‘The best way to find that guy is through the draft. With six quarterbacks thought to be possible first-round picks this year (Southern Cal’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph joining Allen), it’s a good time to be looking. But Beane would be taking a huge gamble if he stands pat with the 21st and 22nd picks in the first round and hopes his franchise quarterback falls to him. As Allen’s projection, and Mahomes’ rise last year show, it will take a bold move up the draft board to secure the player the Bills identify as the future of their franchise.’
Archives for January 25, 2018
Bills GM Brandon Beane talks about the draft trade chart
‘”There’s so many charts,” Beane said. “The problem is people have come up with their own charts, when you call on draft day, especially. They say, ‘Well, we’re using this.’ I think the baseline is still the Jimmy Johnson.’
Bucky Gleason: Looking for Bills next starting QB? He could be under your nose
‘Beane was aggressive in the trade market in his first season, proving he’ll make moves to upgrade his roster. Does that mean he swings a deal for Alex Smith in an effort to acquire a bridge quarterback while continuing the search? Does he inquire about Nick Foles after he led the Eagles into the Super Bowl?’
Richie Incognito, Yannick Ngakoue reportedly clear the air
‘According to reporters on the scene, Ngakoue spoke with Incognito before the AFC team’s practice at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. Ngakoue said they resolved the issue and he was looking to move on. He declined to comment further.’
Bills restructure ‘robust football analytics operation’ set by Russ Brandon
‘The Bills last week dismissed director of analytics Michael Lyons and system analyst Peter Linton.’
It’s tricky: Buffalo Bills know it won’t be easy to trade up for quarterback in NFL draft
‘Taylor is due a $6 million roster bonus on March 16, and in the unlikely event the Bills opt to give it to him, then he would be the quarterback for 2018 at a price tag of $18 million. Based on the way he played in 2017, it just doesn’t seem like McDermott and Beane are enamored with moving forward with him.’
Dion Dawkins named Buffalo Bills’ unsung hero of 2017 by NFL.com
‘Although you can make a case for other players, it’s hard to argue with Harmon’s explanation for selecting Dawkins. Despite playing the majority of the year without veteran Cordy Glenn, Buffalo saw little, if any, drop in play at left tackle. Dawkins was solid in pass protection as a rookie and even better at creating running lanes for McCoy. The former Temple product was ranked as the 20th best offensive tackle in the league in terms of run blocking.’
What Buffalo Bills OC Brian Daboll said about some of his offensive philosophies
‘”You have to be multidimensional,” Daboll said. “You have to be able to throw it when they know you’re going to throw it, and you have to be able to run it when they know you’re going to run it. That’s the toughest thing in the National Football League because each week it’s such a demanding amount of time in terms of preparation and going through the week and then getting to play a really good opponent. Regardless of who you play, every team in professional football is good. So at the end of the day — whether it’s gap schemes, zone schemes, drop-back passes, play-action passes — you need to have all those things so then each week you go ahead and you evaluate the team you’re playing and what you have and try to put the best plan you can together to give yourself a chance.”‘
Brandon Beane explains what it would take for Buffalo Bills to trade up in draft
‘”We have to do a good job with all positions of putting the value where they belong,” Beane said. “If you put a quarterback or whatever position, if you put a guy at the top and think he’s a top five guy, that’s the one that you would make a move for. That’s any position. That comes at a hefty price coming from 21 or 22. We’re not saying we would do that. To go up there, we would have to really feel good about it.”‘
Report: Jets may hire Rick Dennison
‘Dennison worked with newly hired Jets offensive coordinator, Jeremy Bates, in Denver.’
5 reasons Buffalo is a desirable destination for a quarterback
‘O-Line continuity: There could be changes, but if there are not major ones, Buffalo will have a good chemistry at their offensive line. Dion Dawkins will return at tackle and Eric Wood will at center. At left guard, Richie Incognito is still under contract for next year, but his off-field issues and contract make him a question mark. Cordy Glenn can play opposite of Dawkins at tackle. Right guard might not even need an upgrade. Vlad Ducasse played a majority of games for the Bills, replacing John Miller. It appeared Miller struggled in a zone scheme but he previously thrived in the power scheme. Plug and go there and the Bills offensive line could have a strong chemistry. A quarterback is not going to mad about that.’
