12/11 Update with 2 Mock Drafts: Who the Bills have been scouting

[Buffalo Barbarian]

After reading that it's misleading to state that the bills aren't as interested in certain positions because they have only seen certain teams. First I bet they have gone to more schools than that and second they might have higher grades on some players than theses big boards. But it's a interesting topic.

 

Anyway they will get who we need , trusting the process.

 

 

[tcampbell104]

i wouldnt mind if they drafted a cb with there first pick, then went best offensive player with most of the rest of there picks. 

[mannc]

15 minutes ago, CaptnCoke11 said:

And if none of the WRs are worth the high selection Buffalo has they should just take one anyway?  That’s a sound strategy

No.  Trade down.  

[DCOrange]

2 hours ago, Soda Popinski said:

If we draft a RB in the top 10 I will lose my ****

 

I don't think that's a concern; there just isn't a RB worth taking remotely near the top 10. I do think they may very well target a RB at some point though. It's at least possible that it's just coincidence that they've seen so many of the top RBs; the only one that they've seen that I would say may have been the big draw in the first place was Benny Snell, but they easily could have been more interested in Georgia's team rather than Kentucky (and it could have been Josh Allen from Kentucky too).

 

I personally think it would be wise to take a RB on Day 3 or maybe late on Day 2, but we'll see.

 

I do think the Damien Harris connection is something to keep an eye on though, and he could be a target with the Bills 2nd round pick.

[Soda Popinski]

2 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

 

I don't think that's a concern; there just isn't a RB worth taking remotely near the top 10. I do think they may very well target a RB at some point though. It's at least possible that it's just coincidence that they've seen so many of the top RBs; the only one that they've seen that I would say may have been the big draw in the first place was Benny Snell, but they easily could have been more interested in Georgia's team rather than Kentucky (and it could have been Josh Allen from Kentucky too).

 

I personally think it would be wise to take a RB on Day 3 or maybe late on Day 2, but we'll see.

 

I do think the Damien Harris connection is something to keep an eye on though, and he could be a target with the Bills 2nd round pick.

Anything after round 3 I'm fine with them doing whatever.  I just don't want a RB in rounds 1/2 and probably 3.   We can go by committee 

[Augie]

2 hours ago, Soda Popinski said:

If we draft a RB in the top 10 I will lose my ****

 

What are you going to do when we draft his backup in the second round? 

 

 

. 

Edited November 16, 2018 by Augie

[Soda Popinski]

3 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

What are you going to do when we draft his backup in the second round? 

 

 

. 

Nod approvingly depending on what free agents they have signed and what they do with the rest of the draft.   I may not cheer...but..they'll get a nod

[Augie]

Serious question: How many scouts do we actually have and how many games can they get to in person? What about draft services like Blesto?  Do they cover who you ask them to? Do they just develop a general data base and you tap into their profiles?

 

I just don’t know how this stuff really works from a practical standpoint. 

3 minutes ago, Soda Popinski said:

Nod approvingly depending on what free agents they have signed and what they do with the rest of the draft.   I may not cheer...but..they'll get a nod

 

I was going to take a guy in the top 10 AND his backup in the second, but I want to be present to see your reaction! 

[Soda Popinski]

3 minutes ago, Augie said:

Serious question: How many scouts do we actually have and how many games can they get to in person? What about draft services like Blesto?  Do they cover who you ask them to? Do they just develop a general data base and you tap into their profiles?

 

I just don’t know how this stuff really works from a practical standpoint. 

 

I was going to take a guy in the top 10 AND his backup in the second, but I want to be present to see your reaction! 

I wish I knew, i should have paid better attention when everyone got canned after McDermott got here.   THey hired all kinds of scouts for each region and then they report to a single guy who presents their stuff to Beane I think.   Not sure the exact number though.   

 

But we drafted players from Jacksonville state last year so they definitely have their ears to the ground and eyes open when it comes to looking at every player they can.   

[Chicken Boo]

Ole Miss, you say?

[Augie]

7 minutes ago, Soda Popinski said:

I wish I knew, i should have paid better attention when everyone got canned after McDermott got here.   THey hired all kinds of scouts for each region and then they report to a single guy who presents their stuff to Beane I think.   Not sure the exact number though.   

