Schouman Fits Bills: Bills scout Brad Forsyth said their first 7th round pick Derek Schouman is a real tough guy who goes hard. He is undersized for a tight end but plays very well with leverage which allows him to play bigger than his size. He fits what the team is looking for since he can play fullback. He is a good blocker on the edge and sealing stuff off instead of straight line blocking from the fullback position. He is a receiving threat with good hands and good speeds but isn't very nifty. He does run tough and hard. Bills TE coach Charlie Coiner said Derek Schouman can play some fullback along with others on the roster. They are excited about him because he brings a lot to the table that goes along with what they want to do on offense.
Wendling Is An Athletic Freak: Bills scout Marc Ross described 6th round pick John Wendling as a freak athletically. A big guy who can run and is an amazing jumper. He has pretty good coverage skills and is good at changing directions. For his size he moves pretty well. Hey played both free and strong safety in college and Ross thinks he can play both positions for the Bills but will likely play in the box using his size to his advantage. He is a very good and physical special teams player, he covered and returned kicks for Wyoming. Scout Brad Forsyth said Wendling will have to work on his coverage skills some more and become a better tackler.
Bills Close Draft With DE: The Bills finished off their draft by taking DE C.J. Ah You from Oklahoma. The Bills picked four offensive players and three defensive players with their seven draft choices. Ah You has good size at 6'4" but is only 274 pounds which works in the Bills attacking defense. He is a playmaker rushing the passer. He needs to get more consistent like any player taken this late in the draft. He is already 25 years old as he has had some injury issues in his past as well.
Tight End In Round 7: The Bills selected tight end Derek Schouman with their first of two 7th round selections. Schouman is a big tight end that can make plays in the passing game and can play the H-back role which the team needs from its tight ends since they have no fullbacks. He can locate seams in the defense and can make the short to intermediate receptions. He is a bit undersized at 247 pounds so he isn't a great straight ahead blocker. He also has been known to drop some passes. He caught 29 passes last season and had four touchdowns.
Bills Add Safety In 6th Round: The Bills went back to the defense for round 6 when they selected safety John Wendling of Wyoming. He has very good size and speed for a safety as he's 6'1", 222 pounds. Has show good durability with a lot of college experience under his belt. He lacks ideal athleticism and doesn't change directions very well.
Wright Ready For Competition: Dwayne Wright told the Western New York media that his knee is solid. He missed two seasons in college before returning for a very productive 2006 season. Wright says he loves competition and the addition of another RB in the 1st round will just push him to play harder. He said he's overcome adversity his entire life and this is just another challenge. He expects to fit in well and get along with everyone, he feels the offense is similar to his college offense and he will learn from the veterans. He said he's met Marshawn Lynch a couple of times and he thinks he's a great guy that he loves being around.
Bills On Wright: Bills RB Coach Eric Studesville said he's excited to add both running backs since it was an obvious area of need. He feels Dwayne Wright is the complete back who is physical enough to do good thing inside and he does some good things on the edge. He thinks Wright is a good pass catcher and blocker as well. He loved his work ethic at the combine and feels he is very mature as a Married man. He's definitely a big size back, a bit bigger than Marshawn Lynch. Catching the ball is a must among any backs they look at, and both of their picks catch the ball well. Scout Marc Ross said the came back from his serious knee injury very well. He called him a big back that knows how to run with leverage and power. He's an upright guy who can break a lot of tackles.
Posluszny Likely In The Middle: Paul Posluszny told WTAJ-TV that he has been told by the Bills he will play middle linebacker for the team. That is the position he played in his senior season in Penn St. as he was slow coming back from a knee injury suffered in the previous year's Orange Bowl. Dick Jauron said he hasn't slotted in where Posluszny will play but the middle makes the most sense. Angelo Crowell is better suited to play strongside linebacker.
Three Picks Remain: The Bills now have three picks left unless they make another trade. They have the 10th pick in the 6th round and the 12th and 29th picks of the seventh round. They still have many holes to fill. They have yet to take a cornerback but have taken two running backs and a quarterback. They obviously have a lot of faith in Ashton Youboty, Kiwaukee Thomas, and Jabari Greer. They do need to add a cornerback with these three picks for depth. Other possibilities are a big wide receiver, tight end, another linebacker, and a guard.
