Tag: Tre’Davious White

Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill names Bills’ Tre’Davious White among NFL’s best corners

#Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill names #Bills’ Tre’Davious among NFL’s best corners:

Even though the Buffalo Bills will start seeing wide receiver Tyreek Hill more often now that he’s a member of the Miami Dolphins, they can appreciate him a tad – for a moment.

Earlier this offseason, the Dolphins traded for the All-Pro receiver in a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Speaking with comedian Kevin Hart on the LOL Network YouTube account, Hill discussed some of the top cornerbacks he has faced in his career.

One member of the Buffalo Bills came up.

Unsurprisingly, it was Tre’Davious White.

“Some good D-backs, man,” Hill said. “Probably Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins. He’s real good. Jalen Ramsey is at the top. Chris Harris from the Chargers. Tre White from the Buffalo Bills. Guys like that. There’s a lot of guys.”

Unfortunately for the Bills, Hill still has some pretty strong outings against Buffalo in his career despite White’s efforts.

But that’s not all on White.

Sometimes in Sean McDermott’s defensive scheme, the Bills have not had White following certain players around the field. On some occasions, it’s likely that Hill torched Buffalo’s defense when White might have been guarding someone like tight end Travis Kelce, another All-Pro on the Chiefs.

It’s hard for White to be in two places at one time, but the respect from Hill is still cool to hear.

Moving forward, we’ll see how the Bills handle Hill now that he’s with the Dolphins. Regardless, when White is across from Hill once he returns from his knee injury, we know the wideout will face him with the utmost respect.

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WATCH: Tre’Davious White, Kaiir Elam meet for first time as Bills teammates

WATCH: Tre’Davious White, Kaiir Elam meet for first time as #Bills teammates:

The Buffalo Bills are hoping for a dynamic duo in Tre’Davious White and Kaiir Elam down the line.

White has to let his knee injury fully heal. He’s unlikely to be ready for opening day in 2022.

Elam is a fresh-faced, first-round rookie. Give him some time.

But before forming any type of pairing in Buffalo’s secondary, these two first have to do the simplest of things: Meet.

While Elam did reveal he met White during his pre-draft visit to Orchard Park, the team released a video of the two meeting for the first time as teammates. Bills coach Sean McDermott was there, too.

Check that out below:

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USA TODAY gives Bills ‘A’ grade for 2022 NFL draft haul

USA TODAY gives #Bills ‘A’ grade for 2022 NFL draft haul:

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Our friends at USA TODAY added a smart twist to their analysis of the work the Buffalo Bills did at the 2022 NFL draft.

With their top selection, Buffalo took Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam. Heading into the draft that was a clear need for the team because of two reasons.

First, last year’s starter in Levi Wallace signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers during free agency. Plus many know Tre’Davious White is currently dealing with a knee injury.

White will probably want to be out there on the field as soon as possible next season. However, Elam’s addition was praised by USAT because now White likely feels less pressure to do just that.

First, here’s the breakdown:

Buffalo Bills (A): A team that may enter the 2022 season as the prohibitive AFC favorites didn’t necessarily have a lot of needs but came away with really good players who should pay immediate dividends. First-round CB Kaiir Elam has ideal physical traits (size, speed) for the position, and his presence could ease any pressure on Pro Bowler Tre’Davious White to return too quickly amid his recovery from an ACL tear. Second-round RB James Cook will bring needed juice to the ground game and maybe reduce some of that load on QB Josh Allen. Even fifth-round WR Khalil Shakir might soften the departure of slot WR Cole Beasley. The Round 6 choice spent on Matt “Punt God” Araiza, whose booming leg will cut through those Lake Erie winds, was the cherry on top.

The Bills will make Elam earn his playing time. But it’s hard to argue that anyone but him and Dane Jackson will be the opening-day starters once September rolls around. At least with the way the roster currently stands.

Many have looked at White’s injury as a reason for Elam’s addition–but sometimes it’s hard to see the human side of things.

A large monkey is probably off White’s back in terms of his rehab. Hopefully if he takes his time with his return, While won’t miss a beat.

While that might be hard in the short term… the longer results of that could pay dividends for the Bills.

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What GM Brandon Beane said about Bills first-round pick Kaiir Elam

What GM Brandon Beane said about #Bills first-round pick Kaiir Elam:

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Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane and his front office team have become known for doing their pre-draft homework on NFL prospects.

Beane has also become known for his maneuvering on NFL Draft days.

Both elements came into play on the first day of the draft, with a move to leapfrog multiple corner-needy teams to get his man

As the Bills sat waiting at number 25 overall, a player whom he deemed as a not only a good fit for the team but also the last one for whom he had a first-round grade was still on the board. That player was Florida CB Kaiir Elam.

The GM decided they would wait no longer.

He swapped the first-round spot at 25th overall and the 130th overall pick the Bills had in the fourth round with the Baltimore Ravens for the 23rd pick to take the corner.

Why the move up?

“We had a good grade on Kaiir and we were down to one player in the first round on our board,” Beane said while addressing the media after the pick. “At that point it just made sense.”

