Tag: buffalo bills draft

2021 NFL draft: The Buffalo Bills select Wisconsin CB Rachad Wildgoose No. 213 overall

The Bills select a Badger CB

The wait is over for former Wisconsin cornerback Rachad Wildgoose. He was selected 213th overall by the Buffalo Bills on Saturday afternoon.

The former Badger was the second Wisconsin player off of the board. Isaiahh Loudermilk went earlier to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wildgoose was followed by Badger offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen being taken by Green Bay at No. 214.

Buffalo got a late-round steal from Jim Leonhard’s defense:

Eric Burrell and Garrett Groshek are Badger names to watch as the draft comes to a close.

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

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Former Georgia QB Jake Fromm makes Buffalo Bills 53-man roster

Former Georgia football QB Jake Fromm has made the Buffalo Bills final 53-man roster ahead of the 2020 NFL season.

Good news came out of Buffalo, NY for Georgia football fans this Saturday.  Former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm has officially made the Buffalo Bills 53-man roster ahead of the 2020 NFL season.

Fromm, who ranks fourth all-time in passing yards (8,224) and second all-time in passing touchdowns (78) at UGA, made the cut over now free agent quarterback Davis Webb.

Fromm has a winning mentality that will translate very well to the NFL.  He helped lead the Bulldogs to Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl victories in his three seasons at Georgia.  He is a pro-style quarterback that will manage games very efficiently when his number is called.

The Bills now have three quarterbacks on their roster including starter Josh Allen and backups Matt Barkley and Fromm.

Bills bolster secondary in way-too-early PFF 2021 mock draft

Buffalo Bills pick Ohio State’s Shaun Wade in latest Pro Football Focus 2021 way-too-early mock draft.

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On the surface, it might not be a selection that’s liked. But looking ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft, one of the biggest needs on the Bills roster might be… in the secondary?

Using the latest Super Bowl odds to peg the draft order, Pro Football Focus released a way-too-early 2021 mock draft. In it, the Bills, picking at No. 22 overall, land a defensive back in Ohio State’s Shaun Wade.

First, here’s what PFF sees in Wade potentially to Buffalo:

While Wade’s proficiency as a press-man corner on the outside remains to be seen, the skills he’s shown in the slot should translate nicely to a zone-heavy defense like Buffalo’s. He’s a physical corner who has been a terrific tackler in his career, with only six misses on 70 career attempts.

Buffalo’s mentioned zone-heavy scheme has been among the NFL’s best secondaries in the NFL since head coach Sean McDermott took over the Bills operations in 2017. That group has had cornerback Tre’Davious White and safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer as the group’s foundation since almost Day 1. But there’s been that lingering issue for the Bills at their No. 2 cornerback spot.

Year in and year out, Buffalo has had one-year stopgaps in that role, essentially. Check out 2020’s roster, we’ve got Josh Norman here now. He’s 32 and won’t be around for very long. Technically he even only signed a one-year deal with the Bills. But Norman’s signature signals the Bills aren’t settled into giving this job to Levi Wallace over the long haul, so if McDermott finally wants to settle these four important spots in his secondary for the foreseeable future, a versatile cornerback like Wade, who can inside and outside, potentially even at safety, could be a fit for the Bills.

But naturally, the “how” the 2020 regular season unfolds will play a massive role for the Bills and their future draft plans as well.

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2021 3-round mock draft: Bills add playmakers then versatility

Here’s what the Buffalo Bills do in Draft Wire’s way-too-early 2021 NFL mock draft.

So far here’s what we know about the Buffalo Bills and 20201 NFL Draft: They’ll have at least three picks in first three rounds. What happens with those is very much up for debate.

Especially since the world has been turned upside down due to COVID-19 and we haven’t even started the 2020 regular season yet.

But Draft Wire decided to still take a very early stab at what the Bills could do next offseason at the draft and in doing so, the Bills add a couple of playmakers to both sides of the ball. Using the latest Super Bowl odds to peg their draft order, the Bills select a cornerback and wide receiver, respectively, before adding more of what Sean McDermott and Brandon Bean love: Versatility in the trenches.

Here’s what Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling has the Bills doing in his latest three-round 2021 mock draft:

Stanford Cardinal cornerback Paulson Adebo. Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

19. Buffalo Bills
Paulson Adebo | CB | Stanford

Paulson Adebo actually had a highlighted matchup against current Bills wide receiver Gabriel Davis in college. But the two shouldn’t mind if they end up on the same roster in the pros. At 6-foot-1, Adebo is a highly-touted cornerback prospect that has excellent length which is coveted in the NFL. So are ball skills, and Adebo has had four interceptions and at least 10 pass breakups in his two years as a starter.

