For those that want a RB in the first few rounds

[Meatloaf63]

On 3/29/2020 at 10:00 PM, Lurker said:

All I know is I want an RB2 who doesn't miss a beat and executes the same offense as RB1 with virtually no drop off.    Not like Gore, who literrally wasted downs during the second half of the season...

I went back and watched the first two games and although Gore had some good runs, he’s wasn’t very explosive and whatever he provided can easily be replaced. He became progressively worse as the season went on...

[maryland-bills-fan]

12 minutes ago, Meatloaf63 said:

I went back and watched the first two games and although Gore had some good runs, he’s wasn’t very explosive and whatever he provided can easily be replaced. He became progressively worse as the season went on...

I'm a Seton Hall alumni and a basketball fan.   The Pirates did very well this year and didn't get a chance to show how far they could go in the tournament. The starting center was Gill a 7'2" shot blocker who really came on strong this year.  Coach Willard told the story of watching the other teams center when Gill came out for a rest or for fouls.  "Ike" came in and he also a good player and is 7'2" and about 30 pounds heavier.  Willard said he liked seeing the other team's center expression.  "Oh *****, I thought things would be easier and now I'm playing against King Kong's older bigger brother."  ....  That is what I want to see when our RB2 for the day comes on the field.  NOT,   "well we can tee off on them now."   Capisci ?

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by maryland-bills-fan

[BuffaloRebound]

RB’s selected in first 2 rounds in last 5 years: 

 

2015 - Gurley 10, Gordon 15, Yeldon 36, Abdullah 54;

2016 - Zeke 4, D Henry 45;

2017 - Fournette 4, McCaffrey 8, Cook 41, Mixon 48;

2018 - Barkley 2, Penny 27, Michel 31, Chubb 35, Jones 38, Kerryon Johnson 43, Guice 59;

2019 - Jacobs 24, Sanders 53
 

Not sure what that list is tellling me other than even if you hit on a RB in the first 2 rounds, I’m not sure you even want them for the 2nd contract. 

[CEN-CAL17]

I personally think they will go with a RB similar to Singletary, but faster. A guy who can spell Singletary but play 3 downs if needed. I’m looking at the sub 4.5 guys.....

 

Dobbins/CEH (4.5 flat), Akers, Kelley, McFarland (this kid is growing on me)... 

 

I really don’t see them taking a round 2 RB. Dobbins and CEH will be tempting. Akers I feel goes last few picks of round 2 or early round 3. I’d expect Moss to go round 3 as well. 
 

I see Buffalo trading back into the Late 3rd or early forth for Kelley or McFarland. 
 

I watched Kelley personally at the Senior Bowl practices. He was by far the best RB there and it showed in the game. Great vision tough runner.

 

But McFarland is almost an exact mold of Singletary 5’8 210 lbs (5’8” 208 @ Combine) 4.4 40 yard dash. His acceleration is probably the best of all RBs. He gets full speed quickly, good vision and tough to bring down. 
 

Anthony McFarland RB Maryland is my choice. Roughly around pick 100.

 

 

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by CEN-CAL17

[Formerly Allan in MD]

I do believe we'll trade up in round 2 for one of the good ones.

[Prickly Pete]

52 minutes ago, CEN-CAL17 said:

I personally think they will go with a RB similar to Singletary, but faster. A guy who can spell Singletary but play 3 downs if needed. I’m looking at the sub 4.5 guys.....

 

Dobbins/CEH (4.5 flat), Akers, Kelley, McFarland (this kid is growing on me)... 

 

I really don’t see them taking a round 2 RB. Dobbins and CEH will be tempting. Akers I feel goes last few picks of round 2 or early round 3. I’d expect Moss to go round 3 as well. 
 

I see Buffalo trading back into the Late 3rd or early forth for Kelley or McFarland. 
 

I watched Kelley personally at the Senior Bowl practices. He was by far the best RB there and it showed in the game. Great vision tough runner.

 

But McFarland is almost an exact mold of Singletary 5’8 210 lbs (5’8” 208 @ Combine) 4.4 40 yard dash. His acceleration is probably the best of all RBs. He gets full speed quickly, good vision and tough to bring down. 
 

Anthony McFarland RB Maryland is my choice. Roughly around pick 100.

 

 

 

 

I love Singletary, but I don't know that I'm looking for a second 5'8 running back. I think one is enough.

 

I have no idea why people like Akers so much, I don't see much footage of him fighting through heavy traffic for yards. 

 

[njbuff]

36 minutes ago, 32ABBA said:

 

I love Singletary, but I don't know that I'm looking for a second 5'8 running back. I think one is enough.

