Inside The Bills

Mock picks QB for Bills

The Carolina Panthers have the first overall pick this year, which is why the mock draft put together by the Charlotte Observer is an interesting one. They’ve got a QB going to Carolina in the top spot and the Bills taking one at 3 as well.

After they select Cam Newton for the Panthers first overall, they send Marcell Dareus to Denver and the Bills taking Blaine Gabbert at 3. Here’s their synopsis on the Gabbert pick.

He has all the tangibles. As one scout said recently: “He’s 6-5, 235, good arm, quick release, … Those guys go in the first round.”
But can he play? The offense he ran in college doesn’t translate to the NFL, and his 6.7 yards per attempt scares me. The Bills need a quarterback, and he’s the next guy up. Not saying I think it will work …

For the record Gabbert is the only quarterback in the class that NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock thinks is a top 10 pick.

More big school pro days

There are a handful of more big program pro days on tap Friday.

Ohio State (Cam Heyward), Oregon State (Stephen Paea), Purdue (Ryan Kerrigan), TCU (Andy Dalton, Marcus Cannon) and Tennessee (Luke Stocker) will all be taking place today.

Paea however, is not expected to test at Oregon State. He suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his knee on the third play of practice at the Senior Bowl and won’t be ready to run until the end of March.

LB Miller high on Cowboys

Texas A&M LB Von Miller is widely projected as a top 10 pick. After a solid pro day earlier this week, he may have even solidified himself as a top five pick. But there’s a team in the top 10 he’d prefer to play for.

In fact he said on a local radio station in Dallas that he was disappointed that he didn’t have a personal interview with the Cowboys who hold the ninth overall pick.

“I was kind of bummed out that I didn’t get an interview from the Cowboys,” Miller told 103.3 KESN. ”I kind of hovered around their suite, and whenever they got free time in between college guys, guys they were meeting with, I’d kind of go in there and kind of talk to the scouts and try to pull Coach Garrett aside and Coach Ryan and see if I could get a little session with them, a two-minute thing where I could talk to them. I was trying my hardest to meet with all those guys, but they told me they have like a hometown [day].”

The Cowboys do have a local day where they do meet with prospects from a lot of the Texas schools that are in close proximity to them with pre-draft visits.

Miller wasn’t shy about labeling himself a big Cowboys fan growing up.

“I always saw myself with a blue star on the side of my helmet,” Miller said. “Growing up in Dallas, all my life I’ve never ever lived anywhere else. So of course I’m a big Cowboys fan. We’ve got a Ring of Honor just in our game room at home.”

While Miller’s allegiance is understandable being a Dallas native, but to express hope that you’re a future Dallas Cowboy doesn’t exactly endear you to the 31 other NFL clubs that are considering you as a draft choice.

OL Watkins private workout

Baylor OL Danny Watkins is working out for a couple of NFL clubs according to a report.

DraftInsiders.net is reporting that the Canadian firefighter turned football player is working out today for the Bears and Bengals.

Baylor’s pro day was back on March 3rd. Watkins stood on his numbers at the combine where he had 29 reps on the bench and ran a 5.36 40-time, a 26-inch vertical and a 7’8″ broad jump. Watkins is forecast as a second round pick.

NFP mock has DL to Bills

National Football Post’s Matt Bowen, who was with the Bills in 2006, has a defensive lineman going to Buffalo at third overall.

Bowen picks Nick Fairley for the Panthers at one followed by Da’Quan Bowers to Denver at two. Then he picks Marcell Dareus at three for the Bills. Here’s his line of thought on the pick.

Defensive coordinator George Edwards needs players—and that starts with Dareus up front. The DT can play as a DE in the 3-4 front or slide inside as a 3 technique in a 4-3 front. The Bills ranked dead last in the NFL vs. the run in 2010. Time to make some changes to their front seven if they want to compete in the AFC East. With Fairley off of the board, Dareus is the right pick at No.3.

Casserly mock, CB to Bills

NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly has the Bills taking a defensive back third overall in his top 10 mock draft.

After Da’Quan Bowers to Carolina and Marcell Dareus to Denver, he has Buffalo taking LSU’s Patrick Peterson. Calling him one of the top three talents in the draft Casserly says he can’t see him falling out of the top 3.

