Pegulas put up quite the smoke screen for Bills’ draft

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-28-2017


From the sound of it, Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula wasn’t travelling from campus to campus to get to know his new head coach, Sean McDermott.

With the Bills playoff drought at 17 years and counting and with a quarterback in Tyrod Taylor who may or may not be the answer, Pegula joined McDermott on the Franchise Quarterback Tour to see just what his scouts are looking for at QB.

Terry and his wife Kim, who’s technically the big dog in the Bills hierarchy, have their hands full this dual off-season for both of their franchises. They’ve put the future of their football team in the hands of McDermott, a first time head coach playing the role of “one voice” while their general manager has been relegated to figure head, and they’re also in the process of trying to fill the GM and coaching positions for their hockey team.

With Pegula joining McDermott at various campuses looking at potential franchise quarterbacks, it was assumed that the Bills were serious about finding one and may have been looking at picking one with the 10^th-overall pick in this year’s draft.

Lo and behold, they did not. The Bills apparently weren’t all that impressed with what they saw, but there was another team that was. Kansas City Chiefs head coach, and McDermott mentor, Andy Reid liked Pat Mahomes so much that he traded up from No. 27 to No. 10 to get him. The Bills received two picks in this year’s draft—Nos. 27 and 91—as well as the Chiefs first rounder in 2018.

It was a trade that worked for both teams as the Chiefs will be able to groom a very raw Mahomes for a couple of years while the Bills not only add picks in this draft, but also added a very valuable second first-rounder in a 2018 draft that’s said to be quarterback-heavy.

Perhaps when Pegula was shuffling around on T-Pegs I, what he really was doing was looking at potential GM candidates for his Sabres hockey team. Both Kim Pegula and Sabres President and Alternate Governor Russ Brandon stressed that the team is working hard on the GM search. “We’re keeping it under wraps,” said Kim Pegula to the media on Wednesday, “but definitely put a lot of work this week in, and next week.”

The Pegula’s through Pegula Sports and Entertainment, parent company to the Bills, Sabres and other enterprises, were also busy announcing other ventures that had come to fruition including a joint venture with Labatt USA and another partnership with Uber.

When it comes to the GM search, there wasn’t anything coming out of PSE but we did get some tidbits from reporters on Twitter.

Here’s how the GM search is going so far:

--One report had the Los Angeles Kings saying that the Sabres had not yet contacted them about fired two-time Cup-winning GM, Dean Lombardi

--Another said the Sabres inquired about the availablility of Phoenix Coyotes GM, John Chayka, but were rebuffed as the ‘Yotes told them the league’s youngest GM was unavailable.

--Buffalo also wanted to talk to former Sabre and current NY Rangers AGM, Chris Drury, about the position but when Drury was presented with this, the door was slammed on the idea

--The Sabres did get one interview in with Pittsburgh Penguins AGM, Bill Guerin. The two-time Cup winner as a player began his front-office career in 2011 after retiring from the game. He spent three years as player development coach for the Penguins before getting a promotion to his present position in 2014.

Still on the docket for the Sabres, supposedly, are:

--Chicago Blackhawks AGM, Norm MacIver

--Penguins Associate General Manager, Jason Botterill

--Senior VP of Hockey Ops for the Montreal Canadians, Rick Dudley

There are other names like TV analyst Pierre McGuire, Columbus Blue Jackets AGM, Bill Zito and, maybe others who’ve not come to the fore as of yet.

Not much is coming out of PSE on the search and we’re not even sure what they’re looking for. Terry Pegula said at his end of season presser that they’d be leaning towards experience while NHL insider John Shannon tweeted that the Pegula’s are looking for “new blood as opposed to veteran manger.”

Pegula and McDermott put up a pretty good smoke screen at the NFL Draft and got a haul in the process. As for the Sabres GM search, it’s pretty foggy right now.

The NFL Draft is finally over. What grade should the Bills get?

The extra two weeks the NFL tacked on as they headed towards their annual draft simply meant that the league was now relevant in every month of the calendar year.

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.

We take a break from the annual Sabres' playoff push...

...and take a look at the Buffalo Bills.

