Normally late April is when you'll find the behemoth that is the NFL Draft. May is usually the month to catch plenty of NHL and NBA playoff action while football readies itself for the June practices, OTA's, and various other team activities. But this year the NFL gave it's sports fans two extra weeks of wild speculation and a hype machine in overdrive before the spectacle known as the NFL Draft found itself under the bright lights of Radio City Music Hall.
Unfortunately for the NHL, some incredible ice-hockey ended up off of the front page.
In those two weeks the NHL had an upstart Columbus Blue Jackets/Pittsburgh Penguins match-up reminiscent of a Rocky movie.
One team would rock the other to get to three goals and the other would come back and win the game 4-3. It happened that way in the first four games with the teams earning a split.
In Game-6 the Penguins would take a commanding 4-0 lead only to have the Jackets come storming back in the third period before losing the game by a score of, what else, 4-3.
The Philadelphia Flyers and the NY Rangers went the distance with the Rags coming out on top. The Chicago Blackhawks took down a tough St. Louis Blues team in six while the Anaheim Ducks eliminated the Dallas Stars in six as well.
Eighteen year old Nathan McKinnon lead the Colorado Avalanche in a series that went to overtime of Game-7 vs. the Minnesota Wild only to have his team come up short. The series featured a total of four overtime games.
And the San Jose' Sharks are now a part of a select group of only four NHL playoff teams who had lead a series 3-0 only to get swept the rest of the way.
In the meantime, sports media in non-playoff cities with an NFL presence had two weeks to decide which "source" might be right as to the length of Michael Sam's toenails after his pedicure and the possibility of conflicting reports concerning Jerry Jones doing a Texas two-step with Johnny "football."
That being said, it's a pretty good time of year to be a sports fan as the NHL playoffs are really kicking in gear. Even the NBA is worth watching during their playoffs.
But in a cage match, the NFL Draft conquers all.
With little going on in Sabreland at this time of year save for one prospect still playing playoff hockey and a few players at the World's, some notes on the Buffalo Bills isn't out of line. At least it will keep my fingers lubed as I continue plucking away at the keyboard.
The Buffalo Bills have been poor to mediocre for 14 seasons while during that playoff drought they have tried various GM's, coaches and philosophies.
But one thing they haven't tried is a significant move up in the first round to nab an elite talent.
On Thursday the Bills shocked the entire football world by moving up five spots in the first round to draft WR Sammy Watkins. The cost was the 9th-overall pick this year and a 2015 first round pick plus a 2015 fourth rounder.
Watkins was considered the top offensive player in the draft and one of three players deemed worthy of the top overall pick.
The Bills wanted him and when the opportunity presented itself, GM Doug Whaley went out and got him.
What might be more shocking or confusing is that the Cleveland Browns, the Bills trade partner, passed on Watkins knowing that their #1 receiver, Josh Gordon, may be suspended by the NFL for the season. Gordon is on his second illegal substance violation.
In typical fashion when it comes to the Bills' reputation, the move was met with heaps of skepticism.
"Experts," prognosticators and "gurus" generally gave the Bills a C-minus grade for the pick noting the high cost of two first rounders. And Bills fans were just besides themselves as they planned for the demise of second-year quarterback EJ Manuel this season assuming the Bills will need to find his replacement at the 2015 Draft without the benefit of a first round pick.
Such is the plight of a fan-base that has seen too much ineptitude this century.
The simple fact of the matter is that the Bills gave up the right to draft the 3rd best tackle or 3rd best WR this year as well as a mid to upper first round pick next year for Watkins.
From this perspective (and with a Sabres slant) they traded players like a Drew Stafford and a Cody Hodgson for a Gabriel Landeskog.
And I'd take that any day of the year.
The rest of the draft for Buffalo was about filling some other holes and adding depth.
Make no mistake, the 2014 Draft is about Watkins and the final grade somewhere down the road will be weighted towards how Watkins performs and the effect he has on the team. But the Bills weren't done after that.
Others drafted:
- In the second round (#44) the Bills drafted a huge T, Cyrus Kouandjio. He's 6'7" 322 lbs and will have the inside track at right tackle. That's if his knees hold out. He was "red-flagged" at the combine and is considered a bit of a gamble because of his gimpy knees.
- With their 3rd round pick they selected Louisville LB, Preston Brown. Brown is said to be "old-school" tough and will be expected to be a force inside against the run.
- The Bills stuck to defense when they plucked CB, Ross Cockrell with the 109th pick. Cockrell is extremely intelligent has good size, with good foot-speed (4.56-40,) decent instincts and solid hands.
- Buffalo went back to shoring up the offensive line by snagging another big player in G Cyril Richardson at #153. The 5th round pick clocks in at 6'5" 329 lbs and was a key run blocker on a Baylor team that was #1 in the nation in scoring (681 points.) As a tackle, though, speed rushers had a tendency to blow by him and at the Senior Bowl he was pretty dreadful.
- After going after depth linebacker Randell Johnson with the first of their two picks in the 7th round (#221) the Bills took a gamble on 6'7", 331 lb. behemoth T, Seantrell Henderson with pick #237. Henderson had the size and talent to be taken in the mid-upper portion of the first round. Unfortunately he has some off field issues that include a fondness for marijuana. The Bills have told him he has one shot.
Whereas Nix got things rolling with the signing of Mario Williams and following that up with the drafting of Stephon Gilmore (#10) and Cordy Glenn (#41) in 2012, Whaley kicked it up a couple of notches since his promotion in 2013.
At last year's draft he traded down while still landing Manuel, the quarterback they wanted. He landed two players with 1st round talent in the 2nd round--WR Robert Woods (#41) and LB Kiko Alonso (with the #46 pick he got from St. Louis for moving down.) Plus there's a strong belief that speedy 3rd round pick, WR Marquis Goodwin (#78,) will be a strong contributor.
Over the course of the two years leading up to the 2014 draft, the Nix/Whaley combo filled key skill positions on offense and defense with quality homegrown talent in the first two rounds while spending the lower portions of each draft and their respective off seasons adding depth.
The holes they have at this juncture center around the offensive line, a pass rusher opposite Williams and a replacement at safety for the departed Jarius Byrd. None of those spots are skill positions that need to be addressed through a first round pick (although it doesn't hurt.)
Getting the best offensive skill player in a draft, though, can't be addressed without being at the top.
On the surface Whaley paid a steep price for Watkins, but looking a little deeper at what the organization did the last two years allowed this calculated move to be less of a gamble.
Overall grade: B-
As Watkins goes, so goes the 2014 Buffalo Bills draft but if any of those linemen hit, the grade could take a good jump.
There are question marks up and down in that area like Kouandjio's knees, Richardson's adaptability and Henderson's off-field issues.
If a bolstered offensive line can create holes for the running game, which was fostered by the acquisition of Philadelphia Eagles 22 yr. old running back Bryce Brown at the draft, and protect Manuel while his young, talented and fast receiving corps get open (and if Manuel can hit them,) this Bills offense should be fun to watch.
And if head coach Doug Marrone can get this team to at least 8-8 (which will be extremely difficult) the 2015 first-rounder they traded away this season won't hurt as much.
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