Bills To Wait On Kelvin Benjamin Extension
Kelvin Benjamin is entering his contract year, but he won’t get a new contract right away. The Bills plan to wait a bit before getting into extension talks with the wide receiver, GM Brandon Beane tells WGR (Twitter link). 
Benjamin, 27, came to the Bills in a buzzer-beating trade deadline deal with the Panthers last year. Although Beane is plenty familiar with Benjamin thanks to their time together in Carolina, he wants to see how the wide receiver gels with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and quarterbacks A.J. McCarron and Josh Allen before discussing a long-term pact.
For now, Benjamin remains under contract for 2018 for $8.45MM, per the terms of his fifth-year option. He figures to be the top receiving target in the offense as he is joined by second-year pro Zay Jones and veterans Andre Holmes and Jeremy Kerley on the WR depth chart.
In eight games for the Panthers last year, Benjamin totaled 32 grabs for 475 yards and two touchdowns, numbers that were roughly in line with his previous work. However, he had just 16 catches for 217 yards and one score in six contests for Buffalo.
Brandon Beane On Josh Allen, Dez Bryant
Former Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, whom the Bills selected with the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft, is believed by many to have the highest upside of any rookie QB in the 2018 class. However, he is also considered quite raw, and given that Buffalo acquired A.J. McCarron — who does not have much NFL game experience, but who has at least been in the league for a few years — this offseason, the general belief is that Allen will be McCarron’s backup before he gets a chance to establish himself.
- The Bills could use another quality wideout behind starters Kelvin Benjamin and Zay Jones. They added two receivers with their last two picks of the draft (Ray-Ray McCloud with the No. 187 pick and Austin Proehl with the No. 255 pick), but neither player figures to make an immediate impact. However, the team is not interested in free agent Dez Bryant. Beane said, per Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com, “We have looked at Dez on tape, but I wouldn’t take it any further and I don’t know where that would go. We’re looking to get better at all positions and receiver is one, so if we thought that was the right fit for us we would potentially pursue it.”
Bills Offered Broncos Two First-Rounders?
When the Browns chose Denzel Ward at No. 4 instead of Bradley Chubb, that nixed a Broncos-Bills trade. And Mike Klis of 9News reports Buffalo was set to give up both its No. 12 and No. 22 picks, in addition to a second-round selection, for the right to move up to No. 5.
Instead, the Broncos passed and chose Chubb, whom Klis notes the team had tied with Saquon Barkley as being the top player in the draft. But the Bills were also willing to part with one of their second-rounders — either No. 53 or No. 56 — in a deal that was going to involve Denver sending Buffalo one of its third-round choices (either No. 71 or No. 99).
So, the Broncos valued the N.C. State-honed pass rusher immensely, passing on additional first- and second-round picks in order to stay put.
The Bills’ package sent to the Buccaneers, for the right to draft Josh Allen at No. 7, included both second-rounders and a seventh-round selection. The offer to the Broncos containing the No. 22 choice — which Buffalo used to trade up and select Tremaine Edmunds — runs counter to a report from earlier on Thursday indicating Brandon Beane wasn’t willing to part with both of his first-round picks. But that report surfaced before the draft began; the events of the opening hour Thursday night could have changed things.
The Colts also called the Broncos about moving up to select Chubb, Klis reports, but John Elway elected to stay put and attempt to load up his team’s edge-rushing contingent. As for what was going to transpire if the Browns took Chubb and the Bills suddenly pulled their offer, the Broncos were likely to select either Quenton Nelson or Roquan Smith, per Klis.
Sam Darnold remained the quarterback Elway preferred, with Klis reporting the Broncos had cooled on Baker Mayfield to the point they wouldn’t have taken him at No. 5. While that didn’t end up mattering, it could be notable if Allen or Josh Rosen end up being long-term answers for their respective teams. The Broncos dropped out of the Kirk Cousins derby and signed Case Keenum to a two-year deal, making it less likely they were going to use their top offseason resource on another quarterback, and were not closely linked to either Allen or Rosen late in the pre-draft process.