8 private workouts for Newton

In the wake of his pro day at Auburn earlier this week, Heisman trophy winner Cam Newton reportedly has eight private workouts scheduled.

That according to NFL.com, citing Newton’s father Cecil who told Gil Brandt the teams. The teams are the Panthers, Bills, Vikings, Redskins, Titans, Dolphins, Browns and Bengals.

Tough break for UB DB

UB’s pro day is being held at One Bills Drive today (Thursday) in the Bills Fieldhouse and unfortunately one of the top prospects could not finish his workout.

UB safety Davonte Shannon pulled his left hamstring running his second 40 time and limped across the end line. Shannon had been having a solid day with 18 reps on the bench, a 41 1/2 inch vertical and 10’6″ broad jump. His first 40 time was 4.57. He’s projected as a late round pick.

Fellow DB Josh Thomas, who also was invited to the NFL combine slightly improved his 4.46 40 time in Indy with a 4.44 today. He also improved his broad jump with a 10’8″ today and his vertical reaching 40 inches. Thomas is also seen as a late round prospect.

RBs Ingram, Hunter fare well

Alabama RB Mark Ingram and Oklahoma St. RB Kendall Hunter laid down some good times at their pro days today (Wednesday).

According to DraftInsiders.net Ingram ran in the low 4.5s and Hunter ran a 4.43.

Those numbers are key for both Ingram and Hunter. Ingram was clocked at 4.62 at the combine and Hunter’s best was a 4.53. Whittling off some time never hurts.

LB Miller improves 40 time

Texas A&M LB Von Miller had already impressed with a very good combine workout. On Wednesday he took it up another notch besting his 4.53 40 time in Indy.

According to NFL.com’s Gil Brandt, the Aggies gifted pass rusher clocked a 4.49 40 time. Miller is widely forecast as a top 10 pick in this year’s draft.

Lombardi mock 3.0

NFL Network analyst Michael Lombardi has submitted his third top 10 mock draft and he’s keeping the Cam Newton train rolling.

Lombardi after picking Blaine Gabbert for Carolina at one and Marcell Dareus for Denver at two, gives the Bills Cam Newton at three and offers the following reasoning.

“This is a unique talent,” said Lombardi. “He’s not perfect for everybody like a Tim Tebow, but he’s awfully talented and Buffalo must get a quarterback and a face for that franchise.”

Whether to take Newton or not at three is going to be debated from now to the draft and perhaps even beyond that.

Kiper’s newest mock

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft (installment #3) has Cam Newton coming off the board after the Bills pick at 3.

Kiper has Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert going first overall to Carolina, followed by Nick Fairley to Denver with the Bills taking Marcell Dareus third. He then has Newton going to Cincinnati fourth. Here’s his take on why he sees Dareus going to Buffalo.

Many were surprised at Dareus’ measurements at the combine, where he weighed in at 319 pounds. And while Chan Gailey says his 2011 defense could resemble a hybrid — either a 3-4 or a 4-3 depending on available personnel and matchups — Dareus is a player who can fit any scheme well. With great quickness for his size, he can take up blockers and still provide a push as a 3-4 defensive end, perhaps solidifying that scheme for the Bills. A safe pick at No. 3.

Kiper just a day earlier had Buffalo pegged as one of the best fits for Newton saying he wouldn’t have to take a snap in 2011 as a rookie with Ryan Fitzpatrick the starter, which he saw as a good thing for the Heisman trophy winner. He also listed San Fran, Tennessee, Washington and Minnesota as good landing spots.

Kiper not on Cam to Bills

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper is not sold on Cam Newton going to the Bills at third overall. When asked on a national conference call why he felt that way he said the following.

“Just the different things you hear, different entities and different players and different things,” said Kiper. ”I had Newton going there (at 3) a few weeks ago, and somebody I respected, different people you talk to over the years told me, ‘Well I don’t think you’re right on that.’ A guy I know that has been around this business a lot and you go back and forth with friends you have in the league. I just think that it’s going to be a very difficult scenario.”

Kiper said it’s a difficult scenario because of the risk involved with Newton, who he again said was the player with the most upside and the most risk in this draft.

Carimi to visit Bills

Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi is having his pro day today (Wednesday), but in his pre-draft blog shares how he’ll be meeting with the Bills next week.

