Insight into Bills college scouts, directors, etc

[First Round Bust]

With the Senior Bowl (yesterday)  East-West Shrine (last week) games and more importantly practices going on recently Bills scouts are active...a limited extract from todays BN about Bills scouts, dirs, etc...experienced, local and national, a little insight into the process...

 

quick name a scout, they have been with us for years...thankfully...

 

Terrance Gray was hired by General Manager Brandon Beane in May 2017 as director of college scouting after spending the previous 11 years in the Vikings organization. At the same time, Lake Dawson was hired from Cleveland to be assistant director of college scouting. Dawson had 22 years of NFL experience before joining the Bills. Gray was promoted last May and still oversees all of college scouting.

The Bills have five area college scouts. Pete Harris scouts the Northeast, Mike Szabo the Southeast, Brian Fisher the Midwest, A.J. Highsmith the Southwest and Tyler Pratt the West Coast. Keith Jennings is the Bills scout for BLESTO, the 12-team national scouting service.

Dennis Hickey is a national scout who came to the Bills in 2017 after serving as general manager of the Dolphins. Doug Majeski, who joined the Bills’ scouting staff full time in 1989, is a senior college scout who mostly handles a select number of schools in the Northeast and on the West Coast.

Gray says having such a veteran group has helped navigate the scouting challenges the past couple of years.

“I was an area scout before I took the director of college scouting when I came here in 2017,” Gray said. “Anyone who knows the actual day to day of scouting, you’ve got to be a self-starter, you’ve got to be motivated, you’re really working independently. To have guys with that amount of experience is a great benefit.

“Dennis Hickey is a former GM,” Gray said. “Lake was a vice president. Szabo could be a director. Brian Fisher’s experienced. Doug Majeski is a former director. It makes my job a lot easier. But beyond that, it’s great to be able to bounce ideas off guys – little check points in our process. I always tell our guys if you see something you think we can do better or that I may have missed along the way, let me know. ... Whether it’s coverage of schools, how many looks we get on a kid, the small school process, there’s so many layers to what we do. Having that degree of experience in our room is beneficial.”

The Bills divide all the college prospects into tiers over the summer.

Tier 1 prospects get at least two looks per area scout, at least one look per national scout, and the Bills’ top personnel executives (Beane, Gray, etc.) check them out.

Tier II prospects, who might have peaked at the college level, are seen by at least one area scout and one national scout.

[Florida Bills Fanatic]

According to a friend of mine that works in the NFL, the Bills have always had excellent scouting.  What they didn't always have, were good decision makers to make the right player decisions.  A new owner, new GM, and new head coach changed all of that.  

[Rubes]

1 minute ago, Florida Bills Fanatic said:

According to a friend of mine that works in the NFL, the Bills have always had excellent scouting.  What they didn't always have, were good decision makers to make the right player decisions.  A new owner, new GM, and new head coach changed all of that.  

 

I don't know, according to a lot of posters here McBeane hasn't been very good at drafting the last few years.

 

[MJS]

30 minutes ago, Rubes said:

I don't know, according to a lot of posters here McBeane hasn't been very good at drafting the last few years.

I can only think of a couple of posters that have that opinion, but they do post about it dozens of times a day, so it probably looks like more people share that opinion. They don't understand the hit rate for draft picks.

 

Beane has done a nice job. Lots of hits, some misses.

[SoCal Deek]

The draft is a crap shoot for many reasons. The problems come in when the Team falls in love with under performers and extends rookie contracts out of loyalty or pride. 

[JaCrispy]

1 hour ago, Rubes said:

 

I don't know, according to a lot of posters here McBeane hasn't been very good at drafting the last few years.

 

He has certainly been more consistent in the mid rounds, compared to the top of the draft...

[Fr. Jerk]

I'm happy enough that it's not Doug Whaley anymore. He wasn't too privy, ya dig?

[Augie]

5 hours ago, Rubes said:

 

I don't know, according to a lot of posters here McBeane hasn't been very good at drafting the last few years.

 

Well, they’ve apparently done well enough to have a top five team in the NFL. It can’t be TOO bad. 

[LABILLBACKER]

4 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

The draft is a crap shoot for many reasons. The problems come in when the Team falls in love with under performers and extends rookie contracts out of loyalty or pride. 

.....just like Edmunds....

[Augie]

36 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

.....just like Edmunds....

 

I will consider, in fact have always assumed under this regime, that they are smarter than the couch potatoes we are judging them.  😋

 

NOT perfect, but better than most. 

 

 

.

Edited February 7, 2022 by Augie

[Chandler#81]

8 hours ago, JaCrispy said:

He has certainly been more consistent in the mid rounds, compared to the top of the draft...

riiiiight.. cuz Tre’Davius (Sean after trading away pick #10) Allen & Edmunds (multiple PBs each), Oliver, Diggs for #22 & other picks, Epenesa and Groot all suck. The jury may have reached a verdict on Ford -who’s Draft mantra was a brawling run blocking Guard which has never been an aspect of Dabolls’ schemes & been asked to play both Tackle spots, but AJE immediately underwent a team directed full body makeover which takes more than a year to materialize. Basham may have disappointed this season, but he played behind 6 veterans so he’s currently an ‘Incomplete’. 
 

You’re right about mid round prowess though and we’ve had UDFA’s make the team. What is rarely discussed, sans Mahomes, are how the players who were chosen with the plethora of picks McBeane have traded away since they walked in the door are doing. 
 

I’m glad mr. ‘n ms Pegula don’t share yours nor your compadres view.

Edited February 7, 2022 by Chandler#81

[HOUSE]

 

And with the 64th selection in the 2019 NFL, The Seattle Seahawks select DK Metcalf, Wide Receiver, Ol Miss.....

[GunnerBill]

A.J. Highsmith is a talented evaluator and I have listened to a couple of things he has spoken on. Think he will be a General Manager some day. And unlike the rest of our group he is a younger guy.