While the Bills do have a packed cornerback room currently, there’s nothing there to suggest the position is out of play in Round 1 of next year’s draft. Tre’Davious White should be locked up long-term, but across from him, the Bills continue to employ one-year stop gaps. Past 2020, both Josh Norman and Levi Wallace could realistically be gone, clearing the way for McDermott to finally search for a solution at the N.2 cornerback spot for more than one season.

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CBS Sports names Bills’ best draft class of last 20 years

CBS Sports names the Buffalo Bills’ best draft class over the past two decades.

The Bills have drafted a lot of players over the past two decades. Some have worked out, while others… well, not so much.

CBS Sports went back and looked at all those players the Bills picked the past two decades in an exercise to peg each NFL team’s best individual draft class since 2000. For the Bills, it didn’t take long to get to their pick: the 2001 draftees.

Here’s why CBS Sports liked the Bills’ picks that year the best:

A Pro Bowler in 2004, Nate Clements (Round 1) started in 168 regular season games during his career. Aaron Schobel (Round 2) carved out a nine-year career that saw him earn two Pro Bowl nods while tallying 78 sacks. Travis Henry (Round 2), a Pro Bowler in 2004, rushed for 2,794 yards and 23 touchdowns over a two-year span. Ron Edwards (Round 3) made 98 career starts over a 12-year career, while Jonas Jennings (Round 3) started in each of his 75 career games before injuries forced him to retire following the 2008 season. Marques Sullivan (Round 5) and Jimmy Williams (Round 6)  also made quality contributions as Day 3 picks, though the latter’s came with other teams after he failed to make the Bills’ opening roster as a rookie.

A big “what if” from the Bills’ ’01 draft class is linebacker Brandon Spoon (Round 4), a fourth-round pick who recorded 65 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two interception returns for touchdowns as a rookie. Spoon’s career essentially ended the following summer, when he tore his biceps before the start of the 2002 season. Spoon spent that season on injured reserve before being cut by the Bills before the start of the 2003 season. He signed with the Rams the following offseason but suffered a torn hamstring during training camp.

The most impressive thing about Buffalo’s 2001 draft is their top-three picks in Clements, Schobel and Henry. It’s rare that a team hits on all three. Even two of three is a pretty acceptable outcome. Sprinkle in the prior mentioned depth of the Bills’ 2001 draft class, Buffalo certainly had a nice haul here.

In a rebuttal exercise, now let’s look at some contenders for the second-best draft class the Bills have had in this ranking. In 2003, the Bills landed DE Chris Kelsey (Round 2), LB Angelo Crowell (Round 3), and CB Terrence McGee (Round 4), but their top-pick, RB Willis McGahee (Round 1), left something to be desired in his career, mostly due to his injury history.

In the same type of light, the Bills ended up with WR Robert Woods (Round 2), LB Kiko Alonso (Round 2) and WR Marquise Goodwin (Round 3) in 2013, but QB EJ Manuel (Round 1) and his lackluster career highlights that draft class, but that’s some solid depth.

Aside from those two, the next-best classes are the more recent ones. And having said that, we still have to see things play out. However, Buffalo’s current front office led by Brandon Beane has certainly hit on their fair share of draft picks since 2017.

Those to consider are CB Tre’Davious White (2017, Round 1), OL Dion Dawkins (2017, Round 2), LB Matt Milano (2017, Round 5), LB Tremaine Edmunds (2018, Round 1), CB Taron Johnson (Round 4, 2018), DT Ed Oliver (2019, Round 1), and RB Devin Singletary (2019, Round 3). Of course the crown jewel of recent Buffalo draft picks, QB Josh Allen (2018, Round 1), will be the defining selection for the Bills in this time frame.

 

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Bills crack top-five of CBS Sports power rankings

Buffalo Bills in CBS Sports’ latest power rankings following the 2020 NFL Draft.

In CBS Sports‘ latest NFL power rankings, the Buffalo Bills round out the top-five.

Behind only the Chiefs, Ravens, Saints and 49ers, respectively, the Bills garner some high-praise once again in the five hole.

