SB Nation - Eric Wood

Buffalo Bills news, 6/13: defense dominates day two

MattRichWarren — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:29:00 -0000

Bills’ Fred Jackson feels the burden of proof - The Buffalo News

Jerry Sullivan concludes his column with: "It’s an old story, I know, but the man has been underestimated before."

Defense shows no mercy in second minicamp practice - Press Coverage | The Buffalo News

"The Buffalo Bills' defense ended the second minicamp practice of the week in all-out piranha mode Wednesday."

More clicks

Minicamp Practice Notes - Day 2 - BuffaloBills.com
"Wednesday was a day where the defense was turning in plays with regularity at Bills minicamp. This is the time of year when a defensive unit is typically ahead of an offensive unit knowing how much more synchronization is required on offense. Knowing Buffalo’s attack also has a new scheme, three new quarterbacks and they’re facing a defense that is as varied as any in the NFL, seeing the Bills defense carry play wasn’t a surprise."

Bills Roundup: Defense Shines on Minicamp Day 2 - VIDEO - BuffaloBills.com
"Check out all the highlights from the second minicamp practice plus hear from both coordinators as they assess the practices so far." You can also check out videos of Mike Pettine and Nathaniel Hackett talking to reporters following practice.

New Bills had time off ‘fathered’ in - The Buffalo News
"I spent a lot of that time going through that first couple weeks of trying to learn from the little one because at that point they dictate everything," said Lawson, whose wife, Stephanie, gave birth in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Bills’ Dowtin a veteran in Pettine’s ‘D’ - The Buffalo News
"I know a little bit more than the other guys, but I don’t consider myself a vet," Dowtin said. "I haven’t really played a year in the league yet. It’s one of those things where if I do know a little more, I can help the guys around me. We’re all learning together."

Jim Kelly's wife on recovery: 'This is a hard time right now for him' - Press Coverage | The Buffalo News
"As part of the annual Hunter's Hope telethon and auction on WGR, Jill Kelly was a guest on 'The Howard Simon Show' this morning and gave an update on her husband's recovery."

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Bills' Legursky Brought In To Challenge To Start
"In his first two days on the practice field, he's even gotten time with the first-team near the end of each practice on Tuesday and Wednesday. It's clear the Bills want to see what he's all about and if he is indeed the answer to occupy the space between left tackle Cordy Glenn and center Eric Wood."

WGR 550 SportsRadio - 5 Observations From Bills Mini-camp: Day 2
After going 4/5 on the first day, all five of Joe Buscaglia's observations came from the defense on Wednesday. Aaron Williams and Jerry Hughes impress in their new roles while Stephon Gilmore had a nice day, too.

Three steps to success: Bills step into the unknown - SBNation.com
E.J. Manuel exceeding expectations, Doug Marrone seamlessly transitioning, and Mike Pettine improving the defense are the three steps to success. If the Bills can get some progress from the new quarterback this year, it will be a success to Peter Berkes.

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Bills Kolb Not Thinking About EJ Manuel
"I’ve seen quite a few offenses now and I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t, in my opinion" Kolb said. " What’s funny is, when I sat down with them(Marrone and Hackett), they asked me that question first and I gave them my answer and they started giggling and laughing. I said ‘what’s so funny?’ and they said ‘let us tell you our philosophy’ and it was pretty darn close."

Buffalo Bills mailbag: does Jairus Byrd want out of Buffalo?

Brian Galliford — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:05:42 -0000

It's Friday, which means another morning dedicated to mulling over questions submitted by the fine readers of Buffalo Rumblings. Our Buffalo Bills mailbag posts have been a lifesaver this off-season, so if you've been dying to see something covered or have a simple question about our favorite football team, please send it our way at buffalorumblings@gmail.com.

This week's quintet of inquiries involve a great deal of worry within the fan base, it seems; let's dive right in.

Shouldn't we be worried about the Bills' offensive line given that two spots are open for competition and the left guard will either be a highly inexperienced reserve-type or an experienced reserve-type? - Jonathan

Let's put it this way: it's been a little while since the Bills have had two spots legitimately open for competition on the offensive line. Even before we consider personnel, the fact that there could be fluctuation at two of the five line spots is cause for concern from a cohesion standpoint.

I, personally, am not worried about the offensive line. There isn't much in the way of top-flight talent there - Cordy Glenn is very physically gifted, and Eric Wood is a fine technician - but the rest are either average talents or worse. But average isn't a bad thing to be on the offensive line, particularly if the unit of five is on the same page and minimizing mistakes. Doug Marrone is an excellent line coach, as is the team's actual line coach, Pat Morris. I am not overly worried about this positional group, but am most definitely interested to see who can lock down those starting jobs at left guard and right tackle.

But then, I can certainly understand why some fans would be worried about the line, as well.

With the Bills needing some serious leadership at linebacker and having an apparent successful visit with Karlos Dansby, why did the Bills not sign him? Was this a reflection of Buddy Nix trying to save money? - Tim in TN

I think it's pretty clear at this point that it was more a reflection of Dansby's playing preferences. He took less money and a one-year deal to return to Arizona - the team that drafted him - and he made that very clear when the deal was signed. Buffalo's interest in Dansby was legitimate, but free agent shopping isn't like grocery shopping; your choice container of eggs can't decide that they'd rather be eaten by another family. Buffalo would've happily dropped coin on a player they could have really used.

How is Dustin Hopkins looking so far, and do you expect this battle to go deep into the preseason or do you expect the Bills to make a move early to get Hopkins acclimated? - Shawn Cooper

OTA season is not typically when the stock of kickers takes off, so there hasn't been much in the way of coverage at the kicker spot. I also don't really know how to speculate on how long the kicker competition could last, because that's entirely at the discretion of Doug Marrone, and we don't really know how he operates yet.

What I believe is clear about Hopkins, however, is that he'd need to be a cataclysmic failure to not beat out Rian Lindell for the kicking job. Teams don't draft kickers in the sixth round as mere competition for the veteran; Lindell has already been replaced, provided that Hopkins can show this summer that he's the kicker the Bills think he is.

Is it just me, or do you too think that Jairus Byrd doesn't want to come back to the Bills? - John W

You're certainly not alone, John. This theory is talked about almost daily. I abstain from those discussions and honestly have no opinion on the matter, because I don't know Byrd's situation personally. Most of the rhetoric is conjecture and speculation, but anything is possible.

What I believe is clear is that Byrd wants a long-term contract (obviously), and this is the way to go about getting one of those. He still has more than a month to sign a long-term deal with the Bills; that's an option straight through July 15. If that deadline comes and goes without a deal, Byrd's next move - i.e. whether he decides to sign his franchise tender and report to camp two weeks later, or if he decides to sit out camp practices and make a statement - could lend us a little more insight on this matter.

I was wondering if you can project C.J. Spiller's next contract? - @dsumner48

What people don't realize is that Spiller has had one of the 10 or 15 highest contracts at his position from the moment he signed his rookie deal in August of 2010; he's only earned that coin for about a season and a half now. Where he lands contract-wise depends on his performance over the next two seasons (he's under contract through 2015, though he can void the final year of his deal). Next off-season might be the time where his contract rises to more relevance, and another Pro Bowl campaign could land him in Chris Johnson, LeSean McCoy and Arian Foster territory contract-wise.

Buffalo Bills news, 6/1: OTAs wrap up

MattRichWarren — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 13:32:42 -0000

OTA Practice Notes - Day 10 - BuffaloBills.com

"Being a new staff (the OTAs) are a benefit," said Marrone. "Getting them to understand what we’re looking for in our system and really what our expectations are as we move forward. Those are the things that happen from the mental part outside of teaching schematics, learning about development, learning about the drills. For us we had to teach them the drills that we wanted them to do and be familiar with so now we can go out in the mandatory minicamp and expect better production."

WGR 550 SportsRadio - 5 Observations From Bills OTAs: Day 10

It was a good day for Nickell Robey and a bad one for Cordy Glenn says Joe Buscaglia in his report.