Report: Ngakoue says he is now “fine” with Incognito
‘Incognito decline an interview opportunity on Wednesday.’
Ex-Bills QB Jim Kelly reflects on challenges, raises money for Gavras Center in Auburn
‘”It’s all about the attitude,” he said. “It’s all about coming together — coming together as a group, coming together as a family. The people here in this organization are family. I get it, and I know a lot of y’all get it, too.”‘
Brian Daboll talks move from Alabama to Buffalo and NFL
‘Daboll spent his formative years in western New York. Returning there factored into his decision. Many speculated that a desire to coach again in the NFL also spurred him to make the leap to Buffalo, a team that made the playoffs for the first time in 17 years this past season despite finishing 29th in total offense.’
Yannick Ngakoue, Richie Incognito clear air after racial slur accusation
‘Ngakoue, who accused Incognito of using a racial slur during the AFC Wild Card game on Jan. 7 at EverBank Field, told The Associated Press that they talked it out on Wednesday and are good to go.’
Jets communicate with former Bills offensive coordinator Rick Dennison for coaching staff position: sources
‘Bates and Dennison worked together in Denver for three seasons. Although Dennison was the Broncos offensive coordinator in 2008, Bates was the play caller. The Jets fired offensive line coach Steve Marshall on Wednesday, creating a void that Dennison, who was the Broncos offensive line coach from 2006-08, could fill.’
Bills coach Sean McDermott doesn’t forget Matt Nagy’s brief stint as an NFL quarterback
‘“We were looking for guys to throw in practice and here is Matt, an office assistant, who was willing to throw,” McDermott said. “Sometimes we don’t see that anymore … young guys willing to do whatever it takes to move forward and grow and learn, and Matt embraced that.’
Jaguars’ Ngakoue, Bills’ Incognito clear air after remarks
‘”That was really cool, you know,” Jackson said. “We have a huge respect for each other, and sometimes the heat of the moment can get to you and you can say things you might not really mean or do things you might not really mean and be apologetic for it.”‘
Ingognito, Ngakouoe clear the air at Pro Bowl
‘Ngakoue did not provide any specifics about what was said, and Incognito did not speak to the media.’
Richie Incognito, Yannick Ngakoue meet, clear the air over alleged slur
‘Ngakoue said he wanted to move on from the incident and declined to talk about what Incognito said to him, but he did confirm the two players had spoken before the AFC’s first Pro Bowl practice and ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex. Incognito declined an interview after the practice.’
Bills Free Agency: The interesting case of Preston Brown
‘They certainly won’t break the bank for Brown. But he also may be willing to take a little less to stay with the organization that drafted him and a coach and defense he likes.’
Incognito, Ngakoue clear air
‘According to Ngakoue’s Jacksonville teammate Malik Jackson, who is also in the Pro Bowl, Incognito and Ngakoue spoke before Wednesday’s AFC Pro Bowl practice.’
A multi-layered QB landscape is challenge Beane welcomes
‘“The quarterback is such a layered piece. Obviously, you have to have all the physical tools we’ve talked about,” said Beane. “I think you guys have heard me talk about making plays from the pocket and things like that, but you’ve got all the intangibles: the leadership, do they make guys around them better, not just themselves? What’s their command? Have they taken snaps? We talk about the college game [and] the spread [offense]. A lot of these guys haven’t. We saw fumbles today.’
Daboll’s approach rooted in preparation and flexibility
‘“You have to be multi-dimensional. You have to be able to throw it when they know you’re going to throw it and run it when they know you’re going to run it,” he said. “That’s the toughest thing in the National Football League because each week is such a demanding amount of time in terms of preparation, going through the week and then getting to play a really good opponent.’
Bills Today: Buffalo will address free agents after Senior Bowl
‘“What we’ll do is when we get back from the Senior Bowl, we’ll start our free agency meetings. Our pro guys are back working on that. We’ll basically have our guys and then we’ll see what else is out there at positions and then you’ve got to evaluate,” said Bills General Manager Brandon Beane. “It’s just like you’re pricing houses: you’re looking at comps. This guy is similar to this guy [and] this is what he got paid. To keep him, we have to expect to pay in this range. Is there a better guy [in regards to] fit? You’ve got to make sure if you get somebody from outside, that he’s a culture fit too. Those will all come into play with each free agent that we have, plus anyone we bring in.”’