1. Personnel department set to meet with wide receivers on Tuesday night
MOBILE, AL - Bills general manager Brandon Beane was interested in the lengthy list of receiver prospects who were to participate in this week's Senior Bowl practices this week. Unfortunately, some of those prospects had to withdraw, but it didn't impact his belief that the wide receiver class this year has a lot to offer.
"At that position, yeah there are some guys out here," said Beane. "The list a couple weeks ago was even better, but a couple guys had to bow out due to injury. But this was a pretty good list of guys to look at, so this will be a good week."
Beane and his personnel department began the process of meeting with player prospects on Monday evening. Unlike the NFL combine there is no time limit on interviews and no limit on the number of players a team can sit down and interview.
And he and his staff intend to sit with some receiver prospects Tuesday evening.
"We met with some guys last night but none of them were receivers," he said. "Hopefully tonight I think we have a few slated. But yeah, there's definitely some guys here that could come in and help us play and then there's a decent amount of underclassmen that came out too. So right now it looks to this point like there will be some options for us. It's a pretty deep position."
2. Preliminary contact with Bills unrestricted free agents
The NFL free agent market opens in a little less than two months, but the Bills have already taken initial steps to try to re-sign some of their own soon-to-be free agents. Beane wasn't naming names but did confirm their offseason signing process is underway.
"Some of these guys we've had preliminary discussions with their agents and, like I mentioned at the end of season press conference, some of these guys I know they're going to want to see what their market is and they've earned the right to go to free agency," he said. "But if we come up with something that they feel, doing their research is at their market value or greater then I'm sure they would sign up beforehand."
Beane doesn't believe fans should think if a Bills impending free agent isn't signed by March that they're not returning. Last offseason, Buffalo re-signed Jordan Phillips on March 5th, just a week and a half before the market opened.
"That happens a lot," said Beane. "It doesn't mean if they go all the way to March and we haven't got him signed that we won't get it done. Sometimes guys truly have to get a feel for what their market is before they want to make a decision, if they're going to stay."
Buffalo's GM said they'll set a value on their own free agents and stick to it to stay fiscally responsible.
"We have to set a value, just like we do with the phase when we sign free agents from other teams," he said. "And if they go outside of that value that we put on them, then we have to be willing to let them walk and understand now we've got to find a replacement."
3. Beane excited about addition of new defensive line coach
Buffalo had an addition to its coaching staff after defensive line coach Bill Teerlinck left to coach at Virginia Tech. Eric Washington was hired as the team's new defense line coach and is a coach with whom head coach Sean McDermott and Beane are familiar.
"Really excited to have Eric on staff," Beane said. "Due to transition in Carolina with (former head) coach (Ron) Rivera, he became available. This is what I'll say about Eric. He is one of the best D-line coaches I've been around, and he will bring a toughness, an edge. Big time leader.
"I think when you guys meet Eric you'll be very impressed with him. He's done well if you look at Carolina's D line since he came on board in 2011. He's a good man, good family guy. He fits what Sean and I are trying to do and I think he's going to be a big asset for Coach Frazier."
Washington coached alongside McDermott in Carolina for six seasons prior to now reuniting with him in Buffalo.
