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NEWS ARCHIVES - APR 27TH - MAY 3RD, 2015 PREVIOUS WEEK

Bills Get Six New Players In Draft

Whaley On Draft: Doug Whaley addressed the media after the draft and said he expects the first two picks will contribute early and if they don't start they will start within the next year or two. Karlos Williams brings a tremendous value on special teams. Tony Steward will also help on special teams as they were looking for guys that could contribute right away on special teams and then in a couple of years develop into starters. Nick O'Leary is expected to help them in Greg Roman's TE heavy offense. He can move, or line up on the line and they will line him up in the Y position at this time. All in all they think they have accomplished their goal in getting two immediate contributors and the rest special teams contributors with potential down the line. He feels some of the later round picks will be able to make the team based on their special teams play. He felt that Terry Pegula was the smartest man in the draft room hands down but he trusts the scouting department in indentifying the right guys. They will field a team with the 53 best players to get them wins on Sunday so they won't give a number to the amount of players at each position.

UFA Signings Begin: Twitter and media outlets are all buzzing now as attention turns from the players that were drafted to players that weren't. The Bills are in the market for around 14 undrafted free agents. We are keeping a list of reported signings on our front office page and continuing to update it. Right now there is no quarterback on the list of signings but other holes were being filled at offensive tackle and a punter has been reporedly added as well. Reported UFA Signings.

Holes Not Filled: The Bills only had six draft picks so it was necessary to fill some of the holes this team still has. They succeeded in doing that with their third round pick of John Miller but failed with their other picks despite adding needed depth at linebacker. A corner, wide receiver, and running back were not areas of need brining their final draft grade down. Draft Grade.


Saturday May 2, 2015

Lewis Conference Call: Dezmin Lewis is thankful for the opportunity to be in Buffalo and he will come in to make a move for himself. Percy Harvin is one of his favorites and he watched Sammy Watkins a lot in Clemson. He expects to learn from this guys and get ready and if he can get on the field he wants to show them he can play. He feels he can catch it all and is able to go up and catch the pass at its highest point. He feels the main thing to work on will be going against the top defenders. His only visit was to Buffalo and he really enjoyed himself and called it a great feeling to be a Buffalo Bill.

Bills Take WR In 7th Round: The Bills closed out their draft by taking small school wide receiver Dezmin Lewis from Central Arkansas. He caught 64 passes for 945 yards and nine touchdowns last year. He doesn't have top end speed but has good size and a strong frame. Not a great leaper. Good recognition and awareness with solid, soft hands and tackle breaking ability. Draft Capsule.

Monos On 6th Round Picks: Jim Monos took to the microphone again to talk about the sixth round selections of Tony Steward and Nick O'Leary. He joked that O'Leary was the highest Florida St. player left on their board. He calls him a tough football player with all the characteristics you like. Love his character and makeup and he just produces. Steward fits a need as a backup linebacker and special teams player right away with a chance to challenge to start. O'Leary is a position type of blocker and he's good at it but not great. Not ideal length for it but he gets the job done. All he does is make plays. Feel he's an ideal complement to Charles Clay. He thinks O'Leary is a sixth round pick who can come right in and play. Ryan plans on using three tight ends at times during the season.

O'Leary Conference Call: Nick O'Leary said he's looking forward to coming to Buffalo and playing with some fellow Seminoles. He is happy to come in and compete and said he grew up a Dolphins fan watching Charles Clay. He wants to compete and contribute early and feels he can help in the passing game, catching the football. He had fun playing with EJ Manuel for one year. He wants to show the other teams on what they missed out on as he didn't expect to fall until the 6th round.

Steward Conference Call: Tony Steward said he was shocked that the Bills took him since he didn't really talk to them much. He did speak to Rex Ryan a bit, he played with Rex's son in Clemson but the only contact they had was at his pro day. He looked at his two torn ACLs as bumps in the road he just works hard, puts his head down, and work to get back. He said his knees are 100 percent as he has played three years since he last surgery. He feels he's a competitor who will come in and helped the team out. All he asked for is the opportunity and he will give it everything he has and expects to make the team.

O'Leary Taken With 2nd 6th Round Pick: The Bills addressed some depth at tight end as they took their third Florida St. Seminole in their first six picks as Nick O'Leary is the newest Bill. He has great hands with good hand eye coordination. Good quickness and is a reliable route runner. He has average speed and isn't explosive or elusive. Draft Capsule.

LB Taken With 1st Of Two 6th Rounders: The Bills used the 188th overall pick in the draft to take outside linebacker Tony Steward from Clemson. He adds much needed depth at the position. He is a big guy who suffered two torn ACLs in college. He has average height, above average speed, and short arms. Appeared in all 13 games last year and was a backup in his junior year. Draft Capsule.

Monos On Williams: Bills Director of Player Personnel Jim Monos said Karlos Williams was the top guy on their board he is a big, physical back who goes straight ahead. They are excited about him, his hands are fine catching the ball and is a good special teams guy. They bring him in for competition and Monos feels they wanted to add depth at the running back position. They would like to keep three backs but if they can keep four. He has a defensive mentality as a runner since he played safety in high school and some linebacker. They spent a lot of time with him when he came in as a visit. He finds the end zone despite only playing running back for two years at Florida State. Monos said they aren't just recruiting college players but NFL players down there.

More Speed And Power With Williams: Karlos Williams is a converted safety who brings speed and power to the running back spot just like Greg Roman and Rex Ryan loves. He hits the hole and doesn't dance around a lot. Good versatility in the passing game and good size to go along with speed. Has long arms and big hands. His vision is improving but needs work. Draft Capsule.

Williams Conference Call: 5th round pick Karlos Williams said it almost feels like being at home coming to Buffalo with so many Seminoles on the roster. On the conference call with reporters he said he's looking forward to the challenge of coming to a team with lots of depth at the running back position. He isn't afraid of the competition. He is ready to get to work with a great organization. He helped recruit 1st round pick Ronald Darby and it will be great to come in with him in Buffalo. He still has work to do with reading coverages but being able to learn from LeSean McCoy and Fred Jackson will be great for him. He has learned how to control his emotions and had a great year last year at Florida State.

RB In Round 5: The Bills didn't pick their third selection of the draft until the 155th pick overall and they took their second Florida State product in those three picks. RB Karlos Williams is the newst Bill taken in the 5th round. He ran for 730 yards and 11 touchdowns averaging 8 yards per carry in 2013 only to see his production dip a bit last year finishing with 689 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Darby Introduced: The Bills introduced Ronald Darby to the media this morning before the final day of the draft got underway. He said he feels right at home after looking at the facilities calling it a dream and it is a blessing to be in Buffalo. It was hard going into a game knowing he wouldn't get the ball thrown his way much. He grew up watching Darelle Revis and patterns his game after him. He felt it was the right time to come out of school and he is not used to losing. He will come in and compete and will come prepared with his cover skills and speed and he will try to contribute from day one. He will help wherever he needs to on defense and special teams. If it isn't his time yet he will learn until it is his time. He played mostly outside in college. When asked about being around the Jameis Winston situation at Florida State he said you can't control what you are around which was definitely an odd answer.

Interact with us throughout the draft by following us on twitter!


Friday May 1, 2015

Miller Has Experience: John Miller has good hips and shifts his weight well but can get overextended. His four year starting experience is very favorable. He has starter potential for a power running team like the Bills. Check out our draft capsule on our draft page for more. Draft Capsule.

Miller Conference Call: John Miller said he likes Buffalo and is ready to come in and compete for a starting job. He is very excited to be blocking for LeSean McCoy. He was told by the team he will get a chance to compete for the starting job and called it a dream come true. He takes pride in his physical style.

Whaley On Miller: Doug Whaley called third round pick John Miller a tough mauler who they are excited about since he has a great, tough attitude. He fits what they are trying to do on offense. They were crossing their fingers that Miller would fall to him. Whaley admitted the guard spot was a bigger need than corner. They will get Miller reps to see if he can produce early. Miller was the highest rated guy on their board and it is a bonus that it was a position of need. They expect him to take a starting job by the helmet somewhere down the line and should contribute right away.

Bills Take Guard In Round 3: The Bills filled a big need on the offensive line by taking guard John Miller in the third round of the draft with the 81st pick in the draft. The Louisville product is a power run guard who can maul people which is what they want in the ground and pound offense. Had 46 starts in college and has a chance to play his way into the starting lineup as a rookie. May have some issues in pass protection but fits the Greg Roman scheme. Draft Page.

Darby Solid Cover Corner: The scouting reports all seem to say that Ronald Darby is a solid cover corner with good technique and outstanding speed. He is a bit raw with some concerns in run support and toughess. Check out our draft capsule on our draft page for more. Draft Capsule.

Huge Ovation For Kelly: The most touching moment of the draft took place before the Bills 2nd round pick when the commissioner and Jim Kelly stepped on to the stage in Chicago. The pick was announced by Kelly who received a rousing standing ovation before thanking his NFL family for all their prayers during his cancer battle before reading the Bills pick saying "we select".

Whaley On Pick: Doug Whaley told WGR that Ronald Darby was the highest rated player on their board. He has the speed and athletic ability to compete with the new wide receivers in the division. They feel confident if one of the starting corners go down he can step in and in a year or two down the line he will develop into a full time starter. He has skills and an upside and his interception numbers were kept lower by lack of targets.

Darby On WGR: Newest Bill Ronald Darby was on WGR moments after his pick and called it a blessing. He grew up a Redskins fan and spoke about his good friendship with E.J. Manuel. He feels his cover skills are his strength. He played many different positions in high school and said he will do whatever it takes to win and would even kick if they needed him too but is looking forward to playing special teams.

