Press Coverage

By Tim Graham

Jim Kelly has a two-step draft plan for the Buffalo Bills.

With the caveat Buffalo is comfortable enough with Kevin Kolb winning the quarterback job, Kelly advises his former team to take a wide receiver first, a quarterback second.

"Here's what I would do: If I know enough about Kevin Kolb and I know he can be the guy to start my season, I would take a wide receiver," Kelly said Wednesday night on a preview edition of his new SiriusXM NFL Radio show "No Huddle" with Andre Reed and Steve Tasker.

Continue reading "Jim Kelly suggests Bills draft a WR first, omits Ryan Nassib" »

By Tim Graham

Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray has been telling people the Buffalo Bills are paying more attention to him than other teams.

Today, he got the chance to visit One Bills Drive.

The Bills made Bray the eighth quarterback they've welcomed for a pre-draft visit. Teams are allotted 30 pre-draft visits in addition to an unlimited number of local players (natives of the area or from a nearby college).

Also visiting Orchard Park today were Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, Rice tight end Vance McDonald and Fresno State safety Phillip Thomas.

By Tim Graham

West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith remains the most popular projection for the Buffalo Bills' eighth overall draft choice in a canvassing of prominent analysts.

And of those who aren't predicting Smith to the Bills, most still have them taking a quarterback.

But some new names and positions still pop up here and there.

These are the latest projections from The Buffalo News' Jay Skurski, WGR reporter Joe Buscaglia, ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, an NFL.com foursome of Gil Brandt, Charley Casserly, Akbar Gbajabiamila and Daniel Jeremiah, Russ Lande of the National Football Post, CBSSports.com quartet Dane Brugler, Pat Kirwan, Pete Prisco and Rob Rang and Drafttek.com's computer simulator.

• • Brandt's pick: Geno Smith, West Virginia quarterback
• • Brugler's pick: Ryan Nassib, Syracuse quarterback
• • Buscaglia's pick: Bills trade down for Matt Barkley, USC quarterback
• • Casserly's pick: Geno Smith, West Virginia quarterback
• • Draft Tek's pick: Chance Warmack, Alabama guard
• • Gbajabiamila's pick: Geno Smith, West Virginia quarterback
• • Jeremiah's pick: Geno Smith, West Virginia quarterback
• • Kiper's pick: Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina guard
• • Kirwan pick: Matt Barkley, USC quarterback
• • Lande's pick: Ryan Nassib, Syracuse quarterback
• • McShay's pick: Barkevious Mingo, Louisiana State defensive end
• • Prisco's pick: Geno Smith, West Virginia quarterback
• • Rang's pick: Matt Barkley, USC quarterback
• • Skurski's pick: Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee wide receiver

By Tim Graham

NFL Network put the Buffalo Bills on the clock this morning for its "NFL AM" On the Beat Mock Draft.

The wakeup call for me to make the pick came at 6:30 a.m. So I don't take it personally that you didn't set your alarm to watch the drama unfold live.

A recap of the mock draft and my selection:

• 1. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M tackle
• 2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Ezekiel Ansah, BYU defensive end
• 3. Oakland Raiders: Sharrif Floyd, Florida defensive tackle
• 4. Philadelphia Eagles: Eric Fisher, Central Michigan tackle
• 5. Detroit Lions: Dee Milliner, Alabama cornerback
• 6. Cleveland Browns: Geno Smith, West Virginia quarterback
• 7. Arizona Cardinals: Chance Warmack, Alabama guard
• 8. Buffalo Bills: Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee receiver

Continue reading "NFL Network mock: Schmo picks Cordarrelle Patterson for Bills" »

By Tim Graham

We're due for our periodic roundup of what the draftmeisters think the Buffalo Bills will do with the eighth pick in April's draft.

So whaddawe gots this week?

The latest from Buffalo News reporter Jay Skurski, WGR reporter Joe Buscaglia, ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, an NFL.com quartet of Bucky Brooks, Charles Davis, Daniel Jeremiah and Josh Norris, Russ Lande of the National Football Post, CBSSports.com's crew of Pat Kirwan, Pete Prisco, Rob Rang and Dane Brugler and Drafttek.com's computer simulator.

Continue reading "Let's scratch that mock itch" »

By Tim Graham

Ryan Nassib isn't a popular first-round projection for the Buffalo Bills anymore.

In this week's mock-draft roundup, no soothsayer has the Bills taking Nassib. But West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith is picking up momentum as the quarterback of choice.

Offensive linemen also are picking up steam, while Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson remains a fashionable pick.

For this go-round, we peruse the latest forecasts from Buffalo News reporter Jay Skurski, WGR reporter Joe Buscaglia, ESPN analyst Todd McShay, an NFL.com quartet of Gil Brandt, Bucky Brooks, Charles Davis and Daniel Jeremiah, CBSSports.com's Pat Kirwan, Rob Rang and Dane Brugler and Drafttek.com's computer simulator.