 

 But we drafted players from Jacksonville state last year so they definitely have their ears to the ground and eyes open when it comes to looking at every player they can.   

 

My initial answer to who we are scouting was: EVERYBODY! 

[Hurricane]

6 hours ago, billspro said:

Well it looks like DT and CB will be BPA in round 1. There is not much offensive talent right now. I would be happy if the first three picks were CB, RB, TE

Sounds like the usual Bills picks.  

[CaptnCoke11]

55 minutes ago, mannc said:

No.  Trade down.  

Easier said than done..

[mannc]

8 minutes ago, CaptnCoke11 said:

Easier said than done..

There were ten trade-ups in the first round last year.  Ten.  It ain’t hard.

[billspro]

1 hour ago, 4thandGoal said:

really--- maybe the CB in first rd but dont you think O-Line should be a priority

 

I do, oline is on the top of my need list. There will be some good ones in free agency this year luckily.

[Bangarang]

6 hours ago, Rigotz said:

I appreciate the effort on this, but there's zero chance it's correct.

We're scouting O-Line and WR. Beane is not an idiot. He realizes how bad our Offense is and has mentioned it in press conferences.

 

He’s scouting every position just like GMs do every year. 

[Formerly Allan in MD]

6 hours ago, DCOrange said:

IBased strictly on the results of this, it seems to me that the top priorities (in no particular order) are RB, LB, TE, DT, and CB.

If the Bills are not scouting offensive linemen, they're nuts.

[Soda Popinski]

16 minutes ago, mannc said:

There were ten trade-ups in the first round last year.  Ten.  It ain’t hard.

Last year had guys worth trading up for.  

[mannc]

5 minutes ago, Soda Popinski said:

Last year had guys worth trading up for.  

You mean stars like Marcus Davenport, Lamar Jackson, Hayden Hurst and Isaiah Wynn?  Yeah, I’m sure there won’t be any comparable players this year.

[Soda Popinski]

Just now, mannc said:

You mean stars like Marcus Davenport, Lamar Jackson, Hayden Hurst and Isaiah Wynn?  Yeah, I’m sure there won’t be any comparable players this year.

Well now that those teams have filled those positions, why would they trade back up again?  

[mannc]

1 minute ago, Soda Popinski said:

Well now that those teams have filled those positions, why would they trade back up again?  

There will be new teams with new perceived needs this year, too.  Bet on it.  

 

The only question is how desperate the teams trading up will be, and hence how much of a premium you can get to trade back.

[Soda Popinski]

2 minutes ago, mannc said:

There will be new teams with new perceived needs this year, too.  Bet on it.  

 

The only question is how desperate the teams trading up will be, and hence how much of a premium you can get to trade back.

I don't see this being the kind of draft where 10 teams trade up.   It's a deeper draft at OL/DT/DE/WR no need.   No real skill guys worth trading up for, no blue chip linemen worth going after.   As a draft goes this one has a couple of dynamite guys in Bosa and Oliver and then a bunch of solid A- players.     If we can move back that's fine, but I'd probably just stay put and take a corner to pair with Tre and then load up on offense with the other 9 picks. 

[LABILLBACKER]

3 hours ago, Soda Popinski said:

I don't see this being the kind of draft where 10 teams trade up.   It's a deeper draft at OL/DT/DE/WR no need.   No real skill guys worth trading up for, no blue chip linemen worth going after.   As a draft goes this one has a couple of dynamite guys in Bosa and Oliver and then a bunch of solid A- players.     If we can move back that's fine, but I'd probably just stay put and take a corner to pair with Tre and then load up on offense with the other 9 picks. 

I'll give McD 1-2 picks for defense but everything else better be OL, WR, TE, RB.....

[mannc]

8 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

I'll give McD 1-2 picks for defense but everything else better be OL, WR, TE, RB.....

I agree.  He can have both of our seventh-rounders.

[LABILLBACKER]

4 minutes ago, mannc said:

I agree.  He can have both of our seventh-rounders.

You can guarantee McD will take a CB somewhere in the first 3 rounds.

[mannc]

18 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

You can guarantee McD will take a CB somewhere in the first 3 rounds.

