That could be true....but no ILB is probably going to go in the first round. #27 for Campbell would be a dumb reach. The Bills could trade UP into the middle second round from #59 and still probably get him.
First round should be the best offensive skill player on the board....almost assuredly a WR. Unless Bijan Robinson is there at #27.
Maybe the Bills could trade Oliver for a high 2nd round pick and take the best ILB on the board after drafting a WR in round one.
Now that FA is almost over and the latest signing of S Rapp (a seemingly extremely smart one) priorities for draft are becoming pretty clear.
#1 - WR - There are at least five or six WR’s that could provide the Bills with immediate impact. If any of Smith-Njigba (he won’t be), Addison (he won’t be) Flowers, Johnson, Hyatt or maybe even Tillman are avaible at #27, the Bills should finally spend some valuable draft capital on giving Allen some more offensive weapons.
#2 - LB - The huge loss of Edmunds is not easily filled. Passing (correctly) on Wagner reveals their mindset (so far....they still may sign a proven vet, albeit not an expensive one). There should be some viable LB’s to be had in the 2nd and/or third round. Although 2nd round seems more likely. Jack Campbell seems to fit the profile the Bills want pretty well...although reaching for him in round 1 would be a mistake.
After that best player available keeping an eye towards S, DL, RB and O-line depth.
WR, OL, TE, RB. **** the defense, just score more points
notacon (03-28-2023)
notacon (03-28-2023)
YardRat Wall of Fame
#56 DARRYL TALLEY #29 DERRICK BURROUGHS#22 FRED JACKSON #95 KYLE WILLIAMS
Mace (03-27-2023)
We should be getting a 3rd round compensatory pick for Edmunds. Maybe even #65.
I could see them packaging it to move up in the 2nd to get Campbell.
Exactly. We need all the o talent we can get because we’re schematically unimaginative and ******ed.
Unless you get another premier pass rusher which we 1) don’t have the money for and 2) don’t draft high enough for, then please don’t waste valuable early round picks on defensive players. This is 2023 NFL and we have Josh Allen. Quickest way to a SB is beefing up o line and adding skill players, not plugging defensive holes that have a negligible consequence anyway
notacon (03-28-2023)
I forgot about Josh Downs. Thanks.
The chances of the Bills reaching for Campbell at #27 are doubtful to very slim. I think it would be a bad reach. I agree that it’s probably not a good idea to move up in round 2. I suspect that the chances on Campbell being there at #59 are greater than the Bills trading up to get him.
If he’s not there at #59 rely on their draft board and take the best player available with leaning to ILB or IOL.
That possible compensatory pick would be for the 2024 draft, and not determined until after the 2023 season is over. So, there is nothing to trade with.
The FA losses (and additions) that are taken into consideration in awarding compensatory picks include signings and losses done up until early May, after the 2023 draft is over, but nor handed out until the 2023 season is over.
That is why Beane said this week that they are mindful of not signing any FA that are over about $1.5M, because that would effect the possible 2024 3rd round compensatory pick the Bills could get for losing Edmunds.
That does not preclude the Bills from making a trade to move up to get Campbell, and that is a draft day decision based on how the board falls.
I would really enjoy being a fly on the wall in the draft room on draft day. Privy to the conversations that go on between GM’s.
Here is a great draft day story from Scott Pioli on how they outsmarted the Jets to grab Matt Light in the 2001 draft out from under their noses because Matt Light told him the Jets were interested in him....
“It was in 2001 and we wanted to pick Matt Light,” Pioli said on “Good Morning Football.” “We were at No. 50, the Jets were at 49, the Lions were at 48. Around pick 45, 46, that’s when you start reaching out to a group of players who might be available that you might pick. I picked up the phone, I called Matt Light. Matt says, ‘Hey, Scott. How you doing?’ ‘I’m good. Have you heard from anybody?’ He says, ‘Well, I’m actually on the phone with the Jets. They’re on hold right now. They’re staying on the phone with me because they want to pick me at their pick.’ I look at the board and I see they’re at 49, we’re at 50. Matt Light was the guy we wanted so badly. Before I jumped off the phone I said, ‘Matt, don’t tell anyone that I just called. Make sure that you don’t tell any team the Patriots just called because you don’t want to give it up.’
“The good news is he had given up that he was on the phone with the Jets. Bill (Belichick) and I start burning up the phone lines prior to the Jets’ pick, talked to (former Lions general manager) Matt Millen. I can’t remember if it was a fifth or a sixth he wanted for us to move up two spots. So while Matt Light is still on the phone with the Jets, we execute the trade, jump up two spots, get right ahead of the New York Jets and at pick 48 we draft Matt Light and get who becomes a Patriots Hall of Fame player for us during that time.
"But again, had the Jets maybe told Matt Light not to say anything about who he was on the phone with, we wouldn’t have made that trade to get up because we didn’t know that was their guy. So, you got to keep things on the down low.”
To be a fly on the wall!!!!