Bills Take Another RB: The Bills continue to add depth on the offensive side of the football while ignoring some needs on defense, a polar opposite of last year's draft. The Bills used their fourth round selection to take their second running back in four picks. Dwayne Wright of Fresno State is the newest Bill. He has had some health issues in college but is a big, shifty back who is slightly bigger than first round pick Marshawn Lynch but has a similar build. He is also a good receiver out of the backfield with good hands and changes directions well. He lost nearly two seasons in college with a knee injury, he also has just marginal speed. Aggressive in pass protection making him a solid blocker. He ran for 1,462 yards playing in all 12 games last season, he also had 11 touchdowns and 29 receptions as he recovered from his knee injury.
Jauron Excited About Day One: As day two of the draft gets underway, Dick Jauron looked back at day one and said only time will tell if it's a good draft but you always think it's good because you only draft guys you like. He did say he's very excited about the three newest Bills and feels they are very talented. He expects the top two picks to help them right away, while they develop their third round QB pick who will add depth. Most fans feel its good, as 90% of the fans taking our grade poll of day one gave the team an A or B.
Schonert Likes Edwards Intangibles: QB coach Turk Schonert said Trent Edwards fits the Bills system well and has terrific size being 6'4" around 220 pounds. He has a good arm, very good pocket awareness and knows how to find his checkdowns. He is also very smart and understands defensive concepts and protection concepts and progressions.
Edwards Ready To Get To Work: Trent Edwards said he loves the opportunity ahead of him in Buffalo and he can't wait to get to work. Edwards was expected to go earlier and was scene several times on the ESPN broadcast from home, ala Thurman Thomas on his draft day. Edwards said he was prepared to fall and couldn't be happier how it worked out for him. He said he will use his drop to motivate himself and make him a better player. He feels his leadership skills and composure are his best strengths.
Jauron Emphasizes J.P. Is The Guy: Late last night Dick Jauron spoke to the media about the third round pick of QB Trent Edwards. He called it a pick based on value and grades. They had him rated much higher then their next available player so they took him. They also feel they needed more competition at the position specifically for Craig Nall at the number two spot. He said Nall has done a good job for them but Edwards was too good to pass up at that spot. He re-iterated that J.P. Losman is their guy. The Bills had Edwards listed in their top four at the position. Draft Page.
Saturday April 28, 2007
Bills Take QB To Close Out Day One: The Bills closed out day one of the draft that gave them three picks instead of four thanks to a trade. With those three picks, the team surprisingly took two offensive players. They closed day one by taking a quarterback, much earlier then previously thought. Stanford QB Trent Edwards is the newest Bill. He will have time to learn behind J.P. Losman and Craig Nall and will provide competition for the other two young QBs and may make Losman better by just being there. The team did need a third QB but it is a bit of a surprise they took one this early. Edwards may have been the best available player at a position the team needed depth at. He is considered a player with a quick release and a strong arm. He has had some injuries in college including a foot and shoulder injury but he's considered healthy. He is considered a very intelligent player with very high character and he was projected to go much earlier, almost everyone says it was a steal for the Bills.
Posluszny Happy To Be A Bill: Paul Posluszny said he's very excited about being a Bill and calls it a great situation and he's real happy how it worked out. He called it ironic going to the team that Shane Conlan played for because of all the comparisons throughout the years with the former Nittany Lion. He actually changed his number to take Conlan's number with Penn St. He said he'll work really hard to fulfill the expectations placed on him. He doesn't care if he plays inside or outside because he's comfortable at both positions but wants to be at the position that gets him to the football the most. He is excited to learn the scheme to help the team anyway he can.
Bills Had Posluszny In Their Sights: Marv Levy said the Bills made the trade to move up nine spots in the first round so they can get a player the caliber of Paul Posluszny because they thought he was going to be taken before their turn arrived. He said the team is very happy with the pick. Levy said that Posluszny was one of the top three players they had on the board when they made their first round pick. They didn't want to see him slip by when he got so close to them. The Bills were working the phones for a while trying to trade up even earlier to get their man. Levy admitted similarities to Shane Conlan in their new linebacker.
