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SEC Rules

The Southeastern Conference is the top training ground for the NFL. The SEC led all conferences in drafted players this year with 35 and has seen 696 players drafted since 1990. Second is the Big 10 with 610 drafted players since 1990. The Pac 10 is third at 605. This year the SEC had four players taken in the top 10 -- Arkansas' Darren McFadden (No. 4), LSU's Glenn Dorsey (No. 5), Florida's Derrick Harvey (No. 8) and Tennessee's Jerod Mayo (No. 10). The Pac 10 had 34 players drafted this year. The Big 12 had 29. The Big 10 had 28.

---Mark Gaughan

Walsh tapes

It turns out Matt Walsh has turned over eight more tapes of New England Patriots opponents but his vault does not include a tape of the Rams' walkthrough practice before the 2002 Super Bowl, the New York Times reports. If that's all that comes out, it's likely this affair will fade into the past. The NFL is eager to see it go away. It's bad business for the NFL to cast a cloud over the Patriots' success. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell already has stated that if all Walsh produces is more in-game tapes of opposing coaches on the sidelines then that's not news. The Pats have already admitted to that. One of the Walsh tapes is from a 2001 Bills game. Of course, the taping had nothing to do with the Pats' defensive domination of Drew Bledsoe and the Bills' offensive line this decade. It had nothing to do with the benefit the Pats got when a certain Bills coach punted from the Pats' 32 down by 10 points (see, Gregg Williams, 2002). Nevertheless it was cheating, and the Pats benefitted. Included in Walsh's tapes were the 2002 AFC title game win over Pittsburgh. It's possible and perhaps likely that Pats "research chief" Ernie Adams, the brilliant right-hand man of coach Bill Belichick, used those sideline tapes at halftime to quickly match them up with the actual game tape and provide some benefit to the defensive play calls in the second half. How much benefit? Probably not a lot, but some. So where does this leave us in assessing the legacy of Belichick and Tom Brady? It's gray. It's hard to make a concrete statement that their titles are tainted. Most advance scouts I talk to say they are not, and that any benefit the Pats got was minimal. We're left to draw our own conclusions at this point.

---Mark Gaughan

No turning back

We said it before but we have to say it again: After seeing the kind of revenue stream that comes from a Bills game in Toronto, it's hard to see the Bills ever playing a full eight-game regular-season in Orchard Park again. What do the other NFL owners think? It's obvious they would want to continue the increased shared ticket revenue that they will get for Toronto games. If a seat on the 5-yard line costs $295, a $50-yard line seat will have to be $500, maybe more. Tickets on the second level for the Grey Cup were $579, and there was no trouble selling all of those, because of all the corporate clients the CFL could hit up. The toughest tickets to sell for the Grey Cup were the upper-deck seats, for $169 and $89, which makes sense. The average fan realizes that the Grey Cup, despite its history and cultural significance in Canada, is a minor-league event compared with the Leafs and Raptors. It will be interesting to see a year or two from now if the Bills have success drawing corporate clients from the "Golden Horseshoe" to Orchard Park for suite sales.

---Mark Gaughan

Carolina high on Moore

One team that was on the list of potential suspects to be interested in J.P. Losman at the start of the offseason was Carolina, because aging starting quarterback Jake Delhomme is coming off an injury. The Panthers, however, have stood pat at QB, which is a big vote of confidence in No. 2 man Matt Moore, who was an undrafted rookie out of Oregon State last year. Moore got good coaching in college from Mike Riley. Bills coordinator Turk Schonert said last year that Moore showed excellent pocket presence in college. He's someone to keep in mind in the later rounds of a fantasy draft.

