sirebors Posted April 25, 2012 Posted April 25, 2012 I have been reading this board almost continuously for the last month trying to garner as much information as possible concerning who the Bills might chose in the upcoming NFL draft. I have heard multiple theories that include such players as Ryan Tannehill, Matt Kalil, Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd, Riley Reiff, Cordy Glenn, Jonathan Martin, Stephon Gilmore, Dre Kirkpatrick, and Luke Kuechly. For me the decision, and the decision I believe the Bills will make is a relatively easy one. I believe the Bills are more than happy with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Last year he played amazingly well in the beginning of the season before he was hurt and the offense was devasted by injuries. These injuries included the offensive line, most notably the tackles and center (Eric Wood was a huge loss), the wide receivers, and the running backs. All of these players and positions were playing cohesively as a unit and playing at a very high level. I believe the Bills are also relatively ok with their left tackle Hairston, their wide receivers as long as they can stay healthy, and their cornerbacks, especially with an improved pass rush. The problem with the Bills was most notably the rush defense which was ranked 28th in the league and gave up an average of 139 yds per game, this and the lack of a pass rush. The shortages of pass rushers has been adequately addressed. The player that will help the rush defense the most and the player that the Bills will draft will be Luke Keuchly. His leadership, ability to read defenses, passion for the game, tackling prowess, and ability to cover in the passing game will make him an invaluable addition to this team. All of the other players and positions are also important but I think the biggest need and the biggest room for improvement is in the linebacking corp. We will address cornerbacks, tackles, a wide receiver and a quarterback in the successive rounds. Now actually to my question. Like I stated earlier I know all I need to know or care to know about all of the above players. What I am more concerned with learning about is day 2 players, and maybe even some day 3 players that the Bills may be serious in aquiring. I just got done looking at Mike Mayock's mock draft and saw that he had Jeff Allen OT Illinois ranked 36th, only 2 spots below Jonathan Martin. I've read smatterings of things about Jeff Allen but nothing that would allow me to adequately guage his value to the Bills. I have included a link that has helped a little and may prove inciteful to some. http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2012/4/13/2941137/dallas-cowboys-2012-draft-prospects-illinois-tackle-guard-jeff-allen Now I would like to learn about any other players (including links to relevant articles) that anyone thinks would be possible and viable draft choices of the Bills on day 2 or 3. Any incite into this on the eve of the draft would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Lurker Posted April 25, 2012 Posted April 25, 2012 Pro Football Weekly has him rated 41st which might put him in play for us. I've not seen any tape on him, but Nawrocki has a pretty good eye for lineman (then again, he didn't visit OBD). Bottom line: A model of consistency on and off the field, Allen makes the game look easy and is one of the best pure pass protectors in this year’s draft, with the unique balance, coordination and agility to warrant late-first-round consideration as a left tackle prospect. Versatility, football smarts and durability could allow him to start immediately and play at a high level for the next 10 years.
Mark Long Beach Posted April 26, 2012 Posted April 26, 2012 Short blurb by Buffalo Bills Scout Bryan Fisher on Jeff Allen: http://wgr550.com/Bills--Scout-Session--2/12022322?pid=235227
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