Two Bills Drive

'The Bills stuck with the need-based approach they took from the beginning of the draft Thursday night by using their other two picks Saturday on linebackers: Boston College's Matt Milano with their first choice in the fifth round (163rd overall) and Boise State's Tanner Vallejo with their final pick, in the sixth round (195th).'

'McDermott has quickly risen to a position akin to such established powers as Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll and Andy Reid. He was embraced when he arrived as coach because he wasn't Rex Ryan. Now he's being given extra slack for not being Whaley.'

'"Maybe people look at adversity, what he went through at Tennessee as a negative," McDermott said. "We see it as a positive. You hear about the arm strength. Some people didn't like that. I know there's some pretty darn good quarterbacks who aren't throwing the ball through the drywall, but they're deadly accurate and they anticipate and they're keenly acute in terms of intelligence and leadership."'

'His best chance to make an impact this season figures to be on special teams.'

'"Looking for speed on the field," Bills coach Sean McDermott said. "Smart, tough football player. Productive. Shows an ability to blitz and effect the quarterback, so we felt good about Matt."'

'In 37 career games, he completed 398 of 663 passes for 5,236 yards and 47 touchdowns, with 17 interceptions.'

'Buffalo native Greg Gabriel, the former college scouting director of the Bears, said on Twitter "Nate Peterman will become a starting QB in Buffalo. He's this year's Kirk Cousins."'

'He received defensive MVP honors for registering 14 tackles (10 solo) and 1.5 sacks in the Broncos' 2014 Fiesta Bowl victory against Arizona.'

'Sean McDermott likes what he can do on special teams. Like with any player drafted in the sixth round, Vallejo's best chance at making the roster will come if he can show he's a contributor on special teams.'

'Johnson, a Sweet Home graduate, rushed for 1,040 yards and six touchdowns on 200 carries for a 5.2 yards-per-carry average as a senior. He was named All-Mid-American Conference third team. Johnson had the best game by a running back in UB history when he rushed for a school-record 282 yards against Akron last October.'

'For what it's worth, McCoy rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown against the Dolphins on Christmas Eve. But that shouldn't get in the way of this feud, which is adding some spice to an old rivalry. McCoy also touches on the Bills' first-round draft pick and the rivalry with the Patriots in the video above.'

'Perhaps a change is taking place before our eyes, though. In a bold, well-calculated, and wonderfully prosperous move, the Bills traded down from No. 10 to No. 27 in the first round Thursday and picked up a third-round pick in this draft plus, drum roll please, Kansas City’s first-round choice in 2018. And, while we all had to wait a couple hours 17 spots down the board, the Bills were still able to fill a glaring need at cornerback by selecting LSU’s Tre’Davious White.'

'The Bills believe Peterman possesses those intangible qualities, so it will be up to him to write his story. The Bills have given him a chance, and he said Saturday that that’s all he wanted, an opportunity to prove that he can play and succeed in the NFL. He will compete with veteran T.J. Yates and Buffalo’s fourth-round pick in 2016, Cardale Jones, for the backup job behind Tyrod Taylor.'

'Since 2000, the year the 17-year playoff drought began, the Bills had drafted only four quarterbacks – J.P. Losman (2004), Trent Edwards (2007), Levi Brown (2010), and E.J. Manuel (2013) – before they picked Cardale Jones in the fourth round last year, and Peterman this year.'

'But who will get the credit? Whaley, the GM of record, or McDermott, the coach who would be king? I think we know the answer.'