Inside The Bills

2 FSU Bills teammates again

Bills 4th-round pick Nigel Bradham and 5th-round pick Zebrie Sanders were teammates for four years, but playing on opposite sides of the ball they didn’t hang out all that much. That is until the Senior Bowl.

“We were roommates at the Senior Bowl,” said Sanders. ”We have been together for a long time, but we were not really roommates in college. So I feel like just having a little more time to talk, we connected a lot more. He was always a good friend, but we connected a little bit more because we were roommates and talking. After every practice talking about what we did and what we can get better on.

“It is crazy we will be on the same team. Just looking at it like usual, he is a great player. I feel like he is going to help the team out a lot as well.”

Miles: Bills got good one in Brooks

LSU head coach Les Miles has been spending day 3 of the 2012 NFL draft on the NFL Network set, and had this to offer when Buffalo made LSU CB Ron Brooks their second fourth-round selection.

“He brings violence at the point of attack. He can play inside, he can play outside,” said Miles. “We’ve had great corners. He’s been in the position to play as a backup for the corner spots. He played a lot in every game. I think everyone has seen his ability to do that. He plays every down. On special teams he can return kicks. I think they’re getting a great pick there and a guy that will be in the NFL for a long time.”

When asked to compare Brooks to his LSU teammate Morris Claiborne, who went sixth overall, Miles offered the following.

“A little shorter, equally as fast,” said Miles. ”Great straight line speed for him and a very violent player. You can use him down in and down out. He’s been a gunner and a jammer on special teams. He’ll be one of the fastest guys on kickoff (coverage). He’s going to contribute a lot of snaps throughout each game. The reality is there are certain guys that are starters no matter when they go on the field. His approach has been that way and I wish him the best.”

Gilmore explains why 27

Bills first-round pick Stephon Gilmore chose jersey number 27 on Friday. He explained why Saturday on twitter.

BumpNrunGilm0re Wearing #27 7 minus 2 = 5

5 was Gilmore’s jersey number at South Carolina.

Pre-draft visits weighing heavy

Buffalo has made seven of their nine picks so far in the 2012 draft and almost half of them came to Orchard Park on pre-draft visits.

CB Stephon Gilmore, OT Cordy Glenn and LB Tank Carder all visited One Bills Drive making it three of their first seven picks that came to town prior to the draft.

Cosell a fan of Graham

Bills 3rd round pick T.J. Graham might not be a household name, but he’s got a fan in NFL Films personnel analyst Greg Cosell.

@gregcosell Ode to Bills fans: Graham most vertically explosive WR in draft. Both short area burst + top end speed. Cons: Small frame. Raw route runner.

@gregcosell Graham’s issue will be size. Very small frame. Not strong. But similarities in vertical explosion to Wallace out of college few years back.

What looks good on the board

As day 3 gets underway at noon today, the Bills are equipped with a pair of fourth-round picks and a pair of fifth-round picks. Here are some of the more attractive players as round four gets going.

Alabama CB/S De’Quan Menzie is a good fourth-round option. Doesn’t have elite speed, but was an effective player for Alabama as a boundary and nickel corner. Used a lot as a blitzer. He made a pre-draft visit to One Bills Drive. Later Texas A&M’s Coryell Judie fits the big size mold at 6’0″, but he doesn’t have a long resume being a JUCO transfer.

Knowing the Bills wanted to get two tackles there are a few of good tackle prospects in Florida State’s Zebrie Sanders and Memphis’ Ronald Leary. Leary had to play guard this past year due to injuries but has more than 30 starts at left tackle. The Bills said they consider Sanders a right tackle, much like Ole Miss’ Bobby Massie who is still on the board as well.

At LB I’ll mention Nigel Bradham again who should still be there toward the end of the fourth round by most accounts. Guy looks wiry strong, but scout Darrell Moody told us earlier in the week that he could play either OLB position in Buffalo’s 4-3. TCU’s Tank Carder, who made a pre-draft visit to One Bills Drive is also still on the board, but might be a late fourth or fifth round pick. And Wake’s Kyle Wilber and N.C. State’s Audie Cole, who both looks like a fits as a 4-3 OLB, but might be more of a 5th or 6th round pick.  

Though I’m not sure they’d take another WR, Arkansas’ Greg Childs is an interesting size, speed combo after he ran a 4.41 at his pro day coming off a knee injury. A real good route runner too when it comes to separation. I also like Cal’s Marvin Jones. Wake’s Chris Givens was expected to go higher, but there are off the field concerns there. Good size, speed combo as he had a track background.

Bills can go best on board now

Having successfully addressed their three primary needs on the first two days of the draft, Buffalo’s personnel department can now breathe a bit easier.

“I’ll sleep better tonight than I did last night,” said Bills GM Buddy Nix after taking a cornerback, offensive tackle and wide receiver in the first three rounds. ”I think we all feel better about it. You always have to wait and see how they pan out and that kind of thing, but we have a chance for these guys to really help us.”

