Inside The Bills

Bills on the radio

Here’s the rundown of where you can find Bills players on the radio airwaves Wednesday.

7:00 am – WGR 550 – Kevin Kolb

8:00 am – Sirius XM NFL – Stevie Johnson

4:45 pm – WNML (Knoxville, TN) – Da’Rick Rogers

Fan Friday 3-22

Here’s the latest edition of Fan Friday questions and answers from AskChris@bills.nfl.net and @ChrisBrownBills. Just over a month until the draft.

1 - Hi Chris……

Why is it that teams are so afraid to trade a first round pick, or pay the first round tender for a star player?

An example that comes to mind is Victor Cruz. Word is that the Giants are going to place a first round tender on him if any team sign him. Is a player of that caliber not worth a first rounder? There are so many first round picks that don’t pan out, especially in Buffalo, I would think that trading for a proven producer would make sense, especially for a position of need that would be addressed in the draft.
Thanks

L. Briggs

CB: The Giants front office did say that they actually anticipated there might be an offer sheet from a team or two for Cruz. Obviously teams with lower first-round picks might be more apt to do so than a team with a pick in the top half of round one.

His production is proven, but if you’re a team with a lot of needs at other positions, or you’re a team that doesn’t have a quarterback the caliber of Eli Manning you won’t get the same production out of Cruz thereby decreasing his value.

2 – Hey Chris,

The 3 spots that we expect to see the Bills targeting are LB WR and QB with that being said is there any way that the Bills could try to knock out either 1 or 2 of the needs in the FA period? If they could do that, that would allow them to go with the best player available approach and could wait to get a QB till round 2 or 3. 

Thanks Chris,
Josh, Syracuse NY

CB: They’ve addressed OLB with Manny Lawson as everyone knows, but an ILB is still an option along with WR and QB. Buddy Nix has said he thinks the WR position in the draft is deep, which leads me to believe that a WR won’t be added until the draft. Tight end is another position to be addressed so that too has to be targeted. The pickings have gotten slimmer in free agency. I think there is still good value at LB in free agency so I’d anticipate an ILB to be pursued and possibly a TE prior to the draft.

3 – Chris,

Much like you, I strongly believe that teams need to win games upfront on both side of the ball.   With that in mind I am throwing out this prediction as Nix seems to be somewhat predictable:

He will draft Tennessee WR Cordarrelle Patterson at 8, then trade up and take a QB (Tyler Wilson?)

Just wondering your thoughts….

I prefer taking the meat and potatoes players because you can win with less than stellar QB play that way.    It seems like the Bills over the years are too worried about their skill position players (drafting a lot of 1st round RB’s, reaching for Graham, signing TO, etc)
-Jim

CB: I would be surprised if they go with Patterson at 8. I think with the depth at wide receiver in this draft and the best value at that position being in rounds 2-4 Nix won’t go with a one-year wonder in round one. He typically prefers players with more of a college resume.

I see the Bills going for a receiver somewhere between rounds 2-4. Quarterback will be round 1 or 2. Trading down from eight I think is a realistic possibility to get better value at QB and there are teams I believe that will want to get up in the top 10 to take one of the top end offensive or defensive linemen there.

Trading back into the bottom of round one I believe is a harder ask because Buffalo wants to hold onto their picks only having six right now not parting with picks to move up.

4 – Chris,

What about some of our lesser talked about free agents like Kyle Moore? What’s the likelihood he gets signed to a longer deal with the Bills in the next couple of weeks? I feel like he’s a younger, raw type of athlete that can refine his game to be a decent contributor to the Defense… or at least a replacement for Kelsay. The Bills already have some veteran proven pass rushers on the defense, but I feel they could use a young guy with some upside… for the right price.   

Thanks,
Nate in Rochester
PS- Go Bills

CB: It’s difficult to say exactly how the front office feels about Moore. I’m not sure he’s a fit for a multiple front defense because he’s primarily a 4-3 end in terms of his fit. He’s not an OLB in a 3-4 and I don’t know that he has the bulk to line up as a five technique in a 3-4.

Bills GM Buddy Nix did speak to the Toronto Sun about Moore and he said the following.

“We have things we have to do, and things we have to plan to do to keep our own guys, which we will have some, that in the summer we’ll try to get done before the season, or early in the season. And we have to keep those things in mind.”

I don’t know what you take from that comment, but it doesn’t sound to me like the draft is the main focus right now along with filling other positional holes. I’d be surprised if something with Moore happened before then.

5 – Chris,
 
I am hearing at the combine many head coaches say that they reach out to the players college coaches as part of the evaluation process. Is coach Marrone and OC Hackett being interviewed about former Syracuse players? What if Nassib or another SU player is on the Bills radar? As the former college coach, is Marrone obligated to take the call?
 
Thanks,
Kevin from Cheektowaga

CB: I did a story on that very predicament that coach Marrone found himself in because he was getting peppered with questions about his Syracuse players by the friends he had in the NFL coaching ranks. Here’s the story on that very subject and how coach Marrone chose to handle it.

Takeo tells Lawson “Buffalo is the best place”

New Bills LB Manny Lawson will be reunited with his college teammate Mario Williams on the Buffalo roster.  But he’s also following in the footsteps of a former NFL teammate, when he lines up with the Bills.

Former Bills LB Takeo Spikes played with Lawson for three seasons, when both were with the San Francisco 49ers.  And in an appearance on The John Murphy Show Thursday night, Spikes says he sent a text message to Lawson shortly after he signed with the Bills.

“I texted him yesterday and I told him-it will be the best place that you play at, by far.  Just because the people embrace the players as their own,” Spikes said.   The two time Pro Bowl LB for the Bills also kidded Lawson about following his career path in the NFL.

“I told him, Manny, you’re going to every team that I played with-the Forty Niners, Bengals, Buffalo…”

Spikes was an established vet and Lawson was just three years into his NFL career, when the two teamed up in San Francisco.  But Spikes saw enough of the former first round draft pick to know that Lawson can succeed with the Bills.

“It’s good that Manny is coming back to a 3-4 defense, that’s number one,”  Spikes told host John Murphy.

“Number two, is the fact that Manny is an all-around football player.  This guy can rush the passer, he can stop the run, that’s what you need.  The guy can cover, too.  That’s one thing I thought he really didn’t get an opportunity to show off his talents last year, being in a 4-3 in Cincinnati.”

The entire interview with Takeo Spikes is available at buffalobills.com/johnmurphyshow

Pettine: Lawson an underrated pass rusher

Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has not commented on any of the players he has on his side of the ball on Buffalo’s roster. He and Buffalo’s other coaches have understandably been reluctant to comment on what they think of their personnel, preferring to get on the practice field with them to see them up close before passing any judgment. The case is different however, with free agent acquisitions and after the Bills signed OLB Manny Lawson, Pettine commented.

Appearing on the Howard Simon Show on Bills flagship station WGR Sportsradio 550, Pettine provided his thoughts on just what kind of player they believe they have in Lawson.

“I think he brings a guy that has some explosive ability. He’s a tall, rangy guy, a set the edge type defender,” said Pettine. ”And even though we’re not going to be true 3-4 or 4-3 as far as we’re doing it. In our multiple fronts that we run we do need some bigger edge players. So I do think he certainly fits that bill for us. I think he’s an underrated pass rusher. He didn’t get as much opportunity to do that in Cincinnati as much as he did in San Francisco. But he’s a guy we liked coming out (in the draft) years ago and just admire the way that he plays, the effort, the energy, the passion he plays with from afar. So when the opportunity came up for us to evaluate the outside linebackers in free agency he was at the top of the list.”

Lawson barely rushed the passer in his two years with Cincinnati, but it sounds like that is going to change in Buffalo. Even in his press conference Lawson indicated that after speaking with Pettine briefly that he believes he’ll have the opportunity to get after quarterbacks, much like he did earlier in his career.

Lawson says he’s got it covered

The Bills new LB has plenty of faith in his ability to play pass coverage.  Manny Lawson was a guest Wednesday night on The John Murphy Show, and he talked about how much he likes to drop into coverage.

“I really do benefit a scheme where I can pass rush, and drop into coverage, from the same look, in three different types of offense, from the same side.,” Lawson told host John Murphy.  “That’s the type of scheme that fits me better, and that’s the type of scheme Coach (Pettine) plays.”