The upcoming draft for the Bills is really all about the signing of free agent defensive end Mario Williams. Landing a premier player at his position this month should effectively eliminate any reaching for that "stud player" in the first round of the draft by Buffalo. They can now focus their attention on need and/or depth.

After their 5-2 start to the season last year, a glaring weakness reared it's ugly head--lack of depth. As injuries mounted, the team plummeted. Going 0-7 following that impressive start undid everything Coach Chan Gailey and Co. accomplished.

Starting in Week 8, the week after the bye, the injured list included left tackles Demetrius Bell and Chris Hairston, wide receiver Donald Jones, along with defensive end Shawn Merriman and defensive tackle Kyle Williams.

And the list kept getting longer and worse:  Kicker Ryan Lindell and defensive end Chris Kelsay. Then center Eric Wood and right tackle Eric Pears.

Then "the big one" hit as running back Fred Jackson, who was having an MVP-like season, was lost.

Injuries are obviously a part of the game, but the Bills had more than their fair share especially at some positions--OT and WR. Hell, at times it seemed as if they'd be looking to their local grocers for roster help.

The Williams signing really changes everything. The Bills can get that need or roster player without reaching for that impact player in the first round. And they can now legitimately take the "best player available" approach as well.

Sure, other options may present themselves, like trading down if there's a great offer, but for all intents and purposes, Bills nation should be looking at the #10 overall pick and take it from there.

The Consensus, Safe Pick If Available At #10

Recently, WGR's football guy eschewed his previous, somewhat esoteric pick--OT Cordy Glenn--to offer a more reasonable approach at #10 with the Bills picking Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd. Floyd, even with his off-field issues, would be a real solid pick, except for the fact that the Bills, because of the sheer numbers at receiver, may not be interested in picking the second or third best receiver on the board that high.

We'll let GM Nix do the talking when it comes to wide-outs. "Once we signed Steve Johsnon, we felt pretty good about our receivers," he told host Mike Florio (via the Buffalo News.) "Everybody thinks we need (one). And I've said it. That's why they think it I guess, that we need a speed guy on the outside. But we've got some guys. We've got nine receivers right now that are under contract that we think can fill that role. So we're probably not in the wide receiver business."

The injuries to left tackles Bell and Hairston along with Pears on the right side last season probably gave the Bills pause to seriously consider using their first pick on an offensive tackle. And there might be a pretty good one available after Matt Kalil is taken early by the Minnesota Vikings.

So with the first pick, #10 overall, the Bills will probably select Iowa OT, Riley Reiff if available.

Iowa OT Riley Reiff is rated
the second-best tackle
in the 2012 draft.

Reiff chimes in at 6-5, 315 lbs. and Walterfootball.com's Charlie Campbell calls him the "consensus second-rated offensive tackle, a high level technician at left tackle." He continues, "In the pass-driven NFL, teams need reliable blind-side protection and Reiff fits the bill. He has quick feet and mirrors speed rushers well. [He] is also a strong run blocker who has the strength to move linemen off the line of scrimmage."

This pick will be even more of a no-brainer if Bell decides to sign elsewhere this off season.

Should Reiff be plucked earlier, a quality player will fall to the Bills in the 10-slot and they may end up going with the "best players available" in Floyd or maybe Boston College ILB Luke Kuechly. And even if they still believe that OT is the position they need to go with, Stanford OT, Jonathan Martin may fit the bill, although right tackle may suit him moreso than left.

Dismissing esoteric picks, and with the knowledge that Nix sometimes telegraphs his choice, Reiff as the second best tackle on the board if available at #10, would constitute a pretty safe pick at this point.

On To the Second Round

With the defensive line set and ready to wreak havoc in the pass-rush, the Bills should look towards a ball-hawk to join Nick Barnett and Kelvin Sheppard. Although, if a quality defensive end comes into play things could get pretty interesting as well.

In the second round with the 41st pick in the draft, the Bills could focus their attention at linebacker, this of course is presuming that they don't go for Kuechly in the first round. Or they could look towards a "pass-rushing" defensive end to add depth there should Shawn Merriman continue his injury woes.

Or they could get a fast-rising hybrid in Boise State OLB/DE Shea McClellin.