Moving up to take players that fit has become somewhat of a regular part of Beane’s repertoire as Buffalo’s general manager.

“It just felt like it was within striking distance,” the GM added. “And obviously, I’ve been hearing it loud and clear ‘we don’t have corners’ from every single one of you, neighbors, kids, everyone. So we’ll all sleep good tonight that we added a corner.”

Elam’s experience at the collegiate level was also a factor in the GM’s evaluation of him.

“He plays in the SEC, which you know is the closest thing to our level,” Beane added. “He’s gone against some top-tier talent in his career, guys that have already been drafted a year ago. We think he’s got a high ceiling. He’s a younger player. So, we just feel like he’s got a lot of things that he does well. He’s a bigger, longer guy. He’s got speed to carry the vertical. Some guys that are running high 4-5s struggle – they’re good in the shorter area, but they struggle the more the receivers get downfield. We think he can do that.”

“His tackling at times was a little bit shaky. We talked to him about it, and part of it, he felt was the way they were asking him to do. So he’ll have to – there are some things technique-wise that we’ll have him work on and clean up. But he’s a great young man. I think he’ll fit our DNA, fit our culture.”

Beane also noted the impression that was made during Elam’s pre-draft visit to One Bills Drive as a top-30 draft prospect as an influential factor in the decision.

“He was impressive,” Beane said. “That really kind of sealed the fate of ‘this guy would fit us if it worked out.”

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Kaiir Elam asked Bills about Tre’Davious White during pre-draft visit

Kaiir Elam asked #Bills about Tre’Davious White during pre-draft visit:

Pre-draft scouting has been a big part of the Bills roster-building process since Sean McDermott became head coach and Brandon Beane became GM.

The front office and coaching staff have built a team with talent that they’ve worked to develop, perhaps nowhere more so than those players who joined the team by way of the draft or post-draft periods.

Sometimes that might be third-round selections like WR Gabriel Davis or RB Devin Singletary, a fifth-round pick like LB Matt Milano. Other times that can be first-round talents like QB Josh Allen or CB Tre’Davious White.

As having experienced players and veterans involved in coaching up those players developing that came after them is part of the team’s culture, it may be of no surprise to learn that White has already had an impact on 2022 first-round pick CB Kaiir Elam.

As the corner was nearing the end of his pre-draft visit with the Bills, GM Brandon Beane asked if there was anything Elam wanted to ask about playing in the NFL.

The young CB asked about the current Bills star corner. 

“He said, ‘What does Tre White do, what has he done to be so good? What do you guys see?’ Beane said during his media session. “And then ‘what do you see in my game that you like, and what do you think I need to get better at?’ And just some really good questions, a guy that’s serious and focused and driven to be really good at his craft is what I took from it.”

What’s more, White happened to be there during the visit as he is rehabbing his injury at the Bills facilities. Giving Elam the opportunity to meet him.

“Honestly, he just told me how much he watched my game and how he liked the way I played,” Elam said to WKBW of his conversation with White. “I just tried to pick his brain and tried to learn as much as I could from him in the short amount of time we had. I’m super happy I got to meet him because he seemed like a super laid-back guy, super knowledgeable, and a guy who I feel like I could just go and try to learn from.”

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5 best Buffalo Bills draft picks since 2017

Since McDermott & Beane have been with the #Bills, here’s some of their best picks at the draft. Shocker: Josh Allen is amongst them:

The Buffalo Bills turned things around starting in the year 2017.

Every offseason since then, the NFL draft has played an important role in that change.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott was pulling the strings at the 2017 draft. Soon after, general manager Brandon Beane was hired and the duo has gone on to make some great selections in recent memory.

But who are the best of the bunch?

Here’s our top-five picks made by the Bills at the draft since 2017:

PFF: Tre’Davious White, Dane Jackson proved their worth in 2021

PFF: Tre’Davious White, Dane Jackson proved their worth in 2021:

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The Buffalo Bills had two surprises appear on a list from Pro Football Focus.

According to the football analytics outlet, only Nik Needham of the Miami Dolphins played in more coverage snaps without allowing a touchdown in 2021 than two players from the Bills.

Needham led the way, but when put into context, the pair of Bills players in Tre’Davious White and Dane Jackson is even more impressive.

First, the numbers from PFF:

Needham’s stats are impressive, no doubt. But he’s a traditional slot cornerback.

In Buffalo, Taron Johnson plays that position and is considered as starter on the Bills defense.

Most times, the nickel cornerback role is a rotational one on game day. Considering that, Needham was not always guarding the top playmakers.

When White and Jackson were on the field, they did exactly that. Essentially every snap.

Naturally, one has to wonder the “what if” for Buffalo here.

White is the Bills’ shutdown cornerback, but what if he played the entire season and did not suffer a knee injury? Same question for Jackson. What if he was playing the entire 2021 year? He did not start until White went down.

But since that is the case, one can say we can kind of combine White’s and Jackson’s numbers. That certainly makes for an impressive feat by these two.

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Biggest offseason need for Bills after free agent frenzy

Biggest offseason need for the #Bills after their free agent frenzy (via @diloro):

The Buffalo Bills made some massive moves during this free agency period.

