Buffalo Bills: Things we know a week out from the NFL Draft

The NFL Draft isn’t too far away and Buffalo Bills fans can begin hoping that this year will be the year when the team becomes a perennial contender once again.

“When I stepped out into the bright sunlight, from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home…”.

I’m sure someone recognized that opening sentence. It was a quote from S.E. Hinton’s 1960s novel The Outsiders, which was made into a famous star-studded motion picture in the 1980s. She went on to write other great teenager novels including That Was Then, This Is Now, Rumble Fish, and Tex.

I descry this opening for three reasons. The first reason is that it was my favorite book growing up. The second was that I always wanted to start off writing content accentuating that line. The opportunity does not present itself often for such.

At the age of diving into this novel, it was indeed mandated reading in junior high school English class. So, when I claim it was my favorite book back then, if you leap forward past “Little Golden Books”, my reading resume at that point could be counted on one hand. So, calling it my favorite book in hindsight is about as accomplishing as winning the Stanley Cup during the Original Six era.

The third is clearly because as a Buffalo Bills and Sabres fan, it seems as if we are always outsiders. Looking in at the many playoff teams wondering how we can just continue to miss so many postseasons. Buffalo fans…loyal, fun, passionate, proud…like Ponyboy, Johnny, Dally and the Greasers.

It’s like there is a social club for the fans of teams who routinely play in the postseason and when they miss out, they quickly retool and boom, back in the playoffs. Buffalo sports fans are not invited to play the reindeer games.

For the outsiders, the table smashing, loyal, dedicated, passionate Greasers, somehow rebuilding and retooling can take a generation or more to find success properly. When a bone is thrown and they achieve a postseason berth, a good story usually transpires about how they lost. They then return to the Outsider status.

Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Leif Garrett, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, C. Thomas Howell and Diane Lane loaded the Francis Ford Coppola movie roster similar to the Bills’ loaded Hall and Wall of Famer 90s “Almost a Dynasty” teams. No outsiders on that team or movie roster, the actors just played Outsiders. Bills teams prior to the late 80s and 90s teams and after safely fit back in to being Outsiders on a regular basis.

Buffalo Bills postseason participation=Nothing Gold Can Stay.

Things we know about the Buffalo Bills this week:

The Bills started the initial offseason workouts Monday morning, gathering for the first time this calendar year. Strictly strength and conditioning exercises take place with a few rehab drills with only the strength and conditioning coaches.

Mel Kiper’s three-round most recent draft predictions really would be an option giving Josh Allen an opportunity for success.

Round 1 (9): T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa

Round 2 (40): N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State

Round 3 (74): Jaylon Ferguson, DE, Louisiana Tech

The Bills have signed 17 free agents to this point of time. This leaves them with upgrading needs at certain positions, but not with major roster holes everywhere that absolutely dictate how they draft.

So even though every GM claims every draft they plan on taking the best player available, it is obvious with selections appearing as major reaches and crazy trades, that many GMs are absolutely targeting a position and specific player and not taking the best player available.

This draft could be a draft that the Bills absolutely go off their draft board, purely taking best available players. This strategy may not be the most exciting or really increase the TV ratings, but it potentially can be the best way to build a team that competes long-term.

Stay Gold.