---Mark Gaughan

Season-ticket sales

Three reactions to the news today that the Bills expect to to 50,000 season tickets. http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/340667.html 1. Obviously, Buffalo has remarkable support for the NFL. There is no way fans in Atlanta or Jacksonville would be this supportive of a team that has not made the playoffs since 1999. 2. The Bills have done a good job of marketing, using group sales and creating a "scarcity" of product to encourage season-ticket sales. 3. The NFL, despite regular price increases throughout the league, remains a value product compared with the other major sports. It's an all-day event, and it's less expensive than a single-game outing to an NBA or NHL game. Now ... it would be nice if those season-ticket holders were rewarded with a good year. The Bills have gone 4-4 at home the past two seasons and have not gone 6-2 at home since '99. They must go at least 5-3 at home this year, which is not too much to ask. The home games: Seattle-Sept. 9, Oakland-Sept. 21, San Diego-Oct. 19, the Jets-Nov. 2, Cleveland-Nov. 17, San Francisco-Nov. 30, Miami-Dec. 7, New England-Dec. 28.

---Mark Gaughan

Bills cut rookie LB

The Bills released Notre Dame linebacker Joe Brockington, who was an undrafted free-agent signee last week. He went through the three-day rookie minicamp last weekend. The Bills had three other rookie free-agent signees. They now have nine linebackers on the roster. We'll see if they close a deal with veteran free agent Donnie Spragan, who they've had talks with the past week. He'd add bulk and depth to the strong side.

---Mark Gaughan

Best project

There's no question the best long-term, diamond-in-the-rough project the Bills added from the college ranks is tackle Demetrius Bell, the son of NBA great Karl Malone. He didn't play any football in his life before August 2005. His high school in Louisiana didn't have a football team, and he went to college on a basketball scholarship to Northwestern (La.) State. Said Mel Kiper: "Bell has outstanding natural athleticism; there were times watching him on tape where he'd be 30 yards downfield making blocks on defensive backs." Bell is very green and needs to bulk up in the weight room and spend a lot of time learning technique. He's 6-5 and 303 pounds. So you probably have to check back on him two years from now, in training camp entering the 2010 season. But if anyone fits the "next Jason Peters mold" -- keeping in mind there's only one Jason Peters -- then Bell is it.

---Mark Gaughan

LB Buggs has shot

One undrafted rookie free agent signed by the Bills who may be promising is linebacker Marcus Buggs from Vanderbilt. He doesn't have classic size, but that's not a disqualifier in the BIlls' defense. Buggs is listed at 5-11, 225. He may be 5-10. Buggs is in the mold of Colts overachieving linebacker Gary Brackett, who was an undrafted, 5-11, 235-pounder out of Rutgers. Buggs is smart. He converted during his college career from safety to outside linebacker. The question will be whether he can add some bulk. If he has a good camp, he has a good shot for the practice squad.

---Mark Gaughan

Taylor and Tuna

The relationship between new Dolphins President Bill Parcells and star Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor is a fascinating and somewhat comical one to watch from afar. Last week, the Miami Herald reported that Taylor was slightly miffed by the fact he showed up at Dolphins headquarters and got the cold shoulder from Tuna, who allegedly was watching film in his office and didn't bother to look up to greet Taylor. Taylor, meanwhile, is doing a great job in the hit TV show Dancing with the Stars. He's among the final five couples, and seems to have legitimate prospects post-football in the Hollywood film industry. The betting here is Parcells will come around because Taylor is too good to throw off the boat. However, if some contending team has an injury problem in preseason and wants to give Miami a decent draft choice (second round?) you can bet Miami will think about it. Here's an interesting link to the Miami Herald on the latest with Taylor's dancing prospects. http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/columnists/dan_le_batard//story/521050.html

---Mark Gaughan

CB Corner a factor

It's silly to draw any conclusions from rookie minicamp weekend. So this observation about Akron cornerback Reggie Corner is based on the fact the Bills picked him in the fourth round and the comments of team officials on him since the draft. Corner has a real chance to be a factor for the defense this year. He's going to make a run at playing time. Even though he's small, the Bills think he has the toughness and mentality to be capable against the run. It's going to be an interesting battle for playing time at the critical nickel corner position -- the guy who plays on the slot receiver, aka Wes Welker's whipping boy. Leodis McKelvin (if he doesn't start right away on the outside), Corner and veteran signee Will James are among the prospects there. We'll see how durable Corner proves to be, although he was durable in college. 