Here’s the excerpt from Carimi’s blog entry with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

I have a private workout set up with the Browns on Friday. Both me and John (Moffitt) are going to spend some time with Cleveland’s offensive line coach. I’m also going to visit the Buffalo Bills next week. I’ll continue to do more visits and workouts for teams as we get closer to the draft.

NFL clubs can bring a maximum of 30 draft prospects in for pre-draft visits.

More big pro days

The pro day circuit is in full swing now with major programs going again today.

Alabama, with top flight prospects Marcell Dareus, who is featured on the home page today, and Julio Jones, though Jones following foot surgery won’t be doing anything today. Other programs with first-round prospects with pro days today include Cal (Cameron Jordan), Mississippi State (Derrick Sherrod) and Wisconsin (J.J. Watt, Gabe Carimi).

Brandt: Bills dine with Cam

NFL.com’s Gil Brandt was on hand for Cam Newton’s highly publicized pro day at Auburn Tuesday and naturally several NFL clubs were represented. But the Bills apparently got some extended time with Newton and his representatives.

According to Brandt the Bills had dinner the night before with Newton and his agents. Here’s what he wrote.

An interesting side note: Newton and his agents, Tony Paige and Bus Cook, had dinner with the Buffalo Bills the night before. So clearly, there is an interest there.

No one has any true gauge on just what level of interest the Bills potentially have in Newton, but there’s no debating that Buddy Nix and his staff are doing their due diligence with respect to their pick at three. They know they have to nail that pick and are taking advantage of every extra opportunity to gather information on each and every prospect that could be available at 3.

Of course Gil Brandt thinks the Panthers are a good bet to make Newton the top overall pick anyway.

Mallett pro day update

Here is NFL.com’s pro day update for Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett.

Mallett ran the 40, something he did not do at the NFL combine in late February and clocked in the 5.3s on most watches. He also had a 26-inch vertical, two inches better than he had in Indy. His broad jump was 8 feet 7 inches and change.

What if Cam, Fairley off board?

While several mock drafts have Buffalo taking one of the two Auburn prospects in Cam Newton or Nick Fairley. But what if both go off the board first and second overall in front of the Bills pick at 3? NFL Network analyst Charles Davis’ mock is predicting just that.

Davis has Newton first overall to Carolina and Fairley to Denver at 2. So with the third overall pick Davis has the Bills taking Da’Quan Bowers.

I think there is a realistic possibility that the board at the top could fall this way. Carolina drafted two QBs last year (Clausen, Pike), but they don’t sound sure if they have a franchise QB. More importantly Denver, which is moving to a 4-3 front on defense has Robert Ayers and Elvis Dumervil on the ends and they need a defensive tackle, so Fairley makes a lot of sense.

That would leave Bowers as probably the best prospect on the board with Patrick Peterson. When asked about Bowers in a group of top defensive prospects which also included Marcell Dareus and Nick Fairley, Bills GM Buddy Nix did say that they would fit any defense. And as we profiled on the home page at Buffalobills.com the Bills are looking for defensive linemen that can fit multiple schemes knowing that Buffalo will be a hybrid front defense.

Big pro days Tuesday

Three major Division I programs will be holding their pro days today (Tuesday).

Arkansas, Auburn and Oklahoma will all be holding their on campus pro days with a full contingent of NFL scouts, coaches and front office executives expected to be on hand. Here’s a rundown of some of the NFL prospects participating at those three schools here on Tuesday.

Arkansas: Ray Dominguez, DeMarcus Love, Ryan Mallett, D.J. Williams

Auburn:  Darvin Adams, Nick Fairley, Mario Fannin, Cam Newton, Daniel Ziemba

Oklahoma: Jeremy Beal, Quinton Carter, DeMarco Murray, Adrian Taylor

Bills pegged as fit for Cam

ESPN NFL analyst Tim Hasselback was asked to pick what NFL club he feels is the best fit for Cam Newton to have success. Guess which team he chose?

Hasselback picked the Bills. Here’s what he said.

“When I look at Cam Newton and when I try to find a fit for him, it would be with the Buffalo Bills who hold the number three pick. You look at them… I think Ryan Fitzpatrick is a great guy to be the quarterback to lead into the Cam Newton era. You look at what they did last year drafting a running back and you look at what their head coach, Chan Gailey, has done with quarterbacks in the past. I think he’d be a good fit.”

Newton will participate at Auburn’s pro day Tuesday.