seeking a strong, speedy defender to cover the NFL’s top wide receivers. It’s an added bonus for Buffalo, seeking to revamp its porous special teams, that Clements was Ohio State’s top punt returner and backup kick returner.’

‘After undergoing foot surgery in January 2000, Clements had a solid final season for the Buckeyes, intercepting four passes and breaking up 13 others. The 5-11 Clements, who left school after his junior season, solidified his draft position with a strong showing at the combine.’

‘Brian DeLucia, publisher of NFLDigest.com, ranks Clements No. 1 among corners. One reason is Clements’ brass, and his willingness to stand up "to anyone and he will muscle receivers," DeLucia said. "The only negative is that he will lose awareness of the ball at times downfield in man coverage and not be in position to make a play."’

‘Whether a premier defensive lineman will fall to the Bills’ 14th overall selection is one of many uncertainties in what shapes up as the most unpredictable, wide-open first rounds in recent years.’

‘"I’ve got great confidence in the coaches and Dwight and his staff, I promise you we will have an outstanding draft," Donahoe said. As Bills fans know, he’s going to need it.’

‘[Donovan] Greer, 26, agreed to a three-year contact with a $400,000 signing bonus and a salary around $448,000, the minimum for a four-year player. He gives the Redskins depth at cornerback behind Champ Bailey, Deion Sanders and Darrell Green.’

‘The NFL Draft has arrived, and not since the early days of the Bill Polian Era when the Bills were trying to regain their pulse after back-to-back 2-14 seasons has a draft been this meaningful to the future of the Bills.’

‘"Mr. Wilson would make suggestions, but he never told us who to take," he said. "If he had been impressed with someone he had seen in a televised college game, we would brief him thoroughly on that player. He was open-minded. He understood that the draft is a risky proposition."’

Join TBD and the posters at the Stadium Wall in our chat room all weekend long. Talk about the Bills selections – where they went wrong and what they did right!