Buffalo Bills: Four round mock draft with trades before free agency
By Casey Reed
This is our mock draft for the Buffalo Bills before the start of free agency kicks off next week.
Free Agency starts on March 18th with the official tampering period to begin on March 16th. This period let’s fans begin to understand what teams will do in the NFL Draft in April. The Buffalo Bills sit at a very intriguing spot in this years draft with pick number 22, which will allow them to grab a Day One starter especially if a run at quarterbacks happens around pick 10 or 11.
During Free Agency the Buffalo Bills probably won’t be big spenders. Last year Brandon Beane focused on mid-tier guys and gave team friendly deals along the way. Deals that after Year Two are easy to get out of and already this year the Buffalo Bills gave a one year prove it deal to Josh Norman, but that shouldn’t stop them from adding cornerback depth through the draft.
Most fans will want them to spend freely on the offensive side of the ball, however the money might be going more towards the Bills own free agents. Which sets the stage for the Bills to draft their guys and build with them, rather than over pay for a player who might be out of their prime.
Brandon Beane has been vocal about trades this offseason and he has not been afraid of trading around the NFL Draft in his time as Bills’ GM. Three different trade partners come to mind with the New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and the Carolina Panthers. These three teams have few draft picks and very little cap space to fill out their roster.
The value of this draft will be on Day Two and Three of the NFL Draft and Beane knows this and so does Bills Mafia. In this mock draft, the Bills make a few trades that helps them add a couple of Day Two picks.