Doug Marrone gives Da'Rick Rogers a talking-to and other notes - Press Coverage | The Buffalo News

Marrone on Rogers: "The thing that concerned me -- and I addressed it with him right after he made a very good catch, then he kind of stood there over a player, and that’s a 15-yard penalty -- that's not what being a pro is, and that's not playing like a Buffalo Bill."

More clicks

Inside The Bills | Dickerson asked to go back to TE
Doug Marrone: "Dorin Dickerson we thought would have a good opportunity to go to receiver and play for us. He came to us wanting to go back to the tight end position. So I think we have a player right now that can really do a good job of playing both positions for us."

Inside The Bills | Fan Friday 5-31
Chris Brown thinks the Bills will add a guard in July in they need one and discusses the young receivers contributing early, swapping Shep for Jerry Hughes, Erik Pears injuries, and how T.J. Graham fits in the new offense.

Bills Roundup: Wed Highlights, OTA Progress - VIDEO - BuffaloBills.com
"Check out the top plays from Wednesday's OTA, plus hear quarterbacks Tarvaris Jackson and Kevin Kolb, head coach Doug Marrone, and safety Mana Silva."

Doug Marrone's no-huddle attack not some Dick Jauron experiment - Press Coverage | The Buffalo News
"It's safe to assume he won't fire Nathaniel Hackett in August."

Eight in the Box: Playing for a contract - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Eric Wood is profiled in this feature.

Open Thread: Which Buffalo Bills Rookie Will Make The Biggest Impact in 2013? | Buffalo Bills Draft
"Check out the writers’ predictions, then give us your own thoughts in the comments thread below! We will keep a running tally of who has received votes, and re-post well thought out and unique responses!"

Jairus Byrd’s Contract Situation, Part 1 | Articles | Buffalo Wins
Jairus Byrd’s Contract Situation, Part 2 | Articles | Buffalo Wins
Jairus Byrd’s Contract Situation, Part 3 | Articles | Buffalo Wins
Taking a look at what you can expect from safeties as they age, how much they are getting paid, and what Byrd should cost.

Buffalo Bills news, 5/24: Scott Chandler injury progressing well

MattRichWarren — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:17:06 -0000

Bills Showing Exuberance | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

"Still, the breaths of fresh air that are being drawn in the facility are a good sign. This team needed a tremendous overhaul, and it has gotten one. I’ve said that before, too, and been greatly disappointed. Hopefully, things will be different this time around."

OTA Practice Notes - Day 6 - BuffaloBills.com

"Absences provided opportunities for some young Bills to make the most of the increased practice reps."

Chandler on fast track in return from ACL - BuffaloBills.com
"Chandler, just four and a half months removed from surgery, and five months to the day from sustaining the injury, wasn’t 100 percent, but was effectively dropping his weight and cutting off the surgically repaired knee and pulling in receptions from Bills rookie QB Jeff Tuel."

Bills’ Chandler making quick comeback - The Buffalo News
"The knee feels really good," Chandler said. "I feel great. Running routes, you guys saw, I don’t know that it’s 100-percent but it’s better than most so I’m feeling good."

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Bills' Chandler Working Hard Through Torn ACL Rehab
"Chandler had his January surgery performed by Dr. Leslie Bisson in western New York, and raved about the job he did. Running and cutting the way he was on Thursday, it's rather remarkable how well he was moving just four-and-a-half months removed."

We found the O.J. Simpson tattoo dude: 'It's not a joke' - Press Coverage | The Buffalo News
"Think about the passion of Buffalo sports fans. People say they live and die red and blue, bleed blue and gold. Fans carry it on them. To have your favorite sports team on your body forever is a bold, indelible statement of your commitment."

Inside The Bills | Bills blitz scheme productive
From the other side of it, Eric Wood had this to say: "You’ve kind of got to take the good with the bad in these early stages of an offense and understand that on the back end we’re going to come out all right."

Buffalo Bills news, 5/20: new offense "easier than Florida State's" per EJ Manuel

MattRichWarren — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:45:54 -0000

WGR 550 SportsRadio - What Should Bills GM Doug Whaley Do Next?

Jairus Byrd, a veteran cornerback, and Eric Wood top the list for Howard Simon.

Manuel says Buffalo’s offense is easier than Florida State’s | ProFootballTalk

"The funny thing is it’s easier to learn than the offense I had at Florida State," the 16th overall pick in the draft said, via ESPN.com. "It’s a true West Coast-type progression offense. That’s really what I wanted when I was coming through the pre-draft process. I wanted something that I could just go in and say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, check it down and run it. That’s it, it’s that simple. I love it. . . ."

Manuel needs to be careful with talk like this. If he loses out on the job or looks bad in the opening few games, this will be brought to his attention. "I thought it was easy to learn, bud." It also must be noted that while the offense might be easier to learn, reading defenses in real-time will be more difficult.

More clicks

GBSHOF - Buffalo Sports - A Bittersweet History - YouTube
"In conjunction with our event at the Buffalo History Museum on May 17, 2013, I prepared this video on Buffalo Sports history. Many of the pictures come from the lens of Robert L. Smith the greatest photographer in Buffalo sports history."

Jerry Hughes eager to make impact - BuffaloBills.com
"The 24 year-old says he feels like the new kid at school. That certainly seems to be the case right now, as Hughes took most of his reps Tuesday in organized team activities with the second team as he becomes more acquainted with the new setting."

Mario Williams lawsuit saga already bad, getting worse - Press Coverage | The Buffalo News
Erin Marzouki's attorney speaks to why she would release these text messages now, and explains how his client has the case won "five different ways."

Poll: Buffalo Bills' rookie impact - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Robert Woods takes a commanding 55 percent of the poll, with Manuel nabbing 25 percent.

Sam Young, Chris Scott contenders in Bills left guard competition

Brian Galliford — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:45:53 -0000

Well before he signed a six-year, $46.8 million free agent deal with the Tennessee Titans, it was assumed that the Buffalo Bills would need to replace four-year starting left guard Andy Levitre in 2013. Sure enough, roughly two months away from the start of training camp, the left guard position is among the most unsettled areas on the team's depth chart.

That said, with two quality interior starters returning and several viable options to replace Levitre, the Bills are better off on the offensive line than most outsiders give them credit for. That's doubly true when considering the qualifications of new offensive line coach Pat Morris, not to mention the fact that head coach Doug Marrone is a renowned line coach himself.

Eric Wood

Age: 27
Contract: Signed through the 2013 season. Scheduled to make $2.3 million in base salary in his contract year.

Once the Bills resolve the pending contract situation with Jairus Byrd, his 2009 NFL Draft classmate, Wood, is next on the team's to-do list. On the field, Wood is a solid center with somewhat inconsistent tape but at times exemplary technique. He's a great leader for an unheralded line, but he's been held back through his first four years by an inability to stay on the field. Wood's extensive injury history - which includes two catastrophic leg injuries that required season-ending surgery - will almost certainly be a factor in those forthcoming contract negotiations. For now, he's the centerpiece - literally and figuratively - of a re-tooling offensive line post-Levitre.

Kraig Urbik

Age: 27 (28 in September)
Contract: Signed through the 2016 season. Scheduled to make $2.05 million in base salary in 2013.

It was a bit telling when the Bills didn't open contract negotiations with Levitre last season, instead signing the under-appreciated Urbik to a four-year contract extension in December. Once a waiver claim by the Bills and a former third-round pick in Pittsburgh, Urbik has now been a starter in Buffalo for the last two years, and has grown into a reliable and steady performer with surprising second-level ability and positional versatility. He's a lock to start and the most important piece of the interior line long-term, and it wouldn't be at all surprising if he emerged as the Bills' best lineman in 2013.

Sam Young

Age: 25 (26 in June)
Contract: Signed through the 2013 season. Scheduled to make $630,000 in base salary in his contract year.

Though Young is a tackle by trade, he saw action inside at guard for the Bills over the last two years, performing admirably in spot duty. Now, he's among the early leaders in the clubhouse to replace Levitre at left guard. He's not built like a classic guard - he's 6'8" and 316 pounds with long arms - but he's a highly intelligent, tough player that has gotten the job done when called upon. Marrone and Morris can work with a guy like that.

Colin Brown

Age: 27 (28 in August)
Contract: Signed through the 2014 season. Scheduled to make $630,000 in base salary in 2013.

Brown, who pulled two starts at center in 2011 when both Wood and Urbik landed on IR, might have been the clear front-runner to replace Levitre had he not landed on IR himself after just 19 snaps in 2012 with a severe hamstring injury. Another huge blocker (6'7", 326), Brown does not fit the classic mold of a guard, and it'll be interesting to see if he can seriously contend for a starting position coming off of the injury.

Chris Scott

Age: 25 (26 in August)
Contract: Signed through the 2013 season. Scheduled to make $630,000 in base salary in his contract year.

This under-the-radar player has already received first-team left guard reps in OTAs, and is a name that bears watching. One of two 2010 fifth-round picks by Pittsburgh currently on Buffalo's roster (cornerback Crezdon Butler is the other), the 6'5", 320-pound Scott was added to the roster late in the 2012 season and didn't see a down of action. If he does end up winning the left guard job, he'll have followed a very similar path as Urbik, who saw only limited action after being picked up by the Bills in 2010; he was a full-time starter the following year.

David Snow

Age: 23 (24 in November)
Contract: Signed through the 2014 season. Scheduled to make $480,000 in base salary in 2013.

Snow stuck with the Bills as an undrafted free agent last year, then saw action later in the season after being pulled up from the practice squad thanks to a Wood injury. The 6'4", 305-pound center was better than expected in his brief stint as a starter, and while he's more likely to compete for a spot as a reserve guard and center, it would not be terribly surprising if he found himself in the mix for the left guard job, given the unproven nature of the talent in front of him.

Keith Williams

Age: 25
Contract: Signed through the 2014 season. Scheduled to make $480,000 in base salary in 2013.

Williams is yet another former Pittsburgh draft pick (2011, sixth round) that has been with the Bills for parts of his two seasons in the league. Most of that time has been spent on the practice squad, but he snuck onto the active roster in 2012, though he only saw special teams work as a blocker on field goal and extra point tries. He'll be in the mix for a roster spot, as well; time will tell if he can sneak into the left guard race.

Zack Chibane

Age: 22
Contract: Signed through the 2015 season. Scheduled to make $405,000 in base salary in 2013.

Many wondered for months how many of his former players Marrone would bring to Buffalo, and the answer was ultimately one: Chibane. A three-year starter that made 38 straight appearances for Syracuse, Chibane is undersized compared to most of his teammates (6'4", 302), but his familiarity with the coaches and the offensive line calls could give him a leg up for roster consideration - particularly with such a wide-open race for interior line spots in front of him.

Ryan Turnley

Age: 23
Contract: Signed through the 2015 season. Scheduled to make $405,000 in base salary in 2013.

Turnley is an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh, where he spent two years as the starting center. Though he's 6'6", Turnley can bend an anchor and actually played solely guard and center collegiately, even though he has enough size to play the edge. He's a better prospect than Chibane, and seems like a prime candidate for practice squad consideration if he can't make the team outright.

Hutch Eckerson

Age: 25
Contract: Signed through the 2013 season. Scheduled to make $405,000 in base salary in 2013.

Eckerson was a street free agent signing earlier this year - well before the team had started making serious off-season moves - and faces an uphill battle to make the final roster.

Outlook

Wood and Urbik are locked into starting positions, and will be counted on to provide stability on the inside in the wake of Levitre's departure. Young and Scott are looking like the two early favorites at left guard; Young seems like a roster lock either way thanks to his dependability as a reserve tackle, while Scott could very well end up being the next trash heap discovery for Buffalo's pro personnel department. As many as six of these players listed could make the final roster, with eight of the ten (all but Wood and Urbik) having at least a fighting chance at making the team. One starter needs to be decided, but the Bills are most definitely not short on intriguing options to replace Levitre.

Buffalo Bills news, 5/16: mutual interest in Eric Wood contract extension

MattRichWarren — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:33:25 -0000

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Wood And Bills Have Mutual Interest In New Deal

"There's obvious interest from both sides to get a deal done at some point," Wood said Wednesday. "But with a GM change and a big-time free agent at safety that we'd like to get re-signed -- and this is just me speculating myself, this isn't stuff they said -- and rookies, I know I'm not top priority right now. Hopefully we can get a deal done at some point, maybe this summer."

OTA Practice Notes - Day 3 - BuffaloBills.com

"The Bills brought their first week of OTA practices to a close on Wednesday with their first red zone work of the spring and it was extensive. Counting 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 the offense and defense squared off for more than 40 snaps inside the 20."

More clicks

Bills Roundup: Wednesday's OTA News and Notes - VIDEO - BuffaloBills.com
"Highlights from Wednesday's OTA workout, Bills sign linebacker Kiko Alonso and Stevie Johnson comments on the new wide receivers the Bills have picked up."

Inside The Bills | Strained back keeping Stevie on the shelf
"I’m getting better," said Johnson. "It’s just frustrating seeing the guys running around, but it’s getting better."

Inside The Bills | Anderson glad to be back practicing
"It was a long, difficult road back to the field for DE Mark Anderson, who needed a pair of surgeries to repair a knee injury that cost him the last 11 games of the 2012 season. Anderson, who is finally back on the practice field, admitted last year was a tough one to endure."

Poll: Who is the most indispensiBill? - Press Coverage | The Buffalo News
C.J. Spiller is getting the lion's share of the votes so far. Who do you think is most indispensable in 2013?

Bills hope Hughes can fill a void - The Buffalo News
"In a perfect Bills world, Williams and Lawson play well and stay healthy, and Hughes contributes as a part-time rusher in passing situations. That’s presuming he builds off last season and wins a roster spot."

AFC East Offseason Stock Watch - AFC East Blog - ESPN
While Robert Woods was showing off at rookie minicamp, the team's guard position is still in a state of flux, says James Walker. He also says we shouldn't underestimate the importance of quality interior linemen. Doug Whaley's stock is on the up, too.

Nix’s legacy with Bills will be debated - Olean Times Herald
"That’s not to say Nix was the second coming of Ozzie Newsome or Trent Baalke, but he also wasn’t a total disaster as general manager ... which is more than you can about the franchise across town."

2013 NFL Draft History, Notes, Facts and Figures

Dave Cariello — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:00:08 -0000

-- 78TH NFL DRAFT --

RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, NEW YORK CITY

APRIL 25-27, 2013

DATE	START	ROUNDS	SELECTION TIME
Thursday, April 25	8:00 PM ET	Round 1	10 Minutes

Friday, April 26	6:30 PM ET	Round 2	7 Minutes
		Round 3	5 Minutes

Saturday, April 27	12:00 PM ET	Rounds 4-7	5 Minutes

_ _ _

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: Twenty-three prospects will be in attendance at Radio City Music Hall in New York City for Round 1 of the 2013 NFL Draft.

That includes a 2013-best four players from BCS National Champion Alabama: T D.J. FLUKER, RB EDDIE LACY, CB DEE MILLINERand G CHANCE WARMACK - and four players from Florida State - QB E.J. MANUEL, DE BJOERN WERNER, T MENELIK WATSONand CB XAVIER RHODES.

The players confirmed to attend this year's NFL Draft:

1)	Ezekiel Ansah	DE	Brigham Young	13)	Barkevious Mingo	DE	Louisiana State
2)	Tavon Austin	WR	West Virginia	14)	Cordarrelle Patterson	WR	Tennessee
3)	Jonathan Cooper	G	North Carolina	15)	Eric Reid	S	Louisiana State
4)	Eric Fisher	T	Central Michigan	16)	Xavier Rhodes	CB	Florida State
5)	Sharrif Floyd	DT	Florida	17)	Sheldon Richardson	DT	Missouri
6)	D.J. Fluker	T	Alabama	18)	Darius Slay	CB	Mississippi State
7)	Luke Joeckel	T	Texas A&M	19)	Geno Smith	QB	West Virginia
8)	Lane Johnson	T	Oklahoma	20)	Kenny Vaccaro	S	Texas
9)	Dion Jordan	DE	Oregon	21)	Chance Warmack	G	Alabama
10)	Eddie Lacy	RB	Alabama	22)	Menelik Watson	T	Florida State
11)	E.J. Manuel	QB	Florida State	23)	Bjoern Werner	DE	Florida State
12)	Dee Milliner	CB	Alabama

_ _ _

ROLL TIDE: If all four Alabama players are selected in Round 1, the Crimson Tide would become the second school in the common draft era (since 1967) to have at least four players selected in the first round in three consecutive drafts, joining Miami (2001-2004).

