Archives for April 2016

'He had to wait a little longer to hear his name called than most projected, but Shaq Lawson still made Daniel High School history on Thursday night.'

'"It was the best pre-draft meeting I had," Lawson said. "Everybody else's meetings were uptight and asking me who the fourth president was. And when I went in their meeting room, I just felt laidback. They were talking to me about football."'

'The 21-year-old is 6'3", 249 pounds and exits Clemson after three years, including his junior season which saw him rack up 12.5 sacks. A consensus All-American and first-team All ACC member, Lawson also finished with 25.5 tackles for loss in 2015.'

'Lawson is a very good fit for a Bills team that was near the bottom of the league in getting to the passer last season and then released defensive end Mario Williams. The Bills need someone to play the edge as much, if not more, than any other spot on the field. And Lawson is one of the best in this draft.'

'In a conference call with the Buffalo media, Lawson said there is “no truth whatsoever” to that report, but did say he’s had a minor right shoulder injury since his freshman year, but that it’s never been something that’s bothered him.'

'The 21-year-old was a star a season ago, setting a new career high with 12.5 sacks and led the country with 25.5 tackles for loss to lead the Tigers to an undefeated regular season, ACC title and trip to the national championship game.'

'"Very few times you can go into a draft and have a really big need and that guy standing out like a sore thumb is the guy you want and the guy that fills that need," Whaley said. "We never thought he would drop to us at 19, and when it got closer and closer, we all said let's keep our mouth shut."'

'“It was the best pre-draft meeting I had,” Lawson said. “Everybody else’s meeting was up tight, asking you who the fourth president was. When I went into that meeting room I just felt laid back. Talking to me about football and things like that.”'

'"It taught me some strong values, about being responsible, about having some life structure," Lawson told NFL.com. "The most important lesson I got out of it was time management. You were up early every day for PT (physical training), your face had to be shaved, your shoes had to be shined."'

'The Bills are likely to go defense when they make the 19th pick tonight, with filling a hole somewhere in the front seven a top priority. The Bills are going all-in on Rex Ryan’s 3-4 scheme this year, but the linebacker corps as it stands today is one of the thinnest positions on the roster. Bradham is an Eagle, A.J. Tarpley retired and Tony Steward was cut. Manny Lawson and Preston Brown are the only returning backers who made any impact in 2015, and Brown’s sophomore season was uneven.'

'With 10 minutes allowed between picks, Buffalo’s choice figures to come around 11 p.m.'

'“Every draft you’ve got to find difference makers,” Whaley said. “Every draft you’ve got to try and hit on as many guys as possible. The internal pressure to hit on a draft is what drives us. We’re excited about it and we accept that challenge.'

'Not good enough to make the postseason, not bad enough to land a franchise savior. That’s the story for an entire generation of fans. Heck, the year they started 0-8 — and were in love with Cam Newton — they finished a noble 4-4.'

'“I think it’s certainly a tall order,” former Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM and current ESPN analyst Mark Dominik said of this being a transformative draft for the Bills. “They’re fortunate in the fact that they do have a Sammy Watkins on the football team. It looks like they’re very happy with Tyrod Taylor and they’ve got LeSean McCoy (who received a fat pay raise after being acquired from Philadelphia last year), so it’s not like they don’t have any talent.'

'Contemplating those two issues, I can see how objective fans might feel a bit conflicted about the state of the team. After spending through the nose to go 8-8 last season, are the Bills a true contender or a team in decline?'