CBS Sports

‘Williams is hardly the first lacrosse player to dabble in the NFL. Back in 2022, the Denver Broncos hosted former Maryland lacrosse star Jared Bernhardt on a top-30 visit prior to the draft. Bernhardt served as a graduate transfer quarterback for Ferris State in 2021, leading the Bulldogs to an undefeated record and the program’s first Division II national championship. He went undrafted in the NFL, but was signed by the Atlanta Falcons. In the preseason that year, he caught a game-winning touchdown, and eventually earned a spot on the 53-man roster. Bernhardt played in two games, but retired from the NFL the following year.’

‘Gore went undrafted despite a solid college career at Southern Mississippi, where he rushed for over 4,000 yards and 26 touchdowns with a 5.3 yards-per-carry average. He was asked if he feels that his size (5-foot-10 and 210 pounds) was the main reason why he wasn’t drafted.’

‘”He’s a guy whose got play speed, he’s got short-area quickness for a big guy,” Beane said. “We all know, some guys, they can run the track time, but that’s where the mental part comes into it, too. I always say if you run 4.3 but you’re not smart, you’ll never play 4.3.”‘

‘It’s safe to say that Claypool — who has bounced around the league since the Steelers traded him in 2022 — won’t have the same impact in Buffalo that Diggs did. The new Houston Texans’ wideout was a Pro Bowler in each of his four seasons in Buffalo. During that span, the Bills captured four consecutive AFC East division titles.’

‘He made a quick impact in Pittsburgh as a rookie, but has since seen his production wane with each passing season and has bounced around the league over the last two years.’

‘That personality also showed when he initially met with the Bills at the NFL Combine earlier this offseason. In a room full of front office decision-makers including head coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane, Coleman’s was endearing.’

‘The 20-year-old said he received a text from Allen on Friday, before he was drafted that said (via the team’s official website), “You’re the guy that I want. I watched a lot of receivers and I want to play with you.”‘

‘Clayton is a former rugby player who has impressive size — he stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs just over 300 pounds — so the Bills are clearly hoping that they’ll be able to mold him into a player who can contribute to the team at some point down the road.’

‘”Folks slept on my son; they slept on me, too — they’ll see. My bloodline is for real. Our (pre-draft) testing was identical. All the scouts were like you can tell that’s my son. I (expletive) with (Brandon) Beane. He’s the real deal. I’m happy to get my son to this point. We’re coming to play.”‘

‘The hysterics began almost as soon as Coleman sat down at the podium dressed in a yellow puffer jacket. A reporter in the room made note of the winter coat and remarked that the team had already begun gearing the Florida State product up for the colder climate in upstate New York.’

‘”I could see them taking a receiver but you don’t truly know,” Beane said, according to NewYorkUpstate.com. “But where they were moving from, I don’t think it mattered to us who they were picking. Now we’ve got the two 2s, a 3, a 4 and four 5s. I think that gives us a chance to fill some roles or use ammo to move around again, depending on how the board falls.”‘

‘”No,” answered Beane, via 13 WHAM. “What you need are guys in this offense that are smart, versatile, selfless and can make the plays that their skill set allows them to make. … If there’s a one that pops out either in free agency or the draft that makes sense for us or a really good No. 2, you know, we’ll do it, but I don’t think not having a No. 1 doesn’t mean we can’t have success on offense or as a team.”‘

‘If there is/was any beef between the two, Allen chose to take the high road on Thursday, when he publicly discussed the Diggs trade for the first time. He went out of his way to praise Diggs and the impact the Houston Texans’ new weapon had on his career during their four years as teammates. Allen said the two exchanged text messages after Diggs was traded.’

‘Friday, Miller posted a video on his Instagram story with the caption, “Brandon Beane arriving to the 2024 NFL draft to trade up for a WR. In Beane we TRUST. Bills Mafia LFG.”‘

‘”The Stefon Diggs one, it was definitely a haymaker,” Dawkins said Friday, via NFL.com. “A blind haymaker. But, you know, I have learned that in this world, in this career that I’m in, that pieces shuffle and things move around all of the time. … For a player that has that type of impact and popularity and stat-based weight for their career, it just hits you in a different way. Like I said, I love my teammates and I am loyal to my organization. So I trust them. I think that they know what they’re doing. I know that they know what they’re doing. But we got (No.) 17, and when you got Josh (Allen), anything is possible, truly.”‘