MIAMI (FL)		ALABAMA
YEAR	PLAYERS (NO. CHOSEN)	YEAR	PLAYERS (NO. CHOSEN)
2001	LB Dan Morgan (11, CAR) DT Damione Lewis (12, STL) WR Santana Moss (16, NYJ) WR Reggie Wayne (30, IND)	2011	DT Marcell Dareus (3, BUF) WR Julio Jones (6, ATL) T James Carpenter (25, SEA) RB Mark Ingram (28, NO)
2002	T Bryant McKinnie (7, MIN) TE Jeremy Shockey (14, NYG) DB Phillip Buchanon (17, OAK) DB Ed Reed (24, BAL) DB Mike Rumph (27, SF)	2012	RB Trent Richardson (3, CLE) DB Mark Barron (7, TB) DB Dre Kirkpatrick (17, CIN) LB Dont'a Hightower (25, NE)
2003	WR Andre Johnson (3, HOU) DE Jerome McDougle (15, PHI) RB Willis McGahee (23, BUF) DT William Joseph (25, NYG)
2004	DB Sean Taylor (5, WAS) TE Kellen Winslow (6, CLE) LB Jonathan Vilma (12, NYJ) LB D.J. Williams (17, DEN) G Vernon Carey (19, MIA) DT Vince Wilfork (21, NE)

_ _ _

O-LINE: Although a quarterback has been chosen with the No. 1 overall pick in 10 of the past 12 NFL Drafts, that trend may change this year. A pair of tackles - LUKE JOECKEL of Texas A&M and ERIC FISHER of Central Michigan - are among the candidates to be the top choice in 2013.

Since 1967, only three offensive linemen (all tackles) have been chosen with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft - Pro Football Hall of Famer RON YARY (1968), ORLANDO PACE (1997) and JAKE LONG (2008).

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN - NO. 1 OVERALL SELECTIONS

(SINCE 1967)

YEAR	PLAYER	POSITION	TEAM	COLLEGE
1968	Ron Yary	T	Minnesota	Southern California
1997	Orlando Pace	T	St. Louis	Ohio State
2008	Jake Long	T	Miami	Michigan

AWESOME AGGIE: Texas A&M T LUKE JOECKEL is likely to hear his name called early in Round 1 of the 2013 NFL Draft. If the Kansas City Chiefs select Joeckel, he would become the first Texas A&M player in history to be chosen No. 1 overall.

He would also join four Aggie players who have been chosen in the top five of an NFL Draft since 1967, including Pro Bowl LB VON MILLER, who was the No. 2 overall pick in 2011 by Denver.

TEXAS A&M PLAYERS SELECTED IN TOP FIVE

(Since 1967)

YEAR	PLAYER	NO. CHOSEN	TEAM
1980	Curtis Dickey	5	Baltimore Colts
1985	DE Ray Childress	3	Houston Oilers
1992	LB Quentin Coryatt	2	Indianapolis Colts
2011	LB Von Miller	2	Denver Broncos

_ _ _

CMU STANDOUT: Central Michigan T ERIC FISHER is hoping to join San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl T JOE STALEY (No. 28, 2007) as the only players in school history to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

_ _ _

TROJAN HORSES: MATT BARKLEY hopes to become the fifth Southern California quarterback to be selected in Round 1 of an NFL Draft since 1967, which would be the most of any college in the common draft era.

USC is currently tied for the most during that span with California and Florida with four first-round QBs.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA QBs SELECTED IN THE FIRST ROUND

(Since 1967)

YEAR	PLAYER	NO. CHOSEN	TEAM
1991	Todd Marinovich (24)	24	L.A. Raiders
2003	Carson Palmer (1)	1	Cincinnati Bengals
2006	Matt Leinart (10)	10	Arizona Cardinals
2009	Mark Sanchez (5)	5	N.Y. Jets

_ _ _

JORDAN RULES: Oregon DE DION JORDAN hopes to become the first defensive player in school history to be chosen in the top 10 of an NFL Draft.

He is likely to become the fifth defender in school history to be drafted in the first round. Most recently, Baltimore chose Pro Bowl DTHALOTI NGATA out of Oregon with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.

OREGON DEFENDERS SELECTED IN THE FIRST ROUND

(All-Time)

YEAR	PLAYER	NO. CHOSEN	TEAM
1968	DB Jim Smith	12	Washington Redskins
1976	DB Mario Clark	18	Buffalo Bills
1996	DB Alex Molden	11	New Orleans Saints
2006	DT Haloti Ngata	12	Baltimore Ravens

_ _ _

GOING GLOBAL: At least eight players who hail from beyond the borders of the United States may be selected in the 2013 NFL Draft this week, including several who are likely to be chosen in the first round.

Top defensive end prospect BJOERN WERNER, a Berlin, Germany native, played football for the first time at age 15, but you'd never have known it watching him play at Florida State.

Werner was a unanimous All-America selection in 2012, also earning ACC Defensive Player of the year honors. His 23.5 career sacks rank fourth in school history.

After a brief basketball career at Marist College in New York, tackle MENELIK WATSON, a native of Manchester, England, tried football for the first time at Saddleback Junior College in California and found his calling.

Watson quickly earned a scholarship to Florida State, where he was a teammate of Werner's in 2012. Despite playing in just his second season of organized football, Watson started 12 of 13 games last year and was recognized as an All-ACC honorable mention performer by the league's coaches and media.

Estonia native MARGUS HUNT was a gold medalist in the shot put and discus at the 2006 World Junior Championships before moving to Texas to train with renowned Southern Methodist track coach Dave Wollman. But by the time Hunt arrived, SMU decided to drop its men's track program. To help defray the costs of attending college, Hunt applied his athletic talents as a defensive end and quickly earned a football scholarship.

A regular contributor for the Mustangs each of the past three seasons, Hunt led the team with eight sacks as a senior. He also displayed an uncanny ability to contribute on special teams, setting the NCAA all-time record for blocked field goals/PATs (17 total).

Defensive end ZIGGY ANSAH, a Ghana native, was a walk-on at Brigham Young and played football for the first time when he suited up for the Cougars in 2010. After two seasons as a reserve, Ansah earned a starting job early in the 2012 season, finishing with 4.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

Defensive tackle JESSE WILLIAMS, who was a member of two National Championship teams at Alabama, hails from Brisbane, Australia and grew up playing rugby. He came to love football as a teenager and traveled all the way to Arizona Western Community College, playing two seasons there before transferring to powerhouse Alabama and immediately earning a starting role.

Track and field star LAWRENCE OKOYE, who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and never played organized football at any level, has become a fast-rising NFL prospect at defensive end following a head-turning performance at the Super Regional Combine at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas earlier this month.

Okoye, who holds the all-time discus record for Great Britain, impressed with a 4.84 40-yard dash time in Dallas and standout performances in other drills despite his 6-6, 300-pound frame. He's also an exemplary student and has deferred his admission to Oxford University, where he plans to study law in the future.

Jamaican-born TREVARDO WILLIAMS moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut at age 10 and went on to star at linebacker for nearby UConn. Williams is an impact pass rusher who totaled 30.5 career sacks for the Huskies, the most in school history.

Oklahoma's TOM WORT, who hails from Crawley, England, moved to America at age 14 and eventually settled in Texas. He went on to become a three-year starter at linebacker for the Sooners, totaling 190 career tackles and earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in 2011.

