Archives for April 27, 2012

‘They may not admit it now, but it’s very possible the Bills shopped the 10th pick and simply had no takers. Then when Gilmore fell to them at No. 10, it was an easy choice for the Bills. The franchise left tackle wasn’t there and the transcendent wide receiver or linebacker was nowhere to be found.’

‘On friday the Bills have the 9th and 39th picks in the second and third rounds. By midnight tonight I would like to see them bring a young wide receiver and an offensive tackle to Orchard Park. Names like Alshon Jeffery (Gilmore’s teammate at South Carolina) , Rueben Randall (LSU) and one of the most intriguing guys not picked, Georgia Tech 6’4" wide out Stephen Hill are still on the board. They might all be scooped up in the 8 picks before the Bills. They could also just sit still and wait to see if Stanford’s Jonathan Martin or one of the other top tackles are still on the board.’

‘”There is some depth at some positions we need,” said Bills GM Buddy Nix. “We think from the second round on that there are some pretty good players.”‘

‘”We had opportunities to move up more than move down, and so we listened,” he said of Buffalo being one of 16 teams that held its position. “We just didn’t want to give up draft picks. I never do like doing that.”‘

‘Two other corners were actually graded higher than Gilmore, but both – North Alabama’s Janoris Jenkins (marijuana and paternity issues) and Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick (marijuana arrest) – had major character questions.’

‘Bills starters Terrence McGee and Drayton Florence are getting older. McGee wil be 32 in October. Florence will be 32 in December. For the long term, the Bills figure to put Gilmore next to Aaron Williams, last year’s 34th overall pick. Williams is a rugged, 6-foot, 200 pounds. The Bills should have two physical corners to match up with the new wave of big wideouts in the NFL.’

‘It’s not just about the top pick. The Bills need to hit home runs on some picks in the later rounds and deepen the talent on the roster. Nix needs to do better than Torell Troup and Alex Carrington in the second and third rounds today.’

‘”We’ve said this before and said it before we started this preparation, we’d like to take two corners in this draft,” General Manager Buddy Nix said. “So we got one of them.”‘

‘”It’s a great feeling to be a Buffalo Bill,” said Gilmore, a seemingly quiet kid who hails from Rock Hill, S.C. “I’m happy to play for them. I went on a visit to the Bills, visited the city, they believe in my talent and I’m looking forward to helping their defense out.”‘

‘What did Bills GM Buddy Nix back in Buffalo tell him on the phone? “He’s happy with the decision,” Gilmore said. “I’m happy they picked me and believed in my talent. I’ll just keep working hard, like I’ve always done. It don’t stop here – this is the beginning. So I’m looking forward to it.”‘

‘Also a standout defensive back in high school, he started all 40 games of his college career at corner. Then he left school a year early and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds at the NFL combine – third-fastest among defensive backs, and a major development for the 6-1 Gilmore.’

‘”Stephon Gilmore is one of my favorite players in this draft,” he said. “He started 40 straight games in the SEC. No injuries. No issues. This is a kid that’s going to step in on day one. Remember the division they’re in. In order to win this division, they have to play Tom Brady and the New England Patriots twice a year. They have the wide receivers and the tight end. You can’t get enough good cover guys in this division. This is their answer.”‘

‘Gilmore, who attended South Carolina, didn’t display much emotion when he crossed the stage at Radio City Music Hall to greet NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. That’s not unusual for the stoic Gilmore, who has always impressed others with his maturity. “Stephon’s going to be fine wherever he goes,” Drummond said. “He just wants to play, he doesn’t care where. He’s just such a competitor, that he’s going to be fine wherever he goes.”‘

‘The 6-foot, 193-pound Gilmore was a three-year starter and left college after his junior season. He’s got considerable speed after being timed at running the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds. And he’s regarded as an explosive hitter.’

‘With Gilmore available Nix didn’t want to pass on it, “We talked about adding corners with size and adding speed and I think we did both with this guy. He’s been a 40 game starter in a pretty good league. He was high on our draft board from the start. I really thought when corners starting going he might not be there, but we were fortunate to get him.”‘