’11. Buffalo Bills (projected trade with Cincinnati). Ed Oliver, DT, Houston. The Bills re-signed Jordan Phillips, but only on a one-year contract, so Oliver could be the long-term replacement for Williams as the team’s three-technique defensive tackle. Oliver was massively productive in college, making 192 tackles (including 53 that went for losses), 13.5 sacks, 11 passes defensed and five forced fumbles in three seasons. He has drawn comparisons to Aaron Donald, the Rams’ star defensive tackle. The Bills pick up a third-round pick to move down two spots – and get the same player they could have taken at No. 9.’
BillsBeat - March 20, 2019
Mel Kiper Jr. re-grades 2018 NFL Draft | Did Buffalo Bills’ grade go up or down?
‘In an ESPN+ article, Kiper looked at how every draft class fared in year one and issued new grades. Following the 2018 NFL Draft, Kiper gave the Bills an A grade. After seeing the draft class on the field, Kiper dropped Buffalo’s grade slightly. He gave the Bills an A- and said the following about the draft class headed by Josh Allen and Tremaine Edmunds.’
Bills’ Sean McDermott sends message to Buffalo basketball before NCAA Tournament
‘“Congrats to Nate Oats and the UB basketball team,” McDermott said. “Horns up.”’
Report: Bills to host free agent safety Maurice Alexander
‘The Bills currently have a solid pair of safeties in Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer as starters. Behind them, Rafael Bush was a solid backup his first year in Buffalo. Rookie Siran Neal played mainly special teams and Dean Marlowe was active for two games as a reserve. The 28-year old Alexander would certainly offer competition for a backup and special teams role.’
BillsBeat - March 19, 2019
Houston's Ed Oliver could be Buffalo Bills target in first round of NFL Draft
‘Right now, Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver has become a popular target for Buffalo among several mock drafters, a player who has already been reported as one of the Bills’ pre-draft visits.’
Bills' Mitch Morse on going from Patrick Mahomes to Josh Allen
‘”I’m looking forward to hopefully making that next step with Josh,” Morse said. “Each quarterback is different and I’m looking forward to understanding his intricacies. I’m just here to try to make him the best football player he can be. And hopefully he can help me out as well.”‘
Offense, position flexibility clear focuses of Bills so far in free agency
‘The 10 offensive players is double what any other team in the league has signed so far, which gives you an idea of exactly how aggressive and focused they were on doing what Beane said they needed to and would.’
Ty Nsekhe’s story of perseverance makes him a perfect fit for Buffalo
‘“When I got the call saying that Buffalo was willing to pay for my services that was an amazing feeling. I had to sit down,” Nsekhe said. “It was a little overwhelming because it’s been a long road and a lot of work. A lot of sweat equity went into this dream.”’
Bills Today: What was the Bills' smartest offseason decision?
‘The Bills signed offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe from Washington who became an unrestricted free agent for the first time at 33-years-old. But despite being 33, Nsekhe has little wear and tear from an NFL career. Nsekhe was a 27-year-old rookie for the Rams after spending time at four different Arena Football League teams from 2009-12. Nsekhe was released after two games and didn’t return to the NFL until he was picked up by the Redskins in 2015.’
BillsBeat - March 18, 2019
How the Bills plan to upgrade the roster after a productive first week of free agency
‘”You don’t win any championships in March, so I don’t want people to get too crazy,” Beane said at the end of the week. “But we’re excited about the guys and looking forward to welcoming them here once the offseason program starts next month,” he added in an appearance on One Bills Live Friday.’
Bills Today: Bills made some of the best value signings according to this former NFL lineman
‘Schwartz praised the Bills for their signings of John Brown, Cole Beasley and Ty Nsekhe on his six-player list. Schwartz says that Josh Allen probably can’t overthrow Brown and put it best with a quote from Dallas Cowboy quarterback Dak Prescott who in 2016 said, “Beasley is always open.”’
BillsBeat - March 17, 2019
Bills sign former Patriots offensive lineman LaAdrian Waddle
‘Waddle has played in 61 career games, starting 31 of them, with the Lions and Patriots. He joined the NFL with Detroit as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech in 2013. After being waived by the Lions late in the 2015 season, Waddle landed in New England. He’s been a part of two Super Bowl winners.’
Inside the Bills: Resetting team needs after opening wave of free agency
‘“There’s still guys out there, so it doesn’t mean that because I’m standing here I’m done,” Beane said. “We’re continuing to look. Who knows? Somebody could call in a week and say, ‘hey, we signed this other guy, do you want to trade for this guy?’ Most of our attention after this weekend will be on the draft, but if there is a guy here who becomes available, whether it’s a cap release, a trade whatever, we’ll continue to try to find upgrades to the roster.”‘
Roth: 10 free agents later, Bills prove they aren't NFL's Siberia after all
‘The Bills’ free agent largesse — 10 players counting a previous move — allowed Beane to gleefully sack the post-Brown narrative that players don’t want to be part of Buffalo and the team’s vision for success. In fact, the young GM threw a bean ball right between the eyes. A North Carolina native proud of where he currently lives and works.’