A sampling of 2013 foreign-born NFL draft prospects:

2013 FOREIGN-BORN NFL DRAFT PROSPECTS

PLAYER	POSITION	COUNTRY	COLLEGE
Ziggy Ansah	Defensive End	Ghana	Brigham Young
Margus Hunt	Defensive End	Estonia	Southern Methodist
Lawrence Okoye	Defensive End	England	Oxford *
Menelik Watson	Tackle	England	Florida State
Bjoern Werner	Defensive End	Germany	Florida State
Jesse Williams	Defensive Tackle	Australia	Alabama
Trevardo Williams	Linebacker	Jamaica	Connecticut
Tom Wort	Linebacker	England	Oklahoma
* Deferred admission

_ _ _

MR. IRRELEVANT: The Indianapolis Colts will have the honor of selecting this year's "Mr. Irrelevant" - a tongue-in-cheek title bestowed annually upon the last player chosen in the NFL Draft - with the 254th pick.

Over the past 37 years, Irrelevant Week, Inc. has donated more than $1 million to charitable organizations in the Southern California community. In 2013, the organization has named Special Olympics Southern California as their charitable recipient. Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Irrelevant Week was founded by PAUL SALATA, a former NFL player and Southern California businessman.

Several notable "Mr. Irrelevants" (active players in italics):

MR. IRRELEVANT	YEAR DRAFTED/TEAM	NOTES
QB Chandler Harnish, Indianapolis	2012 Indianapolis	37th Mr. Irrelevant. First Colts Mr. Irrelevant since its inception in 1976.
K Ryan Succop, Kansas City	2009 Kansas City	Set Chiefs rookie record with 25 field goals made in 2009.
WR Ryan Hoag	2003 Oakland	Signed with Jaguars after spending time with Giants, Redskins and Vikings. Appeared on ABC's "The Bachelorette" in 2008.
S Mike Green	2000 Chicago	Started 48 games for Bears, Seahawks and Redskins in eight NFL seasons.
FB Jim Finn	1999 Chicago	Played six NFL seasons for Colts and Giants totaling 45 career starts.
LB Marty Moore	1994 New England	Played eight NFL seasons and became first "Mr. Irrelevant" to appear in the Super Bowl (XXXI with Patriots).
C Matt Elliott	1992 Washington	Started 14 games on inaugural Carolina Panthers team. Made 32 career starts.
QB Bill Kenney*	1978 Miami	Made the Pro Bowl in 1984 with the Chiefs and later became a Missouri State Senator.
WR Kelvin Kirk	1976 Pittsburgh	First annual "Mr. Irrelevant." Played seven years in the CFL and later worked for the Ottawa Citizen.

*Kenney was named as a replacement for Lee Washburn who could not attend training camp due to a back injury.

_ _ _

FIRST-ROUND TRADES SINCE 1970

(Yearly totals can include future selections traded in previous years.)

DRAFT	ROUND 1 TRADES	DRAFT	ROUND 1 TRADES
1970	3	1992	9
1971	4	1993	11
1972	6	1994	11
1973	9	1995	15
1974	9	1996	11
1975	8	1997	13
1976	7	1998	8
1977	10	1999	11
1978	8	2000	12
1979	7	2001	14
1980	10	2002	11
1981	6	2003	9
1982	9	2004	9
1983	8	2005	5
1984	9	2006	4
1985	10	2007	7
1986	10	2008	9
1987	8	2009	7
1988	7	2010	7
1989	11	2011	4
1990	8	2012	19
1991	8

CONSECUTIVE TOP 10 CHOICES FROM SAME COLLEGE

1937	Nebraska - HB Lloyd Cardwell (7) and E Les McDonald (8)
1943	Minnesota - HB Bill Daley (7) and T Dick Wildung (8)
1946	Notre Dame - QB Johnny Lujack (4) and T George Connor (5)
1948	Alabama - HB Lowell Tew (4) and C Vaughn Mancha (5)
1949	Notre Dame - QB Frank Tripucka (9) and G Bill Fischer (10)
	Southern Methodist - RB Doak Walker (3) and HB Paul Page (4)
1959	Ohio State - HB Don Clark (7) and C Dan James (8)
1967	Michigan State - DT Bubba Smith (1) and RB Clint Jones (2)
1977	Southern California - T Marvin Powell (4) and DT Gary Jeter (5)
1978	Notre Dame - TE Ken MacAfee (7) and DT Ross Browner (8)
1981	UCLA - RB Freeman McNeil (3) and DB Kenny Easley (4)
1984	Nebraska - WR Irving Fryar (1) and T Dean Steinkuhler (2)
1990	Southern California - LB Junior Seau (5) and DB Mark Carrier (6)
1991	Nebraska - DB Bruce Pickens (3) and LB Mike Croel (4)
	Tennessee - T Charles McRae (7) and T Antone Davis (8)
1992	Stanford - T Bob Whitfield (8) and RB Tommy Vardell (9)
1993	Alabama - DE John Copeland (5) and DE Eric Curry (6)
1996	Illinois - LB Kevin Hardy (2) and DE Simeon Rice (3)
2000	Penn State - DE Courtney Brown (1) and LB LaVar Arrington (2)
2002	Texas - T Mike Williams (4) and DB Quentin Jammer (5)
2004	Miami - S Sean Taylor (5) and TE Kellen Winslow (6)
2010	Oklahoma - DT Gerald McCoy (3) and T Trent Williams (4)

OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE PLAYERS SELECTED

IN FIRST ROUND SINCE 1990

YEAR	OFFENSE	DEFENSE	FIRST OFFENSIVE PICK	FIRST DEFENSIVE PICK
1990	11	14	Jeff George-QB (1)	Cortez Kennedy-DT (3)
1991	13	14	Charles McRae-T (7)	Russell Maryland-DT (1)
1992	13	15	Desmond Howard-WR (4)	Steve Emtman-DE (1)
1993	15	14	Drew Bledsoe-QB (1)	Marvin Jones-LB (4)
1994	13	16	Marshall Faulk-RB (2)	Dan Wilkinson-DT (1)
1995	18	14	Ki-Jana Carter-RB (1)	Kevin Carter-DE (6)
1996	17	13	Keyshawn Johnson-WR (1)	Kevin Hardy-LB (2)
1997	14	16	Orlando Pace-T (1)	Darrell Russell-DE (2)
1998	14	16	Peyton Manning-QB (1)	Andre Wadsworth-DE (3)
1999	16	15	Tim Couch-QB (1)	Champ Bailey-CB (7)
2000	17	14	Chris Samuel-T (3)	Courtney Brown-DE (1)
2001	15	16	Michael Vick-QB (1)	Gerard Warren-DT (3)
2002	16	16	David Carr-QB (1)	Julius Peppers-DE (2)
2003	14	18	Carson Palmer-QB (1)	Dewayne Robertson-DT (4)
2004	19	13	Eli Manning-QB (1)	Sean Taylor-S (5)
2005	16	16	Alex Smith-QB (1)	Adam Jones-CB (6)
2006	19	13	Reggie Bush-RB (2)	Mario Williams-DE (1)
2007	15	17	JaMarcus Russell-QB (1)	Gaines Adams-DE (4)
2008	16	15	Jake Long-T (1)	Chris Long-DE (2)
2009	19	13	Matthew Stafford-QB (1)	Tyson Jackson-DE (3)
2010	14	18	Sam Bradford-QB (1)	Ndamukong Suh-DT (2)
2011	16	16	Cam Newton-QB (1)	Von Miller-LB (2)
2012	15	17	Andrew Luck-QB (1)	Morris Claiborne-CB (6)

"MOSTS"

Number of times QB and RB from same college have been chosen in top 10: 10 1942 (QB Frank Albert, RB Pete Kmetovic-Stanford), 1943 (QB Jack Jenkins, RB Bob Steuber-Missouri), 1944 (QB Angelo Bertelli, RB Creighton Miller-Notre Dame),1946 (QB Frank Dancewicz, QB Johnny Lujack, RB Emil Sitko-Notre Dame), 1947 (QB Ernie Case, RB Cal Rossi-UCLA), 1948 (QB Harry Gilmer, RB Lowell Tew-Alabama), 1983 (QB Todd Blackledge, RB Curt Warner-Penn State), 1993 (QB Rick Mirer, RB Jerome Bettis-Notre Dame), 1995 (QB Kerry Collins, RB Ki-Jana Carter-Penn State), 2006 (QB Matt Leinart, RB Reggie Bush-Southern California).

