Archives for May 10, 2014

‘The Bills are expected to add depth at several spots, including defensive back, guard and defensive line.’

‘As much as Johnson brought to the offense, it’s clear Bills General Manager Doug Whaley and coach Doug Marrone didn’t view him as favorably as Johnson’s fans.’

‘Kouandjio (pronounced KWON-joe) was a player that they had a low first-round grade on. Interestingly, the way the picks were going leading up to their No. 41 overall spot, the Bills felt they could take a slight risk and still get Kouandjio. So they traded back three spots to St. Louis’ No. 44 position, and sure enough, were still able to get the 2013 consensus All-American, plus they corralled a fifth-round pick in this draft, No. 153 overall.’

‘So they responded with yet another bold move, sending Johnson packing, which means Watkins becomes the go-to guy before he has ever played a down in the NFL – and he’s fine with that.’

‘If Whaley can pull it off, he will be the toast of the town. If it blows up into another season lost, he could be toast, especially with the franchise looking at the prospect of having new owners in three months.’

‘”I’m a big believer in Christ, and I just want to play football. That’s all I want to do. I want to go on a team and earn my stripes just like I did at Alabama. I want to go into a program and be a big influence to the program. I want to be extremely relevant to a program my first year. Money and draft stuff, it will come. I’m not so worried about that. I’m already comfortable.”‘

‘Kouandjio, who appeared agitated he wasn’t selected early, said he’s ready to prove to those teams which didn’t pick him that they made a mistake.’

49ers add Stevie Johnson, draft RB on a 5-trade day (San Francisco Chronicle)

49ers add Stevie Johnson, Carlos Hyde to offense (Oakland Tribune)

49ers acquire wide receiver Stevie Johnson from Bills (Sacramento Bee)

49ers cap busy Day 2 of draft with five trades (AP)

San Francisco 49ers Trade for WR Stevie Johnson (49ers.com)

‘Kouandjio is listed at 6-foot-6 and 322 pounds, and left Alabama after three seasons. He addresses Buffalo’s need at tackle, and will be given a chance to compete for the starting job on the right side.’

‘Listed at 6-foot-1 and 251 pounds, Brown started 36 of 52 games over four seasons at Louisville. He’s versatile enough to play the outside and middle positions. He finished with seven career sacks, including a career-best 4-1/2 last season, and 21-1/2 tackles for a loss.’

‘The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because neither team has announced the move made on Friday. ESPN first reported the trade, and said the Bills acquired a conditional fourth-round pick.’

‘The pick is reportedly a conditional fourth-rounder that could become a third- rounder based on the veteran receiver’s on-field production.’

‘While Johnson was clearly the most talented wide receiver in Buffalo over the past four seasons, he wouldn’t qualify as a true No. 1 receiver for most NFL teams. He’s a good possession receiver who lacks home run speed and was too often shut down by elite cornerbacks.’