Archives for April 2016

'“It’s the same one we ran at Stanford,” Hogan said. “You’re going to have three plays called and you’ll have to go up to the line of scrimmage with 12 seconds left on the play clock and read the defense pre-snap and see what the best play is to get into. A lot of the game is handled before the ball is even snapped. Coach Roman is going to have a lot of play action, a lot of turning your back to the defense, a lot of turning around and seeing what’s happened.'

'Tom Sestak ranks at the top because he was a 17th-round pick in 1962 who went on to become one of the finest defensive linemen in Bills history, and some would say, pro football history. Seventeenth round — that’s 2½ modern-day drafts. Yet Sestak anchored the AFL’s best defense in the mid-60s and helped lead the Bills to back-to-back championships in 1964-65.'

' "When you're picking in that 17 to 20 range, that's a hot spot for teams to trade up," former NFL general manager and current ESPN analyst Mark Dominik said. "When you set your draft board, there aren't exactly, in the case of this year, 31 first-round picks on everybody's board. Generally, there are 20-25 first-round graded players. And the reason there's so much action there is because some of these teams are down to the last guys (on their board) they feel are a first-round talent, and they want to make sure they get one of them."'

'The Bills could certainly use a safety. Aaron Williams' future is still up in the air, and Corey Graham isn't getting any younger. While they aren't desperate at the position, Joseph would be a nice option, particularly if he's around in the second round of the NFL Draft.'

'With those two things combined, here’s what some of the national mock drafts have the Bills doing when they’re on the clock at No. 19 overall.'

'“Still to this day, I can’t control my mood swings. On so many days, I have to apologize to my family for them. I thank God that I have a family that understands the things that I’ve been through over my 13-year (professional) career, and even after my 14 or 15 years that I’ve been retired. They all understand that with my mood swings, sometimes I just can’t help it.”'

'At 6-foot-3 and 307 pounds, Reed is regarded as a disruptive force. He combined for 11 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks in two seasons at Alabama.'

'In fact, the Bills only have four wide receivers out of ten on the current roster who are under contract beyond this coming season: Watkins; Marcus Easley, who's primarily a special teams player and coming off a knee injury; Dezmin Lewis, who was active for only one game his rookie season; and Walter Powell, who is on his third NFL team and has only played six games in the NFL.'

'Those that are likening him to EJ Manuel — and there are more than a few — aren’t only naive, but at least a tad ignorant about it as well. While it’s true, they are both 6-foot-5, black, mobile, and have displayed some inaccuracy… that’s where the comparison ends.'

'In fact, the best player the Bills drafted according to the results? Wide receiver Eric Moulds, all the way back in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. Former fifth-round pick and defensive tackle Kyle Williams was the second-best player according to the study.'

'While Incognito did not elaborate on what he loves about Wegmans — and some fans gave him grief about the resign vs. re-sign distinction — his fondness for the supermarket is shared by many.'

'But in-between a September hamstring injury and December knee injury that landed him on injured reserve, “Shady” was explosive as any running back in the NFL. He still turned 5-yard losses into 5-yard gains, still possessed a second gear to waste defensive backs at the second level, still was a rare weapon Greg Roman can build a game plan around.'

'Whaley can play the game and posture all he wants, and he can create enough smokescreens to get the attention of fire departments from Buffalo to Rochester. But the most prudent plan for the Bills would be to either stay put at No. 19 and pick one of several highly rated defensive linemen who will be available, or trade down and accrue more picks.'

'That alone helps makes Buffalo one of the most tortured sports fan bases in the country. The history of the two franchises only adds to their agony. So it's not a huge surprise Forbes named Buffalo the most miserable sports city in the country.'

'“Not at all,” Whaley said. “So far they’ve had implicit trust in us, but we’ve got to still keep producing.”'