Nix knows the longer you wait to address your chief positional needs the longer the player you drafted will take to fill the role.

“Once you get too far down in the draft it’s going to take time to develop a guy,” he said. ”There are a lot of good players late in the draft, but it takes time with them. These guys (we drafted) they’re going to have to earn their spot, but that’s Chan’s philosophy. That’s the way we do it, but these guys got a chance to play a long time I think.”

Buffalo can truly go for the best player on the board the rest of the way if they choose. They’ve got six picks remaining with two in the fourth and two in the fifth.

Glenn glad process is over

Cordy Glenn was real happy to be a Buffalo Bill. He was also happy the lengthy and exhaustive pre-draft process was over.

“I am extremely pleased and ready to start just focusing on football again,” he said. ”Get off of this process that is finally over. I am excited about it.”

Glenn thought he’d be a first-round pick and when he wasn’t he left New York and headed home to Georgia. He also was called “just a right tackle or a guard” by some so called draft experts. Head coach Chan Gailey had a comment for that.

“We’re using that term expert loosely,” he said.

Bills forced to wait for Glenn

After watching the Bills move up two slots in round three to land speed WR T.J. Graham, you have to believe the offensive tackle they would’ve considered in Round 1, who was still on the board in Round 2 was someone they wanted to move up to secure as well. But Buffalo was forced to sit and wait with no chance to climb the board at the start of day 2.

“I don’t even think we had the opportunity. We didn’t call anybody and we don’t do that much. We jumped out there bold that last time and moved up two spots and gave up a seventh rounder. We’re riverboat gamblers,” Nix quipped.

Fortunately for Buffalo the picks fell right with only Cal’s Mitchell Schwartz the only offensive tackle coming off the board in round two prior to Glenn.

“Shocked he was there,” said Nix.

Buffalo in a way started the run on offensive tackles in round two. Stanford’s Jonathan Martin went to Miami with the very next pick at 42, followed by Illinois’ Jeff Allen two picks after that. Ohio State’s Mike Adams and Iowa State’s Kelechi Osemele went later in the round.

“It’s kind of the way drafts go,” said Nix. “Once you open the dam… if I remember right, didn’t they draft three tackles in a row after we took him? Same way with corners. It’s like they forget about them and then somebody takes one and you go, ‘Uh oh, we better get us one.’ That’s kind of what happened.”

Glenn thought he’d go earlier

Bills second round pick Cordy Glenn thought he’d come off the board sooner than he did in the 2012 NFL draft.

When asked if he felt he’d be picked in round one he answered in the affirmative.

“Yeah, I did actually,” said Glenn via conference call. ”But things happen for a reason. I am just happy to be with the Bills.”

Glenn was at Radio City Music Hall for most of round one, but left before it was over and went home to Georgia.

Comparing prospects to spouses?

Bills National Scout Darrell Moody had the line of the day when he was asked about the seemingly mixed opinion across the league on what the ideal position was for Buffalo’s second round pick OT Cordy Glenn.

“I think football players are a lot like spouses, what looks good to one doesn’t look good to another,” said Moody. ”Obviously he looked good to us and I’m glad he maybe didn’t look good to some of the others.”

Glenn is a player that Buffalo believes can line up and play effectively at left tackle. Other clubs looked at his mass (345 pounds) and automatically pegged him as a guard. Some thought he could only play right tackle, but with massive size and nearly 36-inch arms he should be an effective blind side protector.

Report: Bills trying to move up

Bills GM Buddy Nix is not a fan of surrendering draft picks, but NFL.com’s Jason LaCanfora is reporting that the Bills are trying to move up higher in round two.

@JasonLaCanfora Hearing the Giants and Bills among teams exploring trading up, with OL in mind. Some tackles out there they like

It’s not surprising that the Bills feel they have to move up to secure one of the top tackles still on the board. Buddy Nix told Buffalobills.com earlier today that he anticipated that a run on tackles would start early after only two came off the board in round one last night.

Buffalo expressed an interest in Georgia’s Cordy Glenn feeling he can be a starting left tackle. Stanford’s Jonathan Martin and Ohio State’s Mike Adams could also be in the mix. All three made pre-draft visits to Buffalo.

Meanwhile the Giants, who picked 32nd last night seem to have it backwards. They took RB David Wilson with the last pick last night and are now trying to move up to get an OT. Should’ve taken the OT last night and probably wouldn’t have to move up as high in 2nd round to get RB.

Rams control round 2

The St. Louis Rams did some trading back in Round 1 on Thursday and now they will play a major role in determining the way the board falls in Round 2 as a result.

St. Louis not only has the first pick tonight in Round 2, at 33, but pick 39 and 45 as well. The Rams’ primary needs are WR, interior OL, LB and RB with Steven Jackson getting long in the tooth. Head coach Jeff Fisher doesn’t mind sitting in the catbird seat.