• • Brandt's pick: Dion Jordan, Oregon defensive end
• • Brooks' pick: Chance Warmack, Alabama guard
• • Brugler's pick: Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee wide receiver
• • Buscaglia's pick: Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee wide receiver
• • Davis' pick: Chance Warmack, Alabama guard
• • Draft Tek's pick: Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee wide receiver
• • Jeremiah's pick: Lane Johnson, Oklahoma tackle
• • Kirwan pick: Geno Smith, West Virginia quarterback
• • McShay's pick: Eric Fisher, Central Michigan tackle
• • Rang's pick: Geno Smith, West Virginia quarterback
• • Skurski's pick: Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee wide receiver

By Jay Skurski

Cordarrelle Patterson

Position: Wide receiver
School: Tennessee
Measurements: 6-foot-2, 216 pounds.
40 time: 4.42 seconds. Vertical: 37 inches. Broad jump: 128 inches.
2012 stats: 46 catches, 778 yards, 5 TDs; 25 carries, 308 yards, 3 TDs
Draft projection: First round 

Continue reading "Road to the Draft: Cordarrelle Patterson" »

Stevie Johnson is eager to see how the Buffalo Bills will juggle their wide-receiver depth chart for 2013. (Photo: James P. McCoy/Buffalo News)

By Tim Graham

Stevie Johnson accounted for a preponderance of the numbers posted by Buffalo Bills wide receivers the past two years.

Subtract the contributions from David Nelson and Donald Jones, as the club did when it announced it won't re-sign them, and Johnson practically is on his own.

Of the wide receivers still on Buffalo's roster, Johnson has been responsible for 70 percent of the catches, 74 percent of the receiving yards and 76 percent of the receiving touchdowns in 2011 and 2012.

Continue reading "Stevie Johnson excited to learn who his new WR mates will be" »

By Tim Graham

The last time we cobbled together a mock-draft roundup, there was nowhere near a consensus on what the Buffalo Bills would do with the eighth overall pick.

Prognosticators couldn't settle on a position, let alone a player.

But with the NFL scouting combine behind us and some various roster moves in the books, draft analysts are starting to find a semblance of harmony. Of the sampling I've compiled today, West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith and Oregon defensive end Dion Jordan are popular guesses.

In this edition, we look at the latest projections from Buffalo News reporter Jay Skurski, former New York Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, an NFL.com quartet of Brian Billick, Gil Brandt, Charles Davis and Scott Pioli, Sports Illustrated writer Don Banks, Doug Farrar for Yahoo! Sports, CBSSports.com's Rob Rang and Dane Brugler, National Football Post analyst Russ Lande and Drafttek.com's computer simulator.

• • Banks' pick: Geno Smith, West Virginia quarterback
• • Billick's pick: Dion Jordan, Oregon defensive end
• • Brandt's pick: Dion Jordan, Oregon defensive end
• • Brugler's pick: Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee wide receiver
• • Davis' pick: Chance Warmack, Alabama guard
• • Draft Tek's pick: Geno Smith, West Virginia quarterback
• • Farrar's pick: Dion Jordan, Oregon defensive end
• • Lande's pick: Ryan Nassib, Syracuse quarterback
• • Pioli's pick: Bjoern Werner, Florida State defensive end
• • Rang's pick: Geno Smith, West Virginia quarterback
• • Skurski's pick: Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee wide receiver
• • Tannenbaum's pick: Kenny Vaccaro, Texas safety

By Jay Skurski

In case you missed it today, here's my first mock draft of the season for The News. Things will certainly change as the pre-draft process continues and free agency gets here next month.

I've got Texas A&M receiver Luke Joeckel going No. 1 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. Here are all 32 selections in the first-round, including who I like to the Buffalo Bills at No. 8.

1. Kansas City Chiefs. Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M. New General Manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid made it clear at the combine they won’t reach for their biggest need, a quarterback, if they don’t feel one is worthy of the top overall selection. Instead, they get someone to protect whoever will be taking snaps next season.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia. St. Francis grad David Caldwell hopes to grab a franchise quarterback with his first pick. It’s time to move on from Blaine Gabbert and Caldwell has said the team’s got no interest in the Tim Tebow circus coming to town.

3. Oakland Raiders. Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah. Durable three-year starter is an excellent run defender and above average as a pass rusher and fills a need for the Raiders, who are expected to part ways with Richard Seymour.

4. Philadelphia Eagles. Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M. Has the size (6-foot-4, 248 pounds) and flexibility to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. Has adopted former A&M linebacker and Broncos star pass rusher Von Miller as a mentor.

5. Detroit Lions. Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida St. Leaving school a year early after a monster season (13 sacks) for the Seminoles in 2012. Fills a big hole after the release of Kyle Vanden Bosch.

6. Cleveland Browns. Chance Warmack, G, Alabama. Gets to pave the way again for former Crimson Tide teammate. Consider this some gamesmanship after Browns CEO Joe Banner said drafting Warmack “wouldn’t fit philosophically” with how the team was being built.

7. Arizona Cardinals. Matt Barkley, QB, USC. Don’t be swayed by the Matt Leinart comparisons. Quarterbacks always go higher than you think. Biggest need in the draft might be Arizona’s at QB.

Continue reading "Cordarrelle Patterson to the Bills in The News' first mock draft" »