Here's the Bills news of note for June 29th.
**1 - Tre'Davious White went back to school
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NFL Player Engagement is a resource for current and retired NFL players to help them adjust to the journey of professional football. Recently, player engagement insider, Mark Eckel, had Bills first-round pick Tre'Davious White in the spotlight.
White was a special player for the LSU Tigers throughout his career there and had the opportunity to enter the draft last season but he didn't. White chose to stay and complete his education.
"If I would have come out last year I believe I would have gone in the first round, but I wasn't necessarily concerned about it because I knew God had a plan for me,'' White said. "And this was my plan right here all along. I wanted to become a more complete player and I wanted to mature as a person. I knew last year as a 20 or 21-year-old that I wasn't ready for the lifestyle of an NFL player. I wasn't going to be able to balance the two, so I needed that extra year to just enjoy myself with my friends and just mature as a player and then get the opportunity to get my college degree. That was something I always wanted to do.
"And then also, my time at LSU, I hadn't accomplished everything I wanted. I wanted to be first team All-SEC. I wanted to be first team All-American. I wanted to win the (Jim) Thorpe (Award, presented to the nation's best defensive back). And I wanted to win a national championship. I was able to achieve most of my goals and I feel like now I left a great standing there.''
White earned his degree in sports administration. He was named first team All-SEC and first team All-American. He was a Thorpe Finalist, but lost out to Southern Cal's Adoree' Jackson, another first-round pick (of the Tennessee Titans).
You can find the full article here from NFL Player engagement.
2 - Rotoworld: Bills fantasy football preview
While the Bills have four more weeks until training camp, it is the perfect time to start studying for your fantasy football leagues. Rotoworld's, Evan Silva, has recently been doing previews for each NFL team and has written one about the Bills.
While offensive players are more important for fantasy purposes, Silva does a great job of breaking down each position and making predictions. Here is a small tidbit of what he had to say about Bills RB LeSean McCoy:
***LeSean McCoy** reestablished himself as a top-five NFL back in his second year with Buffalo, averaging a career-high 5.41 yards per carry and scoring the second most touchdowns of his career (14) despite losing nine TDs to sometimes goal-line vulture **Mike Gillislee**. Next Gen Stats charted McCoy with the NFL's third-highest YPC average (5.48) against eight-man boxes, while Pro Football Focus credited the Bills' offensive line with an NFL-best 2.88 yards created before contact per rushing attempt. With Gillislee gone to Foxboro, McCoy's grip on full-time bellcow work is as secure as it's ever been. Under new OC **Rick Dennison**, the Bills will implement an outside-zone running game and stay committed to running voluminously, a notion supported by their four-year, $8.4 million investment into ex-Falcons FB Patrick DiMarco, who earned PFF's Nos. 1 and 3 run-blocking grades among fullbacks the past two years. Buffalo returns all five offensive line starters and traded up for power-blocking RT Dion Dawkins in the second round. McCoy also benefits from Tyrod's dual threat, which creates additional room. Deservedly, McCoy currently holds an ADP of RB4 behind David Johnson, Le'Veon Bell, and Ezekiel Elliott. *
Check out the full piece where he does a break down of more players.
3 - PFF: Sammy Watkins ranks well in deep ball touchdowns
To nobody's surprise, Bills wide out Sammy Watkins has proven to be an efficient player on the field. He has displayed strong hands, speed and the ability to create separation with his route running. Analytics website, Pro Football Focus, has taken notice.
Their fantasy football account recently posted to their twitter an informational graph where Watkins is in great company. Since 2007, Watkins ranks fifth in deep-ball touchdowns per game where he came in at .30. He joins the company of Mike Evans, A.J. Green, Terrell Owens and Martavis Bryant.
Watkins is a proven game changer when on the field and will look to contribute to the Bills offense in 2017.