Here’s how CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco breaks down the ranking:

Here come the Bills. They’ve stocked the roster and now it’s all about Josh Allen growing as a passer, which I think he will do.

Overall, the Bills jumped two spots in the latest ranking by CBS Sports. The two teams the Bills jumped were the Seahawks and Packers. Of the four teams ahead of the Bills, the Chiefs and 49ers, last year’s Super Bowl teams, are two teams Buffalo will face next year. Depending on how those go, the Bills might be able to get comfy-cozy in the top-five range.

In terms of the division, CBS Sports has the Patriots as the second-best team in the AFC East, slotting in at No. 17. The Dolphins have also picked up some ground, but are still all the way in No. 24, while the Jets round it out at No. 28.

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AJ Epenesa, Jake Fromm ink rookie deals with Bills

Buffalo Bills 2020 NFL Draft rookies AJ Epenesa and Jake Fromm sign contracts.

The Buffalo Bills have signed two more of their 2020 NFL Draft selections: defensive end AJ Epenesa and quarterback Jake Fromm, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

Epenesa will have a role as a pass rusher in Buffalo’s rotation along their defensive line as a rookie. That rotation will also include Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison. Whether or not the Bills hang onto Trent Murphy is a storyline to follow during training camp.

Fromm will compete with Matt Barkley behind Josh Allen on the depth chart. Another storyline to watch for is whether or not the Bills keep two or three quarterbacks on their roster when things are all said and done at the end of training camp.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott typically keeps two in one way or another. Davis Webb might be that third but once again on the practice squad.

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Bills sign 8 undrafted rookie free agents

Buffalo Bills UDFA signings following the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Buffalo Bills made the signing of eight undrafted rookie free agents on Friday. General manager Brandon Beane said following the draft that it might take a longer while to get signees announced because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Now that the team has finally been able to get players inked to deals, here’s who the Bills have signed:

OL Trey Adams | Washington

S Garrett Taylor | Penn State

CB Ike Brown | FIU

S Josh Thomas | Appalachian State

FB Reggie Gilliam | Toledo

OL Brandon Walton | FAU

OL Marquel Harrell | Auburn

RB Antonio Williams | North Carolina

 

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Bills 53-man roster projection, post-2020 NFL Draft

A 53-man roster projection for the Buffalo Bills following the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Buffalo Bills 2020 NFL Draft is well over with now. We’re still waiting for the team to announce their class of undrafted rookie free agent signees and well…we just got tired of waiting.

It’s time for a way, way, way-too-early 53-man roster projection for the Bills ahead of the 2020 season… and way before the team does any sort of actual… workouts, practices, preseason games, and all that stuff.

Let’s just have some fun then, shall we?

Way-too-early roster projections here:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Quarterback (2)

Josh Allen, Jake Fromm

Cuts: Matt Barkley, Davis Webb

The Bills could certainly keep both Matt Barkley and Jake Fromm on their final roster behind Josh Allen. But one thing Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott loves to do is keep two quarterbacks on the roster and another packed away on the practice squad. Could that third be Davis Webb or even somebody else?

On Barkley, two thoughts: he’s been viewed as the “veteran” to Allen. While yes, he is older, Allen is far the elder in terms of game experience, having started 27 NFL games to Barkley’s seven and Barkley could save the Bills near $1.5 million against the salary cap.

 

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Winners, losers following Bills 2020 NFL Draft

Winners and losers on the Buffalo Bills roster following the 2020 NFL Draft.

As is with every draft, every player on the Buffalo Bills got some new teammates. But depending on who those players are… some incumbents from last season are feeling pretty comfy about things.

While others now have a young guy in their position group, potentially vying for their job.

If the 2020 NFL Draft is the fence right down the middle of things, one side of it has some winners while the other has some losers on Buffalo’s roster.

Here’s our list of winners and losers on the Bills roster following the recent draft:

Losers

Buffalo Bills running back T.J. Yeldon. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

RB TJ Yeldon

Both Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane said prior to the draft that they’d be fine with their backfield being Devin Singletary and TJ Yeldon.

It was their most obvious smokescreen to the rest of the NFL.

Everyone knew the Bills wanted a guy like Zack Moss. Bigger, more like Frank Gore and less like Singletary. Yeldon was not that guy. If Yeldon makes Buffalo’s final roster, he’ll likely be a candidate to be inactive plenty on game day once again like he was last year. There’s little chance he’ll see running back snaps next season unless injury strikes.

 

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