---Mark Gaughan

Minicamp wrapup

The Bills completed their three-day rookie minicamp today. It was hard to determine how most of the players looked because they did mostly individual work and walked through several plays. We'll know more about these guys when they join the veterans on the field.

It was obvious to me that there is an obvious talent difference between CB Leodis McKelvin and WR James Hardy. If both players aren't opening-day starters, I'll be surprised.

---Allen Wilson

Joe D's son trying out

The son of Bills Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure is trying out in the minicamp with the Cleveland Browns. Tod DeLamielleure, a 5-foot-10, 240-pound linebacker, was among 54 players invited to Cleveland's rookie minicamp. Tod DeLamielleure, 29, had a tryout with the Bills and Panthers but did not get a camp invited from those teams. He last played football five years ago in NFL Europe.

---Mark Gaughan

McKelvin on punts

Bills top draft pick Leodis McKelvin only had four interceptions in his college career. About the only slight knock on him entering the draft was he may not have great hands. Coach Dick Jauron poo-poohed this idea after the draft, basically saying give me a guy who's a great cover man and catching ability is a secondary consideration. We'll see how McKelvin catches potential interceptions. But he sure can catch punts. During today's rookie minicamp, McKelvin showed he's a natural catcher of punts. On one punt, McKelvin joked around and did a double pirouette going backward so that he could not look up at the ball in flight. He looked up at the ball well after it reached its high point and easily adjusted to the flight and made the catch. McKelvin was the top return man in the draft.

---Mark Gaughan

Rookie FA list

The Bills have released their list of rookie undrafted free agents signed. There are nine players signed, and the top three prospects appear to be linebacker Marcus Buggs of Vanderbilt, guard Robert Felton of Arkansas and University of Miami defensive tackle Teraz McCray. Buggs and Felton both were given draftable grades by ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper. Buggs was rated 14th among outside linebackers by Kiper. He's a 5-foot-11, 237-pounder who led his team in tackles with 76 as a senior. He also had a team-high 12 tackles for loss and three sacks. Kiper had Felton rated ninth among guards. He's a 6-4, 328-pounder who helped open holes for star Razorback backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. He can play center and guard. McCray is more of a move defensive tackle, not a plugger. He's 6-1, 286.

Also signed: cornerback Jon Banks (Iowa State), linebacker Joe Brockington (Notre Dame), quarterback Luke Drone (Illinois State), running back Bruce Hall (Mississippi), receiver Jason Jones (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), and fullback Michael Viti (Army).

---Mark Gaughan

More draft notes

More draft notes: James Hardy is the eighth receiver drafted in the second round by the Bills. The others: Byron Franklin, 1981; Eric Richardson, 1984; Chris Burkett, 1985; Bucky Brooks, 1994; Peerless Price, 1999; Josh Reed, 2002; Roscoe Parrish, 2005.

Fourth-round pick Reggie Corner was the first player from Akron ever selected by the Bills and the 15^th Akron player drafted in the NFL. The most famous Akron NFL alum: Jason Taylor, taken 73^rd overall. The highest Akron pick: Charlie Frye, taken 68^th.

Third-round defensive end Cliff Ellis was the sixth Virginia Tech Hokie ever drafted by the Bills, and we all know who the most prominent one is.

Seventh round tackle Demetrius Bell is the third player from Northwestern State drafted by the Bills and both of the others panned out. The first was backup receiver-kick returner Al Edwards in 1990 and the other was Terrence McGee in 2003.

---Mark Gaughan

No turning back

When you see how much the Bills can charge in Toronto, it's hard to see them ever playing a full eight-game regular-season schedule in Orchard Park again. Why turn away from that kind of money? Even if the next owner was someone committed to staying in Buffalo and for some reason was lukewarm about the partnership, I think the other NFL owners would very strongly want this relationship to continue.