Bills Take Corner: Rex Ryan definitely subscribes to the theory that you can never have enough cornerbacks as the Bills used their first pick in the draft, 50th overall, on a position that wasn't an immediate need. They took Florida State's speedy cornerback Ronald Darby with their second round selection. With only one offensive linemen going off the board before them in round two and no quarterbacks or tight ends selected in the top half of the round, the Bills had their options including moving down. He is a speedster that ran a 4.38 40 giving him plenty of speed. He only had two career interceptions in college. His physicality is an issue and is a bit raw but solid in his back pedaling ability. He is considered a solid cover corner.

Draft Day 2: The Bills get a chance to get involved in the NFL draft with two selections tonight one in each of the 2nd and 3rd rounds. As expected the Bills did not make a move back into the first round last night. Doug Whaley addressed the media near the end of the first round and said it went pretty much as they expected. He had high praise for Miami and the Jets for their picks calling Leonard Williams the best player in the draft. He was taken sixth in the draft by the Jets after he unexpectedly fell. He joked that the only phone calls they got last night was from State Farms and joked they bet M&Ms on who would be picked next. We will be very busy at Bills Daily over the next two days as this page will have snippets from player and team press conferences. Our draft page will have the draft board with links to scouting reports on the newest Bills along with our draft capsules and grades. Draft Page.

Interact with us throughout the draft by following us on twitter!


Thursday April 30, 2015

The Draft Is Here! It is time for the NFL Draft and Bills Daily has you covered with all the news regarding the Bills draft. Our draft page is your one stop shopping for the Bills draft board and links to scouts evaluations of every Bills pick. It also has links to our preview, first round mock, and Bills seven round mock draft. This latest news page will give you snippets from the team's press conferences and player conference calls after they are picked! Draft Page.

The quickest way to get breaking news from Bills Daily is to follow us on twitter!


Wednesday April 29, 2015

1st Round Mock: The top tier quarterbacks will be gone in the top two but we have St. Louis trading up to the 2nd spot to get Mariota. The Bills will not trade back into the first round so it should be a rather quiet first round for Bills fans. Mock Draft.

Draft Preview: We have done our annual draft preview article and discuss how the trade up last year for Sammy Watkins did not hurt them in their quest for a franchise quarterback. The lack of picks also may not matter since they have much more depth and talent than in year's past. They do need another starter along the offensive line but are flexible if it is an inside guy or an outside guy. Taking a quarterback is also not off the table as their is a school of thought that you take one every year until you get the franchise guy. Complete Story.

Option For Gilmore: In a move that is not a surprise at all the Bills went through the formality of officially picking up the 5th year option on cornerback Stephon Gilmore he will make over $11 Million in the option year of 2016 if the team doesn't work out a long term deal before then which is probably likely to free up salary cap space to sign some big name free agents they have after this season including Cordy Glenn, Marcell Dareus, and Nigel Bradham.


Tuesday April 28, 2015

Ryan Presser: Rex Ryan addressed the media at the conclusion of the first veteran voluntary minicamp practice today. He praised the work of Matt Cassel saying he gets the ball out quickly and has good rhythm with the football. The coach appeared psyched for the competition and said they will have a number one quarterback after the battle is over but feels he has three guys capable of being an NFL quarterback. The top three guys got equal reps today and all did well according to Ryan and he feels EJ Manuel and Tyrod Taylor were impressive but he'd like to see Manuel speed it up a tad. He also said Jeff Tuel wasn't has impressive. Cordy Glenn lined up at left tackle and Seantrell Henderson at right tackle. Ryan said he and Doug Whaley have the same philosophy when evaluating talent. The coach admitted they are looking at QB Bryce Petty who Joe Buscaglia reported today was visited by Whaley today.

Minicamp Begins: The first minicamp of the offseason gets started today as the team will have the veterans on the field for a voluntary minicamp that will last thru Thursday. It's a first chance for the new coaching staff to see the players on the field as they get set for the draft. It will be the official beginning of the quarterback competition as well as the first look at some of the new players on the field like LeSean McCoy, Percy Harvin, and Charles Clay. Depth Chart.

Bills Release Green: The Bills made a minor roster move yesterday by releasing DB Jonte Green. He was signed to a futures contract in January. He played 24 games with seven starts in Detroit during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Front Office Page.


Monday April 27, 2015

Mock Draft: It is draft week! Some of the luster may be a bit off for Bills fans since they don't have a first round pick but they do have a franchise wide receiver in Sammy Watkins in exchange for the pick. As we do every year we go through the exercise of doing a Bills seven round mock draft. It is a bit more difficult this year since their first pick isn't until 50th overall. I get the feeling the team will draft a quarterback with one of their two picks on the second day of the draft Friday. They also need to fill a hole along the offensive line luckily that is one of the deepest areas of the draft. Bills Seven Round Mock.



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