Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘The Bills make up for their questionable first-round offensive pick of tight end Dalton Kincaid by getting the much-needed powerful road grader for their running game as a needed upgrade over the “other” Connor McGovern.’

‘“Well, I lied. We traded up,” Beane said with a smile, recalling his comment from a couple weeks ago when he said if you were to make a bet in Las Vegas, the odds would be heavy that he’d try to trade back as opposed to trade up. “You guys probably knew I was going to do it anyway.”’

‘But did the Bills need a tight end? That depends if you consider Kincaid a traditional tight end. Buffalo was expected to add a wide receiver to complement Stefon Diggs and push Gabe Davis. Kincaid is a dangerous receiving threat that blurs the lines between wide receiver and tight end. Exhibit A: Kincaid made 16 catches for 234 yards and a touchdown in a win over then No. 7 USC last fall.’

‘For Buffalo, the question will be, what position will the “best player available” best suit the roster because this first round feels wide open for the Bills and Beane could go in several directions.’

‘With contracts soaring into never-before-seen stratospheres, pushing many teams to the ceiling of the salary cap, the need for low-paid rookies to contribute sooner rather than later is paramount.’

‘The contract between the team and St. John Fisher expired during the pandemic. The parties signed a one-year deal for 2022. The Bills did not disclose how long the new agreement starting in 2023 runs.’

‘“It sucked not getting an offer from your hometown school because I feel like they should be the first ones to offer,” Hyatt told ESPN.com. “But they never did, and I know why. Things work out the way they’re supposed to and I’m glad they thought I was too small. It helped lead me here (to Tennessee) and look at what all I would have missed.”’

‘Reports peg it at $21 million in total with $12.3 million of that guaranteed, and Bass has certainly earned it.’

‘“To have a family, to have people that are around me that love me and that care about me and for those people to still have me in their lives,” Hamlin continued. “They almost lost me. Like I died on national TV in front of the whole world, you know what I mean? For them to still have me around and for me to still have them, it goes both ways. So that right there is just the biggest blessing of it all is for me to still have my people and my people still have me.”’

‘“It just happens quick; this is going into my sixth year,” Allen said following the Bills’ second day of optional OTA workouts. “It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. I feel like I was sitting here for my first press conference coming in on that Friday after the draft talking to you guys. So, it happens quick.”’

‘Sanders spent most of his first year playing on special teams and then his second season as a backup outside linebacker as a wrist injury slowed his progress, so he looked around for a new home where not only could he play, but he could do so as an inside linebacker.’

‘So yes, 2023 will be fine, but the Bills will need to start planning for the future because it’s entirely possible that Hyde, Rapp (expiring contracts) and Poyer ($5.5 million cap savings if he is released after 2023) won’t be on the team in 2024.’

‘At the NFL Scouting Combine, Campbell had the assembled media mesmerized by his ability to connect, to answer a question with a thoughtful answer, to inject some humor and humility to the proceeding, unlike so many of the robots who have been trained to recite nothing but meaningless cliches.’

‘With an extra month of important information available on players, plus team needs that are more clearly defined, here’s a new batch of mock drafts for Buffalo’s No. 27 pick.’

‘“I’m gonna be the play-caller but at the same time, have tons of confidence in the guys that we have around me that if I need to toss it to them from time to time, I can do that,” McDermott confirmed to reporters Monday morning at the annual coaches breakfast at the NFL owners’ meetings in Phoenix.’