With the 2015 NFL Draft fast approaching, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be bringing you the three key needs for all 32 teams. Next up is the Buffalo Bills, who have entered a new era in a variety of different ways. 2015 will mark the first full season for the franchise under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula. An unexpected change at head coach was made when Doug Marrone took the money and ran so to speak and Rex Ryan was brought in after getting fired from the New York Jets.
The Bills’ free agency activity could aptly be described as a combination of big splashes and minute drops in the water. One of the most talked about free agent moves of the entire offseason was announced on March 4th when running back LeSean McCoy was traded from Philadelphia to Buffalo in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso. On the other side of the coin, the team’s move to bring in quarterback Matt Cassel from the Minnesota Vikings didn’t exactly set the free agency world on fire.
Charles Clay and Percy Harvin also arrived in Buffalo via free agency and add to an already impressive corps of pass catchers that includes Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin. They also were able to re-sign defensive end Jerry Hughes to a five-year, $45 million dollar contract after a breakout season where he finished with 9.5 sacks.
Buffalo’s draft doesn’t get started until the second round when they pick 50th overall. Their 2015 first-round pick was traded to Cleveland in the move that enabled the Bills to select Sammy Watkins with the fourth pick in the 2014 draft. They also traded their fourth-round selection to the Browns in that transaction. The Bills sent a 2015 fifth-round pick to the Vikings in exchange for Cassel but received a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft in return.
In summary, here’s a look at the Bills picks in the 2015 draft:
Second round (50th overall)
Third round (81st overall)
Fifth round (155th overall)
Sixth round (188th overall) [acquired from Minnesota Vikings in Cassel deal]
Sixth round (194th overall)
Seventh round (234th overall)
As we head down the home stretch towards this year’s draft, what are the three most pressing needs that the Bills need to address to give this team solid long-term footing going forward?
Buffalo Bills 2015 NFL Draft: Top 3 Needs
Quarterback
Cassel’s arrival in Buffalo is a proverbial band-aid on a position that has seen very little stability for this franchise in essentially two decades. Kyle Orton had his moments in a 2014 season that saw the Bills clinch their first winning season since 2004. Similar to that year though, a spot in the playoffs remained elusive. Orton announced his retirement at season’s end.
Cassel is expected to compete for the starting job with E.J. Manuel, who enters a make or break third season after being drafted as the quarterback of the future in the first round of the 2013 draft. In addition to Cassel, the Bills also signed Tyrod Taylor to a three-year deal this offseason. Taylor had spent his first four seasons in the league with the Baltimore Ravens.
On paper, this is a significantly top-heavy draft at the quarterback position. Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota could possibly go one-two to Tampa Bay and Tennessee respectively. After that, there is a significant drop off. UCLA’s Brett Hundley is looked at as the third-best quarterback in this year’s class but isn’t expected to go off the board until the early second round at best.
With the Bills lacking a first round pick and Hundley expected to be taken by the time they make their first selection in the second round, they may have to look for a Russell Wilson-style diamond in the rough in the middle rounds. Baylor’s Bryce Petty and Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson could fit the bill in that respect. Grayson was one of four college quarterbacks last season to eclipse 4,000 yards passing, in addition to throwing for 32 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
Offensive Line
The offensive line as a whole had its share of issues in both run and pass blocking in 2014. Though C.J. Spiller’s collarbone injury didn’t help, neither him nor the other players in the Bills’ backfield got much help up front. Right guard Erik Pears, who has since signed a two-year deal with San Francisco, was highly ineffectual in creating gaps to run through. Seantrel Henderson, selected in the seventh round last season, had similar problems in his rookie year.
I thought the Bills might look at bringing in a running back with their first pick in the draft given the perceived depth at that position this year. I mentioned as much in my initial column, focusing on the most important holes on the roster Buffalo had to look to fill in the offseason. Having taken care of that need with the trade for McCoy, perhaps drafting an instant impact player who can shore up the front five might become a priority.
Once again, the fact that the Bills are making their first pick so late might make it difficult to find a potential game changer on the offensive line. That’s not to say it can’t happen though. Pay attention to Ali Marpet out of tiny Hobart & William Smith College. His Combine performance was among the most impressive amongst offensive linemen. He was the only one at the position to run a sub-five second forty-yard dash. He has skyrocketed up draft boards of late and might not even be a reach if the Bills take him in the second round.
Let’s not forget that the Bills have had a penchant for making the most of talent from smaller schools. Perhaps the most prominent example is none other than Division III product Fred Jackson, whose toughness and never quit attitude have endeared him to the Buffalo community.
Safety
Da’Norris Searcy was part of a ball-hawking Bills secondary that combined for 14 interceptions in 2014. He was one of a few valuable free agents that signed elsewhere, penning a four-year, $23.75 million deal with Tennessee.
This may be a position where the Bills brass can subscribe to a best player available approach in the mid to late rounds. Louisville’s Gerod Holliman could be a potential steal if he’s available when Buffalo picks in the third round. He led FBS with a whopping 14 interceptions in 2014 but potential red flags include more of a propensity for hitting as opposed to fundamentally sound tackling technique. Another possible target might be Jaquiski Tartt of Samford, who has been vaulting up some draft boards recently.
Given what this team returns on the defensive side of the football, combined with the moves that have already been made in free agency on offense, more than ever the Buffalo Bills look like a legitimate playoff contender. The draft can certainly aid in adding to an already solid nucleus that has its sights set on ending the NFL’s longest postseason drought. Bills fans, more than any in the league, are long overdue for having a team to cheer for in January. It appears they’re as close as they’ve been in what appears to be ages towards that outcome becoming a reality.
Check out all the War Room content.
Main Photo:
