Boomer calls the Bills the most exciting team in the AFC East ...
"…Now that the Draft now is finally over and we look forward to OTA's and the NFL season, there is only one team that is peaking my interest significantly since the day they hired their new coach and that is the Buffalo Bills. If you're a Bills fan, I'm telling you right now, you have every reason to be excited. Now I still know that you have somewhat of a whole at quarterback. It looks like Matt Cassel will probably be named the starter as you head into the season but the fact remains, you have a great personality at coach, you're going to have a great defense, you've added great offensive weapons, and I think that this is a team that should win at least nine to ten games. I still think it will be a struggle within the division because this division now, the AFC East, is starting to look like a lot like the NFC West did about five or six years ago as they were building defenses and it all comes down to defensive lines and the Buffalo Bills will have one of the best in the NFL if not, the best in the NFL in that area so that's the one team at this point that seems to be the most relevant; the Buffalo Bills. Who would've thought? ..."
FOX Sports 1 reporter Peter Schrager says the Bills had the best offseason in the NFL so far ...
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Q: Let's look at the offseason. You had cuts, free agency, and now the Draft. Which team is the most improved overall?**
PS: I think we get shocked by the sticker-shock of the Draft where who made the biggest…to me it was the Buffalo Bills who didn't even have a first round pick but you look at the culture change that Buffalo's undergoing. It's not only just Rex Ryan and LeSean McCoy. It's also…you have Dennis Thurman as a new defensive coordinator. You bring in Greg Roman as the offensive coordinator and then you bring in all these guys like Charles Clay we're looking at right here. The Buffalo Bills have already one of the best defenses in the league…they only got better. You add LeSean McCoy and Rex is going to be Rex…
Q: Who's the quarterback though?
PS: They've got several new ones and watch this: everyone's talking about Matt Cassel and EJ Manuel. Circle this now in May: Tyrod Taylor. He used to be the backup quarterback with the Baltimore Ravens. They signed him. He is the buzz of Bills' camp right now. Tyrod Taylor out of Virginia Tech. He might be the guy to start week one. Keep an eye on him.
No. 9 – Buffalo Bills
They appear legitimately poised to finally snap a 15-season playoff drought ... assuming Rex gets at least average QB play.
75. Kyle Williams, ID, Buffalo Bills (Unranked)
Williams was at it again in 2014 with some big performances that forced him back onto this list. He's not quite as destructive against the run as he once was and might not play as many snaps as yesteryear. Williams still got that knack for making interior linemen look incredibly bad with his ability to generate pressure. He may be down the list for praise when it comes to the Buffalo line but he just makes plays.
Best Performance: Week 3, SD @ BUF, 9.3
Key Stat: Only one defensive tackle had a better pass rushing grade than Williams.
No. 3 – Buffalo Bills
2015 Defensive Coordinator: Dennis Thurman
Everyone thinks of Rex Ryan as a defensive wizard, but he credits his success to his defensive coordinator, Dennis Thurman, according to Sal Maiorana of the Democrat & Chronicle:
"It's one of those things, 'I hope you sign me quick so I can keep Dennis.' One of the smartest guys I've ever been around. He gets things quick. The players love him, respect him. We've been together for a long time, and it's because I need him. He makes me look good."
Thurman joined Ryan in Buffalo as imports from New York, where they will not suffer from an increasingly depleted roster like they had with the Jets over the past couple of seasons.
On paper, the Bills should have one of the best defenses in the league. The only real loss on that side of the ball was safety Da'Norris Searcy—unless you count still-unsigned Brandon Spikes, who is a limited player—and they added cornerback Ronald Darby to bolster the secondary.
Buffalo sported the fourth-best defense in the league last season, and that was before Ryan and Thurman showed up. This unit could get all the way to the top in those capable coaching hands.
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- Buffalo Bills:** The arrow is definitely pointing up in Buffalo and a splashy series of moves this off-season will provide upgrades in any number of areas, including coaching (Rex Ryan), the running game (LeSean McCoy), tight end (Charles Clay) and all-around offensive playmaking (Percy Harvin). Going from Kyle Orton to Matt Cassel as the alternative to EJ Manuel seems like a wash at best, but this Bills team is finally deep enough to end the playoff drought and earn a wild-card slot.
2015 Offensive Coordinator: Greg Roman
It will be interesting to see who comes out of the quarterback scrum between former first-rounder EJ Manuel and offseason additions Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor (and possibly Jeff Tuel).
Whoever is behind center will have the luxury of handing the ball early and often to running back LeSean McCoy, who totaled 626 carries for 2,926 yards and 14 scores the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. New fullback Jerome Felton helps as well, and new head coach Rex Ryan hopes the team's offensive line improves from a year ago.
The team's young wide receivers such as Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, who each caught 65 passes in 2014, are now supplemented by reliable tight end Charles Clay.
This will be a very intriguing offensive team if one of the quarterbacks can step up in a big way this season.
Buffalo Bills
After their move in the 2014 draft to move up in the first round to get Sammy Watkins, the Bills were without a first round pick. They have to feel fortunate that a player of corner Ron Darby's talent level was there late in the second. Darby has very good cover skills and is better than average versus the run. He needs to improve his overall ball skills, having had only two career interceptions. He may be the fastest corner in this draft.
Louisville's John Miller is a tough, strong and physical interior offensive lineman. At 6'2, he may be best suited to play center. As a rookie, he will most likely be a guard/tackle swingman.
To get a running back the caliber of Karlos Williams in the fifth round is a steal. He is big and physical with outstanding top end speed. Nick O'Leary has to be a "move" tight end. He isn't as big or fast as you would like, but he has been a four year playmaker while at Florida Stare.
Wide receiver Dezmin Lewis from Central Arkansas is still a bit raw, but he has the natural traits to eventually develop into a quality third or even second receiver in the league.
Best signing: Justin Hamilton, DT
The Buffalo Bills have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. One position with a backup opening is defensive tackle. Justin Hamilton is certainly talented enough to claim the Bills' backup defensive tackle job.
Hamilton was a force at Louisiana-Lafayette. His 6'2", 311-pound frame is NFL-ready, making him a handful for opponents. He had an impressive 28 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in his collegiate career.
Buffalo Bills: John Miller, G, Louisville
... The Bills needed to draft at least one guard this year who could quickly step in and provide reliable play, and they should get that from John Miller, the No. 81 overall pick.
The strong-side player on a Louisville offensive line that flipped its guards, Miller should be capable of starting as a rookie at either left or right guard. He is a strong, technically sound player who projects as a good fit for new Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman's power-running system.
Miller is not a spectacular athlete, but the Bills don't need a star to get better at the guard position—they just need reliability.
His ability to win with his strength and hands, both driving defenders back as a run-blocker and keeping them at bay as a pass-blocker, should enable him to be a solid starter for years to come. Should that be the case, he'll be well worth the investment of a third-round pick.