Lawson indicated that was not how he was used the last two years when he played with the Bengals. And he’s looking forward to utilizing his size and speed to benefit the new Bills defense.

“I’m a big guy in a little frame,” he said.  “Mentally, I’m huge, like a sumo wrestler.  I used to want to be a sumo wrestler when I was a little kid,” he kidded.

“But I really pride myself on being able to stop the run in whatever forms and facets it shows.  I’m just really simply a D-end in a linebacker body.  And in coverage, I’m a corner, in a linebacker body, too.”

Lawson said he has a philosophy when it comes to staying with speedy RBs and TEs in pass coverage.

“I will never over-estimate my speed, and never under estimate his.”

The entire interview with Manny Lawson is available at buffalobills.com/johnmurphyshow

Lawson eager for matchup with Gronk

The Bills signed LB Manny Lawson to play strong side-outside linebacker.  And that means he’s likely to spend a fair amount of time matching up against opponents tight ends.

Twice a year, Lawson will run into New England Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski, who’s enjoyed some of his biggest days in the NFL against the Bills.  But that doesn’t seem to faze Lawson.

In an appearance Wednesday night on The John Murphy Show, Lawson said he’s eager to line up and play against Gronkowski.

“I think I match up well against him, I really would like that challenge,” Lawson said.  “I think he weighs a little bit more.  He can’t out-run me.  It’s whether or not Brady can put the ball to where I can’t catch it, and where he can.  You can’t just throw the ball over my head and he can get it.  You gotta throw it really, if I extend my arms, it’s probably nine feet straight up.”

At 6-5 1/2, Lawson does have the height to match up with Gronkowski.  And he should be able to stay with him downfield, given his combine 40-times when he came into the league in 2006.

And even though Gronkowski seems to feast on the Bills defense, Lawson tells host John Murphy he won’t be losing any sleep about the matchup.

“Should I worry?  It is twice a year, and I look forward to it, going against somebody who is good.  We don’t know where he’s going to go down in history, but we respect him as a player, and a player who is good.  I want to go against him.”

The entire interview with Manny Lawson is available at buffalobills.com/johnmurphyshow

Lawson a sharp tack

There’s not much for fans to use to measure a player’s intelligence outside of the Wonderlic test, but Buffalo’s pro personnel department insists new free agent signee Manny Lawson is a sharp tack when it comes to just about anything.

Lawson’s intelligence however, goes far beyond effectively executing football assignments and anticipating what’s coming from an opposing offense. The linebacker majored in industrial engineering in college at N.C. State. He also scored a 43 out of 50 on the Wonderlic test at the Combine.

Suffice to say the Bills have themselves a high-end athlete with a cognitive skill set to match.

What Lawson add means for Bradham

With the Bills signing free agent OLB Manny Lawson to presumably play on the strong side at linebacker it will likely mean Nigel Bradham is on the move.

Bradham, who showed a lot of progress as a rookie as the 2012 season wore on, is a very athletic linebacker in his own right. He appeared in all 16 games, but started at strong side linebacker the last 11 games of last season.

While Lawson is a solid coverage defender in the pass game, so too is Bradham, which probably makes him a very good candidate for the weak side where Nick Barnett used to line up.

Bills head coach Doug Marrone has said that every position will have competition, so Bradham could very well compete with Lawson on the strong side, but it’s seems more likely that Bradham is moved to the weak side where his range will serve him well to make plays in Mike Pettine’s defense.

Bills Lawson can play coverage

For those that are wondering if Manny Lawson is athletic enough to cover tight ends and running backs out of the backfield you don’t have to worry.

Lawson is a rare athlete. In addition to football he was also an accomplished track athlete in high school competing in four events, the triple jump, long jump, 55-meters and the 55-meter hurdles.

At the NFL Combine as an incoming rookie in 2006, Lawson put up some pretty impressive numbers for a guy that stood 6’5 1/2″ and 240 pounds. He ran a 4.43 40-time, had a 39 1/2-inch vertical, a 10’4″ broad jump, a sub seven-second three cone drill (6.9) and 23 reps on the bench despite having very long arms.

Buffalo has a strong side linebacker that can do just about everything making him a legitimate three down option for defensive coordinator Mike Pettine.