Most offensive linemen taken in first round: 10

1968 - T Ron Yary, C Robert Johnson, T Russ Washington, T Mike Taylor, C Forrest Blue, G Maurice Moorman, G George Daney, T John Williams, G Bill Lueck, T Doug Crusan.

Colleges with most No. 1 overall draft choices:

Auburn (5)	2011: Cam Newton, QB (Carolina); 1988: Aundray Bruce, LB (Atlanta);1986: Bo Jackson, RB (Tampa Bay); 1965: Tucker Frederickson, RB (N.Y. Giants); 1961: Ken Rice, G (Buffalo)

Notre Dame (5)	1973: Walt Patulski, DE (Buffalo); 1957: Paul Hornung, HB (Green Bay);1950: Leon Hart, E (Detroit); 1946: Frank Dancewicz, QB (Boston Yanks); 1944: Angelo Bertelli, QB (Boston Yanks)

Southern California (5)	2003: Carson Palmer, QB (Cincinnati); 1996: Keyshawn Johnson, WR (N.Y. Jets); 1977: Ricky Bell, RB (Tampa Bay); 1969: O.J. Simpson, RB (Buffalo); 1968: Ron Yary, T (Minnesota)

Most first-round selections from one college in single year: 6

2004 - Miami (Sean Taylor, Kellen Winslow, Jonathan Vilma, D.J. Williams, Vernon Carey, Vince Wilfork).

Number of times wide receivers from same college have been selected in first round in consecutive years: 5

Ohio State - Joey Galloway (1995) and Terry Glenn (1996); Santonio Holmes (2006) and Ted Ginn Jr. (2007) and Anthony Gonzalez (2007)

Colorado - Charles Johnson (1994) and Michael Westbrook (1995)

Southern California - Curtis Conway (1993) and Johnnie Morton (1994)

Tennessee - Anthony Hancock (1982), Willie Gault (1983) and Clyde Duncan (1984)

College with most players taken in single draft: Texas, 17 in 1984.

Consecutive first-round choices from same college that played same position:

1991: Tennessee Ts Charles McRae (#7-Tampa Bay) and Antone Davis (#8-Philadelphia).

1993: Alabama DEs John Copeland (#5-Cincinnati) and Eric Curry (#6-Tampa Bay).

1997: Miami DEs Kenard Lang (#17-Washington) and Kenny Holmes (#18-Tennessee).

Number of Pro Football Hall of Famers chosen No. 1 overall: 13

1942 - "Bullet" Bill Dudley/Pittsburgh; 1945 - Charley Trippi/Chicago Cardinals; 1949 - Chuck Bednarik/Philadelphia; 1957 - Paul Hornung/Green Bay; 1963 - Buck Buchanan/Kansas City (AFL); 1968 - Ron Yary/Minnesota; 1969 - O.J. Simpson/Buffalo; 1970 - Terry Bradshaw/Pittsburgh; 1976 - Lee Roy Selmon/Tampa Bay; 1978 - Earl Campbell/Houston; 1983 - John Elway/Baltimore Colts; 1985 - Bruce Smith/Buffalo Bills; 1989 - Troy Aikman/Dallas Cowboys.

Pro Football Hall of Famers chosen consecutively in first round by same team in one draft:

1965: Dick Butkus (#3-Illinois/LB) and Gale Sayers (#4-Kansas/RB) by Chicago Bears.

Number of times in past 10 years that two players with same surname were drafted consecutively: 4

2004: Round 7 - CB Nathan Jones (Dallas/#205) and WR Mark Jones (Tampa Bay/#206)

2006: Round 1 - G Davin Joseph (Tampa Bay/#23) and DB Johnathan Joseph (Cincinatti/#24)

2006: Round 4 - LB Leon Williams (Cleveland/#110) and WR Demetrius Williams (Baltimore/#111)

2008: Round 1 - T Jake Long (Miami/#1) and DE Chris Long (St. Louis/#2)

DRAFT TIMES

NOTE: The first combined (AFL-NFL) draft in 1967 consisted of 17 rounds. In 1977, the draft was reduced to 12 rounds. There were eight rounds in 1993 and seven since 1994.

Longest first round since 1967: 2007 (6 hours, 8 minutes)

Shortest first round since 1967: 1972 (2 hours)

Longest seven-round draft: 2007 (18 hours, 5 minutes)

Shortest seven-round draft: 2012 (14 hours, 5 minutes)

Most rounds on draft day: 30 (1943-1959 drafts)

CONFERENCES

Number of players drafted by conference since 2000:

SEC	528	Mid-American	75
Big Ten	455	Sun Belt	39
PAC-12	391	Big Sky	32
Big XII	371	Atlantic 10	26
ACC	332	Southland Conference	25
Big East	314	Southern Conference	25
Mountain West	156	Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference	24
Conference USA	120	Gateway Football Conference	21
Western Athletic Conference	118	Southwestern Athletic Conference	20
Independent	100	Ohio Valley Conference	14

COLLEGES WITH THREE PLAYERS DRAFTED IN FIRST ROUND

Number of times since 2000 college has had at least 3 players chosen in first round: 20

2000: Florida State (3) - Peter Warrick/Cincinnati; Corey Simon/Philadelphia; Sebastian Janikowski/Oakland.

2001: Miami (4) - Dan Morgan/Carolina; Damione Lewis/St. Louis; Santana Moss/ N.Y. Jets; Reggie Wayne/Indianapolis.

Michigan (3) - David Terrell/Chicago; Steve Hutchinson/Seattle; Jeff Backus/Detroit.

2002: Miami (5) - Bryant McKinnie/Minnesota; Jeremy Shockey/N.Y. Giants; Phillip Buchanon/Oakland; Ed Reed/Baltimore; Mike Rumph/San Francisco.

Tennessee (3) - John Henderson/Jacksonville; Donte' Stallworth/New Orleans; Albert Haynesworth/Tennessee.

2003: Miami (4) - Andre Johnson/Houston; Jerome McDougle/Philadelphia; Willis McGahee/Buffalo; William Joseph/N.Y. Giants.

Penn State (4) - Jimmy Kennedy/St. Louis; Michael Haynes/Chicago; Bryant Johnson/Arizona; Larry Johnson/Kansas City.

2004: Miami (6) - Sean Taylor/Washington; Kellen Winslow/Cleveland; Jonathan Vilma/N.Y.

Jets; D.J. Williams/Denver; Vernon Carey/Miami; Vince Wilfork/New England.

Ohio State (3) - Will Smith/New Orleans, Chris Gamble/Carolina, Mike Jenkins/Atlanta.

2005: Auburn (4) - Ronnie Brown/Miami; Jason Campbell/Washington; Carlos Rogers/Washington; Carnell Williams/Tampa Bay.

2006: Ohio State (5) - A.J. Hawk/Green Bay; Donte Whitner/Buffalo; Bobby Carpenter/Dallas; Santonio Holmes/Pittsburgh; Nick Mangold/N.Y. Jets.

Florida State (4) - Ernie Sims/Detroit; Kamerion Wimbley/Cleveland; Brodrick Bunkley/Philadelphia; Antonio Cromartie/San Diego.

North Carolina State (3) - Mario Williams/Houston; Manny Lawson/San Francisco; John McCargo/Buffalo.

2007: Louisiana State (4) - JaMarcus Russell/Oakland; LaRon Landry/Washington; Dwayne Bowe/Kansas City; Craig Davis/San Diego.

Miami (3) - Brandon Meriweather/New England; Jon Beason/Carolina; Greg Olsen/Chicago.

2008: Southern California (4) - Sedrick Ellis/New Orleans; Keith Rivers/Cincinnati; Sam Baker/Atlanta; Lawrence Jackson/Seattle.