Boise State OLB/DE,
Shea McClellin, learned
the value of hard work
on his family farm.

There are other possible picks here including the "best player available," but McClellin has a constant motor and a farm-tested work ethic that is very hard to pass up. His versatility would allow him to play outside linebacker, or be used as a weak-side edge-rusher or just be moved to wherever he's needed situationally.

CBSSportsline called McClellin "the type of player and person who is always hungry and never satisfied -- a prospect coaches wouldn't bet against...who isn't flashy and won't have great work-out numbers, but simply makes plays on the football field."

There is plenty of flash, as always, in this year's draft and those with the chiseled bodies and extreme athleticism sparkle to the point of being mesmerizing. The word "prototypical" gets the hype-machine churning, the heart pumping and lets the dreams flow effortlessly.

Until reality hits.

Looking back at the 2009 NFL Draft, Nix whiffed on "the sculpted" Aaron Maybin in the first round while fourteen picks later, Green Bay picked a football player in Clay Matthews.

The parameters were different and much has changed since then. Now with the Bills looking for depth, they won't need dream-boat, "chiseled specimens." They can focus their attention upon "football players." And McClellin looks to be exactly that.

The Third Round Presents An Interesting Choice

The third round represents a bit of a quandary as to where they could use the 72nd-overall pick.

One would think that CB depth would be a position of need considering how many times the DB's got torched last season. But was it because of a lack of talent? or the lack of QB pressure from the front-seven?

The Bills could reach for that developmental QB here, but would there be much of a difference between this spot and, say, the 5th round?

The third-rounder is an integral pick. If teams can make the first two picks work, this third one can take the overall draft from strong to real strong. As for the Bills, this just may be the spot where they take that wide receiver.

Not sure what was in the water last year, but Buffalo's wide receivers were dropping like flies.

Before the Williams signing, the Bills were in the hunt for free agent wide receiver and former New Orleans Saint, Robert Meachem. Meacham passed on Buffalo leading the Bills to focus exclusively on Williams which, in hindsight, was a blessing.

It also lead to the earlier quote by GM Nix about his receiving corps.

Still, if they can fill two depth roles in the first two rounds and are satisfied with their cornerbacks, they can get themselves a quality wide receiver in this round.

Which leads us to 6-3, 224 lb WR Juron Criner from Arizona.

NFL.com's Gil Brandt has ranked as the #71 overall prospect, 9th-best wide receiver in a very deep wideout pool.

WR Juron Criner has
big hands and the ability
to go up and get wayward passes.

Criner had a stellar junior season in 2010, which walterfootball.com described as "a massive year. He caught 82 passes for 1,233 yards and 11 touchdowns and he repeatedly bailed out quarterback Nick Foles on deep passes that were tossed up for grabs. Criner uses his size, body control, and leaping ability to come down with some big catches."

"There are faster receivers than Criner," they continue, "but he provides good hands with a big target and still runs well."

Buffalo fans should take Nick Foles' name out of the bolded part and insert Bills' quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

"Fitz," as we all know, has those moments where the ball gets away and if Criner can use his 38" vertical leap to snare some of them, or at least get his 10 1/2" hands on some of them, Fitz could see his INT's drop from a poor 23 last season to a more manageable level in the mid-upper teens.

The Skinny

Adding Mario Williams to last year's group is huge for the Bills. Drafting for need and or depth in the first three rounds should only enhance what the team accomplished last season before injuries decimated them. With Chan Gailey's ability to integrate players into his scheme, adding quality depth with the first three picks in the draft should make them stronger and deeper and it just might be enough to end their decade-plus playoff drought.


The choices:

1st round, #10--OT Reilly Reiff
2nd round, #41--OLB Shea McClellin
3rd round, #72--WR Juron Criner

Bills First-round Draft

With the Sabres eliminated form the playoffs two days ago, Buffalo sports fans will turn their attention to this weekend's NFL draft which begins with the 1st round tonight.

Me too.

Time to join the "experts."

My choice in the 1st round.

If the Bills keep their pick, the #3 overall:

• Blaine Gabbert: Gabbert has very strong physical attributes, but maybe the most appealing aspect of his game, when looking through the eyes of head coach Chan Gailey, might be the intelligence level of Gabbert. He scored a 42 on the Wonderlic test, but as pointed out in this Yahoo piece, he has a near-photographic memory, has the strong ability to "decipher offenses" and he should easily be able to handle a playbook of over 700 pages. Although he has all the physical attributes, "its his mind that might push him further." Gailey is known as a "quarterback guru." His present quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, has that incredible mental capacity, but lacks the physical attributes to "push him further." It's highly probable that Gabbert is Fitzpatrick with size and skill.

I really hope they do not take Cam Newton. He's is not the answer. All the physical attributes that are perfect for the combine-workout, but you never hear any good things concerning his intelligence. Whether on or off the field, he does not seem to have the smarts to dissect a defense or dissect the many leeches that will attach themselves to him because of his money. STAY THE EFFF AWAY FROM THIS GUY!

What's cool about this draft is that there may be a number of teams looking to trade up and maybe this is the route they should take

Should they trade down, trade down enough to still be able to get OT Anthony Costanzo.

Costanzo should be their choice in a trade-down scenario. whether they want to go high with a tenth or eleventh-overall pick, or take a chance lower on a double trade-down, he would fill a need at tackle. Right now he should be a lock at RT with a good possibility that he'll be able to move to the left side and anchor it.

Phase one complete. We'll see what happens.

crosby concussion, the fiesta (siesta) bowl and more...

• if anyone doubted the value of sidney crosby, look no further than last nights loss vs. the boston bruins...three bruins goals (plus one empty-netter) in the final 3:23?...really?...0-2-1 since crosby went down...pitttsburgh without crosby drops them from an upper-eschelon team down to an average-to-above average one...pretty much on par with, seemingly, half the nhl...

• on the winning field goal by auburn last night, brent musburger sounded as if he just watched hours of paint drying...and that's what that game was...boring...undefeated tcu could have beaten both of these teams and should be considered the co-champion of college football...of course we'll never know because the fictitious national title is won not by a playoff system...btw, nor is it bcs championship game sanctioned by the ncaa...

• auburn defensive tackle nick fairley had a great game which should solidify his status as a top-two pick in the upcoming nfl draft...fact is, oregon's offensive line was poor, the play calling and blocking schemes were inept and their quarterback was pathetic...there's more of a chance that fairley feasts on his big contract, bloating to a solid career as an average, overweight, overpaid defensive lineman than there is of him having the chiseled intensity of a bruce smith...

• cam newton had an below average game made above average by a crappy oregon defense who didn't have the intensity or mentality to finish the play...good luck to anyone who drafts this mobile/run-first quarterback...btw, has a player like him ever won a superbowl?...exactly...where's michael vick right now...that's right, watching from home...

• the sabres come home for a contest vs. the conference-leading philadelphia flyers tonight...they're looking for their first three-game win streak of the season...um.....good luck boys, ya got a tall order in front of you...although it's not outside the realm of possibility for the sabres to take this one...they've been playing well in all three areas since derek roy went down...head coach lindy ruff attributes it to the players simplifying their game to make up for roy's absence...

• finally...i posed this question to a handful of football fans last night and i pose it to you, the reader:  if there was no gambling on football games (pro and college) and if there was no fantasy football for the pros, do you think most fans would give a rat's ass about games that did not include your favorite teams?...the answer?...all said no...

peace...go sabres

the knit-one, purl-two nominee #1

a look at some really crabby, whiny, sourpuss content from major media sources in the buffalo area concerning the bills and the sabres

***nominee #1--jerry sullivan, the buffalo news, dec. 13, 2010***

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/columns/jerry-sullivan/article282247.ece

the set-up...the buffalo bills grind out a hard-fought victory in inclement weather vs. the cleveland browns to push their record to 3-10...except for one poor performance over the previous six weeks, the bills have been playing very well in losing causes and have shown a willingness to play hard even when there's nothing at stake, except for losing a shot at the #1 overall pick and the chance to draft consensus #1 pick, qb, andrew luck, who may or may not declare himself eligible: 

Look, I don't mean to come off as a Grinch. The Bills won another home game Sunday. They finally beat the Browns, 13-6, after three years of excruciating losses. They were the tougher, more resilient team. The usual cast of plucky upstarts played their hearts out. People who were blacked out might have missed something, after all.


