Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘I’m not here to defend Brandon regarding whatever it is that allegedly led to his having to tender his resignation at the request of Terry and Kim Pegula. I have no inside knowledge of the internal investigation at PSE, reported on by The Buffalo News, that Brandon may have engaged in personal misconduct with female employees leading to his ouster.’

‘ The signs were everywhere last summer when the team practiced just 13 days at Fisher, an all-time low, with just one night practice and mostly 8:45 a.m. starts under new coach Sean McDermott.’

‘Kim’s story is a fascinating one which I chronicled in this piece a few years back. She was born in Seoul, South Korea and was left by her mother at a police station as a very little girl. At the age of five, Fairport residents Ralph and Marilyn Kerr adopted her from an orphanage, picked her up at JFK Airport in New York City, and she lived in Fairport through most of her high school days before going off to attend Houghton College. She didn’t graduate from Fairport High because Ralph took a job near Cortland before her senior year and she graduated from Dryden High School.’

‘Beyond the statement he texted, Brandon could not be reached for additional comment, but The Buffalo News reported that his resignation is tied to an internal investigation into Brandon’s workplace behavior and allegations of personal misconduct having to do with allegations of inappropriate relationships with female employees at PSE.’

‘That said, be prepared for a step back in 2018. I’m not saying the Bills won’t surprise us again and make the playoffs because anything is possible, as Andy Dalton and Tyler Boyd taught us last year. But I am saying that this Bills’ roster is undergoing a major overhaul under Beane and McDermott, and in order to become one of those regular playoff-contending teams, this could be a year where the Bills go backward to ultimately move forward.’

‘Outside of Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who was Buffalo’s second first-round choice, it’s tough to see any other player capable of winning a starting job on offense or defense, at least not in the early portion of the season.’

‘Here’s what the national media thought of the picks:’

‘He was recruited as a wide receiver in high school, but he did not test very well, and when he got to college, he was switched to cornerback. He seems like a good bet to compete for the Bills’ nickel cornerback position.’

‘When he got to college, the coaching staff at Jacksonville State switched him from receiver to linebacker and in 2016 he made 80 tackles and an interception. He then underwent another position switch to safety in 2017 and he made 33 tackles and had a team-high 11 pass breakups. He started all 24 games his final two seasons.’

‘At Liberty High School in Virginia, Teller was an all-state defensive player of the year, then sat out his first year at Virginia Tech and hit the weights, once recording a 600-pound back squat and a 385-pound clean and jerk.’

‘NFL.com Lance Zierlein said of McCloud, “A man without a position and it will be up to an NFL team to best decide where to utilize him. He lacks the physical and play traits teams look for at either receiver or cornerback, but he has some punt return potential that could help his cause.”’

‘Proehl is the 15th player the Bills have drafted from North Carolina in their history, first since Da’Norris Searcy and Johnny White were both picked in 2011.’

‘NFLDraftScout.com rated Phillips with a second-round grade and said of the 6-foot-3, 290-pounder, “If Harrison Phillips starred in the SEC or Big Ten, every draft fan in the country would know his name and, assuming he checks out medically, would likely be universally regarded as a first-round pick.”’

‘We’re not going to know for quite a while whether the Bills chose wisely, but here’s the thing: While it’s completely unfair to relative Buffalo newbies Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott, there’s some bad draft history that hangs over this franchise, particularly at quarterback, and this pick has a chance to crank it up a little higher on the old misery meter.’

‘Fair or not, that is the pressure that now sits squarely on Allen’s shoulders.’