2009: Southern California (3) - Mark Sanchez/N.Y. Jets; Brian Cushing/Houston; Clay Matthews/Green Bay;

2010: Oklahoma (4) - Sam Bradford/St. Louis; Gerald McCoy/Tampa Bay; Trent Williams/Washington; Jermaine Gresham/Cincinnati

Florida (3) - Joe Haden/Cleveland; Maurkice Pouncey/Pittsburgh; Tim Tebow/Denver

2011: Alabama (4) - Marcell Dareus/Buffalo; Julio Jones/Atlanta; James Carpenter/Seattle; Mark Ingram/New Orleans

2012: Alabama (4) - Trent Richardson/Cleveland; Mark Barron/Tampa Bay; Dre Kirkpatrick/Cincinnati; Dont'a Hightower/New England

CALIFORNIA/FLORIDA

Number of times at least 3 players who played college football in California have been selected in top 10: 9

1942	Pete Kmetovic	Stanford	Philadelphia (#3)
	Bob Robertson	USC	Brooklyn (#7)
	Frankie Albert	Stanford	Chicago Bears (#10)

1947	Cal Rossi	UCLA	Washington (#4)
	Ernie Case	UCLA	Green Bay (#6)
	Herman Wedemeyer	St. Mary's (CA)	Los Angeles (#9)

1953	Johnny Olszewski	California	Chicago Cardinals (#4)
	Billy Anderson	Compton J.C.	Chicago Bears (#6)
	Al Carmichael	USC	Green Bay (#7)
	Donn Moomaw	UCLA	Los Angeles (#9)

1968	Ron Yary	USC	Minnesota (#1)
	Haven Moses	San Diego State	Buffalo (#9)
	Mike Taylor	USC	Pittsburgh (#10)

1972	Sherman White	California	Cincinnati (#2)
	Gregory Sampson	Stanford	Houston (#6)
	Willie Buchanon	San Diego State	Green Bay (#7)
	Jeff Siemon	Stanford	Minnesota (#10)

1977	Ricky Bell	USC	Tampa Bay (#1)
	Marvin Powell	USC	N.Y. Jets (#4)
	Gary Jeter	USC	N.Y. Giants (#5)

1981	Freeman McNeil	UCLA	N.Y. Jets (#3)
	Kenny Easley	UCLA	Seattle (#4)
	Rich Campbell	California	Green Bay (#6)
	Ronnie Lott	USC	San Francisco (#8)

1982	Chip Banks	USC	Cleveland (#3)
	Darrin Nelson	Stanford	Minnesota (#7)
	Marcus Allen	USC	Oakland (#10)

1994	Marshall Faulk	San Diego State	Indianapolis (#2)
	Willie McGinest	USC	New England (#4)
	Trent Dilfer	Fresno State	Tampa Bay (#6)
	Jamir Miller	UCLA	Arizona (#10)

Number of times three players who played college football in Florida have been selected

in top 10: 4

1987	Vinny Testaverde	Miami	Tampa Bay (#1)
	Alonzo Highsmith	Miami	Houston (#3)
	Jerome Brown	Miami	Philadelphia (#9)

1997	Peter Boulware	Florida State	Baltimore (#4)
	Walter Jones	Florida State	Seattle (#6)
	Ike Hilliard	Florida	N.Y. Giants (#7)

1998	Andre Wadsworth	Florida State	Arizona (#3)
	Fred Taylor	Florida	Jacksonville (#9)
	Duane Starks	Miami	Baltimore (#10)

2000	Peter Warrick	Florida State	Cincinnati (#4)
	Corey Simon	Florida State	Philadelphia (#6)
	Travis Taylor	Florida	Baltimore (#10)

FIRST ROUND BY POSITION

Most first-round selections by position (one year):

Quarterback (6-1983):
	John Elway/Baltimore, Todd Blackledge/Kansas City, Jim Kelly/Buffalo, Tony Eason/New England, Ken O'Brien/N.Y. Jets, Dan Marino/Miami

Halfback/Running Back (9-1938, 1941):
	(Last time) 1941 - Tom Harmon/Chicago Bears, John Kimbrough/Chicago Cardinals, Norm Standlee/Chicago Bears, John Thomason/Detroit, George Franck/New York, George Paskavan/Green Bay, Dean McAdams/Brooklyn, Don Scott/Chicago Bears, Forrest Evashevski/Washington

Wide Receiver (7-2004):
	Larry Fitzgerald/Arizona, Roy Williams/Detroit, Reggie Williams/Jacksonville, Lee Evans/Buffalo, Michael Clayton/Tampa Bay, Michael Jenkins/Atlanta, Rashaun Woods/San Francisco.

Tight End (3-1970, 2002):
	(Last time) 2002 - Jeremy Shockey/N.Y. Giants; Daniel Graham/New England; Jerramy Stevens/Seattle

Center (2-1949, 1950, 1968, 2009):
	(Last time) 2009 - Alex Mack/Cleveland, Eric Wood/Buffalo

Guard (4-1982):
	Mike Munchak/Houston, Sean Farrell/Tampa Bay, Ron Hallestrom/Green Bay, Roy Foster/Miami

Tackle (8-2008):
	Jake Long/Miami, Ryan Clady/Denver, Chris Williams/Chicago, Branden Albert/Kansas City, Gosder Cherilus/Detroit, Jeff Otah/Carolina, Sam Baker/Atlanta, Duane Brown/Houston

Defensive Back (7-1998, 2006):
	(Last time) 2006 - Michael Huff/Texas, Donte Williams/Buffalo, Tye Hill/St. Louis, Jason Allen/Miami, Antonio Cromartie/San Diego, Johnathan Joseph/Cincinnati, Kelly Jennings/Seattle

Linebacker (7-1990):
	Keith McCants/Tampa Bay, Junior Seau/San Diego, Chris Singleton/New England, James Francis/Cincinnati, Percy Snow/Kansas City, Lamar Lathon/Houston, Tony Bennett/Green Bay

Defensive End (6-1992, 2011):
	(Last time) 2011 - J.J. Watt/Houston, Robert Quinn/St. Louis, Corey Liuget/San Diego, Adrian Clayborn/Tampa Bay, Cameron Jordan/New Orleans, Cameron Heyward/Pittsburgh.

Defensive Tackle (6-1977, 2001, 2003):
	(Last time) 2003 - Dewayne Robertson/N.Y. Jets, Johnathan Sullivan/New Orleans, Kevin Williams/Minnesota, Jimmy Kennedy/St. Louis, Ty Warren/New England, William Joseph/N.Y. Giants.

Nose Tackle (1-1986, 1988, 2012):
	(Last time) 2012 - Dontari Poe/Kansas City

Kicker/Punter (1-1966, 1973, 1978, 1979, 2000):
	(Last time) 2000 - K Sebastian Janikowski/Oakland

MOST PLAYERS DRAFTED FROM SINGLE SCHOOL SINCE 1970

Year	College	Players
1970	Grambling, Southern California	9
1971	Ohio State	13
1972	Michigan	10
1973	Oklahoma	11
1974	UCLA	12
1975	Southern California	14
1976	Nebraska, Ohio State	11
1977	Southern California	14
1978	Florida	10
1979	Notre Dame, Oklahoma	10
1980	Nebraska, Southern California	10
1981	Pittsburgh	12
1982	Texas	12
1983	Southern California	11
1984	Texas	17
1985	Wisconsin	11
1986	Illinois, Southern California	9
1987	Penn State	13
1988	Oklahoma	13
1989	Auburn	10
1990	Southern California	10
1991	Miami	11
1992	Washington	11
1993	Notre Dame, Miami	9
1994	Notre Dame	10
1995	Colorado, Florida State	10
1996	Penn State	10
1997	Arizona State, Miami, Nebraska	8
1998	Washington	10
1999	Florida, Ohio State	8
2000	Tennessee	9
2001	Florida State	9
2002	Miami	11
2003	Florida, Miami, Tennessee	8
2004	Ohio State	14
2005	Oklahoma	11
2006	Southern California	11
2007	Florida	9
2008	Southern California	10
2009	Southern California	11
2010	Florida	9
2011	North Carolina, Southern California	9
2012	Alabama	8

UNDERCLASSMEN AND THE DRAFT

NOTE: Since 1990, 14 of the No. 1 overall picks have been underclassmen (Jeff George - 1990, Steve Emtman - 1992, Drew Bledsoe - 1993, Dan Wilkinson - 1994, Ki-Jana Carter - 1995, Orlando Pace - 1997, Tim Couch - 1999, Michael Vick - 2001, Mario Williams - 2006, JaMarcus Russell - 2007, Matthew Stafford - 2009, Sam Bradford - 2010, Cam Newton - 2011, Andrew Luck - 2012).

