NFL Team Report – Buffalo Bills – INSIDE SLANT
Speculation was rampant in the days leading up to Thursday’s opening round that the Buffalo Bills were a team to watch in the 2014 NFL Draft.
And when Jacksonville passed on wide receiver Sammy Watkins in favor of quarterback Blake Bortles at No. 3, the Bills made a fast call to Cleveland and negotiated a deal to swap first-round spots — No. 9 to No. 4. The big jump came with a big price tag. The Bills gave the Browns their first-round pick in 2015 and a fourth-rounder for a chance to draft the best wideout available.
“We went into this draft saying we were going to be bold and we made a bold move,” said team president Russ Brandon. “We’re very excited about what just happened. Sammy Watkins was a player who was very, very high on our board and someone who could contribute immediately.”
Bold is an understatement.
It would have been very easy for the Bills to stay put and select North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron, who ended up going to the Lions at No. 10. Instead, they went after the most skilled offensive player in the draft, a dynamic playmaker who instantly upgrades a passing game that ranked 28th last season.
“This game is about making plays and surrounding our quarterback with playmakers,” said general manager Doug Whaley. “He’s automatically going to make our quarterback better. We want to surround EJ Manuel with every possible weapon we can to help us get to where we need to go.”
By making this move, Whaley sounded the warning siren. Nothing less than a playoff berth will be expected, and if that happens, then the first-round pick the Bills gave away in 2015 won’t be a coveted one.
“We want to make the playoffs, so being 14 (years) and not making the playoffs, that is the tradeoff we expected,” Whaley said in reference to mortgaging part of the future to go up and get Watkins. “It’s a very high cost, but we thought it was a calculated risk and one we were willing to take. The high cost of not making the playoffs is something we weighed and we thought this guy is going to get us to the playoffs. We thought it was well worth it.”
It sounded like a guarantee, but Whaley said, “That’s not a guarantee; I’m saying we expect it to be low. I’m a competitor, call me crazy, I like those odds.”
Watkins was widely considered the most polished and NFL-ready wide receiver in the draft.
He caught 101 passes for 1,464 yards and 12 touchdowns last year for Clemson, and during his three-year career totaled 240 catches for 3,391 yards and 27 touchdowns. His greatest strengths are his speed (4.39 seconds in the 40), his ability to play bigger than his size thanks to a physical frame and a 34-inch vertical leap, and his tremendous run after catch skills.
“I think I bring a lot to the table,” said Watkins. “You’re going to get a great citizen, a hard player, a guy that loves the game, a guy that understands the game, and understands the power of preparation. I think if I keep doing what I’ve been doing at Clemson, it will translate to the NFL.”
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NFL Team Report – Buffalo Bills – NOTES, QUOTES
–General manager Doug Whaley has been saying right along, often to the chagrin of Bills fans, that he’s comfortable with the Bills’ quarterback tree of EJ Manuel as the starter, Thad Lewis as the backup, and Jeff Tuel and Dennis Dixon battling for the third-string job. He backed up his confidence during the draft by not selecting a quarterback.
“Never say never,” Whaley said after the draft concluded. “You never know what’s going to happen. Somebody might get hurt in OTAs. But at this time we’re very confident in the guys we have on campus.”
One of the reasons Whaley feels strongly about this is that all of the quarterbacks will be coming back for their second season under offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, and he believes they will continue to learn and improve.
“A backup should keep you .500,” Whaley said. “Thad came in and got us close, 2-3. We’re excited about that. Jeff Tuel came in and played against Kansas City, did some good things and made some mistakes. But we were cognizant of the fact he was an undrafted, college free-agent rookie. So we expected him to make some mistakes. Dennis Dixon’s been in the league for a while, and he brings a skill set that will complement what we’re trying to do offensively.”
–The Bills were one of the busiest teams of the draft as they traded up in the first round, traded down in the second round, traded wide receiver Stevie Johnson, then made a couple more deals on the third day, one of which was acquiring running back Bryce Brown from Philadelphia in exchange for a conditional draft pick.
