NFL Buffalo Bills

Tight End, Help Up Front Top Buffalo Bills Draft Needs

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By @rickstavig

Buffalo Bills, NFL Draft

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

With the Buffalo Bills officially eliminated from playoff contention for the 15th consecutive season, the attention will soon turn entirely to free agency and the 2015 NFL Draft, where they might finally add the pieces to reach the postseason once again.

Their biggest need is a QB, obviously, as they’re still searching for Jim Kelly’s replacement nearly 20 years after his retirement. E.J. Manuel is clearly not the long term answer here, and Kyle Orton is only a stopgap. The problem is that there are really only two potential franchise QB’s likely to be in the ’15 draft class (Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and FSU’s Jameis Winston), and neither of them will be available in the middle of the second round, where the Bills first pick lies. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them use an obligatory draft pick on a QB at some point in this draft, but I just don’t expect it to wind up being what they’re looking for.

Help on the offensive line is a must considering they graded out as one of the worst in the NFL in run blocking this fall and finished 25th in the league in rushing yards per game. RB C.J. Spiller is likely gone in free agency and Fred Jackson is 34 so help in the backfield would reduce the burden some, but it’s easier to find yards from a replacement back than it is to find quality linemen up front, especially in the modern era of the game. There’s some quality talent amongst the young linemen taken in last year’s draft class, but major strides need to be made in their development and more depth is needed throughout.

A playmaking tight end continues to elude the team. The receiving corps has a ton of talent and athleticism but there’s no reliable threat down the seams and underneath, nor a big red zone target to help out on jump balls. Someone like Devin Funchess (Michigan) would be ideal, but the Bills would likely need to trade back up into the latter parts of round one to make that happen, and trading up big in two straight years can severely hamstring the teams draft capital over time. Jeff Heuerman (Ohio State) should be available at that point and would also be a good option.

Defensively, much of their needs will be dictated by what they do in terms of re-signing their own, like DE Jerry Hughes, LB Brandon Spikes, S Da’Norris Searcy and what their long term plans for DT Marcell Dareus is after 2015. Frontline talent is there but depth is always a concern, particularly in their front seven. With Mario Williams making huge money, Dareus set to make huge money in another year and Hughes looking for a big deal, not everyone is going to get paid so someone who could step into a starting role in another year or so will be on the minds of the front office.

As a whole, the Bills are in pretty good shape cap-wise, so I expect them to be active in free agency. They’ll re-sign a few of their own, will likely add a starter or two on the market then continue adding young building blocks on draft weekend. A big and athletic playmaker at tight end could be the first and easiest thing to find with their top pick, but also don’t be surprised to see them continue to invest highly up front.

Rick Stavig is an NFL Draft Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickstavig or add him to your network on Google+.

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