Buffalo Bills: Things we know this week

The Buffalo Bills didn’t just land a top defender in Tremaine Edmunds. The team also added a young man on defense who can lead for years to come.

Kyle Williams routinely congregated the Buffalo Bills defense on Thursdays absent of coaches, trainers or front office leadership of any kind. It would be a player-run meeting to go over tasks and responsibilities where the players took ownership of needed improvements and focus areas that were opponent specific.

The youngest player drafted in NFL history, Tremaine Edmunds, was tapped on the shoulder by Williams the Thursday Buffalo was hosting the Jets. (Week 13). This physically gifted fledgling, a barely 20-year-old rookie, cannot buy an alcoholic beverage in the USA and is an extremely high-risk driver in the eyes of automobile insurance companies. (male under 25…ouch)

Williams staunchly suggested Edmunds step up and champion the Thursday meeting. Brandon Beane was all smiles really appreciating the leadership displayed by Williams and how receptive the young linebacker was. The torch was passed from a legendary retiring Bills leader to a kid with the potential to be a Wall of Famer.

An article in The Buffalo News shared Williams’ thoughts on the young leader and provided insights on those Thursday meetings:

"“There’s a couple things that have to come before he can step in front of a group of a lot of guys and lead them,” Williams said. “He has to have production. He has to be accountable. He has to work the right way. Those are things he’s done well. I think he plays hard, he prepares the right way, and he’s in a natural position that if you can cultivate it and you can be that type of guy, it’s a natural leadership position. So just trying to help him as much as I can moving forward. Hopefully it will help him grow a little bit more.”"

Wall of Famer? Intervention. Rebuke. A simple “pump the brakes” would be adequate. I see so much athleticism, football intelligence and play-making ability. Having all that needs to be combined with luck, health, coaching, surrounding talent, drive and so many other intangibles and details. Projecting that kind of career now is premature. Somebody stop me.

I witnessed C.J. Spiller play a couple great games in college followed by some astonishing runs for the  Bills. Soon thereafter I  am sporting his jersey at the Bills season opener in Chicago strutting around like he’s joining the “Juice” and “Thurmanator” in Canton.

That is why my duties of drafting players is strictly limited to my fantasy football league. I am not some well-kept secret talent identifier that NFL teams are aggressively pursuing. I digress.

What wowed defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was that Edmunds did not play middle linebacker at Virginia Tech. He had to learn the details on the fly during a rookie season against the foremost grown men professional football players in the world.

Frazier is eager to see Edmunds elevate his game in year two with confidence and experience added on to that freakish athletic frame.

Things we know about the Buffalo Bills This Week:

• At the NFL Combine, Brandon Beane suggested that the Bills were serious about bringing back 26-year-old Jordan Phillips. He was picked up on waivers mid-season and contributed with 19  tackles, three defended passes and recovered a fumble.  ESPN reported Buffalo signed him to a $4.5 million one-year contract.
• NFL insider Benjamin Allbright reports the Bills are interested in adding former Broncos center, Matt Paradis. This would be a much needed signing upgrading the line in front of Josh Allen.

• The Bills are rumored to be a team interested in the services of Panthers offensive tackle Daryl Williams. Buffalo interested in a Carolina player? Imagine that.