1 - Micah Hyde makes NFL's Top 100 listEarly last offseason, the Bills made a few splashes in the free agent market. Two of those splashes went from pebbles to cannon balls after the seasons Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde had in Buffalo last season.
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It was a big reason why Hyde made the list for the NFL's Top 100 airing on NFL Network. Hyde checked in at number 62 on the list in between Cincinnati DT Geno Atkins (63) and new L.A. Rams DT Ndamukong Suh (61).
When Hyde and Poyer arrived at One Bills Drive, Hyde told One Bills Live that Sean McDermott saw something in them that the rest of the NFL didn't seem to see.
"I think we both understood the circumstances once we got here, and talking with Sean McDermott he said, 'Look, you guys have been overlooked. I know what you guys can do,'" said Hyde. "And we, literally the first day we got here, we just looked at each other and said, 'Man, let's do it. This is our turn.' We've been places in the past where I don't think we've been as appreciated as we are here, and once we got here, we were able to do our thing. And we made a promise to each other. We're out there every day and giving it our all, getting this defense lined up and our corners going. And from there things just started happening."
In his four years with the Green Bay Packers before signing with the Bills, Hyde racked up eight interceptions and 184 tackles. His career highs to that point for a single season were three interceptions and 51 tackles. In one year with the Bills, Hyde topped both of those with five interceptions and 65 tackles.
This also earned Hyde his first Pro-Bowl bid.
Hyde enjoyed the success of last season, being a part of the Bills team that broke a 17-year drought in the city, but he is now looking forward to a new year where he knows nothing is handed to him.
"We understand that last year is last year. That's in the past," said Hyde. "We have to continue to work hard and do all that stuff, but that's what OTAs and all that stuff is for. To build back up to that level."
2 - NFL Network's Steve Wyche says don't overlook A.J. McCarronEver since the NFL draft, the hype in Buffalo has surrounded the draft picks. Whether sports fans in the city of Buffalo are talking about the Sabres or Bills, fans are excited about the players of the future. But the Bills signed a quarterback earlier this off season that NFL reporter Steve Wyche said, on the NFL Network, should not be overlooked.
A.J. McCarron came over to Buffalo, signing a two-year, $10 million contract in March. The 27-year-old is a guy Wyche said never really had a chance to prove himself.
"Let's not forget about this," said Wyche. "This is a guy, and I think this is different than Mike Glennon or Mitchell Trubisky last year in Chicago. A.J. McCarron is a young player that really hasn't gotten his shot. He had three starts in Cincinnati when Andy Dalton was injured, and he also started the playoff game. Showed a lot of promise, we know about the failed trade when the Browns tried to get him from Cincinnati last year for a second and third pick. So, this is a motivated player who is probably going to start. I think it is going to be tough for him to lose his job. He's a competitive player, knows how to win ballgames. The Josh Allen hype, may have to simmer down a little bit because of this signing."
Entering his fifth year in the NFL, McCarron has only backed up Andy Dalton during his career so far, not counting the games Dalton was injured for. Now with the Bills, it has been made clear that he will have every opportunity to win the starting job for the upcoming season.
3 - Bleacher Report expects star-quality from EdmundsThe more and more you hear about Tremaine Edmunds, the more you realize how 15 teams may have forgot that he was still on the board when they made their picks in the first round. The Bills newly signed linebacker is expected to be a voice on and off the field, but Bleacher Report has high expectations for the rookie.
Tremaine Edmunds is a raw prospect, but he'll be able to have a big impact as a rookie because of his athletic gifts. Calling his combination of size and speed "rare" would be an understatement because you don't see many defenders run a 4.54-second 40 at 6'5" and 253 pounds.
Think of Edmunds as a Rob Gronkowski who wants to hit people.
Edmunds put up impressive numbers last season with 108 tackles, 14 of them for a loss, 5.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. The former Hokie comes to the Bills with the opportunity to earn a starting job right away.
With Preston Brown out, Edmunds should step into the starting role at middle linebacker. However, he is a do-it-all player who can slide into any linebacker slot if needed and also rush the quarterback off the edge.
Edmunds is only going to get better as he continues to develop his technique. However, he should get Defensive Rookie of the Year consideration this year.
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