Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘“Yeah, yeah, a few people did recognize us and we were able to talk to a couple of parents, take a few pictures, so it was pretty cool,” he said. “It was awesome to see how passionate fans are and having people recognize us at the airport.”’

‘As such, the NFL is making sure the Bills get plenty of national exposure which is why it has scheduled Buffalo for four prime time games (only one of those at home), with the possibility for more based on late-season flexing.’

‘The Patriots will be the biggest impediment to that quest and they’re going to be a tough nut to crack after suffering their first sub.-500 record since 2000 and missing the playoffs for just the third time in the 21st century.’

‘Being bypassed in the first round, where some draft analysts projected the Wake Forest standout might get picked, is only the latest slight that will fuel his competitive nature when he takes the field at One Bills Drive in search of not only a roster spot, but a key role in Sean McDermott’s defense.’

‘“If you don’t, it’s going to look more like last year. Social distant meetings, encourage meetings to be virtual, mask in the building, maybe even mask on the sideline, who knows. A lot of that is still to be determined. I hope that if those are the rules, that we’ll be able to get enough people vaccinated and not have to deal with all the headaches.”’

‘Projected role: The Bills have time to acclimate Rousseau because they have veterans Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison returning, and they also have 2020 second-round pick A.J. Epenesa. I can see Rousseau getting about 25-30% of the rotational snaps and most likely not contributing very much on the stat sheet.’

‘If contract extensions are not worked out, Allen will count more than $23 million on the Bills 2022 cap in a year where the overall team figure may not even get back to where it was in 2020 when it was $198.2 million. Edmunds will count $12.7 million.’

‘The Bills have been flirting with this position before, tapping A.J. Epenesa in the second round last year. Now, they return to the position with both Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham; a pair of high-upside talents who Buffalo hopes can sharpen one another into a platoon that hits. A pressure element to this Bills defense, which is already led by two talented corners and two heady safeties, could lift them to the kind of place where they’re expected to compete with Kansas City instead of considering getting that far as a victory in itself.’

‘Doyle, just like third-round pick Spencer Brown, is another 6-foot-8 tree who weighs 320 pounds, so if nothing else, the Bills are building a heck of a basketball team if these guys end up not playing for Buffalo.’

‘The 5-foot-10, 182-pounder was a fourth to fifth-round projection by The Athletic’s lead draft analyst, Dane Brugler, so if he was on point with his evaluation, the Bills got outstanding value with this pick.’

‘Hamlin is a particular favorite of ESPN’s Todd McShay at this late stage of the draft. He said on their broadcast Hamlin is “a home run pick in the sixth round” and then went on to say, “I can guarantee it right now…. he will make the 53-man roster as a special teams maven.”’

‘“Anderson is strong and nimble with the mean streak desired for trench work, but he plays too upright and his lack of length lowers his margin for error,” said Dane Brugler of The Athletic. “He projects as a potential backup guard/center in a zone-based scheme.”’

‘The Bills were in an enviable position in this draft because just about every starting spot on their team is already set. Therefore, without a single glaring need, they were able to make their picks with an eye toward the long term rather than the short term.’

‘In a video posted to Twitter, Brown climbed a chair and soared for an elbow drop through the table and popped up to celebrate with primal screams with his friends.’

‘Analysis: The Bills had their pick of several first-round graded pass rushers, and they settled on the 6-foot-6, 266-pounder with the massive 83 1/4-inch wingspan. Rousseau opted out of the 2020 season, and he really only played one season as a full-time starter for the Hurricanes, but he had 15.5 sacks in 2019 and was a second-team All-American selection.’