Archives for April 2003

‘I interviewed with about 20 or 25 teams during the Combine and I had interviewed with about 10 at the Senior Bowl, so I think I’ve talked to all 32 teams. The interviews were much more organized than what I’d heard about in the past. They ran from 6 to 11 in the evening. Every morning you got a card with the time of your interviews. It listed the team, the room number and the time of the interview. The interviews could not last longer than 15 minutes, so everything was kept on a tight schedule.’

‘I don’t have a real good feel yet for which team will end up taking me in the draft. The teams that have worked me out recently all seem very interested, but it is really hard to tell. One of the teams I felt most confident about (Kansas City), just signed a free agent defensive end, so you never can tell. My goal is just to get drafted as high as possible and play a role this season.’

‘Saturday morning, I’m hoping to sleep in a little bit, get up and eat a big meal and then just head to the couch and watch the draft like anyone else. Hopefully, I’ll hear my name called somewhere in the first round. I think every team gets 20 minutes for their pick in the first round, so it will be a long process.’

‘Q: What kind of player/person will the NFL be getting in you? A: I would say they are getting a good person, smart, hard worker, and someone that will give his all to help his team win. Where ever I go I just to keep getting better as a player and strive to do the best job possible for that team.’

‘In his final collegiate season, Kelsay started every game at right end and collected a career-high 52 tackles. He also had 12 quarterback pressures and a forced fumble.’

Has good athleticism with above average speed, quickness, body control and change of direction agility for his position…Has explosive acceleration off the snap… Plays with proper knee bend and leverage, flashing the ability to jolt the offensive linemen coming on the pass rush.

Positives: Has good athleticism with above-average speed, quickness, body control and change-of-direction agility for his position. Has explosive acceleration off the snap. Plays with proper knee bend and leverage, flashing the ability to jolt the offensive linemen coming on the pass rush. Will flatten and squeeze vs. down blocks and fights pressure well on reach blocks. Shows good hand usage to keep blockers off him while maintaining separation. Aggressive hitter who will square up and wrap, bringing his hips properly to drive behind his hits. Consistently finds ways to bring the ball carriers down. Plays on his feet, using his hands effectively to protect his legs vs. low blocks. Has good back side chase quickness and a solid burst to get to the passer. Flips his hips properly and shows good rip-and-swim moves when bending the corner. Plays with all-out determination and effort. Displays good take-off quickness generating the pass rush. Adequate dropping off in pass coverage and will come off in a two-point stance in blitzing situations.

Negatives: Lacks the top-end speed to consistently beat blockers around the corner. Has very good pass rush instincts, but lacks the power to hold ground vs. run blocks directed right at him. Lets the blockers get into his chest too much when trying to move through the pile. Does not do an effective job handling low trash, struggling with agility to keep his feet moving when redirecting inside. Has good hand usage, except when engaging blockers (can’t free up as he allows blockers to lock on to him). Does not have the leg drive to take on pulling offensive guards on the traps. Does a nice job of chasing down the ball when left unblocked on the back side, but when he has to defeat a blocker, he will generally lose that battle.

Buffalobills.com has been on a mission, searching for the best Bills fans across America.

Over the course of the next few weeks we will be featuring the fans who have been selected to represent their respective state.

"There are still good football players on the board. A lot of times people make the bad assumption that after the first round the draft is over. It's not over. We have a long way to go with six more picks, college free agents and there are a lot of things that our team will be able to address. This is the opportunity for our football team to get a football player that we think was one of the elite players in the draft."

‘“They caught me off guard with the pick, but I’m very happy,” McGahee said. “It was never guaranteed that I would be a Top 5 pick so I never took it and ran with it.”’

‘The reality is that our medical people, who do a great job, have thoroughly looked at the situation.’

‘It’s uncertain whether he’ll play next season. ”We’ll play it by ear,” said Bills president Tom Donahoe. ”We’re prepared. If he can’t play this year, we’re fine.”’

‘ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap has been on the Willis McGahee case for the past three days. Schaap, who is working on a piece on the former Miami running back for Outside The Lines (Sunday at 9:30 a.m.), met McGahee in New York for a full day of activities Thursday, followed him to Miami on Friday and will shadow him again during the NFL Draft today. McGahee, who is coming back from a knee injury, is the most interesting story in this year’s draft and ESPN is all over it.’

Has good upper body muscle development…More quick than fast, but can make cuts at the holes and has the hip swerve needed to avoid defenders slashing through traffic.

‘In one of the most eagerly anticipated selections of the NFL draft, the Bills used the 23rd selection on McGahee, the star running back from Miami who tore up his knee in the Hurricanes’ Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State.’