With his record selecting CBs, I won’t begrudge him that.

[Bing Bong]

4 hours ago, Hurricane said:

Sounds like the usual Bills picks.  

I would be mortified if those were our first 3 picks haha

[CSBill]

8 hours ago, Soda Popinski said:

If we draft a RB in the top 10 I will lose my ****

 

CJ Spiller time!

[White Linen]

11 hours ago, Soda Popinski said:

If we draft a RB in the top 10 I will lose my ****

 

Maybe we won't be in the top 10.

[DCOrange]

Matt Miller has updated his big board and positional rankings, and so I've gone through and updated everything. You can see it all at the link here: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/201...-4-round-bills

The Bills have seemingly expanded their WR scouting quite a bit since the last update, which is a welcome sight to see.

My post on BR includes updates at each position as well as two separate 4-round mocks of what the Bills might look to do based on who they've scouted so far. Is it realistic to expect them to have personally gone to games for every prospect that they draft? No, but these mocks should give an idea of the types of players I could see them going for based on who has been scouted so far.

[DCOrange]

OP and thread title have been updated so that people can easily find the updated article rather than having to scroll to the 3rd page of the thread

[oldmanfan]

I have to assume they are going to make the O line a priority this off season.  It will be interesting to see if that's their main focus in free agency, or if they go for a stud T or G day 1 or 2 of the draft.  They have to know they need to protect their franchise QB.

[DCOrange]

Just now, oldmanfan said:

I have to assume they are going to make the O line a priority this off season.  It will be interesting to see if that's their main focus in free agency, or if they go for a stud T or G day 1 or 2 of the draft.  They have to know they need to protect their franchise QB.

Yeah, the relative lack of scouting they’ve done on OLine so far is interesting to me but it could mean one of many things:

1. They’re locked in on a couple particular guys and don’t want to bother scouting the rest

2. They feel confident in their ability to scout OLine on film rather than in person

3. They plan to spend on OLine in free agency as their main way of addressing it

4. Least likely of the bunch...they actually feel good about the OLine and think the young guys will gel with another offseason together. 

[oldmanfan]

25 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

Yeah, the relative lack of scouting they’ve done on OLine so far is interesting to me but it could mean one of many things:

1. They’re locked in on a couple particular guys and don’t want to bother scouting the rest

2. They feel confident in their ability to scout OLine on film rather than in person

3. They plan to spend on OLine in free agency as their main way of addressing it

4. Least likely of the bunch...they actually feel good about the OLine and think the young guys will gel with another offseason together. 

It can't be # 4, can it? I think Dawkins is Ok although his play has slipped a bit, and Teller shows some potential.  But they desperately need a C and another G, and a RT.

[Royale with Cheese]

10 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

It can't be # 4, can it? I think Dawkins is Ok although his play has slipped a bit, and Teller shows some potential.  But they desperately need a C and another G, and a RT.

 

Gotta be 3

[LeGOATski]

47 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

Yeah, the relative lack of scouting they’ve done on OLine so far is interesting to me but it could mean one of many things:

1. They’re locked in on a couple particular guys and don’t want to bother scouting the rest

2. They feel confident in their ability to scout OLine on film rather than in person

3. They plan to spend on OLine in free agency as their main way of addressing it

4. Least likely of the bunch...they actually feel good about the OLine and think the young guys will gel with another offseason together. 

3 seems most likely to me. They want a couple plug and play vets on the line. 

[DCOrange]

31 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

It can't be # 4, can it? I think Dawkins is Ok although his play has slipped a bit, and Teller shows some potential.  But they desperately need a C and another G, and a RT.

 

I would guess #3 is the most likely reasoning, and I hope to hell that it's not #4 lol.

 

Having said that though, as someone that has rooted for the Bucs on the side for most of my life, they were in sort of a similar situation the past couple years and as it turned out, #4 was what they went with. Their O-Line has been pathetic each of the past 4 or 5 years with basically all of their young guys except Ali Marpet underperforming, but the GM opted to make one splash signing (making Ryan Jensen the highest paid center in the NFL) and keep the rest the same, keeping faith that the young guys would ultimately gel. They have not, and Jensen has been horrible on top of that.