Still, I feel strangely unmoved by it all. Maybe it's the long season, or the oppression of the holidays. This online shopping has my head all twisted around. But really, what does it mean? In the big picture, what is the long-term significance of the Bills beating another mediocre opponent and raising their record to 3-10?

You can say good-bye to Andrew Luck, for one thing. This victory pretty much assures the Bills will not finish with the worst record and the right to select the NFL's next great quarterback in the draft -- assuming, of course, that Luck decides to turn pro, and that he doesn't change his mind if it means coming to play in Buffalo.

This victory might even prevent the Bills from taking the top defensive player in the draft, or the second quarterback if they're so inclined. OK, it's hard to have confidence in Tom Modrak and his scouts regardless of where they pick. But at some point, it would be nice to pick from the cream of the crop and maybe get it right for once.

It's understandable if some fans want to cherish every win and hope it leads to bigger things down the road. There's a learning curve with young athletes, and Chan Gailey, the head coach, believes his team has been growing up over the last two months.

"I think I learn something every time I go out there about 'em," Gailey said. "I think I've known their character. I think they are understanding a little better about winning as a team. Nobody goes out there and wins by themselves. I think they're understanding it doesn't just have to be one side of the ball or the other. They can win as a team and win different ways. Hopefully, we can build on this. We'll see."

There's a lot to like about this team. The offense, defense and special teams complemented each other against the Browns. The coaches had them ready. George Edwards, the beleaguered defensive coordinator, made some shrewd adjustments on his defensive line after Cleveland's opening drive.

The Bills got contributions from a slew of underestimated players who are fighting for their jobs in the league, guys like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson, Donald Jones, Stevie Johnson, Bryan Scott, Jonathan Stupar and Arthur Moats. The Bills are riding a bunch of players who were drafted low, or not at all.

But I'm tired of getting up on my chair and applauding them for trying hard and not quitting. They're supposed to try hard. They're professional athletes, and handsomely paid regardless of where they were drafted. They're still 3-10. Fans have the right to demand that management surrounds them with elite players who can help them make the transition from feel-good losers to legitimate contenders.

Gailey says they can build on this. Maybe. We heard that sort of happy talk every year from Dick Jauron, when they were playing hard and stringing together 7-9 seasons like faulty Christmas lights.

Last year, they finished 3-3 under Perry Fewell after Jauron was finally shown the door. Lots to build on, right? Gailey came in and took away the starting jobs of Fitzpatrick and Jackson, who had led last year's stirring finish. They bolted to an 0-8 start. That's building on the previous season's successes?

The truth is, one season doesn't often blend into another in the NFL. Each season is a distinct entity. Sure, the Bills have some players to build around. But until they find some real stars in the draft, they're not going to build anything truly meaningful. It'll be the usual flimsy structure, a tenement of lowered standards.

Maybe Sunday's win left me flat be cause I had seen it so many times before. Watching Jake Delhomme throw side-armed flutterballs wasn't exactly new. I watched it just last year, in Carolina. The Bills won, 20-9. Delhomme threw for 325 yards, but had three interceptions. He was even worse this year, passing for 86 yards.

Delhomme is a backup now. So the Bills have two home wins this year, both against backups. The forgettable Shaun Hill of the Lions was the other. Last year, they beat Mark Sanchez as a skittish rookie. They beat Chad Henne. The Bills beat a lot of weak quarterbacks in the dark decade. What they never do is beat the good ones.

When a team shows up with a solid running game and a top-flight QB, the Bills go to pieces. Whoopie. They beat Jake Delhomme again! Beat Tom Brady for once, and I'll get excited.

After the debacle in Minnesota, Gailey said he had learned something about his team. He wouldn't elaborate, but I wondered if his team's overall lack of talent had begun to sink in. The Bills rebounded nicely against the Browns. They got back to playing the way they had over a competitive six-game stretch.