The Bills are on the cusp of taking the next step, as the team has fallen short of the Super Bowl during each of their last three postseasons runs.

Specifically, Buffalo have made a concerted effort to upgrade the trenches on both sides of the ball. The Bills signed defensive linemen DaQuan Jones and Tim Settle to help with the interior of the line. Buffalo sent shockwaves throughout the NFL by signing veteran pass rusher Von Miller to a massive deal.

On the offensive line, Buffalo added Pro Bowl offensive guard Rodger Saffold.

The Bills have a strong all-around roster with few holes on it. Even so, the team still has some needs as the team transitions its focus from free agency to the draft.

Buffalo’s biggest need at this moment is at cornerback.

Tre’Davious White is returning from an ACL tear. In general, players return from this injury in about 9-12 months. White’s injury took place on Thanksgiving, which makes White’s return to the team sometime around the start of the season.

In addition, it’s reasonable to give White some time to get back into his All-Pro shape after the injury even when he is back on the field.

White’s primary replacement, Levi Wallace, signed a two-year contract with Pittsburgh this offseason. Wallace, an undrafted free agent who came to Buffalo in 2018, played solidly in place of White.

In four seasons, Wallace recorded 219 total tackles and six interceptions. He spent the majority of three seasons as Buffalo’s CB2 opposite White.

Now, the Bills are left with Dane Jackson and Cam Lewis as possible replacements out wide for Buffalo. The Bills could hope for another Wallace-like ascent from one of these players.

Still, the draft will most likely provide a decent option to fill out the cornerback spot for the Bills.

The team lacks depth at the position, and it would be beneficial for the team to have greater depth with their CB1 returning from a major injury and the remaining wide cornerbacks on the roster lacking experience.

Thus, priority number one needs to be at the cornerback moving forward this offseason for the Bills.

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ESPN names Rasul Douglas as free-agent target for Bills

Rasul Douglas to the #Bills in free agency? ESPN likes the idea:

The Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl 56 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the history books. But this is the NFL. It might not be a year-long game on the field, but off the field it is.

Up next? Free agency.

This will give the Buffalo Bills their first opportunity to put their roster over the edge and hopefully into a Super Bowl berth in 2022. ESPN has suggested what one of Buffalo’s first moves to do this could be.

The Bills finished the 2021 NFL season as the league’s No. 1 overall defense in terms of yards allowed per game (272.8) and scoring (17.0). A bit factor attributing to that was their top-ranked pass defense (163.0 YPG).

So they should target Green Bay Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas in free agency? Actually, the former world-wide leader makes a good case.

First, analysts Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen explain:

Why it makes sense: The Packers would love to keep Douglas but won’t be inclined to throw him real money. That’s a problem for a player with five interceptions on the season. Meanwhile, Buffalo could use a capable zone corner with splash-play ability. — Fowler

Scheme fit: Douglas is a long leverage corner with good top-end speed and playmaking traits. We saw that on his 2021 tape in Green Bay. In Buffalo, he fits in the Bills’ split-safety coverages opposite of Tre’Davious White. — Bowen

While Douglas might make some deeper sense for the Bills as explained, there are huge surface-level reasons why Buffalo could target a corner. The quick explanation is White and Levi Wallace.

Douglas could match White’s traits in a paring, however, White might not even be fully ready by opening day. He’s slated to return from a serious knee injury and may not be 100 percent by September. Such injuries can sometimes take two seasons to fully heal and allow an All-Pro player like White to get back to his form.

In addition, Wallace is a pending free agent. If  he’s not back, the No. 2 cornerback spot is an important hole that needs filling in Buffalo.

Dane Jackson did preform well when White left the lineup, however, there’s little reason to hand such a huge spot to a young player when an addition is possible.

Considering the Bills’ recent successes and his scheme fit, what such a deal with Douglas might come down to is dollars.

The Bills are currently slightly over the salary cap and must find space before free agency begins in mid-March before they can do anything.

Spotrac also suggests Buffalo may need to do more than simply get in the green to sign Douglas. Per their estimations, the 26-year-old could make up to $9.2 million per year in his next contract.

That’s a hefty tab, but Douglas would certainly be a talented piece to add to an already skilled secondary.

Pro Football Focus graded him as the 16th best cornerback in the NFL last season. This same article from ESPN also named Douglas as the 35th-best pending free agent in the NFL this coming spring, regardless of position.

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5 ways the Bills’ 2021 season went wrong

5 ways the #Bills’ 2021 season went wrong:

The Buffalo Bills’ 2021 campaign saw many great performances and players who exceeded expectations. The Bills won the AFC East for the second consecutive year, and they made another strong run into the postseason.

However, it can be argued that the Bills took a step back this year,  as their season ended a week earlier than in 2020 when the team made it to the AFC championship game. Buffalo once again fell short in the divisional round of the playoffs, and they did so in heartbreaking fashion.

There were other points where the season went askew this year for the Bills.

Here are five ways that Buffalo’s year did not work out in an ideal fashion: