Archives for April 26, 2020

‘“Just trying to give (offensive coordiantor) Brian Daboll as many variations, not to have all the same, small guys, fast guys, big guys. I like that,” Beane said. “This receiver draft, it was true, we talked about it all spring. This was a deep class.”’

‘Fromm’s slid into the fifth round with questions about his arm strength, his small hands and overall athletic ability, but there are no questions about his leadership ability. He went 37-6 as a starter and started every game of his career but his first as a freshman before beating out Jacob Eason, who was chosen Saturday in the fourth round by the Colts.’

‘Quarterback was at, or near, the very bottom of the list. If the Bills addressed it at all, they figured to do so maybe with their final pick, in the seventh round, or with an undrafted free agent. The player likely wouldn’t have the sort of credentials that grab your attention.’

‘“Two trades almost happened,” Beane said. “I was on a player that got selected three or four slots ahead of one of our picks. I was on with a team from the NFC and we had pretty much worked out the parameters for that move. And while I was talking to that GM, the player got selected.”’

‘“I think he’s going to be our physical back,” said Bills General Manager Brandon Beane. “On 38% of his runs or something (last year) he broke at least one tackle. That was some stat out there that my analytics crew had. He’s a guy that keeps his feet moving. He’s got a compact build. He holds that ball tight. … He’s not a big-time home run threat. But he’s got enough play speed. He’s got what I call competitive speed. You do see some long runs from Moss.”’

‘Davis will also face competition for a reserve role from Duke Williams, Isaiah McKenzie, Andre Roberts, Robert Foster and Ray-Ray McCloud.’

‘Working his craft: Davis says he’s spent a lot of time around elite pro and college players while working with Tom Shaw, who runs a speed and combine prep camp in Florida. Among his trainees have been Derrick Henry, Dak Prescott and Saquon Barkley. “He takes tremendous pride in working his craft,” UCF receivers coach Darrell Wyatt told the Orlando Sentinel. “He’s always trying to get better. He’s studying other receivers on the professional level, the college level, always pushing himself every week and never being satisfied.”‘

‘“First off, man, I’m excited,” he said. “I’m excited to be a part of the team. Humble and hungry and ready to go in and serve any way I can. For me and my family, I hated it a little more for my family than for me. The waiting’s been tough. It has been a little longer than expected, but I’m so excited, so blessed. I mean, there’s only so many people who get this opportunity to get that phone call. Beyond thankful to be here in this position. I just couldn’t be any more grateful and super excited.”’

‘“We saw evidence of a lack of big-time arm strength, which we knew was a problem at the combine. He had trouble making some of those throws that you need to make,” Kiper said in March.’

‘Bass, 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds, has a big leg and potentially could help the Bills’ special teams by preventing kickoff returns. He kicked touchbacks on 198 of 268 kickoffs (73.9%) in his college career, including 55 of 72 kickoffs (76.4%) last season.’

‘Touchback specialist. Bass handled all the kickoffs for Georgia Southern last season and racked up 55 touchbacks on 72 kickoffs. He had 52 touchbacks on 76 kickoffs in 2018.’

‘”I’m ready to just pick his brain on everything,” Hodgins said. “He’s one of the best route-runners in my eyes. It’s crazy, because I used to literally stay up at night before my college games and watch his highlight tape and watch his routes and releases, and really like prided my game and route-running off of him. Now, I can play with him and practice with him every day, so I’m super excited for that.”‘

‘Smarts and skill: Hodgins prides himself on being both tactical and athletic as a wide receiver. Pro Football Focus said that he “flat-out has the best ball skills in the draft class” and also said that he has the best hands. He has short-area quickness, but his 4.61 time in the 40 shows he’s not a burner.’

‘High character: Jackson has been praised by former coaches for his hardworking character. “He was never an ‘I’ guy; he was always looking for the betterment of somebody else. That was what was special about him,” John Tortorea, Jackson’s high school coach, told WPXI in Pittsburgh.’