 

I have no idea why people like Akers so much, I don't see much footage of him fighting through heavy traffic for yards. 

 

 

Akers is darn good.

 

He can do it all out there.

 

Remember, he had one of the worst OL's in all of college football and still managed to produce.

 

Plus, McBeane likes those 5 star recruits. ?

[CEN-CAL17]

29 minutes ago, 32ABBA said:

 

I love Singletary, but I don't know that I'm looking for a second 5'8 running back. I think one is enough.

 

I have no idea why people like Akers so much, I don't see much footage of him fighting through heavy traffic for yards. 

 

5 star athlete coming out of High School, some feel he was under utilized at FSU, he’s a 220 lb back 4.47 speed, strong kid, showed off at the combine... the potential is there. But I’m kind of leaning with you. How tough is the kid? What’s the ethic like? Is he a between the tackle kid? 

There’s a lot to desire there.

 

CEH is another 5’8” RB. But he’s a round 2 guy. My point is I feel the Bills will go after a round 4 RB, but have to trade up to the top 5-10. I think McFarland and Kelley fit that Bill. 
 

I just don’t think Beane is looking for the Thunder and Lightning backfield. More like Quick lightning and fast lightning. Both great out of the backfield....

 

As far as bigger RBs round 5/6 Michael Warren RB Cincy. Tough runner, 226 lbs 4.5 guy. Used a lot on the goal line but looks like a RB2 type.

 

I just think the Bills need a guy who can out run the defense. 
 

 

[Prickly Pete]

11 minutes ago, njbuff said:

 

Akers is darn good.

 

He can do it all out there.

 

Remember, he had one of the worst OL's in all of college football and still managed to produce.

 

Plus, McBeane likes those 5 star recruits. ?

 

 

It's not the O-line. He has nice runs, but they all seem like it's him breaking through an arm tackle, then going into open space. Sure, maybe it's just that he is so elusive they can't even touch him haha...but I wanna see some of him fighting for some tough yards, and pulling some guys forward (Singletary does).

 

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by 32ABBA

[Thurman#1]

11 hours ago, maryland-bills-fan said:

Sorry but you are wrong.  You forget that the Bills DID move up at least twice in the last 3 drafts. Jones, Dawkins,  Allen, Edmonds, Ford,  Knox,  obtained by move ups using 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th round picks. (Diggs is essentially a "trade up" that gets a top WR  by using draft picks)That is NOT taking BPA, it is moving up-you would call that reaching. You seem to confuse Beane getting the players he wants to improve the team, with "reaching". ... ... There IS no magic Big Board in the sky that always leads to heaven.  You have to build a balanced team. .. Beane has coordenated the use of FA, trades and the draft.

 

 

 

Yeah, I get that you think I'm wrong. Thing is, I'm not. I didn't say we didn't move up as you imply. I pointed out that the situations were very specific ... every single time. Which is correct, they were. You're the one who was wrong here. Here's what I said again, and it's true again: Each time we traded up, we were either acquiring a franchise QB with a huge stash of draft capital we'd built up specifically for the purpose, and that other than that we didn't leave ourselves any empty rounds, trading only picks from rounds where we had two or more. That's the pattern. And if they continue it, it would make total sense that they would at some point during this draft trade one of our two sixth-round picks to move up. That would move us up very little in the 2nd round, though.

 

And if you feel the need to kid yourself that we didn't use BPA ... hey, that's your business. I'm not going to try to persuade you of something you're not willing to believe. But for others reading here, the huge majority are very very aware that Beane constantly talks about BPA, literally every single time he's asked, for a very simple reason, and that that reason is that he's a BPA guy. He uses BPA because he believes in it.

 

You're right, "there's no magic Big Board in the sky," but there actually is a Big Board at OBD, probably in Beane's office, and he'll use it. Again, that's fine if you want to ignore that, go ahead.

 

And yes, they've built a very balanced team. They build the core for the future through the draft. And they fill in holes and balance the team by filling in needs through FA and occasionally trades such as the Diggs trade. Every year he talks about using FA (and trades) to fill in the gaps so he cau use BPA in the draft. Again, he's said so a million times and he's backed up his words every time.

 

 

[Thurman#1]

11 hours ago, maryland-bills-fan said:

Using BPA isn't losing. It's the smart play. It's their draft strategy and a major part of what has gotten this roster so good so fast.

 

Sorry, but you seem to be living in the past and staying with a strategy that is not appropriate to a team that is in the top 10 or so. If a team is in the bottom eight, BPA is a good idea, because nearly every draft pick will make the roster and be an improvement. That is not where the Bills are at right now.

