Archives for May 1, 2015

'I’m no draft guru, but I know my Bills draft history. If they go offense with their first pick, it will break a drafting pattern that extends all the way back to 1998, before the current 15-year playoff drought began.'

'Jets beef up their front: The Bills might no longer have the clear-cut best defensive line in the AFC East. The Jets are at least pushing them for that honor by selecting Williams, who surprisingly fell to them at sixth overall. With standout end Muhammad Wilkerson and disruptive tackle Sheldon Richardson, the Jets now have a potentially dominant trio. How good is Tom Brady feeling right now about the thought of facing the defensive fronts of the Bills, Jets and Dolphins, who have added Ndamukong Suh?'

'In all, five tackles and two interior linemen were among the 32 selections made. With so many talented players already off the board, and perhaps a few more set to be picked in the first half of the second round Friday before the Bills finally go on the clock at No. 50, you have to wonder whether it's prudent for Buffalo to address its offensive line in that spot.'

'Here are some of the players the Bills should have their eye on…'.

'Who will still be there when the Bills are on the clock?'

'Even though the Bills won't be on the clock until pick No. 50, though, there are still a few things Bills fans should have their eye on when the 2015 NFL Draft gets underway at 8 p.m. Thursday in Chicago.'

'"I don't want to say it's a make-it-or-break-it year, but I know it's definitely a very important spring right now," Manuel said following a voluntary veterans minicamp session this week. "Obviously, the third year is where a lot of NFL quarterbacks that are starters really show that, 'Hey, this guy can be a longtime starter for this team.'"'

'“We’d like to get some depth for sure, and we’d like to get some guys, at least in the second and third round that, if not contribute, definitely push to start.”'

'My final mock shows no change for the Bills from my 3rd mock. La'el Collins legal situation has a big impact on the Bills pick at 50. From the sounds of it, it most likely takes an offensive tackle completely off the board, creating one less for any team to take. That may drive up the value of the others at the position. I think the Bills would rather select a tackle over a guard, but at this point, looking at the board, Jackson is the highest-rated player remaining up-front, and one who could fit right in on the Bills line.'

'Ultimately, the ideal situation for the Bills would be to trade this selection to a very motivated team less then ten spots behind them, pick up an extra pick this year and one next year, too, and still draft an offensive lineman with their first selection.'

'In Harvin’s last two seasons in Minnesota he had 71 and 87 catches. Between the Vikings and Seahawks had caught 63 balls, but production has fallen since. Between the Jets and Seahawks last year he had 51 receptions for 483 yards. In his first three seasons he had 17 touchdowns and only four since. Harvin’s confident he can get back to where he was earlier in his career, “I will without a shadow of a doubt. The last couple of years for whatever reason it just felt like I never could get settled in or get my role solidified, but here I’ve been here since day one in the program and everything’s new so I’m able to come in and establish myself.”'

'“My agent told me I had a slight, slight chance to be taken at the end of the first round,” Woods recalled. “The Texans took DeAndre Hopkins and I was looking at the draft and I saw a lot of big guys going, so I knew that wasn’t good for me.”'

'“Searcy was an outstanding player, there’s no doubt about that,” said Bills head coach Rex Ryan. “But we feel pretty good about Duke (Williams). And really some other guys. (Jonathan) Meeks was coming on and got hurt, so we’ll see. There’s going to be some opportunities for other guys. Clearly, that’s going to be a spot where when you lose a starter, the next man steps up. I think with Duke Williams in particular, we’re excited to see what he can do.”'