Give Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley credit for being aggressive during draft weekend in an effort to get what he wanted.
He didn't simply accept his draft position; he worked the phones to make trades for the No. 4 overall pick -- which he used on Sammy Watkins -- and formerEagles running back Bryce Brown. The Billsalso dealt Stevie Johnson away to San Francisco for a conditional 2015 fourth-round pick.
The deal for Brown nearly wasn't necessary. Buffalo previously tried to trade back into the second round to take Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde, but they couldn't find a willing partner, the team confirmed Tuesday. The Bills spoke with the Bengals, Dolphins, Saints, Colts and Panthers in an effort to send away multiple mid-round picks for a second-rounder. No one bit.
Eventually, the Bills saw Miami trade down four spots with San Francisco, who drafted Hyde. The Billsstopped looking for deals at that point.
"They got our guy," director of player personnel Jim Monos said, per the team's official website. "You win some, you lose some."
The Bills viewed running back as a big need despite the presence of Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller on the roster. While we don't agree with LeSean McCoy's take that Brown will start in Buffalo, the Bills are getting ready for life without Jackson and Spiller. Jackson is 34 years old, while Spiller is coming off an uneven season under coach Doug Marrone.
Buffalo's desire to draft Hyde, a bruising three-down back, is another sign they don't see Spiller as an every-down player.
The "Around The League Podcast" predicts which rookie quarterbacks will start first and what veterans are in trouble after the draft.