Buffalo Bills sign free agent Patriots o-lineman LaAdrian Waddle
‘Waddle played in 16 games for the Patriots in 2018 and made six starts. He was an undrafted free agent in 2013 and has split time over the course of his six-year career between Detroit and New England.’
7 things to know about new Buffalo Bills OL LaAdrian Waddle
‘Waddle is relatively young at 27 years old. Although he hasn’t had the same success since his first two years in Detroit, Waddle brings a lot of experience to Buffalo. He’s appeared in 61 regular season games in his career and has made 31 career starts.’
Captain Josh Allen? Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane believes QB can ‘earn that C on his chest’
‘“In spite of all his physical talents too, he is a guy that has the intangibles that you want from a quarterback. He’s a big time leader. I think he will… year two walking in as the guy, he will feel himself. Hopefully he shows that he earns that C on his chest . I think it even started with some of the things that I was unaware of; when these guys came in yesterday four or five of them mentioned to me that he was the first guy from this team – because we can’t talk to them during that negotiation period – we’re only dealing with the agent, Josh called them within minutes of it getting out.”‘
Source: Buffalo Bills to host Houston DT Ed Oliver on top-30 pre-draft visit
‘In three seasons at Houston, Oliver recorded 192 total tackles, 53 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. He also recorded 11 passes defensed, five forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.’
Buffalo Bills 2019 free agency signings, ranked: Cole Beasley, John Brown and more
‘Beasley’s ability to get open will help Allen be a more accurate passer. It will open up opportunities for Brown and Foster down the field, too.’
Sunday's New England Coverage
Patriots lose backup tackle LaAdrian Waddle to Buffalo (Boston Herald)
New England Patriots Free Agency 2019: LaAdrian Waddle signs with Buffalo Bills (Springfield Republican)
LaAdrian Waddle signs with Buffalo Bills (Providence Journal)
Patriots Lose Another Offensive Tackle As LaAdrian Waddle Joins Bills (NESN)
Ex-Patriots tackle LaAdrian Waddle stays in AFC East, signs with Bills (NBC Sports Boston)
Underrated Patriots player signs with Bills (WEEI-FM)
Bills sign former Patriots OT LaAdrian Waddle
‘The 6-6, 315-pound Waddle has started 31 NFL games, including seven over the past two years with the Patriots. He can play both left and right tackle.’
Bills add former Patriots offensive lineman
‘Waddle is a six year NFL veteran. He spent his first three seasons with Detroit and his last three with New England.’
Bills add another lineman in OT LaAdrian Waddle
‘He’s expected to compete for the starting job with fellow free agent signee Ty Nsekhe, whom the Bills signed away from Washington.’
Top 10 fun facts about the Bills' 2019 free agent signings
‘Beasley isn’t the only Bills wideout that’s made a splash during his tenure in the NFL. John Brown, also known as “Smokey,” a nickname that he’s carried with him since birth, sure knows how to pump up a crowd with his quick feet and big-play ability. With quarterback Josh Allen tasked with getting him the ball, Bills fans can expect a warm “Welcome to the Smoke show.”’
BillsBeat - March 16, 2019
Well-traveled Ty Nsekhe paid his dues to hit jackpot with Bills
‘“Ty had a non-traditional path to the NFL, but it shows you a guy who has persevered,” said Bills General Manager Brandon Beane.’
Buffalo Bills free agency: What the new players are saying
‘Thursday night, he tweeted out a picture of his new Bills ID card with the message, “Let’s do this!” with the requisite #Billsmafia hashtag. And then, when a Cowboys fan chided him for signing with the lowly Bills, Beasley had a ready reply: “Was at the Cowboys for 7 years. We didn’t win either. I’ll be alright.”’
Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane reflects on free agency strategy; why he signed Morse, Brown, Beasley
‘”Yeah, I mean obviously our cap was in a position where we could be aggressive in spots that we needed to be, but again try and be smart with our money.,” Beane said. “We know on offense where we statistically rank, and it held us back in some games, so we were looking at all areas other than the quarterback really, to improve and I think we have some guys that will come in here and compete. We told every single one of them that nothing is guaranteed. We looked for guys on the O-line that had position flex with experience. Some guys have started a lot of games and some guys are backups who have come in and played and we thought played well and fit our style. It’ll be fun to roll this O-line. I know we’ve turned that one over the most. It’ll be fun with the new coaches and these new players to see these guys as they get going in the spring.”‘
2 Buffalo Bills land on PFF/ESPN+ most underrated free agent signings list
‘“Given how valuable the ability to win downfield is in the NFL, it’s surprising that Brown was given a modest three-year deal. The last time he played with a quarterback who earned a grade of 75.0 or higher on the season was 2015, and Brown went for over 1,000 yards that season. Even last season, he was on pace for 1,068 yards before Lamar Jackson took over and zapped his effectiveness. Brown still finished the 2018 season averaging more yards per route (1.50) than Tyrell Williams (1.41) and Adam Humphries (1.43), who both got bigger deals.”’
NFL analyst Brady Quinn on Bills' Zay Jones: 'I think he's a No. 1 wide receiver'
”Zay Jones, in my opinion, (has) developed into that number one,” Quinn said.’
Brandon Beane and Frank Gore - a match made in football heaven
‘“I’ve got to be candid here, I’m a big fan of Frank Gore,” said Beane near the beginning of his time at the podium. “You watch him (and realize) this guy is just a pro’s pro. There is a reason this guy is still playing at his age. He is an unbelievable competitior and I look forward to seeing what he brings on the field and off the field. I’ve always been a big fan just watching him (from afar).”’
Beane - Draft is by drafting best player available, free agency is all about your needs
‘”Draft is by drafting best player available, free agency is all about your needs to help you be able to go into the draft with very few so called ‘needs.’ We’re looking for good players and we put them into various tiers, from ‘Tier 1’ down to ‘Tier 4’ of how we see these guys. There are certain positions where we didn’t target a ‘Tier 1’ guy, we just felt like that’s not as big of a need, it’s not as wise a use of our money.”‘
BillsBeat - March 15, 2019
Why Cole Beasley and John Brown are on the way to being Josh Allen's new best friends
‘“I didn’t know what the quarterback situation would be here,” he said. “Now that I see they have a great quarterback, we can do a lot of things together. I know that he’s accurate, he can run the ball, he leaps over a lot of guys. I’m just excited to work with him.”’
Mitch Morse eager to step in as Josh Allen's new protector
‘“Pat’s mobility definitely helps, and Josh has that same deal, and that always helps an offensive line,” Morse said. “Just to see him progress as a quarterback and the strides he made, it was impressive. So I’m looking forward to hopefully making that next step with Josh. Each quarterback is different and I’m looking forward to understanding his intricacies and just try to make him be the best football player he can me and hopefully he can help me out as well.”’
'Nobody' wants to play in Buffalo? Brandon Beane says think again
‘“Just the overall culture here,” offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe said of what attracted him to Buffalo. “Especially when I came out here, I saw it was family based. It’s a good organization, it fits my skill set. So it felt like it was the best fit for me.”’
Buffalo Bills free agency: Josh Allen can't hide his enthusiasm for new teammates
‘“Once I made the decision,” wide receiver John Brown said of his agreeing to terms on Tuesday, “Josh Allen was the first person to call me from the organization and he was amped up about it. I was glad to hear from him. Him being a young quarterback, you don’t see most guys do that who are trying to take over a team. That was the first person I heard from.”’
Brandon Beane is fed up with the perception that Buffalo is a bad place
‘“It was ignorant,” Beane said of the narrative that was put out by Brown and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. “Don’t speak about Buffalo if you don’t know what this city and what this fan base is like. It really pissed me off because it’s not true.”’
New Bills WR Cole Beasley thinks you should watch the tape before bashing Josh Allen
‘“(I watched the) Film. You can see it,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what people say. You can tell what a guy’s about by watching him play. I’ve seen clips of him. I’ve seen him do things with his legs and the way he throws the ball. I just want to come here and help him as much as I can.”’
Bills’ Brandon Beane was ‘pissed off’ in aftermath of Antonio Brown situation
‘“It was ignorant,” Beane said. “Don’t speak about Buffalo if you don’t know what this city and what this fan base is like. It really pissed me off because it’s not true.”’
Josh Allen sent Brandon Beane a GIF text after free agency | Bills fans guess what it was
‘Beane wouldn’t reveal what the GIF was, but Bills fans have had fun predicting what Allen sent to the GM. Here are some of the best responses.’
Biggest winner in NFL free agency? Buffalo Bills, says one ESPN+ NFL expert
‘“Bills. I’m a huge proponent of the plan that the Bills have laid since coach Sean McDermott and eventually GM Brandon Beane were hired. Drafting and developing will be the primary forces for this regime, but they’ve wisely identified fits for their greatest needs in free agency. QB Josh Allen had one of the league’s weakest supporting casts in 2018, but that will not be the case next season.”’