Posluszny Has To Earn Job: Dick Jauron said Paul Posluszny is very good at all linebacker positions and they won't slot him yet. They do expect him to compete and feel he's a good fit but he won't be handed a starting job. Jauron said he's an outstanding linebacker and a smart, competitive guy. Jauron was really excited he was there when they made the trade and called it nerve wracking waiting to see if they would get him.
Modrak Calls Posluszny Quality Addition: Tom Modrak said that they feel Paul Posluszny is a quality addition to the team besides playing. He's a tremendous athlete who competes very well. Modrak referenced how Jack Ham called Posluszny the best LB ever to come out of Penn St., known as Linebacker U. Modrak thinks the fans and media will be pleased and they will have fun with him there. He commented on his slow start last year but said he was coming back from an injury. He has great instincts and a great nose for the ball while being very competitive. He seemed very excited about the talent and intangibles of the newest Bills.
Bills Move Up In Round 2: The Bills made a move to get their man at linebacker by trading up nine spots to the 2nd pick in round number two. They took the man we predicted they would take in round one or trade down to get, Penn St. LB Paul Posluszny is the newest Bills. The team gave up their 2nd round pick (#43) and the first of their two third round picks (#74). In was a high price to pay but the team now has filled two needs with two players ranked very highly by their position in the draft. He's an outside linebacker but may be able to move inside in his NFL career. At this point it appears the team will move Angelo Crowell inside. What do you think of the trade? Let us know on the homepage. Draft Page.
Lynch Blessed To Join Bills: Marshawn Lynch told the Buffalo media that he is excited to be joining the Bills. He feels being a draft pick and being picked by Buffalo is a blessing. He doesn't want to downplay his success or the success of Adrian Peterson but he does feel he's best running back in the draft. He feels he'll be able to pick up the offense quickly since he played in a similar one in college. He feels his versatility will allow him to go in the slot and beat linebackers on pass patterns. He feels his all around game is good but he will work on his overall game even more since he's coming to the pros. He specifically mentioned improving his pass protection. He likes the comparisons made of him of Marshall Faulk and feels he can do a lot lining up in the slot and he is a threat to throw the ball on occasion. He doesn't know a lot about Buffalo but feels he's ready for the move and learn from a new experience. His transition will be helped by the fact that his Mother will make the move with him. He did hear some talk about Buffalo but thought he was going to Green Bay. He's just very happy to be in this position and is looking forward to starting his career in Buffalo. He needs to come and bring his A game and will have to prove himself all over again. He's a humble guy who is ready to compete for the starting role.
Levy Think Lynch Is The Complete Back: Marv Levy said the selection of Marshawn Lynch by saying they got an outstanding back and it was a mutual effort by the front office and scouts. They like his size and the fact that he's a superb receiver with great balance and power along with being durable. He called him the complete running back. They looked into the sexual assault allegations but they looked into it and there was no substance to the allegations. His coaches think highly of him and he comes from a tough inner city background but their intensive investigation turned up nothing. There were many holes in the person that brought up the sexual assault allocations.
Jauron Thinks Lynch Fits In Well: Dick Jauron said that the talents of Marshawn Launch would shine in any system but it helps that he can do all the things they will ask him to do. He feels he's a good pass protector and runner. The primary reason they got him was for running the football but the fact that he can block and catch passes is a great bonus. He feels Lynch will fit in well with all the other backs on the roster. Jauron feels he's more elusive than people say he is, and he can go the distance but knows how to drop the shoulder for more yards. He hinted that he will be the main back but the others will fill in when needed.
Modrak Says Pick Was Unanimous: Tom Modrak said the picking of Marshawn Lynch: was a unanimous choice who doesn't get run over and is good in pass protection although he will need to learn more about blitz pickup.
Bills Show Commitment To Youboty: When the Bills passed on the top two cornerbacks in the draft to select a running back in the first round they were showing faith in someone drafted last year. Ashton Youboty was a third round pick last year that rarely saw the field but not drafting a corner means they feel he can eventually develop into a top corner for the team.