“We lost a couple brain cells,” Whaley said in explaining the complex trade for Brown, a player they said they have been trying to get for more than a year. When it was finally consummated, it will probably cost the Bills a fourth-round pick in 2015 that they had acquired in the trade for Johnson the day before, but it could become a pick in the 2016 draft based on several factors.
“To get a player of Bryce Brown’s caliber at a fourth-round pick next year, that value was intriguing to us,” said Whaley, assuming that’s what it ends up being. Brown will be third on the Bills’ depth chart behind C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson, but both of their contracts expire at the end of the season and they could become free agents, so Brown may be in a favorable position come 2015 in Buffalo.
“For me, it was what happens if ‘God forbid? What if you have injury? You have this? Where we going to go next?'” said Bills coach Doug Marrone.
–The Bills made a concerted effort to upgrade their offensive line, and one of the key factors in the selection of players was size. Second-rounder Cyrus Kouandjio of Alabama is 6-foot-7, 322, fifth-rounder Cyril Richardson of Baylor is 6-foot-5, 343, and seventh-rounder Seantrel Henderson is 6-foot-7, 331.
“We talked about this, Doug (Whaley) and I, and we talked about it with the scouts,” said Marrone, an ex-offensive lineman himself. “I think you can see it throughout the AFC East. I can’t speak for the other teams, but you look at the defensive linemen that are in this division and you’re going against everyone in New York to the guys in Miami and obviously the players in New England and then you look at the players we’re getting. The people inside, everyone is getting bigger players, at least in our division if you look at it. I can’t really say the reason why the other people are doing it, but we’re doing it for the matchups. So that we can matchup with those players inside.”
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NFL Team Report – Buffalo Bills – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
A closer look at the Bills picks:
Round 1/4 — Sammy Watkins, WR, 6-1, 211, Clemson
–The Bills made a bold move to go up and get him at Cleveland’s spot, and it cost them a first-round pick in 2015, but he was clearly their highest-rated player on the board. Just as important, he fills a need as the Bills have lacked a dominant, go-to receiver. Watkins had dazzling freshman and junior seasons, while his sophomore year was interrupted by a two-game suspension due to a marijuana possession charge. Watkins learned from that mistake and returned to first-team, All-America status as a junior, after being just the fourth first-year freshman to earn first-team status. He finished his career with 240 catches for 3,391 yards and 27 touchdowns. He will very likely start on opening day, especially now that Stevie Johnson has been traded.
Round 2/44 — Cyrus Kouandjio, T, 6-7, 322, Alabama
–The native of Cameroon came to America when he was 4, played soccer into middle school, and then switched to football in high school. He and his brother, Arie, both played for Nick Saban at Alabama. He played as a freshman in 2011 but suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee and missed the final third of the season. Came back to start the final 26 games of his career, and the Bills were told he never missed a practice either. Was a consensus first-team All-America in 2013, but his knee issue gave some teams pause. Dr. James Andrews ultimately wrote a letter to explain that the knee was fine and would not hinder Kouandjio. Has very long arms which make pass rushers take a wider arc to get around him. He should compete immediately for the starting right tackle job with Erik Pears.
Round 3/73 — Preston Brown, MLB, 6-1, 251, Louisville
–The Bills took the 6-foot-1, 251-pound Brown in the third round with the 73rd pick overall, and he should be able to come in and become the primary backup at middle linebacker behind Brandon Spikes. The Bills really don’t have a true middle linebacker on the team other than Spikes, so Brown will get plenty of reps in training camp at the position. However, he also played some outside linebacker in college, and he can be a useful member of the special teams, so the Bills will likely get some mileage out of Brown in his rookie season. His production was certainly high at Louisville as he made 301 tackles, all but 10 of those in his final three years. He also made two fumble recoveries, one interception and seven sacks.
