If anybody has espn insider...

[2003]

Can u paste these articles:

#1

and the one that says" Redskinsto deal?

 

thanks

[swede316]

Apr. 21 - The newest suitor for Edwards in a trade up is the Washington Redskins. The Vikings have cooled a little on moving up from No. 7, but they will still shop until Saturday. The Redskins made several calls to teams at the top of the draft and even checked out to see Edwards' interest in coming to Washington. The Redskins have No. 9 and No. 25. Though it's more likley they will end up staying at the picks, Joe Gibbs is trying to come up with a big play late. Eli Manning got a seven-year, $54.29 million deal last year from the Giants as the first pick. Teams generally build in a quarterback premium because of the value of the position, but that doesn't mean Edwards would sign at a discount. It means the 49ers know Edwards costs less because he's not a quarterback. The 49ers do not want to pay significantly more than the Giants paid Manning, which helps Edwards.-->

[swede316]

President/GM Tom Donahoe has shown patience and vision in his approach. The past two drafts have seen the Bills use first-round picks on two players (RB Willis McGahee, 2003; QB J.P. Losman, 2004) who would not make significant contributions as rookies.

 

But with McGahee having a breakout year in 2004 and with Losman set to take over the reigns for the departed Drew Bledsoe (Cowboys), Donahoe and the Bills are reaping the reward.

 

In all reality, the Bills don't have many pressing needs. There remains a strong possibility that the Bills will get a deal done to acquire OT L.J. Shelton from the Cardinals for disgruntled RB Travis Henry. If that's the case, the Bills' top need will be erased. If not, the team will probably be forced to use its first pick of the upcoming draft – No. 55, second round – on a replacement for the departed LOT Jonas Jennings (49ers).

 

Assuming the Henry-for-Shelton deal gets worked out, the Bills will shift their focus to defense, where depth at cornerback and tackle are needed. The team plans to use Nate Clements and Terrence McGee as its starting cornerback tandem, but its nickel and dime packages are not set. Ideally, the Bills would like to draft a prospect in the second round such as Virginia Tech's Eric Green, who has enough upside to eventually develop into a starter opposite Clements, which would allow McGee to move to a more suitable sub-package slot role.

 

After losing DT Pat Williams (Vikings) via free agency, the Bills should be fine with Ron Edwards and Tim Anderson rotating at the starting spot next to Pro Bowl DT Sam Adams. However, Adams is 31, and there isn't any legitimate depth behind these three, which is why drafting a prospect such as Northwestern's Luis Castillo in the second round or Missouri's Atiyyah Ellison in the third round would make a lot of sense.

 

Barring any moves leading up to or on draft day, the Bills are headed for a quiet day one with just two selections (55 and 86). If the team elects to use its first two picks on a cornerback and defensive tackle – in either order – the second day of the draft (picks 122, 156, 197, 236) will be concentrated on improving depth situations along the interior offensive line, at tight end, defensive end, running back, quarterback and/or inside linebacker.

 

More specifically, the Bills could use a versatile interior lineman who can back up both the guard and center positions – such as Nebraska's Richie Incognito – and a tight end with enough upside to eventually contribute as a seam-stretching pass catcher (such as Lehigh's Adam Bergen).

 

If the Bills do deal Henry prior to the draft, they are likely to use an earlier day two pick on a back such as Louisville's Lionel Gates, whose upside might not be great. But Gates has enough proven talent to take some of the load off of McGahee. Buffalo used all four of its first-round picks over the past three drafts to address needs on the offensive side of the ball, and this approach has been successful for the most part.

 

OT Mike Williams ('02) has been a starter since entering the league, RB Willis McGahee ('04) supplanted Travis Henry as the starter last year and WR Lee Evans ('04) averaged a gaudy 17.6 yards per reception last year.

 

The one concern is QB J.P. Losman ('04), who missed much of last year with a broken leg. However, the Bills were confident enough in his abilities to release Drew Bledsoe.