
The Bills NEED a wide receiver but HOW MUCH is TOO MUCH to trade up for a No. 1 guy for Josh Allen? Mike, Jenna and Dan give their thoughts on what the Bills should do in this year's NFL Draft.
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A
Also, did you guys do what I did? And looked up draft prospects and wrestling. Which of these guys wrestled? All right.
B
This is the Buffalo plus podcast brought to you by Connors and Ferris.
A
Welcome Back to the Buffalo Plus YouTube channel, presented by Connors and Ferris, Mike Catalana, Dan Fates. I am Jenna Cottrell. We are closing in on the NFL draft. Please be sure to, like, comment, subscribe and share Buffalo plus channel with anyone you know that's a Bills fan that would appreciate our musings on the team. All right, so today we're going to talk the draft coming up, some scenarios the Bills could be in, some players that look out for and kind of where the Bills are at as they head into the draft. Coming up, recording this on Monday. It's not this Thursday, but the Thursday after. Mike.
B
We'll hear from Bean later this week.
A
Yeah, we'll hear from Bean, Sean McDermott as well as Josh Allen and some other players.
C
Yeah, we'll be up there Thursday. It's going to be an interesting day. We've heard from Bean and McDermott after they made the move, you know, but now you're gonna hear from Josh Allen.
A
That will be something.
C
Tell us anything. Does he say anything?
B
Nothing.
C
He's gonna say, steph, it's my guy. I wish him the best.
A
Dan, is your audio very low?
B
No.
A
Okay. I was just looking at the levels on the tv.
B
That's why I may have just turned down your headphones.
A
Okay, that's it.
B
People at home apparently do that when I talk, so this is the same kind of thing.
A
Stop. I don't think Josh really says. I think he's respectful and not coy, but.
C
So you don't think he's like, I told Bean, move on. Yeah, move that, dude, move on.
A
No, no, I don't think that.
C
No.
A
But I am curious, happy for him, you know, he gets a new opportunity. It wasn't anything personal, just a decision. That Bean hat very much like that.
C
All right, so if I asked him, or you asked him, or you asked him when being called job and said, we're considering moving Steph, what was your reaction?
A
That's how it's gonna start. Because that's how Josh Allen starts a response. You know, he. He talked to me and it took me a little by surprise. But then when he said the plan that he had in place and you know what this would do for the team, I just, you know, I trust him and I trust.
C
Oh, God, the process, that's exactly what he gonna say.
B
Yeah. You know, nowadays the. The league you know, it's a business and, you know, it's hard decisions that have to be made. Steph's my brother. I love that dude. I love that dude. Will be.
C
Will be. Oh, bingo card. We gotta have the bingo card.
A
Yeah, we need one. Yeah.
B
Yeah.
A
That's what I'm expecting. Okay, so what do they do to replace digs? I think that's a nice segue to where we go.
B
That's the million dollar question.
C
Yeah. You know, I. I really have enjoyed this era of Bill's football where they're picking late in the rounds because they're obviously one of the better teams in the league. You want to see them pick in 32nd. That's always the goal. But when you get to the draft, 28 stinks.
A
Yeah.
C
As a spot.
B
Yeah.
C
It just does. Because you got to give up assets to get a guy. Usually.
A
Well, because you didn't win, but you were so close to winning right. That far back.
C
Ye. So, you know, sometimes you. You can get a player and it's not as easy to trade out as some people think, because not everybody wants to come in.
B
Yeah.
C
To the late first round. It can happen, but not everybody wants to.
B
Yeah. For everybody. We just talked with espn, Matt Miller. We'll have the whole video coming up. We'll play a clip of that coming up a little bit, but the video will be out later this week. Just the fact of. We talked about that, the trading, everybody that does their mock drafts and stuff, that they don't take any emotion into any of the trades, it's just like, do these things add up? And it's like, just trade up. Like, you just find this team and you trade up. Like you have a gun to their head. Like, you. I'm giving you this and you have to do that. It's like, no. Matt Miller joked around, it's like, I want to marry Scarlett Johansson. Like, she also has to want to marry you. You can't just say, I'm marrying Scarlett Johansson.
C
Did he mean that specifically? Because I think she got married. Didn't she? Not.
B
Isn't she married to the SNL guy?
A
Yeah, I thought she was. Yeah.
C
Yeah. It's an interesting choice, though. I mean, I. I get it, but do you. He just went, right.
B
Do you get it?
C
I get it. I wasn't in the room, but I get it.
B
I was so close to say, for.
A
You in the building to say no T shirts. I love that, though. Yeah. I want to marry Scarlett Johansson. Doesn't mean she wants to marry me. It's like, yeah, it's fair.
C
But you, you have to put your mind in the place of the team that would be trading back.
B
Correct.
C
And there are teams that have caused themselves issues by making other moves. And you might be sitting there in the first round, but you got a lot of holes to fill and maybe not the specific one need kind of team that say, taking a quarterback. And then there's other teams that have some flexibility that'll say, okay, we'll take an asset and move back because we have a multiple, multiple different players we can take. So I. It's easy. Yes. To your point, to just say, well, why don't they just go up and get the guy? Not that easy.
A
Not that easy. But I think there is the ability, that being said, maybe not to move up super far in the draft, but we have seen Bean move up a couple spots, Dalton Kincaid, Kair Elam jump a couple of spots to get in a position that they like a little bit better. And Mike, I know you had in your draft mock that you did maybe a scenario like that.
C
Yeah. Look, I, I look at them as a team that can, that has not shied away at all from moving up. Like you said. Right.
A
In five drafts.
C
And they gave up assets in that year every time. I think so. They gave up this time. You know, they're at 28 and I have them moving up to 22, which is where the Eagles are picking. And it's interesting because the player that I'm going to have the Bills taking is somebody that has been mentioned from anywhere from 10 to 30. Okay. He's, he's all over the map.
B
Yeah.
C
Because of where he fits. But what I had the Bills doing is moving up those six spots and giving the Eagles next year's number three pick, third round pick.
B
Okay.
C
For them and moving up. And it works. It works based on the contracts. I mean, excuse me, by the numbers of moving up and moving up to six spots. And I have the Bills taking Brian Thomas, the wide receiver out of lsu.
B
Yep.
C
Now, obviously this means is he still on the board? Is he there? Can he make that move?
B
Yeah.
C
Because otherwise he could be gone so early that you're not worried about it. I just looked at him as combination of size and speed. He has been, at least by most of the people who rank the wide receivers, legitimate guys around the league people is the next tier guy after the, the big three.
B
Yeah.
C
And so you say to yourself, how high up do you need to go? What's it worth to give up to move to that position? And that's what I had them doing. Moving up, giving up an asset next year where they have two number two picks next year.
B
Correct. And you're giving up the third.
C
I'm giving up a third second round picks next year because not having a third this year has been problematic. I think in terms of making moves that's a really vital pick. They were hoping to get that in the Train Edmonds deal. It did not happen. So they end up without a third that they thought they were going to get. So that's how I have them making the move up to get the speed power guy. I mean he's 632-0943, 40, combination of things. So that's where I have.
A
So I liked him so much that I also picked him in my mock draft. But I had a different scenario. So I had the bills trading up three spots with Dallas to. And Dallas would receive pick 28, pick 128 and pick 160 from the Bills. I had that because I just think like you mentioned what Brian Thomas can offer. There's the top tier of guys that we've talked about, the neighbors, the Dunes A, the Harrison and then there's that second tier. And I think Brian Thomas is at an achievable spot. The Bills will probably have to move up most likely to get him. But I think he is a guy that's right in that second tier but at the top of that second tier. And because of that I think the Bills can kind of do a little bit of a hop up and get a guy like that. But size, speed, the combination that he brings and what that could do for this Bill's offense I think is just so alluring. So that's the pick that I also had.
C
And. And this moving up, like I said in the beginning feels like a bean.
A
Move because he's done it and I feel like moving up a couple spots feels like a bean move.
C
Yes.
A
More so than.
C
Maybe even more so than the move. By the way, in case I didn't say it, obviously the Bills give up the 28th pick.
A
Yeah.
C
You know, sometimes. Yeah. You give up 28 and the third.
A
Round you didn't want them having two.
C
Yeah. That would be nice if you said let's give you a third. You move back six spots. Again, this may be. Sounds silly. A week from Thursday.
B
Sure.
C
When the jets take him number 10. Sure. Because that could happen.
B
Sure.
A
That's why when anyone's like I know they're taking this they don't know shirt.
B
Mock drafts are like Your NCAA brackets and they are like your fantasy football team. Everybody's got one. Nobody really cares. Like, because they're also. They're a crapshoot. Like they really are. Again, you can mock this guy going here. And then if some team springs in and takes a guy early, like, okay, you're right.
C
I would say this. I'm basing it. I think Jenna is. And I think you would too base it on history of what the team has done.
B
Absolutely.
C
Them maybe zeroing in on a certain player and then saying to themselves, if we can get there and get them, we do it. This is why I said when we talked about it, these are scenarios. I guarantee you he's already had conversations with teams.
A
Yeah.
C
To say, you don't think so what would you be looking for? You're on their list of saying, you.
B
Think he already has those.
A
I don't think they're like full blown. Here's what we're going to do.
B
But I think he never says that. He never has said what the guy they're taking. Remember you talked about.
C
Not about the guy.
A
No, no, no.
C
I'm saying is if he's had a conversation with Howie Roseman or whichever Jones is running things in Dallas or what, whatever, where would you. Hey, listen, we may be looking to move. Is that something you're amenable to? And what if, you know, Roseman says, sure, we'll want a lot. We, we, we know we're going to have somebody we love there, so don't count on us. I don't know if they would say that or just. He says, hey, we could be looking for a future pick. What would you be willing to give?
A
I, I think that's gotta be something you're doing in terms of just the due diligence of the, of the job.
C
And I brought that up because I know of the Eagles. They value, they believe teams give up more value for future picks than they warrant because teams put it out of there. It's next year's pick. We have time to make up for next year's pick.
A
I do all the time. This is a future Jenna problem.
C
Yes, yes. So future problem. So they are a team that does that. That's the only reason I brought that up. And your point to the Cowboys is? The Cowboys also need some extra draft picks. And just because a team makes a move for next year doesn't mean they can't turn right around and deal that somebody else.
B
Yeah, it's a good point. I've got two ideas and two moves and I had A mock draft. And we just recorded again the interview with Matt Miller and he completely blew up what I was hoping would possibly happen.
C
Yeah. Can I just say this? The end result of what you want, I would love.
A
Yeah.
B
The first one or the second one?
A
First one.
C
First one.
B
Yes.
C
I would love it.
A
Yeah.
C
But go ahead.
B
Should we talk about the. That one?
C
That's the one.
B
So the first thought I had is when we were all mock, you know, doing our mock drafts. I had seen somewhere again, it's Mayberry head too of thinking, hey, some guy falls, right. Maybe farther than we thought. If Rome adunzier falls to 12 if he's still on the board, past the Jets, 10, 11, Minnesota's at 11, Denver's at 12. If he's still on the board, the Bills could in my head, the way I looked at it, doing the draft values and things like that, trade this year's second round pick and next year's first round pick and move up to 12 with Denver who from what I'm hearing, obviously they, they're a team that makes a lot of sense of trading back if they want to get a quarterback of Bo Nix a Michael Pennix Jr. Like they can't justify that as much as 12 as they could at, you know, a later pick.
A
28.
B
Well, they could keep 28. So the Bills would only have to give up their second and their next year's first. So you'd have two first round picks.
C
This year and if Denver is in a position of saying we're going to draft a quarterback next year, next year it gives them the more ammunition for a second number one next year.
B
So I thought.
A
Go on.
B
So I, I would have loved getting a dunes. Yeah. At 12 and Matt Miller just smashed my hopes and dreams. Just said there's no chance.
C
Did, did he say it very clearly? Do you want to play that or is it not worth playing that?
B
Yeah, well, I want to say this is what Matt Miller had to say about a dunesier and the prospect that he sees in him.
D
I mean the fit is fantastic. I mean it's. He, he would be, you know, like Jamar Chase is for the Bengals. That was my player comp for him. Like that's the type of player you're getting. He's a dog on and off the field. He's a great person. He's a leader, He's a finished product. He has yards after the catch, but he's a bully at 215 pounds. I mean he's, he is a prototypical X wide receiver. I Saw someone say he's. He's Terrell Owens without the off field, it's like, yeah, that's a pretty, that's a pretty accurate way to put it, right? It's like, yeah, that's what you want. Now to get him, though, you might have to get to 7 overall, honestly, because you, you're going to have to get in front of the Chicago Bears at 9. And I don't know that the Falcons would trade out of eight because they need help on defense so badly. So the hard part for Buffalo is and Kansas City ran into this last year to two things. Number one, you're really good. No one wants to help you. Number two, you're drafting at the end of the round every year. So even if you said, hey, we'll give you 28 and a 2025 first, okay, well, that 2025 first is going to be a late first rounder. So there's not as much value to where, like what Chicago and Carolina did last year, where Chicago's GM Ryan Polstead, hey, we'll take the Panthers first because we think they're going to suck next year. And we got a shot that this is a pretty high pick in the round with Buffalo. You know how good they're going to be year in and year out. And so you're really locked into, best case scenario that picks 25 in the first round in the future. So if you want to try to get up to seven to get Roma Dunes, like, you are paying a lot to do that. And that's what makes it so much harder to envision a scenario like that.
B
So then my next question, I skipped it. I skipped the question that I had written down was, will he be there at 12? And he just said, no. It was like, all right, man, let's just keep moving on.
C
So it doesn't mean he's right.
B
He said that a dun is not getting past nine with the Bears.
C
Right.
B
He says there's no way the Bears will pass on to Dunier at 9. So if you really, if you heard what Matt Miller just said about a duny. A dun, like, you'd have to get up to like above nine. That's how that works.
C
So that would be eight or seven. Yes.
B
And so the Bills would have to. Bills. The Bills would have to give up this year's first and next year's first to make a move with Tennessee or Atlanta or the Giants. Six, seven or eight.
C
I got to tell you, I. Maybe it's just because there's been so much on Marvin Harrison, who I think's going to be a great player and neighbors. They look like great players. I think I would take this kid before the other two.
B
I really like this.
A
Yeah.
B
Dog. When he talks about him being a dog and that, he's like, he's Terrell Owens without the off the field issues.
A
It's literally what he said. Yeah.
B
Oh, so he's a Hall of Famer, but he's not a headache. Get out of here. Like what?
A
What a combo again, I would.
B
This is a pipe. I'm not saying this is what Bean's going to do. It's not what I'm thinking. It's not what I'm hearing. I'm just saying it's a possibility. If Bean wanted to. The rare move of going all in.
C
I love it.
B
And putting two moves.
C
I love it in the moment. I love it in that moment. What I was going to say to you is our friends at the Athletic did this and they had them going up with the Giants in a mock draft and they created that. The only reason I bring that up is obviously he's got a relationship with Shane. We don't know what the Giants plans are.
B
Yeah.
C
But they got to rebuild there in New York.
B
It's just tough because in that, that scenario to get up there, you are giving up 28. In the scenario I had with Denver, you would keep 28. So you would have two first round picks. You just wouldn't have next year's. And I'm okay with trading next year's first round pick in the sense of you have two seconds, one of them being Minnesota. And I think Minnesota could stink next year. So you could have that be the 34, 35th pick. Which I would be okay with as a. You know, they always talk about. Right. How many first round prospects do you really have on your board? A lot of them only have like 17. So, like once you get past 20, it's the second round anyway.
C
So what if you said give up 28 to Denver, a team that could still be taking a quarterback late in the round, and then you give up. Maybe you give up the Minnesota number two for next year. So now you've given up 28 and the Minnesota number two that they got in the digs trade, obviously.
A
I mean, that just such a high.
B
I think that works in terms of.
A
It's so hard to do the math.
B
The draft. Yeah.
A
Draft board.
B
I mean, I can't even spell, let alone do.
C
But the reason I say that is you have to put yourself in the mind of the Team that's trading.
A
Yes.
C
And if they like Bo Nicks, they're going to need to be somewhere in the 20s probably to get him. Somebody will make that play. And that's why I say like. And that pick that the Bills got for Diggs in the Houston trade, that could be a high number two.
B
Yeah.
C
And there's teams going to be looking at that more so than where the Bills have been normally picking.
B
But again, even if obviously a Dunzier is not on the board at 12, there's going to be that quick run of wide receivers of that second tier in the first round where that, where that is right is to be determined. Last year it was like 19, 20, 21, when Jordan Addison, a lot of those guys went. So why would you wait. And Matt Miller and I talk about it of does Bean. He kind of suggested Bean starts making the calls. Once that fourth wide receiver goes, which he kind of has, he has A.D. mitchell and Brian Thomas pretty much neck and neck. And then you kind of get, you kind of get what's left over. And so if you, if that's the guy that you want, if you want Brian Thomas, why can't you do that same exact trade I'm talking about with my hypothetical Mayberry mind of a Dunzier, you could do it for Brian Thomas. You would keep this year's first round pick. You keep 28, you give up your second and next year's first, still make the move and take Brian Thomas.
C
That's a lot.
A
I don't think that, that one to me doesn't sound as. That sounds a little too rich.
C
But you don't, you really. We really don't know how they're.
B
In terms of not in the building.
C
Yes. But in terms of saying not in the building, in terms of saying, mike, do it. No, I'm not, I'm not playing your.
A
Game because you're not in the building.
C
What I'm saying is yes, all the experts, like we're mapping it out. It's kind of like the first guy who said, I don't have Marvin Harrison as my number one receiver. I mean I saw people creating these scenarios of giving up like quarterback, like levels to get up to get. And then there's other people saying, he's not my number one guy. They have neighbors ahead of him and they have a duncier ahead of them. Meaning, like, we don't know, they may be, they may be in love with Brian Thomas. They may say like, this is the point I make. There's times when they look at a player and even at 28, they wouldn't take them for whatever the reason. I'm not saying it's Brian Thomas because that's a valuable asset. Whether you had to trade up to get something else or not. That's when they do. Oh, my God. Take a defensive player at 28.
B
You don't. That's the part you might want to click off before the end of the Matt Miller interview.
A
That's the last question.
B
Yeah.
C
He says they could take demons.
A
Corner. Corner that if you're being, I feel like that's, that's kind of, that's embarrassing.
C
He's got to make up for his defensive end picks. He's got to make up for his corner pick.
A
Yeah, that's, I mean, that's fair. They've taken so many swing. Oh, whatever defense. The digs trade, though, does bring up a ton of pressure.
C
Yeah.
B
Yeah.
A
Because there's always the pressure to hit well on the draft. But now it's like you have a glaring hole on your roster.
B
Well, so we, it's what we kind of talked about and I didn't mean to cut Jenna off there, but the fact of you needed, you had a need at wide receiver to begin with.
A
Yeah.
B
And then you traded away your number one and like now you, now everybody knows it.
C
And if you don't take a receiver at 28, your next pick is 32 picks later. 60.
B
And you don't have that third round pick to make for the initial. Yeah.
C
Yes.
A
And, and Matt Miller. Excuse me. Made a lot of. In terms of. There's a lot of depth in this wide receiver class. And I don't want to give away what he said, but it's a tricky spot in terms of when you, if you want to wait, how long you can wait.
B
It's a great interview.
A
It is a great interview. I laughed, I learned, didn't cry.
C
Okay, you may cry if they pick defense in the first round and look, they might get a really good player. But the idea is, to Dan's point, once you traded digs away and you know, I know some of you think Diggs all of a sudden now is a bad player, that you didn't need them and you don't want them.
B
I didn't read all the comments.
C
Yeah, I, I get, you know, I.
A
Get the, that one out.
C
I, I, I get the, I get the idea that you, he's playing somewhere else and now he's all, and all that kind of stuff. If you traded right now for Stefan Diggs, he had never been here. You traded Right now for him. Unquestioned number one wide receiver on this team.
B
Yeah, that's why. That's why it's. Nico Collins and Tank Del are cute.
C
I don't know. Nico Collins is pretty good.
B
Still Stefan Diggs, but anyway, different pod.
C
No, but my point is you're sitting there at 28 and let's. How many more receivers do you think we could take? You got to wait 32 more picks unless you make a deal. So I think even if they love Javon Baker. Right. Isn't that the kid. Ucf. Like. And you say you may take them a little early, but I don't think you can sit around and wait 32 more picks or you're going to have to make a substantial move in the second round.
B
Well, that's why I said my. My first scenario. Whether you want it to be the perfect world of a dunesier or if you take Brian Thomas At 12, you're trading. That's your second and next year's first. You still have 28. I still take another wide receiver.
C
I knew you were going to say that.
B
I would take.
A
I mean, you're.
B
I would take. I would take 80 Mitchell if he was there and you come out of the first round with that draft and you have 80 Mitchell and Brian Thomas. I'm in.
C
I mean, yeah, I would be. Yes. I think they would be happy with that.
B
You could have cornerstone wide receivers.
C
The hardest thing is to say to a team you're going from 12 to out of the first round. That's why I think.
B
I'm not saying it's. Again, I was just looking at it as Denver saying, you know, they're kind of punting on this year.
C
Yeah. But I think they still want to get a quarterback in the building. I think they do. So again, that's just them as an example. I don't know who is their quarterback. It is, isn't it?
B
Is it Darnold or.
C
No, he's Minnesota.
B
Yeah, Darnold's Minnesota. Trey Lance.
C
No, he's still Dallas, right?
A
Let me see.
C
It's not Drew Locke. He signed.
B
This is good podcasting.
C
Drew Lock is Seattle. Was Seattle.
B
Jenna.
A
Sorry. Molly's calling me Molly.
B
Name, Line. Line.
A
Is it Jarrett Stum?
C
Oh, wow. Could be. We're getting this answer. You know, this answer is already in the comments.
A
Someone's screaming.
B
It's Jared Stum and Ben Denucci. Are there two quarterbacks?
A
Denucci? Well, they played Meeker.
C
See, this would be a time, I think if they. If they love Bo Nix, they're going to go, they're going to get him and they're going to need to be in the first round. That would be the only thing. But yeah.
A
Okay. You want to move on to the second round.
C
Yeah. I mean listen, I think they have needs and I think if you get the receiver early. Listen, even in your scenario they could be taking another receiver in the second round if they don't make a trade. I'd love to find where they are. Yeah, he could be the guy. I, I would. I think they have a need of a younger safety. I think they do. I mean they signed Mike Edwards. He's on a one year deal. Taylor Rap is Taylor Wrap. We'll see. And I have him taking Kitchens out of University of Miami as the other safety. I think he's, he's got the size. You know you can think of him more as a center fielder. He's got takeaway guy instincts, toughness. Sorry, all those things. I think he seems to fit as a Bills type player.
B
Yeah.
C
It's a matter of do they want to invest in the safety position?
B
You got glasses too.
A
Yeah, well I wanted to do the mic but for my second round pick also did you guys do what I did and looked up draft prospects and wrestling. Which of these guys wrestled? All right. I had Epic 60 the bills taking edge rusher Adisa Isaac out of Penn State. He just honestly seems like a great guy. He has three non verbal siblings. That's just this type of stuff, you know that the Bills love self love. I do, I do love that. But a playmaker. He's got the size, he's got the speed, explosive.
B
Did he wrestle?
A
I could not find that. It didn't look like he wrestled but I wish they did a like a prospect pool of who did because it would make it a lot easier.
C
By the way, I. What I did not add when you said second round. I. I take this back because I really don't have them making a second round pick and we're going to include at least my mock here in the, in the description. I had them moving back from 60 and picking up. I had to make a trade with Atlanta and they would get 74 and 109. It gets them two picks in the third round. So that's where I had them taking Kitchens. He's been considered second to third round guy. So that's where I had them. So moving up in the first round, moving back. Tough to give up that spot at 60. Yeah but they move back 14 spots for one and pick up another pick at 109. I'm telling you that not getting that three third for Tremaine Edmonds. Really?
B
Yeah.
C
It obviously impacted the way they were thinking. They were fully expecting to get that pick as a compact and they didn't get it.
B
Yeah. And in my mock draft, they traded away this second round pick for to move up to 12.
C
You're an aggressive, aggressive gambler.
B
Yeah. Also just. I was like, well, it's the end of my mock draft.
A
Right away. All the fix.
C
What can I do?
B
I understood the assignment. I don't know what you want me to say.
A
So you're efficient. Can you imagine? Brandon means like, well, I'm done.
C
Well, I mean, this has happened before.
B
What do you mean?
C
The Chicago Bears, Mike Ditka.
B
Oh.
C
Traded his entire draft to New Orleans for Ricky Williams. Yes. For New Orleans.
B
For New Orleans. He was to get New Orleans. Yeah.
C
And then basically, like went and played golf.
B
Yeah.
C
Like traded away the whole draft for a running back.
A
What a different time.
B
What a day. What a time to be alive.
C
Yes.
A
Dan's big favorite.
C
Yes. Yeah.
A
Love the. How many running backs did you take in your mock draft?
C
Oh, I took a running back.
A
I did, actually. I took one in round seven.
B
Oh, these are real?
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
C
We spent a little bit of time doing these.
B
Oh, oh, these glasses are real.
C
Oh, I thought you meant the mock drafts.
A
Oh, yeah, yeah. Also, I hate mock draft season. Just for the record.
B
Go off queen.
A
There's just so many names and the people are like, oh, this guy, he'll. He go. He'll go here, like in the later rounds. I get it a little bit.
C
But like, most of the time, if somebody says this guy's a late first rounder, he's going in the second or the third. Most of the time when they say he could go a second day pick, he's going in the sixth. Like, that just happens all the time. And then, you know, Mel will have it up on his screen and say, best available player. Can't believe this guy is still on the board when the team picks him. They say, we can't believe he was still on the board when we took him.
A
That's exactly what.
C
But you've probably seen 70 guys as potential first round picks. And most teams will tell you they don't have 32 first round grades on.
A
Them, so that's true. Want to go to.
C
I'm gonna go. I'm gonna keep going here because I went. LSU defensive lineman Mason Smith. Two A's in the name, by the way. You will misspell it multiple. Multiple times.
A
No, I actually feel like that's actually better for Dan.
C
Really?
B
Mason.
C
Mason Smith. Yeah.
B
This was a guy.
A
Wait, put the camera on me. Oh, I cannot stress enough how bad of a speller Dan Fates is.
B
Is this the open of the show?
A
Yes.
C
Is it true?
B
Horrendous. And it's always funny when she looks over to me like, how do you spell? And I'm just sitting there like, why.
C
Are you asking Dan?
B
I can't figure out anything when I write scripts for them.
A
It's just like, no, I have to look at everything you write before I go on the air.
C
Did you know we have spell check in there? I just. Just found this out.
B
Wait. And I knew.
C
Yeah. And it does. It actually works.
A
No idea. Not for Dan. It's like, I have no idea.
C
Does it matter?
B
I get out on set, I'm like, what did I. What was I trying to spell here? Anyway, go. Go ahead.
C
Yeah. And you know, I'm going to keep going here because they have those two picks. Listen, that guy was one of these players that came out of high school, high high end. LSU picks him up. I think people have thought, for different reasons he had a couple of injuries, that he would get a shoulder in 21, ACL in 22. But I think he's the kind of player you take there because the upside, physical upside of the guy is there. And the feeling is that he could really be something. And then this guy that I have them taking later with, I guess this would be 1, 128. Christian with a K. Oh, Christian Boyd. Yes. You have him on your. There we go. Christian Boyd, Northern Iowa Athletic. Explosive. Dominated at his level, which is what teams will always say, if you play that level down, you got to dominate.
B
Yeah.
C
And I think he thought he's massive.
A
323.
C
Yeah. Big guy.
A
Yeah. They say incredibly compact.
C
62329. Where did you have the Bills taking him?
A
I had them taking him at 133.
C
Okay. So that's good. You have 128.
A
Okay.
C
Yeah, yeah, they have two of those.
A
Christian boy.
C
Because I haven't done like Dan. Dan, I know, trades them all away. He just trades them.
A
Who'd you go around five so that.
C
My next pick was 33 and.
A
Oh, 133.
C
And I want to make sure that I'm saying this guy's name correctly. He's come in for a visit. Physically, they must like him. He's again, a small school guy.
B
Also, talk about him with Matt Miller.
C
Okay. Who am I Talking about Flournoy. Flournoy. Ryan Flournoy. Now that might be a little early based on what he said.
B
Again, we. I feel like we're tipping the whole interview here. That's fine. But he goes fifth round guys worth taking a shot on.
C
They say he has the size and the physique of an NFL player, which sometimes you say that's what's missing because the guy played at a smaller program and this type of thing, he goes. He's a vertical guy. Loves it. His kind of route running, it's just.
B
So hard, they said because it's like southeastern Mississippi, Missouri.
C
Missouri.
B
It's just so hard to see what that translates.
C
What he jumped, the reason he jumped and why a lot of teams have been interested. Looked really good at the Senior Bowl.
B
Yes.
C
Do not underestimate the Senior Bowl.
B
Yep.
C
Because that's a real competitive. It's very different than combine Senior Bowl. These guys are out there not just running. You don't go to the routes. Let's go to Mobile and there are. It's competitive. I know. I got a place for us to stay down there.
B
Yeah. Orange Beach.
C
Orange Beach.
B
Yeah. Shout out Orange Beach.
C
That's it. That's where my daughter got married. So I think they're taking this guy. I don't know where.
B
Yeah. It's weird that you would spend a top 30 visit on a guy that you weren't at least strongly considering.
A
Yeah.
C
That's especially that type of guy.
B
And for a day three guy to bring in a day three guy to me was surprise. Yeah. For a top 30.
C
I was reading something about the visits you have. Also the ability. Like the Bills can bring in UB guys and it doesn't count towards the top 30. They could have brought in a guy like Khalil. You know Khalil Mack when he was at ub. I think they probably did. And you can bring in guys who live there, like if they're from. If they live near your area. I think it's a 50 mile radius, which is really interesting. But this guy doesn't meet any of those categories.
B
Yeah, correct.
C
Right. So I'm just saying is this is a guy they have an interest in now. Maybe have interested him in seventh round. Like I don't know.
B
Right.
C
But he just seems to be the type of guy, if you want to take a flyer in the later rounds. And they've already shown an interest in him and I already have him taking Brian Thomas, so he's that kind of player.
A
Okay. Love it. Do we want to.
C
You Got anybody else?
A
Well, I. I went round five once before.
C
What do you got?
A
Safety Josh Proctor out of Ohio State. He's someone that he said saved his best football for last season. He's long, athletic, good eye, balance, readiness, instinctive, which we know the Bills love. So there's that. I think that's something obviously that the Bills, they need a safety.
C
Now, Dan, settle down. When I say this, I have the Bills taken out running back next.
B
Go ahead.
A
Okay. Wait, is it Frank Gore Jr. No. Oh, I know a lot of people like to that.
C
Isaac garendo.
B
Okay.
C
Louisville, 6 foot 221.
B
Oh, yeah, I heard of this guy.
C
Testing machine. Yeah, did everything. One of the scouts, this was on NFL.com said when a guy makes contact with him, his pads rattle.
B
I like that.
C
That's a very scouty thing to say.
A
Oh, my God.
C
Isn't it? Yeah, but they said he's not super explosive at the, at the get go as a back.
A
Okay.
C
Which maybe is why he's, you know, back a little bit. But he's got size and speed. I think he's kind of what they've looked for when they've signed some of these other guys, older guys, and it just didn't work out. What's the guy they got from the Patriots? He just retired. They got hurt. Oh, Damien Damon Harris, that type of player. So I had him go into the Bills with that pick, which would be.
A
Is that 144?
C
Yes, 144. Sorry.
A
It's okay. You don't need to apologize.
B
Glasses, You're.
C
I gotta keep them on. I know our. What's the place?
B
Yeah, yeah.
C
Instead of just the standard readers, these are CVs. That's what my. That's what all mine are. Which. They're all banged up. But these are the. These are expensive ones. They were 90 bucks.
B
Whoa.
C
Crazy.
B
Don't lose those. Yeah, don't lose those.
C
Yeah. Well, considering I've probably lost 12 or broken 12. Pair of 20 readers or 18 readers. So.
A
All right, I went 163. Wide receiver, wide receiver.
C
Receiver.
A
Five receiver, wide receiver. Isaiah Williams out of Illinois, two time team captain. Folks, we know how much Sean McDermott, they love that. They do. I know you guys poo poo it, but they love it.
B
Yeah, they need to replace two.
C
They gotta replace a lot of cabinets.
B
You gotta replace the captains, especially. Two of them were wide receivers.
A
Oh, my gosh.
C
What pick was that for you, Jenna?
A
163.
C
Okay, so I made a pick at 160, then I made another trade at 163.
A
Wow.
B
Just on the phone, just so 160.
C
This is one of those picks that, like, they'll show Bill's fans in the stands and they'll make the pick and.
A
They'Ll be like, yeah, got our guy.
C
Yeah, it's C.J. hansen. You know, kicker, Holy Cross guard, six five, 300 pounds, three year starter, captain, great technique.
B
Believe Holy Cross guard.
C
Believe he can. Yes, like Holy Cross guard. They believe if he can add a little size, they think he can pick. Pick up some weight. Add a little size. We're talking about again, we're talking about the, you know, 160th pick of the draft.
B
That's why I traded all mine away.
C
So 163. I traded. I sent it to the Saints, who will do something stupid with it because that's what they do. I pick up a fifth for next year. Traded 163. 3.
A
Okay.
C
I. And I moved on. I wanted to get some. Some extra picks.
A
Wow. Really going for that Holy Cross guy.
C
Yes.
B
I wanted to set something up of. We've talked about how many wide receivers do we think the Bills will take in this draft? Obviously they have 10 picks, right. They traded one away. Do you think. What should the number be set at? And you comment in as well. How many? If we set it at what is it, two and a half?
A
Yeah.
B
Do you set it at two and a half and say over. Under how many wide receivers Beans drafting. Is that a fair number or is it three and a half?
A
No, I think.
C
No, I think bet wise.
B
Two and a half. Spot on.
C
It's got to be two and a half because they. They will take a second receiver, correct?
A
Well, they take matter of third. I don't.
C
They're not taking. I don't think they're gonna take three out of ten.
A
I'd be shocked because I. I unfortunately think you have a lot because they.
C
Still have Khalil Shakir and Justin Shorter.
B
They have Justin Shorter.
A
How good we got? Okay.
C
Yep.
A
Cross that off the bingo card.
B
It's like the gym meme where he's like number of podcasts. Since we've mentioned Justin Shorter.
C
Zero.
A
Okay, round six.
C
What do you got?
A
I got a 200 linebacker, Braden McGregor out of Michigan. Matt Milano coming off the injury.
C
Right.
A
Getting a little older. See if some found stuff in 200.
C
I have M.J. devonshire, defensive back.
A
Sounds like Royalty.
C
Pit.
A
They love Pit.
B
They. They've done well with Pit.
C
Yeah. Dane Jackson and demar. Try not to knock.
B
We got that on camera.
C
He's got physical skills, long arms, confident in press coverage like he plays. You know, obviously it's a flawed. All these guys. When I say flawed, you, you see they'll list flaws and guys that are going to go top five and these guys was always something. So I think you take flyers on these guys. That's what they did with Dane Jackson.
B
Yep.
C
Right. They took him later. They like the way it, it appears to be. They've liked the way Pittsburgh players play.
B
That's part of this. Like when you go into this mock drafting too is, is I always think about and I think we talked about it on the one pod that we did of. I don't care what your weaknesses are. I want to know what you, your strengths are because I believe as a coaching staff, if you're going to bring somebody in, it's your job to put them in position to succeed by letting them do their strengths.
C
Yeah.
A
Like so, like I don't know If I agree 100%.
B
No.
C
But I would say it depends on what the weaknesses are because in some cases with a player it's things that may be difficult to even coach up. Sure. In terms of lateral quickness and things that they can. Yeah.
B
But that's a good point because I think about a guy like DK Metcalf. He, he doesn't run double moves, he doesn't run out routes or curl routes, he runs slants and he runs verts.
A
But I think he's outstanding. Like I think his upside is so passed on him.
B
But yeah, but it would be a, like he's so well in Seattle because that's what they ask him to do.
C
Right.
B
So if, if they said hey we need you to run out routes and dig routes, like that's a flaw by Seattle and maybe that's part of whatever happened with Kair of, of you were he's such a good man, defender, corner and you've asked him to kind of play some zone and you thought maybe hey we can coach him up to an extent. But that's one of his flaws.
C
Yeah.
B
Is that he wasn't well, it's interesting.
C
You talk about scheme. Normally teams, you know, they, they want the guy to play, be able to play what they play and to use a first round pick on a guy that you want to change a little bit maybe is a lesson to bean a little bit here.
B
Correct. That's what I'm saying.
C
Don't try.
B
Like again, I don't care what you can't do. I want to know what you can do.
C
And I'M reading about.
A
I think of that different. Like, I think of the Kair Elam example to be exactly that of like, I want to know also what you struggle with because those struggles, I feel like have translated. Like you said, he was very good in man, not as good in zone, things like that.
B
But that's why I think it was a bad pick.
A
Right, I agree with it.
B
Because you're trying to fit the square peg into the round hole.
A
Yes, but that's what I'm saying. Like you need to know his weaknesses as well and take those into account.
C
Well, and look, you're picking in the first round here. Yeah, that was, you know, if you're taking the flyer on the guy later, it's a little bit different. Yes, I, you will read a lot of stuff. And this is not necessarily. I think we're going to see more and more of this. Teams change personnel in college so much now. I mean it is just new, new rosters all the time. I think it's going to get harder and harder for teams to adapt players to their schemes and you're going to see players being, you know, whatever reason a guy's at Alabama and he's like, I'm in the portal. Next thing you know he's picked up at Kentucky and he's maybe in a different scheme and you're seeing the talent that he might have had coming into Kentucky, playing in a scheme that doesn't really fit him. That's where a team looks for a guy and says he was in the wrong scheme. We like his talent, we can move them. I don't think you're doing that in the early rounds. That to your point about Elam?
B
Yeah.
C
That's where it becomes dicey, I think.
B
I'm not saying, Jenna, that you don't understand what their weaknesses are. I'm just saying there are some things where it's like I gotta joke around with like a wide wide receiver and like a run blocker. It's like he doesn't run block well.
A
It's like, yeah, you're not just take.
B
Up space then, like just stand there like, give me some effort.
C
Dalton Kincaid's not a blocker.
B
No, no, he's not. And that's. You know what?
C
But he might have to at least.
B
But that's a great point, Mike, because that's what I'm saying too is that like you can make him serviceable.
C
Serviceable.
B
But if your play design is to have Dalton Kincaid solo blocking Max Crosby. I'm not mad that Dalton Kincaid gets pancaked I'm mad at the coaching staff that put him in the situation to block Max Crosby one on one.
C
Right.
B
Like.
C
Because that's not what he's.
B
That's not what he's there to do. I think that's. That's my point of what you're getting. And then accentuate what they do well, try and fix rough up, you know, smooth out the rough edges. But again, I think about getting a guy that does something well and you're like, well, we're gonna have him do this.
A
It's like, well, yeah, I think that's just. That's silly. That to me, it's like, yeah, yeah. Which I understand of like, you are so confident in your coaches, but also the writing was on the wall. Kind of of like, this guy doesn't do as well in this system.
C
All right, 204, what do you got?
A
I have center Charles Turner III out of lsu.
C
That'll be another one that people go, all right. Yeah, we got Turner. All right.
A
Tenacity is the word that jumped off.
B
Sounds like a wrestler.
A
I know. I didn't. I didn't see if he was a wrestler, though. Good. And run blocking, pass protector.
C
Listen, you're picking there. That means he's an interior guy that you think center and guard. Right. Usually it's the other way. I will say we've seen a lot more of this where teams draft guys that are tackles that they believe they can play guard. Yeah, that used to be a no. And sometimes it's based on size. Like, ideal tackles are taller, longer arms.
B
Correct.
C
That doesn't always work as well. Some teams just go, give me the best five. We'll figure it out that way. But some guys are just built to play as interior offensive linemen.
A
Yeah.
C
And you. You do need those guys. This is where you do find cheap depth on a team.
A
Yeah.
C
204. I went with Joshua Carty, kicker, Stanford. Oh, good range. High 50s, very consistent.
B
Are you worried about only kicking in warm weather?
C
Why is that west coast guy, Northern California kicked in snow before. Where's Bass from?
B
He went to Georgia Southern.
C
Oh, okay. So there's a northern school.
B
He, like, kicked their game winner. He kicked a game winner in the snow there.
C
Okay. The reason I'm saying this is snow of 32 degrees. I'll put it to you this way. There's going to be an extra kicker at camp this year.
B
I just poked holes in his pick.
C
There's going to be a kick 100.
A
Yeah.
B
I wouldn't waste a pick on it.
A
You have to.
B
I personally wouldn't waste a pick on it.
C
Okay.
A
That's.
B
You could bring in a veteran to push bass that you don't have to waste a pick on and then cut the vet.
A
I'm Will. I'm wondering where their confidence in bass is and the draft I think will show.
B
I was wrong. I was wrong on that one. We went and looked at the. The. Our.
C
You mean when Jenna and I kept saying they have a kicking problem?
B
Yeah. Yep.
C
By the way, did anybody happen. Somebody put it on Twitter. The play by play of the bass miss in.
A
Is it Spanish?
C
No, it was an. It's an. It was. Maybe it wasn't in Japanese, but it was an Asian language. And I'm trying to remember which one it was. The guy flips out. So I don't know if he had money on the Chiefs. He goes insane when the kick is wide.
B
Did. Did he go insane? As the one local reporter with the eclipse.
D
Did you hear.
B
Did you hear her?
A
Oh, no.
B
Oh, she just lost her mind. It is happening. This is the greatest.
A
Oh, I saw like a dark. I saw like a weather person start crying.
C
Ah, yeah.
B
It's just. Which I thought about, like, I wish I loved anything in life as much as this person loved the eclipse.
A
Oh, gosh.
B
Are we.
A
Are we One more.
B
One more pick.
C
Oh, mine is 48. Yeah, go ahead. Mine is extremely exciting.
A
I took a running back. Cody Schrader, Missouri.
C
Good. Good pick.
B
Good pick.
A
Hey, team captain with solid team. Take my bell.
B
This is. This is when the person comes up and then comes up. Pops up on the zoom, and it's like 30 seconds before somebody raises their hand as the question. Because we're all fried at this point. So he's like, you want to ask him blue cheese or ranch? Or should I? Like, what are we doing here?
A
Team captain. Extreme competitive. Fire, decisiveness, fearlessness. You know what? Let me look that up. While you say yours, Let me look.
C
Mine is this guy A.J. barner, Michigan tight end. Not. Doesn't catch the ball. He is your blocking tight end. Your third tight end.
A
That's amazing.
C
He's a blocker.
B
Does it say that on his draft?
C
Basically.
B
It basically doesn't catch the football.
C
He's not a. He's.
B
He's a.
C
He's an extra offensive lineman. He is Lee Smith.
A
Oh, my God. I loved Lisa.
C
Yes.
A
Funny.
B
That was awesome.
C
Moonshine. Lee Smith.
A
Moonshine.
C
Bring it in.
A
It does not look like he wrestled.
C
Interesting.
A
Yeah.
C
All right.
A
Anything else?
C
No, I just.
B
I got a tight end thing, but I'm gonna do another pod.
C
Really?
B
Yeah.
A
You.
B
We've gone long here.
A
We drafted a tight end.
B
No, I have a. Take that. I'll.
C
I'll.
B
I'll sit on.
A
Okay, whatever. Check out the Matt Miller interview on the Buffalo Plus.
C
Probably do that for later. Later this. That'll be this week.
A
Why don't we.
B
So we'll have Thursday. Should. Should I do it Wednesday?
C
Could be.
A
Yeah. So we'll be in Buffalo on Thursday. Brandon Bean. Sean McDermott. Josh Allen.
B
Content Content.
A
The NFL Draft is April 25, so that's coming up next week. And please be sure to, like, comment subscribe as well as share the channel if you enjoy our work. Yeah. For Mike and Dan, I'm Jenna. We'll catch you next time. Here.
B
We're not in the building.
A
No, but I have be in the building.
B
We'll be in the building.
C
Just on the record, Jenna and I have complete mock drafts.
A
Yeah. Do we get credit for that?
C
Yes.
A
Okay.
B
Traded all my picks.
C
Ditka.
A
All right. Bye, guys.
B
Buffalo plus, your interactive look at the week in football, brought to you by Connors and Ferris. In the time it takes you to actually board a flight from Group 8.
A
Now boarding Premier Altitude Elite Club members.
B
You could have bought a Hyundai on Amazon.
C
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Episode: Buffalo Bills MOCK DRAFT: HOW MUCH is TOO MUCH for a WIDE RECEIVER?!
Date: April 16, 2024
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes
Main Theme:
An in-depth pre-draft roundtable discussing the Buffalo Bills’ options in the 2024 NFL Draft, with a focus on wide receiver strategy, trade-up scenarios, key players, and the impact of recent roster moves (notably the Stefon Diggs trade).
The Buffalo Plus team dives headfirst into mock draft season, exploring how much is too much for the Bills to pay to move up in the draft for a wide receiver. They debate trade packages, share their own Bills mock draft scenarios, and tap into expert analysis (with insights from ESPN's Matt Miller) to evaluate the market for top wideouts. The episode provides comprehensive draft coverage, highlighting the challenges of picking late in the first round and the urgency created by Stefon Diggs' departure.
This episode is a must-listen for Bills fans looking to understand the reasoning, risks, and real-world options as the team navigates a crucial and tumultuous draft week. The team’s banter, research, and mock scenarios will leave you both wiser and entertained.