Willis Not In Top 3? Marv Levy told the media that the team's top three players were still on the board when they picked Marshawn Lynch. That means the team probably didn't want Patrick Willis at 12 even if the 49ers didn't take him one pick earlier.
Bills Take RB Lynch: The Bills surprised many by taking a running back in the first round. Marshawn Lynch from California was selected one pick after perceived favorite Patrick Willis went to San Francisco. It's a surprise that they went with a RB with so many needs on defense. The two top cornerbacks were still on the board and may of the top LBs were still available as well. He ran for over 1,400 yards last year and is a versatile back who is solid catching passes out of the backfield. Lynch has some character issues which makes his pick interesting. He had sexual assault chargers against him dropped. Let us know what you think, take our poll on our homepage. Draft Page.
Bills Out Of Turner Race: ESPN's John Clayton is reporting that the Bills are now out of the Michael Turner sweepstakes and some team will give up their first round pick in this year's draft for the Chargers backup running back. Marv Levy said last week he would be surprised if a deal happened for Turner. Don't look for the Bills to be making a move for other heralded players this weekend. The Chiefs are saying they will not trade Larry Johnson and the Bills don't appear to be too interested in trading for Lance Briggs. Any trades they do make, will involve draft picks. Stay tuned to this latest news page all weekend long for the latest along with our homepage for polls, links to player profiles and more! Draft Page.
Friday April 27, 2007
Smith To Announce Bills First Pick: As part of the NFL's tribute to the Virginia Tech shooting former Hokie Bruce Smith will be the player to announce the Bills first pick instead of the commissioner. He is one of three former Virginia Tech players who will be on hand along with their head football coach. Owner Ralph Wilson in a statement said he's glad Smith will announce the pick, it will add to the excitement of draft day and it is nice that they are honoring the terrible tragedy. Smith said he's speechless at the honor of announcing the Bills first pick. He considers it a great honor as the heartbroken family of Virginia Tech deal with the horrible tragedy.
Posluszny May Be Bills Guy: In preparing our Bills seven round mock draft we tried to stay away from the obvious choices since as we mentioned in our preview article, the Bills don't usually go with conventional wisdom. We think the Bills like Penn St. LB Paul Posluszny more then the chic pick of Patrick Willis. Bills Mock Draft.
Thursday April 26, 2007
Briggs, Johnson Rumors: As draft day approaches many crazy rumors begin to circulate. A lot of it revolves around current stars who are unhappy where they are or need to be moved because of financial reasons and contract situations. Two big players being talked about are Bears LB Lance Briggs and the latest rumors involve KC RB Larry Johnson. Briggs has been unhappy since the Bears put the franchise tag on him and he was almost traded to the Redskins but a trade fell through. Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports Tampa Bay may be interested in him. Other rumors mention Briggs being associated with Buffalo but there is no confirmation on that. Briggs would be a fit since he played under Dick Jauron and is very good in the cover two while the team has a huge need at linebacker. The Johnson rumors have just begun to circulate. He has an option out of his contract with the Chiefs after this season so they be willing to let him go this year in an effort not to lose him for nothing next year. Schefter also reports the Bills are one of the team's that are interested in Johnson with their natural hole at that position as well. If the Bills could trade for one of them, which one would you trade for? Take our poll on our homepage.
Wednesday April 25, 2007
Bills Have Holes To Fill: One thing for sure going into this weekend's draft, the Bills have many holes to fill. The trading of Takeo Spikes, Willis McGahee, and Kelly Holcomb along with the free agent defections of Nate Clements and London Fletcher leave incredible holes to fill for the Bills. In free agency, they took care of the offensive line concerns with three signins on day one. Now they need a linebacker, running back, and cornerback on day one of the draft. Complete Preview.
Monday April 23, 2007
Draft Page Launched! Bills Daily has launched our 2007 draft page. It will be your main place to stop during and after the draft with links to player profiles, draft capsules, and our grade. We will also have a link to all our draft articles! So check it out. Draft Page.
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