Year	Entered	Drafted	Top-10 Picks
2012	65	44	8
2011	56	43	8
2010	53	46	5
2009	46	41	5
2008	53	39	4
2007	40	29	5
2006	52	33	6
2005	51	37	4
2004	43	35	5
2003	47	32	5
2002	38	26	2
2001	35	27	5
2000	26	20	4
1999	31	22	5
1998	32	19	3
1997	34	25	6
1996	24	16	4
1995	33	22	2
1994	31	25	6
1993	34	24	5
1992	30	21	5
1991	23	19	1
1990	28	18	5

COLLEGES WITH MOST FIRST-ROUND PICKS

(Since first common draft in 1967)

College	Total	College	Total
USC	66	Texas	31
Miami	56	Nebraska	28
Ohio State	54	California	23
Florida	41	Texas A&M	23
Notre Dame	37	Louisiana State	23
Tennessee	37	Arizona State	22
Alabama	36	Colorado	22
Florida St.	36	Georgia	22
Michigan	33	Michigan State	22
Penn State	33	Pittsburgh	22
Oklahoma	31	UCLA	22

COLLEGES WITH MOST FIRST-ROUND PICKS BY YEAR (Since 1967)

1967-Michigan State/4	1990-Multiple with 2
1968-Southern California/5	1991-Tennessee/3
1969-Notre Dame, Ohio St., Southern California /2	1992-Multiple with 2
1970-Oklahoma/3	1993-Notre Dame/4
1971-Ohio State/4	1994-Notre Dame, Texas A&M/3
1972-Nebraska, Notre Dame/3	1995- Fla. St., Michigan, Ohio St., Penn St./3
1973-Purdue, Southern California/3	1996-Ohio State/3
1974-Ohio State/3	1997-Florida State/4
1975-Ohio State/3	1998-North Carolina, Tennessee/3
1976-Colorado, Oklahoma/3	1999-Ohio State/3
1977-Southern California/3	2000-Florida State/3
1978-Notre Dame/3	2001-Miami/4
1979-Multiple with 2	2002-Miami/5
1980-Southern California, Texas/3	2003-Miami/4, Penn State/4
1981-Southern California, Pittsburgh/3	2004-Miami/6
1982-Southern California/3	2005-Auburn/4
1983-Pittsburgh, Southern California/3	2006-Ohio State/5
1984-Maryland, Nebraska, Oklahoma/2	2007-Lousiana State/4
1985-Wisconsin/3	2008- Southern California/4
1986-Iowa/3	2009- Southern California/3
1987-Miami/3	2010-Oklahoma/4
1988-Arizona State, Miami, Oklahoma/2	2011-Alabama/4
1989-Florida/3	2012-Alabama/4

Buffalo Bills news, 4/22: T.J. Graham ready to break out?

MattRichWarren — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:41:04 -0000

Graham impresses early - BuffaloBills.com

"An offense seemingly tailor-made for his skillset, paired with the departures of Donald Jones and David Nelson, should equal a golden opportunity for the second-year receiver."

Bills’ Wood moves to front of the line - The Buffalo News

Jerry Sullivan laments the departure of many of his favorite quotable players, but finds a new one. Eric Wood talks about the quick tempo Doug Marrone is installing and his leadership.

More clicks

WGR 550 SportsRadio - How A Revis Trade Affects The Bills
"With the Jets having those two picks behind the Bills in the first round, perhaps it scares Buffalo off of the idea about possibly trading down and wait for their quarterback to get to them a little later than 8 while acquiring another draft pick in the mean time."

With the 8th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills should select... | Auburn Pub
"The reason I would pick Austin? I think plenty of good quarterbacks, including Nassib, will be available when the Bills pick again early in the second round."

Scott Pitoniak: My take on the Bills draft
"Here’s my take on the Bills in the upcoming draft: If you believe, as General Manager Buddy Nix says he does, that there are two or three potential franchise quarterbacks in this draft, then you better not wait; you better take the one you’re most in love with right away."

Pro Football Focus' draft features

All-First Round Team, 2008-2012 | ProFootballFocus.com
C.J. Spiller is an honorable mention.

First-Round Failures: 2008 - 2012 | ProFootballFocus.com
Aaron Maybin is second on the list.

PFF's Top 10 Second-Round Picks, 2008-2012 | ProFootballFocus.com
Jairus Byrd comes in at number five, while Andy Levitre is surprisingly left off the list.

Second-Round Failures: 2008-2012 | ProFootballFocus.com
James Hardy slots in at number eight, while Parcker-turned-eventual-Bills-starter Brian Brohm is fifth.

All "Day 2" Team, 2008-2012 | ProFootballFocus.com
Andy Levitre is the top guard on the list, while Jairus Byrd is the top safety.

Poll: Buffalo Bills next first-time Pro Bowler

MattRichWarren — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 09:34:43 -0000

Earlier this week on NFL.com, Chris Wesseling called cornerback Stephon Gilmore a future Pro Bowler. As we lead up to the 2013 NFL Draft, he made a list of five players from last year's draft who would get the nod in their sophomore season, and Gilmore was the first of five names. That got us thinking: what Buffalo Bills could make their first trip to Honolulu following the 2013 season? Here are the top prospects.

Marcell Dareus

The first round pick in 2011 came in with high expectations. In 2012, he underachieved following the loss of his brother after a pretty solid rookie campaign. He could be set to benefit from new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine's system, which will allow him some more freedom to be aggressive while established Pro Bowlers Kyle Williams and Mario Williams draw extra attention.

Stephon Gilmore

Gilmore was Buffalo's first-round pick in the 2012 selection meeting. While he had his rookie mistakes, he also held Larry Fitzgerald in check. If he can continue to improve his consistency, his draft status will get him into the national conversation. With Pettine installing an attacking defense, Gilmore should have more chances to make plays on the ball - but also more opportunities to get burned.

Cordy Glenn

Part of a solid offensive line in 2012, Glenn could make the Pro Bowl if he can stay healthy. The AFC's squad at tackle was wide open a year ago. With Nathaniel Hackett's new system, the Bills won't be giving up many sacks. Pro Bowl running back C.J. Spiller can cover up some warts, too.

Stevie Johnson

Certainly, Johnson's case for Pro Bowl consideration is overdue. He has the most to lose from last year's squad in this conversation. His rapport with Ryan Fitzpatrick was unquestioned. It's unclear how he'll be utilized by the new offense and quarterback. His reputation around the league should get him enough of the popularity vote to at least be in consideration, though.

Leodis McKelvin

Nobody thinks McKelvin has a shot at making the Pro Bowl at cornerback - but as a returner, he was in the conversation all season long in 2012. Ultimately, Jacoby Jones and Josh Cribbs got the nod, but McKelvin has the skills to remain in the conversation.

Eric Wood

Buffalo's first-round pick in 2009 is well-respected around the NFL. His injury history has prohibited him from being in the conversation during most of his four seasons, and he has the steepest competition to overcome, too. With Nick Mangold and others ahead of him in public perception, the Bills will have to have a pretty good record to get Wood's name into the mix.

Poll

Which Buffalo Bills is most likely to make their first Pro Bowl trip next season?

Marcell Dareus

235 votes

Stephon Gilmore

354 votes

Cordy Glenn

76 votes

Stevie Johnson

195 votes

Leodis McKelvin

44 votes

Eric Wood

47 votes

Other (explain in comments section)

13 votes

964 votes | Poll has closed