They're a resilient bunch, it's true. Maybe they'll steal one of the next three against their AFC East rivals and tack a 4-4 finish on that 0-8 start. You can't expect them to care if it drops them in the draft. But if they hope to be a real contender, management needs to nail some high draft picks and supplement their core of overachievers.

Otherwise, all this good feeling won't amount to much. Celebrate the guys for competing so hard. But hold this organization to a higher standard. Don't allow the people who put the team in this mess to wave around a 3-10 record as some sign of progress.

sullivan throws in some truisms, but, c'mon, this teams less than one full season into the gailey regime...what they've done should be lauded...and although i do agree that buffalo bills fans throughout the "dark decade" over react by glorifying positive steps forward, ya gotta give this bunch of no-names alot of credit...even if it means missing out on the highly-touted, all-universe, future hall-of-fame quarterback who hasn't even declared for the draft, much less taken an nfl snap...

a few quick thoughts incl. stevie "tweetman" johnson and terry pegula

random thoughts during a long break between sabres games, or, short stories as opposed to my "war and peace" blog on ryan fitzpatrick:

--stevie johnson, "God, karma and tweets"...

• "I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO"...God?...really?...dude, job never did that and look what he went through...re-read your bible...

• "why so serious?" stevie...maybe you should consider "the drop" as karma...you made your "statement" and this is the price you pay...not that it's a bad thing in the grand scheme of things...take it for what it is, it's life saying, "you're not quite ready for superstardom, you're young and you still have alot to learn. we can't make it too easy on you, can we?"...

• btw...didn't mama ever tell you to "think before you tweet?"...just curious

***************************************

buffalo sabres owner
tom golisano

tom golisano selling the sabres?...the rumor mill has been heating up concerning this and bucky gleason of the buffalo news fuels the fire of speculation...

some thoughts on billionaire terry pegula ponying up some serious cheese to purchase the sabres:

terry pegula
future buffalo sabres owner?

first off, thanx to big tom for saving the buffalo sabres and, most importantly, not selling to anyone (read, jim balsille) who would move the franchise out of buffalo, no matter what the price

golisano, along with minority owners larry quinn and dan dipofi, will be all smiles after pocketing a solid return on their 2003 investment...good for them and they should be commended for a viable business model for the sabres

pegula is passionate about hockey, unlike golisano (no disrespect intended,) having gotten hooked by the "broadstreet bullies" of the mid-seventies, "It was the Philadelphia Flyers' style of play that got me into it," he once said...this should be happy news for sabres fans who are tired of the team that darcy regier built, a soft-but-skilled team that is considered one of the easiest to play against in the league...

• word has it that the sale, if it happens it would be completed around march, 2011...could we push it up a month?...so that his philosophy and cash-backed passion can influence a trade-deadline acquisition or two?

--addendum--

since posting this some two-plus hours ago there have been some interesting developments in this story...ken campbell of the hockey news said that terry pegula has signed a letter of intent to buy the buffalo sabres for $150m...one hour later, larry quinn and the buffalo sabres stated in a press release that, "The report that a $150 million letter of intent has been signed is simply not true.”

wgr released a special report interviewing the hockey news ken campbell saying that the sale could be done quickly--within the next couple of months--and that bettman and the board of governors should easily approve this because pegula is passionate about hockey and because there are much worse ownership problems...

should be a very interesting day...or two...or more...if true, i really hope that the sides can finalize it asap, well before the trade deadline...

****************************************

back to the bills, briefly...the season is heading towards the home-stretch with the draft still far off, but game-changers outside of stanford quarterback andrew luck and a pair of corners seem to be non-existent...a pick worth looking at:

• with weakness at the offensive tackle position, maybe the bills should look at boston college behemoth tackle anthony castonzo...the 6'7", 307-pounder is projected as a right tackle in the nfl and, btw, shut down highly touted clemson defensive-end da'quan bowers head-to-head in a 16-10 win for the eagles...

good news for the sabres and their place in the standings...three teams ahead of the 11th place sabres, the ny rangers (6th, eastern conference,) carolina hurricanes (9th) and ottawa sens (10th,) all lost last night...file it in the "for what it's worth department"