Buffalo Bills Mock Draft 1.0 By Gregory Kowalczyk The Buffalo Bills followed up their 2017 playoff season with a disappointing 2018 season finishing 6-10. The rebuild that was supposed to start a year prior shifted into the 2018 season that brought many changes. The Bills played the 2018 season with the most “dead cap” space in the league, essentially paying players not to play here; as General Manager Brandon Beane cleared out the bad contracts to put the Bills in a healthy salary cap situation going forward. The Bills started over at the Quarterback position with rookie Josh Allen and infused some young pieces on the defensive side of the ball. There is a lot to look forward to as many of the rosters younger players were evaluated and got suitable playing time to help them grow going forward. The 2019 schedule on paper is favorable and the Bills are expected by many to improve and challenge for a playoff spot and hopefully (Yes, we say this every year) close the gap with the New England Patriots. It’s got to happen someday right? The 84th annual 2019 NFL draft is taking place in Nashville, Tennessee this year on April 25th-27. The Bills are in a healthy draft position where they own extra mid round picks that could come in handy should General Manager Brandon Beane want to move up in the first or second rounds. The Bills will enter the draft with 10 draft selections. Brandon Beane will be able to use his extra draft selections in the 4th, 5th, and 7th to move up or the Bills could look to stockpiling 2020 draft picks moving down. The following draft selections are listed below: Round 1: Pick 9 Round 2: Pick 40 Round 3: Pick 74 Round 4: Pick 112 Round 4: Pick 131 (from Kansas City Chiefs) Round 5: Pick 147 Round 5: Pick 158 (from Pittsburgh Steelers via Oakland Raiders) Round 6: Pick 181 INTERNAL Round 7: Pick 225 Round 7: Pick 228 (from Carolina Panthers) The below 2019 trade value chart is what the Bills can expect to give up should they want to move up or down the draft. For example if the Bills wanted to move down from Pick 9 (1,350 points) pick 15 with Washington (1,050) the Bills would likely need to receive Washington’s 2 nd round pick number 76 which is worth (210) and possible and exchange of late round picks to be relatively close in value. INTERNAL The Bills entered the 2019 offseason with approximately $85 million dollars in cap space and Brandon Beane wasn’t shy on giving Coach McDermott pieces to work with. Beane has been on record saying he’d like to go into the draft being able to select the best player available and being active in free agency lessening needs come draft day. Beane was true to his word as the Bills brought in a handful of players to help fill the roster and help his young Quarterback thrive. Overpaying in free agency is a way to put yourself back in “cap hell” however Beane and crew were creative with the structuring of many of the big money signings, allowing the Bills to get out of a contract with minimal to no dead cap, should the signings not work out a year or two down the line. The Bills opened up the offseason taking care of one of their own, signing impending free agent Linebacker Lorenzo Alexander to a serviceable 1 year $3.75 million dollar deal. With Kyle Williams retiring in the offseason, Alexander will be the main source of leadership on the defense and vital in helping last year’s first round pick Tremaine Edmunds become the franchise All-Pro Middle Linebacker the Bills envision. Alexander can still rush the passer and if the Bills coaching staff is able to manage his reps and limit his special team’s work he can chip in and be productive in pass rushing situations at a favorable cost. The Bills continued combing through their roster before free agency opened, signing Long Snapper Reid Ferguson, Guard/Tackle Jeremiah Sirles, CB Lafayette Pitts, LB Deon Lacey and Defensive Tackle Jordan Phillips to extensions, not allowing any to hit the open market. Mostly special teams, and rotational depth, something the Bills have lacked from years prior. Tight End Charles Clay was released clearing some cap room, but created a need. Clay couldn’t stay healthy and wasn’t a fit since Greg Roman was fired during the Rex Ryan years, and not to mention a case of the drops last year. When free agency opened for the league the Bills made a splash. They made it a point to get Josh Allen some help much like the Bears did a year prior loading up their 2nd year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with pass catchers and help along the offensive line. Having a quarterback on a rookie contract for five seasons, allows you to overspend at wide-out and along the offensive line to give Josh Allen more help and options than last season. The compensatory selection process likely won’t come into play next year as the Bills added more money onto the roster in free agency than players lost. The compensatory process awards extra draft picks based on players lost and gained in free agency from year-to-year. Day one into free agency the Bills first signing was 36 year old running back Frank Gore. Gore has been around forever and is very well respected by coaches and players around the league. Gore works out in the offseason with LeSean McCoy and are very close. Adding Gore can provide some friendly competition between the two aging backs. Gore doesn’t have the wheels he used to but has the knowledge and leadership skills to help the Bills. Gore is an excellent pass blocking RB as well. I’d hope the Bills draft a running back in the mid rounds, as being mentored by two future hall of famers on their last legs in the league will be a great addition to have. Gore’s deal is only one year at $2 million. The Bills can and should cut 31 year old Chris Ivory and save $2.4 million, essentially Gore’s contract and draft a younger back to groom. The theme into 2019 free agency is that the Bills are adding veteran INTERNAL leadership to various positional groups on the roster. Adding competition and depth to younger players allows them to not be rushed into the lineup and learn from well-respected players on how to be a pro. With Center Eric Wood forced into retirement and Guard Richie Incognito going AWOL, the Bills offensive line took a big hit last year. Left Tackle Dion Dawkins took a step back with a turnstile of left guards to his right. The Bills decided this offseason to go a new direction and add competition to the group. The Bills let three starters from last year walk. John Miller, Ryan Groy, and Jordan Mills all won’t be back and possibly a 4th with Russell Bodine as a training camp cap causality that would save the Bills a little over $2 million. The big addition to the group was Center Mitch Morse from Kansas City on a 4 year $44.5 million deal. Morse will slot right into the starting lineup and be vital to Josh Allen recognizing pre-snap reads and helping his young quarterback much like he did last year with league MVP Patrick Mahomes. Morse is a very athletic center who can get to the next level quick and help in the screen game, something the Bills have lacked recently with slow interior lineman. Morse is the highest paid Center in the league and the Bills were able to pry him away from many suitors. The importance of having an intelligent, talented center is needed in today’s NFL and Morse rates very well in the league in both pass protection and run blocking. Guard Spencer Long was signed early in free agency leaving the New York Jets, Tackle Ty Nsekhe was signed from the Washington Redskins, Guard Jon Feliciano was signed from the Raiders and Tackle LaAdrian Waddle was signed from the Patriots. Five new lineman were brought in to add to Dion Dawkins, Wyatt Teller, Jeremiah Sirles, Vlad Ducasse and Conor McDermott. Ducasse is another training camp potential cap causality that would save the Bills money. Nsekhe can play left or right tackle and graded well with the Redskins last year when he filled in. As of early April the Bills offensive line projects as left to right; Dawkins, Teller, Morse, Long, and Nsekhe with Sirles, Feliciano and Waddle providing training camp competition. Feliciano, Nsekhe, and Waddle are all on one or two year deals. While improved, this doesn’t necessarily put the Bills out of the first round tackle market. Nsekhe is older and the Bills could look into drafting a tackle in round one to really shore up the offensive line. With so many moving parts, one would hope the Bills coaching staff can identify a starting five that will gel and have continuity up front to help Josh Allen succeed. It’s a promising start having new pieces and money put into the offensive line. Last year was a train wreck both running the ball and giving Josh Allen time to survey the field. Josh Allen got some much needed help at the wide receiver position this offseason.