“Our board is good, our board was right and there are a lot of good players up there,” Fisher told the NFL Network. “We can’t predict what is going to happen between 33 and 39, or 39 and 45, but there are a lot of good players up there. We have need positions here so this is precisely the round and the day that we’ve been looking most forward to.”

Fisher believes the Rams can potentially land three year one starters in round 2 tonight. Buffalo picks in between the second and third Rams picks in Round 2 at 41.

Gilmore jersey number

Bills first-round pick Stephon Gilmore has made a jersey number selection.

Gilmore will wear jersey number 27. They’re on sale now at the Bills shop online. Here’s a preview of his practice jersey.

Bills hold best hand in AFC East

Taking a look at the picks held by the clubs in the AFC East it looks like the Bills and Dolphins are holding the best cards with Day 2 and Day 3 to play out while New England uncharacteristically is devoid of picks.

The Patriots have just two draft choices remaining in the entire draft. Both of them are in the second round. Pick 48 and 62. New England’s two moves up the board in round one to get Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower took away their other remaining picks.

The Jets and Bills have the most picks remaining of the AFC East clubs with nine apiece, but New York only has a pair in rounds 2-4. Buffalo has four. In fact six of the Jets’ remaining nine choices are in the 6th and 7th rounds, including four compensatories.

Miami has seven picks remaining, but five of them are in the top 150, which gives them very good value for Day 2 and Day 3. The Bills however, hold the most valuable cards with six of their remaining nine picks in the top 150.

More movement early tonight?

There were three trades made in the top 10 Thursday night. Could the same thing happen again tonight? Buddy Nix believes it’s certainly possible.

“Today there maybe will be some movement,” said Nix. ”I think that’s something that’s going to occur every year now.”

Nix didn’t believe there would be as much activity at the top of the board last night, but with the new CBA rolling back rookie salaries the risk in moving up isn’t nearly as cost prohibitive.

“I’ve said it all along that I didn’t think there would be much movement at the top, but that’s going to be something we’ll have to live with considering the new salary cap,” said Nix. ”People are not afraid to move up anymore.”

Gilmore meets Merriman

Bills first-round pick Stephon Gilmore met a ton of people today in his first full day in Orchard Park as a Buffalo Bill including a couple of new teammates.

One of those was Bills DE Shawne Merriman (see below)

“I met a couple of them like Shawne Merriman,” said Gilmore. ”I didn’t get to meet a lot of them but I’m going to get to know them. I’ve heard they are a good group of guys and I’m looking forward to it.”

Wideout depth plentiful

As many as three or four receivers could come off the board at the top of round two before the Bills are even on the clock at 41, but it doesn’t sound as though that will prompt any alarm bells at One Bills Drive.

As Bills GM Buddy Nix sees it there will be receiver value to be had in round 3.

“Even beyond that,” said Nix of the receiver value. ”There are still some good players. It’s deep. I think we can get some help there. We think we’ve got good players (on our roster), but we’d like to add one to it.”

The Bills currently have 10 receivers on their roster.

Among the WR prospects that could go before Buffalo picks are Georgia Tech’s Stephen Hill and LSU’s Rueben Randle.

Nix leery of run on OTs in rd. 2

Bills GM Buddy Nix is glad to see that only two offensive tackles came off the board in round one Thursday night, but he’s also wary of a possible run on offensive tackles at the top of round two where Buffalo picks ninth.

“The run starts normally when somebody picks first because some panic sets in and you’re afraid you’re not going to get one,” Nix told Buffalobills.com. ”And that’s when you reach if you’re not careful. I look for that to happen pretty early today.”

The only good news with respect to the start of round two is most, including myself, expect the Rams to take a receiver with the first pick in round two, which hopefully puts off panic across the league.

As for the depth at offensive tackle, Nix believes there’s a good amount of talent remaining on the board.

“I think there’s some depth there,” he said. ”I said that back in January that it was a good year for offensive tackle and I think it goes on down through the round so I think there will be some good ones there.”

Among the top tackles still on the board are Georgia’s Cordy Glenn, Stanford’s Jonathan Martin, Ohio State’s Mike Adams and Troy’s James Brown. All four made pre-draft visits to Buffalo.

OT projected to Bills in 2nd rd. mock

NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan has an offensive tackle projected to Buffalo with their 41st pick overall.

Kirwan has the Bills landing Stanford’s Jonathan Martin 41st overall. The former personnel man has Georgia’s Cordy Glenn going to Indianapolis with the 34th overall pick, but no other tackles before Buffalo’s choice at 41. Here’s who he plugged in for Buffalo in round two.

Buffalo Bills: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford. Most thought he was a first-round pick, but he falls to the Bills. He can play right or left tackle and has pass-blocking skills.