BigAl2526

It would be at least a mild surprise if any of the top 3 are still on the board when the Bills pick.

In the case of the Bills, it was inevitable. The Bills were never going to have enough cap room to make a splash signing and still fill the holes they needed to fill. I don't mind.

His lack of athleticism gives him a low ceiling. If the Bills want more than a special teamer, they need to fill his spot with someone who has a higher ceiling and more athleticism. I expect the Bills to draft a safety, but probably not in the first round.

Exactly the kind of signing that could be expected this off season with a tight cap situation. He's got enough speed, though he's certainly not Tyreek Hill fast. He has good hands, gets separation, can play in the slot or outside, is an outstanding blocker for a WR and can play special teams. Not, he doesn't have a name in the league and no, his total production is very limited, but if he had a big name and lots of production on his resume, the Bills would not be able to afford him.

I haven't given up on Spencer Brown mostly because injury issues have delayed his development. I'm not against taking an offensive tackle in the first round. There may be one or two who would be a fit for the Bills. There are some offensive tackles in the draft who are short enough to slide inside too.

BPA all the way. I would be a bit surprised if the BPA is an interior offensive lineman, defensive back or running back at this point. The draft could always fall differently from what I expect though. It usually does.

The Bills' draft strategy is going to be heavily influenced by value. We don't have access to their big board, of course, but the odds are that by the time Buffalo picks at #27 the cupboard is going to be bare or nearly bare of first round value. Some observers think first round talent in this draft numbers in the teens. Brandon Beane may trade down if he can. Otherwise, he's going to take a deep breath and pick what he feels is the best player remaining. It could well be a tight end. It could be a WR or maybe a defensive lineman. I very much doubt it will be pure guard, as I don't think there will be any kind of value there. There might possibly be an offensive tackle. It might be a linebacker, but I doubt it would be a defensive back.

Agility would be one of my concerns too. I would not say that he couldn't become an effective Mike linebacker, but I'd like to see him lose some weight and see if that lets him become more agile. He is also going to need some development and coaching to make the transition to an NFL middle linebacker. If the Bills were to start him in 2023, the defense would suffer.

Yeah. He's done nothing to demonstrate starter potential. He's a better backup than Jaquan Johnson though. If the Bills pick up another safety and Hamlin is able to come back next season, Johnson is the guy I'd cut.

I agree with those who think McKenzie's time with the team is probably coming to an end. He had a great opportunity to make a statement in the 2022 season, and what he said in his statement was, "I'm not good enough."

Buffalo had competition for Harty. Another team offered more guaranteed money than Buffalo, but he chose Buffalo because he thought his skill set was a better fit. He's a pro bowl kick returner and while hedidn't have a lot of opportunity catching passes, he did well with the opportunities he had. There is always a risk when you sign a relatively untested younger player to a contract of more than one year, but when a player has talent, there is going to be competition from other teams. GMs are paid to gamble at least some of the time.

Matteson ran a much better 40 at his pro day than he did at the combine. 4.67 at the combine and 4.52 at his pro day. The pro day time is very good for a back of his size.

This sounds like a solid signing by the Bills. He's got starting experience, prototypical size and a long career ahead off him. The price seems reasonable. This probably takes offensive guard out of consideration as a first round draft pick. I could still see Buffalo picking up a center/guard prospect in the draft though.

I think that the medical profession is very early in its research to define and understand this condition, to say nothing of treating it. Conditions affecting the brain are notoriously difficult to treat because when brain cells die, they're gone permanently. The remaining cells can produce new synapses (connections) to recover some lost functions but the brain's capacity to do this is limited. Success in rehabilitation in conditions like stroke so depends how mild or severe the damage is.

The current regime at OBD must have done something right two turn a team mired in 2 decades of mediocrity into a perenial playoff team and division champion.

Exactly. It is important for Buffalo to let the draft come to them, and not chase players who are poor values. There might be a good offensive lineman that will fall to them, but if the draft falls the way I expect, any offensive lineman they pick at #27 is going to be a reach. Steve Avila in round two might be more realistic.

He's a sleeper, but he fits your criteria. Andrei Iosivas is from Princeton of all places and clocked a 4.43 40 at 6'3." That's not Randy Moss speed, but he's about as fast a big guy as there is in this draft. He's probably a mid-round draft pick.

For me, the point of trading down is not to target a specific player, but to address a lack of value at #27 and a reasonable hope that there will be multiple players who would be a good and comparable value (to each other). At that slightly lower spot you'd be able to pick a player who was both a good value and at least somewhat of a need. Who that is depends on how the first round plays out, along with the top few picks of round 2. (I would not trade down too far - pick 10 in round 2 would be the very bottom and I'd rather be closer to #5.)

Are the Bills moving on from Frazier, or are they going to use an interim arrangement in hopes that he returns to the coordinator position after a one year hiatus. If it is the latter, you can pretty much forget about hiring somebody from the outside.

I think I'd look at other options.

This presents a bit of a dilemma for the Bills. They have to decide how much they want Frazier after his "sabbatical." The also need to decide what the likelihood is of him deciding he wants to return after a year off. At 65 (in a year) he might decide he's had enough of the grind of coaching. As an articulate and somewhat charismatic personality, he could probably find a home in the media that was a lot less stressful and pays better. The Bills have to make that assessment because it might be difficult to maintain quality defensive coordination with temporary measures. If you promote from within, are you getting the best possible option? If McDermott takes on the role of coordinator for a year, will his other duties suffer? Is it even possible to hire a quality guy from the outside who would be willing to come in for a year with the term "interim" attached to his title? If you settle for a temporary solution to organize and coordinate your defense, is the defense going to suffer?

Players wanna play. I understand that. Just because he's in the CFL doesn't mean he'll never get another shot in the NFL. Of course, there's no guarantee he will either, or that he would if he had stayed on the Bills practice squad.

The Bills are definitely thinking Benford can move to safety. However, it's a bet they will and should hedge. I agree with those who think the Bills will likely pick a safety in the draft. I won't try and predict the round.

It's possible Trenton Simpson will still be available when Buffalo picks, and that he would be BPA. He's a little smaller than Edmunds, but faster.

I answered Broderick Jones. I think there is a chance he drops. I don't think Skoronski will drop. Jones is a bit raw, but very athletic and I think he is position versatile, that he can play any of four spots on the O-line. I don't know if he can play center. I wouldn't mind if Bijan Robinson were the pick. I also wouldn't mind Smith-Njigba or Hyatt at WR. I think Gibbs and Michael-Schmitz are reaches. I think Q. Johnsson and Addison are probably gone. I think Zay Flowers is a slot receiver, and I don't especially want to use a first round pick on a slot guy. Nor do I want to use a first round pick on a TE with Dawson Knox already on the roster. There are also a couple defensive players I wouldn't mind being Buffalo's pick. I almost think the best outcome could be a trade down. I think Buffalo might be able to get better value in the top third of round 2 than at #27.