Here’s the Bills news of note for Feb. 20.
By Jadon Ceravolo / Contributing Correspondent
1 – Bills take a QB-WR tandem in CBS’ mock draft
There has been a lot of hoopla about the Bills hoping to move into the top-10 in the 2018 NFL Draft, but in CBS Sports’ recent mock they stayed put at 21st and 22nd overall. With those picks, they’re projected to take the NCAA’s leader in passing yards and receiving yards from 2017.
On Monday, CBS dropped their 2018 NFL Mock Draft. With the No. 21 pick, they had Buffalo selecting quarterback Mason Rudolph out of Oklahoma State University.
Rudolph racked up some hefty numbers in his four seasons (2014-2017) as the Cowboys QB. He posted 13,618 passing yards, 92 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions. In his senior season in Stillwater, he put up 4,904 passing yards, 37 TDs, and nine INTs. Those passing yards that were just South of 5,000 led the entire NCAA in 2017.
Here’s why Chris Trapasso of CBS thinks Rudolph will wind up in Buffalo.
The Bills will likely explore a variety of trade-up options. Ultimately, the price will be too steep to move around 20 spots in this draft to pick a quarterback. They stay put, pick Rudolph and start to build around him with their glut of early-round picks.
Right after Rudolph, they project the Bills select wide receiver James Washington with the No. 22 pick. Like Rudolph, Washington played four years (2014-2017) at Oklahoma State.
In those seasons at OSU, Washington recorded 4,472 receiving yards, 226 receptions, and 39 TDs. However, he posted career-highs across the board in his final year as a Cowboy. In 13 games, he caught 74 passes for 1,549 yards and 13 TDs. That mark of 1,500-plus receiving yards was first in the nation.
Here’s Trapasso’s take on pairing Washington up with Rudolph in the first-round of this year’s draft.
If you pick Rudolph, why not pair him with his ultra-productive downfield wideout? Washington has outstanding ball skills, body control, and some of the most electric deep speed in the class.
It would be extremely intriguing to see a Rudolph-Washington reunion in Buffalo. The biggest reason is because it fills immediate needs on the offensive side of the ball.
The Bills ranked 31st in three key passing categories from the 2017 season. They were second-to-last in receiving yards (3,086), receptions (289), and average passing yards per game (176.6).
2 – Hyde among free agent signings who paid off in 2017
The Bills welcomed in a wide variety of free agents in 2017 and a majority of them made an impact come game days. Debatably none more than safety Micah Hyde, who was the only first-year Bill named to the Pro Bowl.
Hyde was listed to Pro Football Focus’ free agent signings who paid off in 2017. He made the leap from a 73.9 overall grade in 2016 to an 83.2 grade in 2017.
This is PFF’s explanation for Hyde being a home run FA signing.
Bills fans will be glad to see that one of their own free agent signings from a year ago had a stellar debut in his first season with Buffalo. After producing a lot of snaps in the slot during his final season in Green Bay, Hyde was used much more as a free safety with the Bills, and the move did wonders for his PFF grade. After producing a coverage grade of 69.8 in 2016, Hyde saw that jump by 20.0 points to 89.8 in 2017. In an offseason of high turnover for the Bills, the acquisition of Hyde was a key one as they broke their playoff drought.
In 2017, Hyde started all 16 games for the first time in his career. He totaled 82 tackles, 13 passes defended, and five interceptions. Those are all career-highs for the five-year veteran.
Hyde’s breakout season resulted in him acquiring some prestigious hardware. He was voted into his first Pro Bowl following the 2017 season, and he was also named an AP second team All-Pro.
It’s evident why this signing paid such dividends for the Bills in 2017. It also should be noted that Hyde’s fellow safety, Jordan Poyer, was another admirable FA acquisition.
3 – Peter King on Buffalo and Rosen
Bills General Manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have proven they’re not afraid to make significant moves. This was first put on display when McDermott moved back in last year’s draft. Now, some are predicting that the two do the exact opposite and move up in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Sports Illustrated’s Peter King is one who potentially sees the Bills moving up to draft a quarterback. In his recent edition of Monday Morning QB, he made the connection between Buffalo and UCLA’s Josh Rosen.
Here are some scenarios King sees playing out that would result in Rosen coming to Buffalo.
Buffalo: Josh Rosen. The musical chairs are getting scarce. This could be a McCarron, Keenum or Bradford spot too. If Denver gets Cousins, I could see Elway dealing his one (fifth overall) for Buffalo’s two first-round picks (21,22) and another high pick this year or next — I could see Tampa Bay, Chicago, Oakland and San Francisco at seven through 10 in round one doing the same — to allow Buffalo to jump up and get a good quarterback prospect.
It would be hard to argue seeing Rosen in a Bills jersey for 2018 and beyond. He’s arguably the best QB in this draft and should easily be selected in the top-five. Buffalo would just have to offer up some of their draft capital to sneak in there.