As expected, general manager Buddy Nix and vice president of college scouting Tom Modrak have kept the exact details of their draft intentions behind closed doors. That, however, did not stop them from expressing the utmost of confidence in the player personnel they already have at their disposal.
A lot has been said in recent years about the offensive line, particularly at the left tackle position. That, Nix and Modrak admit, is something the Bills are working hard to address. And while they believe they have three solid quarterbacks on the roster capable of being successful in the NFL, they did not rule out grabbing a field general in the draft, should the opportunity present itself.
These were just some of the topics discussed at the Pre-Draft Media Luncheon Wednesday afternoon at One Bills Drive.
Nix's overall view of the draft was that of doing anything possible to bolster a roster which is trying to reach the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. Question marks are yet to be answered, and with that, a concrete approach really seems to be up in the air.
"Let me just make this (clear) where it won't be a shock on draft day," said Nix. "You read about all the things we need. We've got to have a left tackle, we've got to have a quarterback, we've got to have this. The way we see our players is probably a little different than you guys see them."
"We've got a different opinion about some of the guys that we have. We've got a different opinion about how many guys can fill a need in the draft. Quarterback's the same way. When it comes time, if we think there's two left tackles in the draft that can come in and make an immediate impact that can play from Day 1, that's what we expect from a top-10 choice. But we don't always get what we want. It's like Christmas time. You don't always get what you're looking for."
Nix stated that the coach will be a big part of the process and will definitely have an opinion as to who gets drafted.
"Absolutely (head coach Chan Gailey will have an impact)," he said. "I think what he's saying is we need a guy. It'd be nice to have a guy that can create points for you, field position and create ways to score."
Nix explained the team's philosophy and addressed how he handles what other teams are doing.
"You know, I tried to make that clear when I first came here. I really am not concerned with what other folks do," Nix said. "What they do doesn't affect us. I've got all I can do without worrying about Miami or the Jets and the trades they make. We're looking to upgrade, to improve our team in any way we can. It doesn't make us get impatient. It's not going to make us change."
With the Bills slated to select ninth, and six offensive tackles projected to come off the board in the first round, Buffalo's brass is set to address that issue.
Two left tackles, Oklahoma's Trent Williams and Rutgers' Anthony Davis, are some names the Bills have certainly taken notice of, not to mention Iowa's Bryan Bulaga.
"Anthony Davis continues to show improvement, but he is a young guy," said Modrak. "There's a few more peaks and valleys. He's gotten better. He just keeps getting better. You would expect he will continue to get better. That's always the judgment on young guys."
Another hot topic was the quarterback position, Nix admits he's happy with what he already has. With Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm retained from last year's squad, it would appear the depth is sufficient, but the three have yet to prove themselves in their time with Buffalo. That being said, drafting a QB isn't necessarily out of the question.
"I think the quarterback position is different," said Nix. "We've got three guys that got a shot. We told them, 'This is a new beginning for us, prove to us if you can or not.'"
Two quarterbacks on everyone's mind are Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen. But neither Modrak nor Nix made an affirmation on any intentions toward the two.
Modrak did, however, praise their abilities.
"From a talent standpoint, both of their talents are a little bit different," he said. "Sam has worked out of a different kind of offense, never under center, where Jimmy's been under center. They're both accurate guys, they're both competitive guys, and they both know the game well. I think they're both going to be productive in the league."
And as for Florida quarterback Tim Tebow: "Tim's going to have a terrific career," Modrak said. "He just has a will to do everything right. And he has. And he'll continue to prove himself. I think he's a competitive guy, a smart guy. He has a will to win. Those things help you to produce."
Nix also emphasized the importance of having two running backs on the roster. And as of this moment, Marshawn Lynch still fits that role.
"Our intention is for Marshawn to be here," said Nix. "He's under contract. We think he's a good back. We need two backs. All this trade talk, it's not coming from us."
"We're going to do what's best for the Bills. We expect him to show up when it's mandatory."
In Nix's first year as the Bills' general manager, he hopes to make an immediate impact while focusing on the long-term competitiveness of the team.
"Winning is what we're conscious of and that's what we're trying to do. We want to make sure we can do everything we can do in the long haul."
"We want to be sure that we're building a good foundation and we can continue to build on it."