---Mark Gaughan

Good luck at corner

Leodis McKelvin is the eighth cornerback to be drafted in the first round by the Bills. At No. 11 overall, he's the highest corner draft pick by the Bills ever. Only one of the previous seven first-round corners was a bust. The previous seven: 1976, Mario Clark, 18^th. 1985, Derrick Burroughs, 14^th. 1990: J.D. Williams, 16^th. 1993: Thomas Smith, 28^th. 1994, Jeff Burris, 27^th. 1999, Antoine Winfield, 23^rd. 2001, Nate Clements, 21^st.

---Mark Gaughan

Bills' haul in TO

The Bills will make an average of $9.75 million a game in gross revenue from their games in Toronto, it was revealed today. The figure was part of the quarterly report of Rogers Communications, which essentially has leased the games in the series from the Bills. The figure is roughly double what the Bills would pull in for a game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park. And the figure is no big surprise given the expected price of tickets for the games in the Rogers Centre. We're expecting the average price will be $200 - maybe more. That would be a revenue haul of $10.8 million a game just from general seat tickets alone. So this is a lucrative move for the Bills, which is exactly the reason they're doing it, to try to keep pace with rising revenues all around the league. The Bills had the lowest ticket prices in the NFL in 2007, and they're likely to be the lowest again in 2008. Only Jacksonville might be below the Bills. Jacksonville also increased ticket prices this year, but I have not seen what their new average ticket costs.

---Mark Gaughan

SI's Lombardi on Bills

Sports Illustrated is paying former NFL personnel chief Mike Lombardi, who has been with the Raiders, Broncos, Browns, Eagles and 49ers, to do some analysis. His columns have been revealing. In today's installment, he says Buffalo is a team to watch in 2008. Here's the link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/michael_lombardi/04/27/five.things/index.html

And here's Lombardi's item on the Bills:

Buffalo has been quiet but productive in the offseason. It made a trade adding Marcus Stroud to the defensive front, providing some much needed size. The Bills signed a versatile linebacker in Kawika Mitchell from the Giants. And in the draft they added top cornerback Leodis McKelvin, who will also help out in the return game, and big wide receiver James Hardy, who will complement speedsters Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish.

But what really makes the Bills' potential off the charts is the return of linebacker Paul Posluszny, among others, to the 53-man roster. Posluszny, a second-round pick in 2007, joined 11 other Bills last year on injured reserve. The Bills weren't all that far off last season, finishing 7-9 but playing hard in every game.

You better believe the Patriots are paying attention. The Bills are healthy, they have added size to their defense and they keep adding players who impact the kicking game. With all the attention being paid to the Miami Dolphins' new regime and the Jets' spending in free agency, I think the Bills have flown under the hype radar in the AFC East and are in position to challenge for a playoff spot in 2008.

---Mark Gaughan

LB Spragan on radar

Veteran free-agent linebacker Donnie Spragan is on the Bills' radar and we're hearing he's expected to come to town for a visit with the team today. Spragan is a seven-year veteran who spent the past three years with Miami and three years before that with Denver. He's a 6-foot-3, 242-pounder. He started five games for the Fish last year, and nine in both 2006 and 2005. He was a full-time starter for Denver in 2004. If he signed, he would make competition for a backup outside job more intense. Right now, the outside backups are Keith Ellison, Iowa State rookie Alvin Bowen (just drafted in the fifth round) and Blake Costanzo. Spragan's best spot is on the strong side, which would be behind Angelo Crowell.

---Mark Gaughan

FB Barnes set

There were very few good fullback prospects in the draft. The Bills didn't take any. They appear set with free-agent signee Darian Barnes, a former starter with the Jets. He's a good prospect and a proven commodity at that position. Newspaper reports indicate the Bills will sign rookie free agent Mike Viti of Army. He's a 5-foot-9, 240-pounder. The Bills also reportedly will sign Illinois State QB Luke Drone, a 6-1 1-2, 210-pounder.