NFL Draft Rumors: Bills, Broncos, Chubb
Day 1 of the NFL Draft is in the books, but there are plenty of big-name players left on the board. As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) notes, quarterback Mason Rudolph, running back Derrius Guice, tight end Dallas Goedert, offensive lineman Connor Williams, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, wide receivers Anthony Miller, D.J. Chark, and Courtland Sutton, defensive ends Harold Landry and Sam Hubbard, and cornerbacks Josh Jackson and Isaiah Oliver are all available as we get set for the second round.
Here’s the latest NFL Draft news:
- The Bills and Broncos had agreed to a trade based on who was available; but Broncos decided not to pass up on Bradley Chubb at No. 5 overall, Schefter tweets. Things worked out just fine for the Bills, however, as they were able to move up to the No. 7 spot to select quarterback Josh Allen. The move to No. 7 cost the Bills the No. 12 pick and a pair of second-rounders (No. 53 and No. 56), but they did not have to part with the No. 22 pick, which they later used to move up to No. 16 for linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
- The Bears surprisingly tried to trade up from the No. 8 pick, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. It’s not clear who they were targeting, but they were able to land Georgia’s Roquan Smith, who many feel has the potential to be a top-tier inside linebacker.
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Colts GM Chris Ballard says he had an opportunity to trade back from No. 6, but the team would have had to move back too far for their comfort (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4). Ultimately, they stood pat and landed Quenton Nelson with the sixth pick.
- The Colts had Smith and Nelson close on their board, but they ultimately favored Nelson because of the need to protect quarterback Andrew Luck, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
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Browns GM John Dorsey says about half a dozen teams wanted to trade up to No. 4, but the value never was attractive enough for him to pull the trigger (Twitter link via Mike Jones of USA Today). The Browns arguably could have traded down and still landed Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, but they apparently did not want to take that chance.
Bills Acquire No. 16 From Ravens
The Bills are having a busy night. After acquiring the No. 7 pick earlier this evening (which they used on quarterback Josh Allen), the team has now acquired the No. 16 pick from the Ravens. The team tweeted that they’ll be sending Baltimore picks No. 22 and No. 65, and Buffalo will also be receiving No. 154. ESPN’s Mike Rodak was the first with the news (via Twitter).
The Bills are using the pick on linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. The Virginia Tech product is considered to be one of the top defenders in the entire draft, as Daniel Jeremiah listed him sixth in his top-5o rankings. Edmunds had a productive junior season, compiling 108 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks. The rookie will likely compete with Matt Milano and Tanner Vallejo for a starting gig.
The trade will give the Ravens a second third-rounder, and it will give the organization nine picks for the entire weekend. Reports had indicated that the organization was eyeing offensive linemen Mike McGlinchey and Kolton Miller. With the two off the board, the team switched their focus to a trade.
Bills Acquire No. 7 Pick From Buccaneers
We have our first trade of the night. The Bills have acquired the No. 7 pick from the Buccaneers, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). In return, Tampa Bay will receive the Bills No. 12 pick, a pair of second-rounders (No. 53 and No. 56), and No. 255 (seventh-round).
The Bills will use their newly-acquired pick on quarterback Josh Allen. The Wyoming product was among the top signal-callers available in the draft, and he had been connected to several teams in the top-10 (including the Broncos, who instead opted for Bradley Chubb). Allen had another solid campaign in 2017, completing 56.3-percent of his passes for 1,812 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Allen will have to compete with A.J. McCarron, who signed a two-year deal with the Bills earlier this offseason, for the starting gig. The Bills are also rostering Nathan Peterman.
We heard moments ago that Buffalo was unwilling to sacrifice a pair of first-round picks in order to move up. Ultimately, it sounds like general manager Brandon Beane got his wish. The Bills had been connected to a number of early selections, including the first-round picks owned by the Browns (No. 4), Broncos (No. 5), and Colts (No. 6). With those teams ultimately holding on to their picks, Buffalo shifted their focus to Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers headed into the night with only a pair of picks in the first three rounds. Thanks to the trade, they’ll now have four picks in that span, including three second-rounders (No. 38, No. 53, and No. 56).
Bills Unwilling To Trade Two First Rounders
The Bills won’t be selling the farm to trade up. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that general manager Brandon Beane isn’t willing to give up a pair of first-rounders in order to move up from the No. 12 pick.
The Bills have been connected to a number of early selections, including the first-round picks owned by the Browns (No. 4), Broncos (No. 5), and Colts (No. 6). By making a trade, Buffalo would presumably be looking to secure one of the top signal-callers. However, with only Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold off the board (through five picks), a quarterback may end up falling into their lap.
The writing has been on the wall for the Bills to make a move for a quarterback in this draft ever since the team dealt Tyrod Taylor to the Browns. Buffalo is armed with both the No. 12 and No. 22 selections, and it sounds like they’ll be hanging on to those picks for now.
Draft Notes: Ravens, Seahawks, Saints, Browns
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes as we get ready for the start of the draft…
- There are a number of teams currently picking in the twenties that would be interested in moving up to the teens, reports Jason La Canfora (via Twitter). Interestingly, those teams may have some suitors, as the reporter notes that the Ravens and Seahawks are among the teams interested in trading back.
- Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland told Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune that running back Saquon Barkley is the top player on their draft board (Twitter link). “He’s rare,” Ireland gushed. “He’s unique.” Of course, barring some crazy development, the Saints are unlikely to have an opportunity to select Barkley, as they’re only armed with one pick in the first two rounds. Plus, the team is already rostering several talented running backs, including Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram.
- There could end up being a flurry of trades if the Browns select Baker Mayfield with the first-overall pick, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter video). All of the potential scenarios have seemingly stalled trade talks, although Rapoport notes that the Browns (No. 4), Broncos (No. 5), and Colts (No. 6) are among the teams who’d consider moving down. The Bills could be among the teams looking to trade into the top-six range, and the Broncos could ultimately choose to keep their pick if someone like Josh Allen falls into their lap.
- Rapoport also notes (via Twitter) that several prospects are expected to be selected earlier than initially thought: Maryland wideout D.J. Moore, UTSA defensive end Marcus Davenport, and Louisville Jaire Alexander. Davenport and Alexander both landed in the top-20 of Daniel Jeremiah’s rankings, while Moore was listed 37th.
Browns, Colts Lead League In Cap Space
The Browns and Colts have the most cap room of any team in the NFL heading into draft, as Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes. Here’s the official rundown of every team’s cap space for 2018 on the eve of draft weekend:
- Browns – $69.5MM
- Colts – $59.8MM
- 49ers – $43.8MM
- Titans – $35.8MM
- Texans -$35.6MM
- Bears – $24.1MM
- Jets – $21.9MM
- Bills – $19.4MM
- Jaguars – $18.6MM
- Cardinals – $18.1MM
- Redskins -$17.1MM
- Bengals – $16.8MM
- Packers – $16.2MM
- Vikings – $15.5MM
- Broncos – $14.6MM
- Patriots – $13.8MM
- Buccaneers – $12.3MM
- Cowboys -$11.9MM
- Chargers – $11.4MM
- Lions – $9.4MM
- Giants -$9.4MM
- Ravens – $8.8MM
- Seahawks – $7.6MM
- Chiefs – $6.7MM
- Saints – $5.7MM
- Panthers – $5.2MM
- Dolphins – $2.9MM
- Eagles – $2.2MM
- Steelers – $2MM
- Raiders – $1.8MM
- Falcons – $1.3MM
- Rams – $264K
Bills Unlikely To Trade Up To Giants’ No. 2 Pick?
Many have speculated that the Bills will use the Nos. 12 and 22 picks to move up to the top 5 and the Giants, who are reportedly split on this year’s top quarterback prospects, appear to be logical trade partner. However, that might not be in the cards.
Right now, it seems unlikely that Bills GM Brandon Beane will “sell out” and trade up to the second pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). Instead, the Bills are more likely to make a move if a QB they like falls to No. 5 or No. 6.
The writing has been on the wall for the Bills to make a move for a quarterback in this draft ever since the team dealt Tyrod Taylor to the Browns. Though there is a chance a quarterback they like could fall to No. 12, it has long been speculated the team will use both picks to go after the team’s No. 1 target.
With the Browns (No. 1 and No. 4) and Jets (No. 3) likely locked in to taking a quarterback, Buffalo could find more likely trade partners in the Broncos and Colts. Denver has the No. 5 pick and could be out of the quarterback market after they signed Case Keenum in the offseason. The Colts at No. 6 could also be looking to acquire additional assets from a team looking to get in on the quarterback feeding frenzy.
The Cardinals have been heavily linked to Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and could also be looking to move up into the top 10 if the Heisman Trophy winner falls.