 by Paul “The Closer” Wanecski It is no mystery that NFL players hate the franchise tag. Most, as recently as Denver’s WR Demaryius Thomas and Dallas’ Dez Bryant, are vocal about how they feel. They see it as an insult, something that teams do to take control of a player’s future. Honestly, players can do very little to avoid the franchise tag and all the weight that comes with it. “The Tag”, as it is referred to, could be seen as beneficial to players financially for one season, but the real benefits are given to the organization. Players have every right to be angry when they get tagged. Pending franchise tag candidate Marcell Dareus may voice his frustrations soon if a contract extension can’t be worked out; if I were him, I would be mad too.
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 Benardrick McKinney- Mississippi State By: Paul “The Closer” Wanecski As the NFL draft inches closer and closer, the Buffalo Bills find themselves in a position that may be two decades in the making; they are not drafting a single position that doesn’t already have either an incumbent starter or someone who played the position last year. You have to give the Bills front office credit in building a roster that will not be dependent on whatever selections they make on draft day. With that, we all know the struggles of the offense and the overpowering nature of the defense that Rex Ryan and crew have taken on. While the defensive unit is an expensive one, this year may be the start of a youth movement, supplanting long time players such as Leodis McKelvin. The team may also look to handcuff pending player’s extensions such as Marcell Dareus, Nigel Bradham, or Cordy Glenn. With all that said, let’s take a look at the 2013 and 2014 leading tackler for Mississippi State, inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney.  by Mario Granata The Buffalo Bills have been the talk of the offseason, acquiring players via trade or free agency that look to give them a legitimate shot at the playoffs and maybe even the AFC East crown. The Bills have some needs that had to be addressed, and they had to be addressed during free agency, since it is unlikely they would do so via the draft, as they don’t have a first round pick. How will the Bills offense look in 2015?  By: Paul "The Closer" Wanecski As the Bills approached this offseason, the team was seen as having a wealth of linebacker talent. Preston Brown, Kiko Alonso, Brandon Spikes, Nigel Bradham, Ty Powell, Jerry Hughes and Manny Lawson all would be useful tools to defensive whiz Rex Ryan. Gone is Kiko Alonso via trade, Brandon Spikes could be lost to free agency, and Nigel Bradham could be traded. Yes, you read that correctly. Before anyone loses their minds, here is why you may see Bradham dealt by day two of the draft.  by Paul “The Closer” Wanecski With the NFL draft on the horizon, the buzz around Buffalo has been that Doug Whaley may have some tricks up his sleeve to slide back into the first round, as the Bills had traded what would have been this year’s selection to the Cleveland Browns to acquire WR Sammy Watkins in 2014. The Bills are holding the 50th pick overall, which would be the furthest into the 2nd round they have drafted since 2009 when they used the 51stselection on guard Andy Levitre. Where will the Bills be looking with this pick, or, will they be aggressive again and look to move this selection up the draft board? Those in Hashtag Nation know that we here will always support our troops, regardless if they are deployed, training, recovering or have been lost in service. Take a moment to read the story of a fallen veteran whose family is in need of support. Even if you can not donate, share it on your social media page. We appreciate your support!  by Mario Granata One key ingredient to having staying power in the NFL is not to rebuild but to reload. This has been a far cry for the Buffalo Bills who have been swirling in turmoil since the turn of the century, but recent moves over the past few years would suggest that they have a blend of youth and experience that will serve them well going into 2015.  by Paul Wanecski Franchise quarterbacks don’t fall from the sky, nor do they grow on trees. As a life-long resident of Western New York I can promise you that if they did, the Bills wouldn’t have been in the basement for the AFC for the last 15 years. So when word trickles out that one of those QBs that you could (mind the pun) “hitch your wagons to” becomes available, clearly interest is going to be high from about 20 teams.  by Mario Granata  by Paul Wanecski When the NFL and the Players Association agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement, many items were highlighted as a success. Drafted players would get contracts based on what position in the draft order they were selected, ending the massive holdouts that we common prior to the new CBA. Structured pay scales would be installed for veteran players based on years of service, with a salary cap that would be altered year by year depending on the television revenue generated by the league. All of these were high priority items and the Players Associate thought they had won a major victory in pay and benefits for its current, former and future players. |