Interview with Buffalo Bills Expert: Brian Galliford
Up next in our series of interviews with NFL team experts is Brian Galliford a fellow Rochesterian and head honcho at BuffaloRumblings.com. Galliford also happens to do a lot of draft coverage for SBnation. Galliford took a few minutes away from eating garbage plates (Rochester specialty and great football food) to answer a few questions about the Buffalo Bills and the upcoming draft.
What are the Bills biggest needs to adderss this off-season?
They need long-term direction and talent at the quarterback position. They need to continue to bolster their defensive front seven, specifically at defensive end and inside linebacker. It’d be nice if they had an elite edge rusher. Cornerback will have depth issues. They need depth at offensive tackle. Really, the only position that’s fine, numbers-wise, is wide receiver – but even that position lacks elite talent.
With the re-signing of Shane Merriman are the Bills definitely playing a 3-4 defense next year…if so does that preclude Bowers.
Chan Gailey has said that they’ll stay hybrid, or “multiple,” defensively. So they’ll use 30 front and 40 front. Buddy Nix has said that they’re still scouting for the 3-4, but that they can flip to an under front if it fits their personnel better. Expect to see a base 3-4 with a lot of wrinkles to maximize the talents of guys like Kyle Williams, Merriman, and possibly an early-round rookie.
What’s your personal Draft Philosophy?
Best player available at positions of critical importance. Pretty straightforward.
How have the rookies from the past couple of years looked-and more specifically will the drafting of Troupe and Carrington in rounds 2 and 3 last year push the Bills away from a Dlinemen in the first round?
Carrington flashed more ability than Troup did as a rookie, but neither has seen much playing time or made a big difference when they’ve been on the field. Buddy Nix said at the Combine that he felt the team was set inside at tackle, but that he wanted to add two more defensive ends to his (currently) three-deep rotation.
Point Blank: Why have the Bills been so abysmalldrafting in the first round the past decade
If I knew the answer to that one, I’d do a lot less teeth-gnashing every April. For a while, it had to do with no direction or final voice in the front office, but that problem has been fixed for over a year now. (In theory, anyway.)
Do you put more fault on the G.M. or the coaches in player development because it seems like even when they make a selection that a lot of people like (McKelvin) they still can’t get the best out of the player?
I’m not sure why it’d be the GM’s fault that a talented player isn’t developing on the field. Obviously, that’s on the coaches. That’s not to say that Chan Gailey should be blamed for every shortcoming at this point; there’s been a lot of coaching and schematic upheaval of late.
Who’s been the Bills best draft pick in the last 10 years (in the first round and then overall)
First round: Lee Evans is probably the only one that qualifies as a good pick that’s still with the team. Overall, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better value pick than 2006 fifth-rounder Kyle Williams.
In 2009, Everyone in the world thought that Brian Orakpo was the superior player to Aaron Maybin especially for a team looking for 4-3 help (which the Bills were at that time)…has anyone ever figured out why the Bills went the route of Maybin instead?
No one that I am aware of. But I’ve heard that Buffalo’s coaching staff at the time wanted to go in a different direction, and they were talked into Maybin by Tom Modrak. (They had no GM at the time. Which, of course, was the problem: no one really had final say, so all it took was a persuasive argument to pull the trigger. Little to no conviction at all on the organization’s part.)
Do you have a feel for the draft philosophy of Buddy nix yet?
Not at all. We’ve only seen him run one of these things, yet people keep trying to peg him as a “BPA” drafter. I’ll wait and see how he does this year before trying to claim that he’s one thing or another.
What seems to be Bills fans ideal pick at #3 right now (and then what about you personally)
There are about nine guys that get serious play amongst the Bills’ fan base. I haven’t made up my mind on the “ideal” pick yet, either.
Tell us a little bit about Buffalo Rumblings and why our readers should check it out?
We talk about the Bills more than any other website. That’s why you should check us out. (If you’re a Bills fan. Obviously.)
Thank you for your time.
What are your thoughts on the next team we should try to get for this series?
More interviews coming…for both team experts and players (Will Rackley, Brandyn Thompson, and Mario Butler for sure and a few others we’re waiting to see what happens).