BillBoard

Bills head coach Chan Gailey talks about selecting Kelvin Sheppard:

Here's what LSU inside linebacker Kelvin Sheppard had to say in his phone conference with the local media tonight:

Listen to Aaron Williams' phone conference with the local media today after being selected No. 34 in this year's NFL Draft:

Bills general manager Buddy Nix talks about Texas defensive back Aaron Williams, the team's first pick of today's second round in the NFL Draft:

Buffalo Bills No. 1 draft pick Marcell Dareus talked to reporters today at One Bills Drive and said he likes the idea of playing in one of the smallest markets in the NFL.

"I told people when I left Buffalo after my visit," Dareus said, "I called other people and told them, Buffalo may be my city. Because I like it slow. It's a big city but it's got a small-city feel to it. The fans love the team. It's just like Tuscaloosa (Ala.). The fans love Alabama. The fans love the Bills. When you got people behind you pushing you, it doesn't matter what else is going on as long as you're winning and you've got people who love to win and a bunch of people who want to win."

---Mark Gaughan

No surprise that Bills owner Ralph Wilson loves the pick of University of Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus at No. 3 overall.

"I think he’s going to be a great player for us," Wilson said today at One Bills Drive. "He’s got the size. We’re going for bigger and stronger guys than we have the last 10 years."

"I think he’s a heckuva guy," Wilson said. "He’s an engaging guy. I told him we’re drafting for character as well as ability. I told him we have passionate the fans here, and you’re going to get a lot of people asking to take your picture with them."

"I told him about a meeting I had today about the Wall of Fame. He said, ‘I want to go over to see the stadium.’ I said your name will be up there someday.'"

---Mark Gaughan

At 6-foot-3 and 319 pounds, new Bills first-round draft pick Marcell Dareus is a big and strong man.

In this clip from an ESPN Sport Science segment, you get a good idea of just how big and just how strong the former Alabama defensive lineman is. Enjoy.

---Jay Skurski

http://twitter.com/jayskurski

If you're looking for a wild-card pick for the Buffalo Bills at No. 34, consider Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick. I did not include him in our Billboard poll for the Bills' second-round pick because our expectation is most teams are going to have him rated around No. 60 or in the mid-60s on their draft boards. 

But if the Bills want to add a quarterback in the draft, he's worthy of consideration. Forget about TCU's Andy Dalton. The Bills already have a smarter version of him in Ryan Fitzpatrick. (We're not knocking Dalton's smarts; he's very intelligent, but there might not be anybody in Fitz's class.) There's no way Buffalo takes Arkansas' Ryan Mallett. Bills coach Chan Gailey likes his QB to have some mobility. Plus, there are the character questions with Mallett.

Why is Kaepernick intriguing? He throws a 93 mph fastball in baseball. (He was drafted by the Cubs.) You want your Buffalo QB to have a cannon arm. It's a Bill Polian decree. Kaepernick is mobile. Make that super mobile. He's the first QB in NCAA history to have 4,000 rushing yards and 9,000 passing yards. He's a high character, competitive guy. He's impressive in an interview. 

Now for the major concerns: He has a hitch in his delivery. He has very long arms, a big wingspan, which doesn't lend itself to a quick release. How much can be done to tighten that up? He gets passes batted down at the line. He played in Nevada's "Pistol" shotgun offense. He has a big transition to the NFL. He did complete 64.9 percent of his passes in 2010. He also has a bit of a thin frame. Can he stand up to the pounding in the NFL?  Chan Gailey acknowledged at the Senior Bowl Kaepernick would have to severely curtail his running in the NFL. So it's a projection to the pros. 

If the Bills stick to their pure draft ratings, Kaepernick isn't the pick. It would be a gamble. Of course, a lot of those teams that have him rated in the mid-60s don't need a franchise quarterback.

Finally, the last thing GM Buddy Nix said Thursday night is the expectation is the Bills can get another starter with the 34th pick. So I don't think Kaepernick is their pick. ... But it's something to think about.

---Mark Gaughan

Here's what Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey and General Manager Buddy Nix had to say about selecting

Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus with the No. 3 pick in this year's NFL draft: