As today’s deadline looms for a decision on Mike Gillislee, ESPN’s Patriots beat reporter had some comments on how he sees it playing out.
By Jake Hamilton / Contributing Correspondent
Here’s the Bills news of note for April 24.
1. ESPN’s Reiss comments on fate of Gillislee
The Bills have until Monday to decide the fate of RB Mike Gillislee. Though some have predicted that they would not match the offer of the New England Patriots, ESPN’s Mike Reiss had some different thoughts seeing the Bills go all the way to the deadline in making a decision.
“I think it’s timely to point out the Bills didn’t do that last year when New England signed restricted free-agent receiver Chris Hogan to an offer sheet,” he said. “In that situation, the club was decisive in reporting to the NFL almost immediately that it wouldn’t match Hogan’s offer sheet.”
While the Bills are taking time in their decision regarding Gillislee, the time being taken has Reiss feeling the outcome this time could be different.
“From a gut-feeling perspective, I probably lean slightly more in the direction that Buffalo might be more inclined to match,” he wrote.
As we are getting closer to the deadline on Monday, we will then have a final answer. If Buffalo declines to match, they will receive a fifth round pick (Pick 163 overall) as compensation.
2. CBS Sports: Bills top five positional needs
With the NFL Draft week kicking off, CBS Sports breaks down the top five positions that they feel should be addressed. The Buffalo Bills currently have six draft picks in this upcoming draft.
Here’s a look at what they suggested.
Top five needs
1. Wide receiver: After losing Robert Woods (Rams; $34M/5 years) and Marquise Goodwin (49ers; $6M/2 years), the Bills signed four middling free agents. Head coach Sean McDermott believes there is a starter among them, but that’s a tough sell. Sammy Watkins needs help, and the Bills should try to upgrade at the position.
2. Cornerback: At least the Bills added a few new warm bodies at receiver, but cornerback still lacks depth in talent and numbers, adding only cornerback Leonard Johnson (Carolina). McDermott likes 2016 sixth-rounder Kevon Seymour, but he has to prove he is a starter and there is nobody to play nickel.
3. Quarterback: Tyrod Taylor is back, but if he fails to show tangible progress for a third year, the Bills can get out of his contract extension. Currently, the only backup on the roster is Cardale Jones, a 2016 fourth-rounder, so the Bills need another quarterback from somewhere.
4. Linebacker: The Bills re-signed veteran free agent Lorenzo Alexander, but he isn’t a great fit on the outside in a 4-3 defense. New head coach Sean McDermott has acknowledged he likes veteran Ramon Humber, but the Bills need help in this area.
5. Safety: Micah Hyde was the big-name free agent and he’ll step right in and start at one safety spot, but another free-agent signee, Jordan Poyer, isn’t guaranteed anything. The Bills still have scant depth in the back end and will need to add a safety at some point in the draft.
3. Chad Reuter’s 7-round mock draft for the Bills
As the NFL Draft begins this Thursday at 8 pm, NFL.com’s draft analyst, Chad Reuter, conducted a complete 7-round mock draft for the Bills.
Here are the selections he made:
Buffalo Bills
Round 1 (10) Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
Round 2 (44) JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC
Round 3 (75) Tim Williams, OLB, Alabama
Round 5 (156) Dan Skipper, T, Arkansas
Round 5 (171) Eddie Jackson, S, Alabama
Round 6 (195) Chad Kelly, QB, Ole Miss
Reuter decided to pass on commonly mocked prospects to the Bills in round one such as tight end OJ Howard and wide receiver Mike Williams. He decided to select the lengthy cornerback out of Ohio State, Gareon Conley.
Conley has great cornerback size as he stands at 6-feet tall and weighs 195 pounds. At the NFL Combine he ran 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash and was able to do 11-reps on the bench press drill. He played alongside Marshon Lattimore at Ohio State.
Look out for these players as the NFL Draft begins Thursday night.