 

What we need to get in the draft is not “best value from every pick” but to get players who can beat the opponent’s players on very good teams. You don’t seem to be able to understand that. So using lower round draft picks (who might not even make the team) to move up to get such superior players is what we need to do.

 

If you have a good roster, you look for holes in the roster and look for places where you can put in a stud to replace a good player. Quality, not “cost effective 3^rd teamers. .. If you still have lower draft picks left over- then take moon shots.

 

Right now RB1b/RB1a is the best place to get the biggest improvement and a place where we can put in a player that other teams will have to account for. The top 5 are very very good and we even have a shot at one of the top 3. I think Beane anticipated this would likely happened and made his FA moves accordingly.

 

 

 

Yup, I am indeed living in the past. Specifically, looking at what Beane has done in the past and what it shows about him and how he operates. More, I look at what he's said in the past. And he's never said or done anything to indicate that BPA is a strategy that is, "not appropriate to a team that is in the top 10 or so." Know who believes that? You. Not Beane. Beane's past does indeed show that he goes BPA. He says he will. Then he does it every single time. And then he tells us that he did it. That's how it works with him. He's a BPA guy. And he's continued to say so this year. Every time he's asked.

 

I get it. You don't like that. And if you were the GM of the Buffalo Bills, that would worry me deeply. But it doesn't concern me in the least that there's a guy on the internet who believes that drafting for need is a good idea. That's fine. If it were Beane who thought that, I'd gird my loins for another few years losing. We've had a lot of GMs through the years of the drought who would make moves for need. Thank goodness Beane believes just the opposite

 

You perceive a need at RB2. Fine. And you think that having a need MUST mean that it MUST be addressed as early as possible in the draft. Again, fine. But that's classic drafting for need and classic willingness to reach to fill that need. Again, totally fine that that's your opinion. But it's not Beane's.

Edited April 3, 2020 by Thurman#1

[JetsFan20]

Singletary is a stud.

 

One guy I like in this draft is Perine out of Florida. 

[Mat68]

3 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

 

Yup, I am indeed living in the past. Specifically, looking at what Beane has done in the past and what it shows about him and how he operates. More, I look at what he's said in the past. And he's never said or done anything to indicate that BPA is a strategy that is, "not appropriate to a team that is in the top 10 or so." Know who believes that? You. Not Beane. Beane's past does indeed show that he goes BPA. He says he will. Then he does it every single time. And then he tells us that he did it. That's how it works with him. He's a BPA guy. And he's continued to say so this year. Every time he's asked.

 

I get it. You don't like that. And if you were the GM of the Buffalo Bills, that would worry me deeply. But it doesn't concern me in the least that there's a guy on the internet who believes that drafting for need is a good idea. That's fine. If it were Beane who thought that, I'd gird my loins for another few years losing. We've had a lot of GMs through the years of the drought who would make moves for need. Thank goodness Beane believes just the opposite

 

You perceive a need at RB2. Fine. And you think that having a need MUST mean that it MUST be addressed as early as possible in the draft. Again, fine. But that's classic drafting for need and classic willingness to reach to fill that need. Again, totally fine that that's your opinion. But it's not Beane's.

In Rd 2 or 3 I think it is highly probable Rb is one of the highest rated groups.  

[newcam2012]

4 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Yeah, I get that you think I'm wrong. Thing is, I'm not. I didn't say we didn't move up as you imply. I pointed out that the situations were very specific ... every single time. Which is correct, they were. You're the one who was wrong here. Here's what I said again, and it's true again: Each time we traded up, we were either acquiring a franchise QB with a huge stash of draft capital we'd built up specifically for the purpose, and that other than that we didn't leave ourselves any empty rounds, trading only picks from rounds where we had two or more. That's the pattern. And if they continue it, it would make total sense that they would at some point during this draft trade one of our two sixth-round picks to move up. That would move us up very little in the 2nd round, though.

 

And if you feel the need to kid yourself that we didn't use BPA ... hey, that's your business. I'm not going to try to persuade you of something you're not willing to believe. But for others reading here, the huge majority are very very aware that Beane constantly talks about BPA, literally every single time he's asked, for a very simple reason, and that that reason is that he's a BPA guy. He uses BPA because he believes in it.

 

You're right, "there's no magic Big Board in the sky," but there actually is a Big Board at OBD, probably in Beane's office, and he'll use it. Again, that's fine if you want to ignore that, go ahead.

 

And yes, they've built a very balanced team. They build the core for the future through the draft. And they fill in holes and balance the team by filling in needs through FA and occasionally trades such as the Diggs trade. Every year he talks about using FA (and trades) to fill in the gaps so he cau use BPA in the draft. Again, he's said so a million times and he's backed up his words every time.

 

 

I agree. Imho, he won't waiver much off his BPA board.

[OldTimer1960]

34 minutes ago, Mat68 said:

In Rd 2 or 3 I think it is highly probable Rb is one of the highest rated groups.  

THIS is the point - at least in my opinion.  I don’t think they would take RB in round 2 unless they feel that the RBs are graded at or very near the top of their board of remaining players.  I think that is fairly likely to be the case.  If there are players at other positions, particularly DE or CB that they rate equal to or higher than the available RBs, then I think they will take the DE or CB.

 

I do not think that they will take a WR in round 2, even if graded highly unless they are graded SO much higher than other positions that they just can’t avoid picking him.  That would be equivalent to trading up in round 1 for WR (Diggs) and then taking WR again in round 2.

[Dopey]

11 hours ago, 32ABBA said:

 

 

It's not the O-line. He has nice runs, but they all seem like it's him breaking through an arm tackle, then going into open space. Sure, maybe it's just that he is so elusive they can't even touch him haha...but I wanna see some of him fighting for some tough yards, and pulling some guys forward (Singletary does).

 

 

Highlight films are not geared to show tough runs and getting a couple of tough yards. They show long gains, for the most part. Cam can do it all. Iv'e watched him his whole college career. With as bad as that line was, Cam had some insane stat of getting the ball with the defense already in the backfield. Anyway, checkout this write up from Ganggreen.

https://www.ganggreennation.com/2020/3/4/21160690/2020-nfl-draft-prospect-rb-cam-akers

 

 

[MrEpsYtown]

A little outside the box, but before I give up on him, I give Ray-Ray McCloud a shot at playing running back. He’s just not a receiver in the NFL because he does not catch the ball well enough. He isn’t great as a gadget player because he does not have the speed of a McKenzie. But his success as a punt returner and gadget player in college was a result of his vision, which I think is one of the most important traits of a running back. I don’t see why he couldn’t be a Dion Lewis type of back. Ray Ray was such a big time recruit as a running back that if he went somewhere besides Clemson he would have probably developed into a pro running back. The change of pace back we are looking for might already be on the roster. And he has to switch numbers anyways ?‍♂️. Just my 2 cents. 

[JustWinPlease]

If Devin Singletary can't handle competition, then I don't want him on my team.

You don't pass up a player because you want another player to get more touches...build the strongest team you can and the rest will sort itself out.

[DJB]

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by DJB

[TigerJ]

For years, we have expected, and normally saw the Bills find starters in the draft.  That's what every team expects.  Lacking a first round pick, there is a very real possibility the Bills will not find a starter in this draft.  What position could they draft where a starter could be found.  Of course, it won't be at QB.  Or WR.  A starter on the offensive line is unlikely. The Bills look like they're pretty happy with their TE group and likely wont draft any.  At RB, they have Singletary, who looks like he can handle the position at the pro level.  On defense, there's not much room on the line for a new starter.  Maybe they could draft a linebacker to replace Lorenzo Alexander, but Lorax only played a limited number of snaps at linebacker.  When the defense was in a nickel formation, Alexander either moved to the line or came off the field.  The Bills already have some worthy candidates on the team for Alexander's role.  If Zack Baun drops to them, they might jump, but the odds are good he'll go quite a bit earlier.   The Bills could draft an edge rusher, but he would almost certainly be in a rotation rather than being anything close to a full time player.  There is no safety the Bills could draft who is going to unseat Hyde or Poyer.  At CB, there is a chance a second round rookie could unseat Levi Wallace and beat out bother EJ Gaines and Josh Norman, but the Bills don't seem to have any great urgency to find that guy.  

 

I think that the Bills are content to find a role player in the second round.  I think running back is certainly a candidate to be the pick and there will be good value there, and the Bills need to find someone reliable to share the load with Singletary.  They need an all around back who can get outside, run between tackles, catch passes and learn to be effective in blitz pickup.  In short, they need a player who is a threat to do some actual damage when Singletary is not in the game, a running back who won't suddenly make the Bills offense predictable just by coming on the field.

 

I think it is possible they could instead draft an edge rusher, or a linebacker or an offensive lineman or a cornerback.  They might get a starter, but I don't think Beane will be crushed if they end up with a role player.

Edited April 4, 2020 by TigerJ