Bills beef up roster
By DERIK WAGNER NeXt Correspondent
Updated: 04/30/08 6:56 AM
Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron has stressed that this has to be the year that the Bills break their playoff drought. It looks like the Bills took another step in the right direction last weekend in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Day One went as well as could reasonably be expected. Leodis McKelvin, the cornerback out of Troy, was generally considered by experts to be the top corner in the draft and was expected to be gone by the time the Bills were on the clock at No. 11. McKelvin was a shutdown corner for Troy and recorded 60 tackles and 11 pass breakups in 2007. He adds depth to a weak corner position but also can be dangerous returning kicks on special teams, scoring three touchdowns last year.
The first round went by without a single receiver being selected, and only three were selected before the Bills pick at No. 41. The Bills used that pick to select receiver James Hardy out of Indiana. The Bills needed a big wide receiver to draw coverage away from Lee Evans and to be a target for Trent Edwards in the red zone. Hardy is just what the doctor ordered. He’s 6-foot-6 and 217 pounds and had 79 receptions and 16 touchdowns in his junior and last season with Indiana.
Day 2 also went well. Thirdround pick, defensive end Chris Ellis, had 8.5 sacks with Virginia Tech last year and adds depth to a thin position that lost Anthony Hargrove to a year-long suspension. He should be able to have an impact in a rotation with Chris Kelsay and Aaron Schobel.
More depth was also added to the cornerback position in the fourth round, with Reggie Corner from Akron who had 15 interceptions in his college career. Tight end Derek Fine can block, help out downfield for Edwards, and adds depth to a position that has been mediocre in recent years.
Other prospects that are looking to make the roster are linebacker Alvin Bowen, running back Xavier Omon, offensive tackle Demetrius Bell, receiver Steve Johnson, and cornerback Kennard Cox. These picks cannot be counted out. Omon had 92 touchdowns in his Division II career and is the type of player you pick in the sixth round, players who don’t have all the tools of the Day One picks, but played very well at their level of competition. Bell is very good athletically and is well liked by scouts.
Derik Wagner is a freshman at Canisius High School.
