Buffalo Bills Mock Draft 1.0 By Gregory Kowalczyk The Buffalo Bills rebounded in 2019 making the playoffs with a 10-6 record and entered the post-season as the fifth seed in the conference. After a disappointing 2018 season, the Bills got back to the post season for the second time in three seasons, this time needing no outside help, as the Bills clinched themselves in mid-December with a win over Pittsburgh in primetime. General Manager Brandon Beane and the Bills remain in a healthy cap situation, the Bills loaded up last year with a quantity of “Trust the Process” guys who gelled and fit the scheme perfectly, all while having the flexibility to get out of most contracts with no major cap ramifications. After a disappointing overtime loss to the Houston Texans, the Bills are ready to take the next step, the Bills feel they should have won and the fans actually feel it as well. The Wildcard game versus the Texans was an exciting roller coaster, game of emotions that has fans wanting to start the season right away. The schedule in 2020 should be more challenging then this past season but the Bills staff and roster has continuity which is rare in the NFL these days. The Bills are building a culture and while some local talk show hosts may not believe in culture and how it’s defined, it’s definitely noticeable as these players and coaching staff play for one- another. It will be interesting to see with contracts coming up and players out-performing their current deals how Beane and McDermott will manage; I’m not complaining it’s a good problem to have. It’s time to reward some of your own and get better. The gap with New England as we say every year, is closing, Tom Brady is actually announced he’s LEAVING New England. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Brady to a two-year-deal and he’s out of the AFC altogether. The AFC East division crown is officially in play for the first time in twenty years and the Bills are making moves to take over. It has been a roller coaster of an off-season amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic and now it’s go-time for Buffalo. The quest for a home-playoff game (and WIN) is in our cross-hairs. It feels like the Wizard of Oz with Brady and the Patriots, “Ding-dong the witch is dead, the wicked witch is dead!” Or maybe New England with one of the best coaches of all-time, re-tool and find someone else like they always seem to do. Stay tuned! The Bills opened up the offseason before free agency set to begin by signing former Carolina Panther and Washington Redskin Josh Norman. Norman will come in this season and likely platoon with fellow cornerback Levi Wallace who had an up-and-down sophomore campaign. Norman was benched last year for poor play but the Redskins employed a lot of zone coverages and at 32 years old, he frankly isn’t a number one corner anymore. With Kevin Johnson leaving the Bills have openings to fill. The Bills INTERNAL generally don’t like to sign their number two corner to long-term deals. E.J. Gaines, Vontae Davis, and Kevin Johnson were all brought in on one year prove it deals. With Tre’Davious White set to cash in big very soon, the Bills don’t like to allocate long-term funds into their second cornerback and with Levi Wallace still on a small rookie deal, the Bills can keep bringing in prove it deals and platoon the production between a few different players. Norman is set to make $6.00 million and with incentives can make up to $8 million; a low risk-high reward signing that doesn’t tie the Bills to him beyond one season. The Bills continued combing through their roster before free agency opened, picking up versatile guard Spencer Long’s option and tendering receiver Robert Foster and cornerback Levi Wallace. The Bills entered the 2020 offseason with approximately $82 million dollars in cap space according to overthecap.com which at the time was the third most money in the league. Brandon Beane isn’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 at positions in the draft that aren’t as deep helps lessen the needs come draft day. 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. Stefon Diggs was traded for on the first day of free agency. Acquiring Diggs and a 7th in 2020 draft from Minnesota for a 1st, 5th,6th and 2021 4th was a smart way for the Bills to add a young (26 years old) number one wide-receiver for Josh Allen, with 4-years and $48 million plus incentives left on the deal. At $12 million a year the Bills get great value when Amari Cooper just signed back with Dallas for $20 million. The Bills likely think that the window to win with Allen on a rookie deal is now instead of selecting a receiver at pick 22 with less meeting, team structure, and time to develop amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. Diggs is an instant, impact player who is an excellent route runner and wins contested balls. The Bills receiving depth chart now looks a lot better as Allen has no excuses to not thrive. Diggs, John Brown, and Cole Beasley provide a great trio as the Bills could look to get younger in the later rounds of the draft. The 5th and 6th round selections the Bills traded were almost-free, selections they acquired last August when they dumped players they’d cut for late round picks. The Bills still have one selection in each rounds two through six. The Bills offensive line remains extremely deep and they could end up trading potential training camp causalities for late round picks again. Brandon Beane is going to Brandon Beane! The Bills had some March and April decisions to make as a few of their own were free agents this off-season and some bigger names coming up a year or two down the road. Defensive Tackle Jordan Phillips tops the list after having a big season posting 9.5 sacks in limited snaps compared to the rest of the league. Phillips stepped up big for the Bills when Harrision Phillips went down week one. Jordan Phillips, Star Lotulelei, and rookie Ed Oilver led the way. I anticipated Phillips not being brought back whom was going to get more than the market value of $6.1 million and he did. The Bills opted to let Phillips walk as the Arizona Cardinals signed Phillips on a 3-year $30 million deal. I agree with this decision as the rotation would work just fine. With Harrison Phillips coming back and the Bills able to get out of the Lotulelei contract next year, I’d anticipate the Bills finding another rotational guy like Jordan Phillips on a cheap one year prove it deal. The market should be deep for older defensive tackles that can be plugged in. INTERNAL Defensive End, Shaq Lawson was another free agent the Bills could have looked to bring back. The Bills DE’s are getting older and Lawson is improving every year as a pass rusher; just 25 years old and had 6.5 sacks and is rock solid in run-support. With Trent Murphy a possible cap- casualty that saves $8.025 million, and Jerry Hughes 31 years old with two years left on his deal, it’s no secret the Bills have to get younger and more productive on the outside edges. Will this come in the draft, free agency, or both is still undetermined. Lawson decided to test the market as he didn’t appear happy with his 47% of defensive snaps, while second on the defense in sacks, and first in tackles for loss. Lawson ended up signing with the Miami Dolphins on a 3-year $36million deal. While it was an expensive deal, the Bills will need to address defensive end. The Bills were able to replace Lawson’s production signing Defensive End and former Carolina Panther Mario Addision who has produced 9+ sacks each of the past four seasons and is very familiar with new defensive line coach Eric Washington from his days with the Panthers. Addison is older at 33 years old but will help the rotation get to the quarterback as the Bills look to get younger in the draft. The Bills over-paid here with three-years $30.45 million with $15.25 in guarantee’s, essentially a two-year contract and the Bills can get out of. The Bills better hope his past production will continue in this rotational scheme. The Bills could still cut Trent Murphy and get back $8.025 million. Linebacker and former Panthers and most recently Saints, AJ Klein was signed to a 3-year, $18M deal with $9.7M guaranteed to step in and replace Lorenzo Alexander at the strong side. Klein has connections to Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane from 2013-2016, at 28 years old Klein is versatile linebacker whom can play all the positions but is better fitted on the strong side as a two- down contributor, much like Alexander, Klein can play special teams which is an asset to the coaching staff.