Round 4/109 — Ross Cockrell, DB, 6-0, 190, Duke
–He started 49 games at Duke, recording 233 tackles, 12 interceptions and 42 pass breakups. Was a durable player who played 3,536 snaps in his college career. A two-time first team All-ACC, he graduated a year ago with a degree in political science. His father played at Columbia, so he’s probably going to be the smartest guy in the room when he arrives. He figures to contribute to special teams, and perhaps battle for a backup position in the secondary.
Round 5/153 — Cyril Richardson, G, 6-5, 343, Baylor
–He had weight issues his senior year that prevented him from being a much higher pick. Was the leader of a line that blocked for the NCAA’s top offense, which averaged 52 points per game. He was a finalist for the Outland Trophy, but some scouts said he lacked good movement and could be beaten by faster pass rushers up the middle. At left guard he was credited with 83 knockdown blocks. As a child, his family was displaced by Hurricane Katrina and they wound up in Fort Worth, Tex.
Round 7/221 — Randell Johnson, OLB, 6-3, 242, Florida Atlantic
–Johnson recorded 41 tackles and 2.5 sacks as a senior when he played in every game and was named his team’s Iron Man of Year. Part of that came from the fact that he played on almost all of the special teams units, as well as on defense. That’s where he’ll have to make his mark in the NFL. He showed strong footwork at his pro day. One of his greatest gifts is his wingspan as his 34-inch arms are lengthy for a man who stands 6-foot-3, and they enable him to get his hands on some balls in pass coverage.
Round 7/237 — Seantrel Henderson, T, 6-7, 331, Miami
–Was touted as a first-round talent, but his stock fell after three positive marijuana tests at Miami and he openly admitted to his drug use at the Scouting Combine. Bills general manager Doug Whaley made it very clear that he’s got one shot, and if he stays straight, he could be the steal of draft. Henderson is a big man, but he moves like a linebacker, likely due to his basketball background as he had Division I scholarship offers to play basketball. He often dominated games with 58 knockdown blocks and 10 touchdown blocks.
PERSONNEL TRACKER
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (not tendered offers)
–OL Thomas Welch (not tendered as RFA) has seen limited duty since coming to Buffalo and likely won’t stir much interest so a return to Buffalo is expected. He can provide depth at both tackle and guard.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
–FS Jim Leonhard was brought in last year when Jairus Byrd’s case of plantar fasciitis forced him to miss the first five games. He lent a veteran presence to the secondary, and because his market value shouldn’t be too high, a return to Buffalo is certainly in play.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
–K Dan Carpenter: UFA; 4 yrs, terms unknown.
–TE Mike Caussin: Potential RFA; terms unknown.
–TE Scott Chandler; UFA; terms unknown.
–WR Chris Hogan: ERFA; $495,000/1 yr.
–OL Antoine McClain: ERFA; $495,000/1 yr.
–P Brian Moorman: Potential UFA; $955,000/1 yr.
–FB Frank Summers: ERFA; $570,000/1 yr.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
–WR Ramses Barden: FA; $1.475M/2 yrs.
–RB Bryce Brown (trade Eagles).
–RB Anthony Dixon: UFA 49ers; $3.5M/3 yrs, $750,000 SB.
–QB Dennis Dixon: FA; $1.475M/2 yrs.
–CB Corey Graham: UFA Ravens; $16M/4 yrs.
–LB Keith Rivers: UFA Giants; $4.05M/2 yrs, $1M SB.
–LB Brandon Spikes: UFA Patriots; $3M/1 yr, $900,000 SB.
–G Chris Williams: UFA Rams; $13.5M/4 yrs, $5.5M guaranteed.
–WR Mike Williams (trade Buccaneers).
–DE Jarius Wynn: UFA Cowboys; 1 yr, terms unknown.
PLAYERS LOST
–S Jairus Byrd: UFA Saints; $54M/6 yrs, $11M SB/$27.9M guaranteed.
–DE Alex Carrington: UFA Rams; 1 yr, terms unknown.
–QB Kevin Kolb (released/failed physical).
–LB Arthur Moats: UFA Steelers; $795,000/1 yr, $65,000 SB.