---Mark Gaughan

Hamdan up, Youboty down

The draft turned out well for Bills No. 3 QB Gibran Hamdan but not well for backup cornerback Ashton Youboty. The Bills did not invest a pick in a quarterback, which was a mild surprise. But to get a decent one they would have had to use a pick in the fourth or fifth round. In the fifth, they passed up San Diego's Josh Johnson, who I loved, along with Oregon's Dennis Dixon, for a backup linebacker - Iowa State's Alvin Bowen. That filled a serious need. They were thin at outside backer, and he will step right into a key role on special teams. And if he pans out, he could be part of the replacement plan for Angelo Crowell, who's entering the last year of his contract. Meanwhile, the fourth-round selection of Reggie Corner was a statement that Youboty will have a hard time making the roster. The Bills' CB lineup: Terrence McGee, Leodis McKelvin, Jabari Greer, William James, Reggie Corner, Ashton Youboty, Kennard Cox. Youboty is sixth on the list, and the team usually only keeps five. I guess the Bills are growing tired of waiting for Youboty to make an impact.

---Mark Gaughan

Rate the picks

Opinion Polls & Market Research

No good reason

The most curious pick of the Bills draft -- although he's a great story -- was D-II running back Xavier Omon in the sixth round. The Bills have no depth issues at running back, and Omon isn't exactly the change-of-pace-type back that, say, Michigan's Mike Hart would have been. Tom Modrak offered no insight into why the Bills went that way, other than to point out Omon's an intriguing specimen with a history of production. What he's not -- or hasn't been -- is a special-teams player. We shall see.

--- Bob DiCesare

Bills seventh-round pick: Kennard Cox, Pitt

Wow, another corner, whatta surprise! Cox has some speed, decent coverage skills and is around the ball a lot, but he's a special teamer all the way.

---Rodney McKissic

Bills seventh-round pick: Steve Johnson, Kentucky

Versatile WR who spent time at split end, flanker and in the slot at Kentucky. He was an uneven performer before his senior year when he finished with over 1,000 recieving and 13 TDs. Johnson has a tall frame (6-2) which makes him a good target up the middle although he needs to gain strength. Development was hindered because of a poor work ethic prior to his senior year. Looks like another special teams candidate.

---Rodney McKissic

Bills seventh-round pick: Demetrius Bell, NW State

A project. Raw, but very athletic Bell originially attended Northwestern State on a basketball scholarship and has only played football since 2005. Played DE before swithcing to LT and scouts love his upside. Lacks bulk and gets by on sheer athletic ability. Could he develop into another Jason Peters?

---Rodney McKissic

Bills sixth-round pick: Xavier Omon, NW Missouri State

Gotta like a guy who rushed for 2,337 yards - 6.3 yards a pop - and 37 TDs as a senior. He also became the first back in NCAA history to rush for more than 1,500 yards in four different seasons. Omon runs strong between the tackles and the speed to take the ball to the outside. He doesn't have the breakaway speed of an elite back and ball secruity, not to mention the kind of competition he faced at Division II, are also concerns.

---Rodney McKissic

Special teams reload

It's obvious the Bills had special teams in mind in with the fifth-round selection of Alvin Bowen, the undersized LB out of Iowa State. The departure of Mario Haggan, Josh Stamer and Coy Wire, among others, opened gaps on the specialty units. Bowen's a high-energy guy they're confident will embrace a special-teams role regardless if he's on the periphery of the LB picture. "We think he has the makeup and mentality to do whatever we ask of him," said DeMontie Cross, the assistant special teams coach who worked with Bowen when he coached at Iowa State. "I have no problem playing special teams," Bowen confirmed.

--- Bob DiCesare

Bills fifth-round pick: Alvin Bowen, Iowa

Bowen gets to the ball carrier in a blink and is very aggressive. Solid in pass coverage and is very intelligent. Has decent height but needs to get stronger. He has trouble bringing down taller ball carriers and needs to learn to wrap up lower. Could play some safety in a pinch, but probably isn't fast enough to play there exclusively. Could be good on special teams.

---Rodney McKissic