Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘Yes, it is January and the NFL Draft is still three months away, but early versions of mock drafts are starting to pop up and have the Buffalo Bills looking at several positions — with defensive line, offensive line and wide receiver leading the way — with the ninth overall pick.’

‘Juan Castillo was fired last week following a season in which the Bills were inept up front, thanks mainly to the sudden retirements of Richie Incognito and Eric Wood. Players such as Vlad Ducasse, John Miller, Ryan Groy, Russell Bodine and Wyatt Teller could not play anywhere near the level of Wood and Incognito and the Bills struggled all year to run the ball, and protect their quarterbacks.’

‘The 37-year-old Farwell played linebacker at San Diego State in the early 2000s and then went on to a nine-year NFL career, playing 114 games for the Vikings and Seahawks almost exclusively on special teams. In a backup role on defense, he totaled 156 tackles and made four fumble recoveries.’

‘“I’m really happy with the production that we’ve gotten out of the first- and second-year players,” Beane said late in the season, lumping in the 2017 draft which McDermott presided over that brought Tre’Davious White, Dion Dawkins, Matt Milano and Zay Jones. “We’ve got to continue, and it starts with adding another draft class. Drafting is number one here.”’

‘Clay was undeniably one of the least productive players in the NFL in 2018 based on performance relative to salary, as he earned $9 million for his 21 receptions, 184 yards and no touchdowns. His play was so far below par, coach Sean McDermott deactivated him for the Dec. 23 game in New England and went with Jason Croom and Logan Thomas at tight end.’

‘“He is part of our plan,” Beane said at his New Year’s Eve press conference. “I think if we can improve in other areas, that will help LeSean. Early in the year, our pass game was not very good. You could see it. Teams were focused on, ‘All right, if we stop 25, this team isn’t going to go far.’ While we did improve our pass game, our run game stayed stagnant for a lot of the year. Again, LeSean will come back in 2019 and we’ll go from there. I’m not a believer that LeSean is done.”’

‘No Bills wide receiver has ever led the league in anything with the exception of Elbert Dubenion, who in Buffalo’s 1964 AFL championship season topped the AFL — not the NFL, mind you — in yards per catch at 27.1.’

‘Buffalo’s blundering blockers formed one of the worst units in the NFL, and Beane and McDermott are facing a major overhaul. Right tackle Jordan Mills, right guard John Miller, and center Ryan Groy are free agents who, in all likelihood, will not be re-signed. Backup Jeremiah Sirles is also a free agent.’

‘In addition to studying potential renovations at KeyBank Center, home of the NHL Sabres, the Pegulas are weighing another renovation of New Era Field, or the construction of a new venue for their NFL team, mostly likely either in Orchard Park or downtown Buffalo.’

‘But, as they have both said numerous times, culture is very important to McDermott and Beane, and all three of these players would put that culture to the test.’

‘It is unfair to judge Beane’s performance during the 2018 off-season because, unlike this year, he simply didn’t have the resources to sign impact players. Nonetheless, he brought in many players who wound up making the roster and contributing, either positively or negatively, to Buffalo’s 6-10 record.’

‘Williams, who goes by Duke, is a 6-foot-3, 225-pounder who does not have great speed; he did the bulk of his damage for the Edmonton Eskimos on short and intermediate routes. However, he certainly was productive as he led the CFL in 2018 with 1,579 receiving yards and tied for the league lead with 11 touchdowns on 88 catches. He was a CFL all-star, and twice was named the top performer of the month in the league.’

‘Williams is just the ninth Buffalo player to earn six or more Pro Bowl nods. He is the Bills’ career leader in games played (183) and sacks (48.5) by a defensive tackle.’

‘In late December, McCoy lost a round when a state judge in Georgia refused to dismiss the litigation against him. But, with a legal maneuver, McCoy and a co-defendant in the lawsuit have now pushed the litigation to federal court. There, they can again seek dismissal of the lawsuit.’

‘In what ranks as a classic understatement, general manager Brandon Beane said Monday, “I’ve got to do a solid job this offseason to improve our offense. We’re not happy with a lot of things that happened.”’