WGR

‘The 6-foot-4, 314-pound guard played a total of 38 games with the Red Raiders in four years, starting immediately at guard as a true freshman in 2017. As a junior, Anderson played the first three games in 2019 before missing the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury.’

‘“I think we’ve got guys that are going to be part of the equation in 2021,” Beane said in his post-draft Zoom conference call. “Gregory Rousseau, Carlos Basham, I’m not going to promise either one of them the starting job, but they’ll have an opportunity to start and I expect them to be a part of the gameday rotation. Spencer Brown will come in there and compete. I’m not saying he’s going to win a starting job but he’s an injury away from being in the game. … Some of these moves are long term but there’s a lot that will have an impact on the 2021 season.”’

‘In fact, offensive tackles Spencer Brown and Tommy Doyle, both standing 6-foot-8, and defensive end Greg Rousseau, at 6-foot-7, are now the three tallest players on the roster.’

‘Basham Jr. weighs in a 6-foot-3, 274 pounds with a ton of experience playing for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. In four years at Wake Forest, Basham Jr. notched 20.5 sacks, 173 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries in 45 games.’

‘“They’re definitely a hard-nosed defense,” Basham Jr. said. “…even when I play Madden, I play with the Bills. The defense is something I really love, I’m glad I’m a part of it now. That was the main thing I was thinking about when it was first going through my head. It’s a dream come true.”’

‘Before the 2020 season was postponed, Brown was named a preseason FCS All-American. In the years prior, Brown started 33 of the 34 games he played for Northern Iowa. Brown lined up as the starting right tackle for the Northern Iowa Panthers in every game during the 2019 season.’

‘“I know it’s a hardworking organization, hardworking team, and blue-collar,” Brown said. “That’s what I’m anxious to be a part of, it’s part of my background. I grew up on a farm in Lennox [Iowa], then went to Northern Iowa in a blue-collar city. Being a part of Bills Mafia is perfect for a kid that grew up in a small town in Iowa.”’

‘“We really liked [Rousseau] through the process,” Beane said on his Zoom conference call early Friday morning. “We spent multiple Zoom [meetings] with him, like we did a lot of guys. He’s a Grade-A young man, very mature for his age. He has the intangibles that we look for and he’s a guy that’s going to work. … We like who he is, and we think he’s a guy that in time will reach his potential.”’

‘“I kept thinking he [Basham Jr.] was going to get picked,” Beane said. “We had a deal agreed to with an NFC club. We told them if one player was there, which was Basham Jr, that we weren’t going to do the deal…. It would’ve moved us back into the third round and added some other picks. We felt like we were in a good spot.”’

‘“I couldn’t be any happier,” he said. “That is the one place I really wanted to go. I’m genuinely saying this.”’

‘It’s clear what the Bills plan was going into this draft, and why. After watching Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs beat them twice on their way to a Super Bowl appearance, including defeating the Bills in the AFC Championship Game, and only sacking Mahomes once in both games combined, Beane and head coach Sean McDermott obviously felt they needed to add, and maybe even overhaul, their pass rush, in multiple ways.’

‘Here are my top players who also fit their needs and scheme, by position…’.

‘Rousseau was thought, by many, to be one of the best pass rushers in the 2021 draft class. He was projected in many mock drafts to go somewhere in the middle part of the NFL Draft, but ended up slipping to the back end of Round 1 to the Bills, who could use another effective pass rusher.’

‘“We really liked [Rousseau] through the process,” Beane said. “We spent multiple Zoom [meetings] with him, like we did a lot of guys. He’s a grade-A young man, very mature for his age. He has the intangibles that we look for and he’s a guy that’s going to work …. We like who he is and we think he’s a guy that in time will reach his potential.”’

‘“I’m just a player that’s going to bring it all from day one,” Rousseau said. “I’m ready to go out there and compete. I’m also someone that’s going to give high effort at all times …. I’m going to be the best player I can be.”’