The Sports Xchange

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Never mind that the calendar says the first week of May. The Buffalo Bills’ open quarterback competition is in full swing, and has been since the moment EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel, and Tyrod Taylor came to One Bills Drive for the start of voluntary conditioning.

“I thought it started when we all got back,” Manuel said. “Even in the film room trying to grasp the offense, it’s like a race to see who knows it the best and you want to know it the way (offensive coordinator Greg) Roman does.”

Head coach Rex Ryan said he was pleased with what he saw from the quarterbacks during the just-completed voluntary three-day mini-camp the Bills conducted before the draft began. Ryan reiterated that everyone starts from zero, and there will be no bias in the ultimate decision. The guy who plays the best will start opening day against Indianapolis.

“I’d rather have, in a perfect world, ‘this is our guy,’ but I’m excited about the competition,” Ryan said. “You don’t know how it’s going to shake out. There’s not anybody who knows how it’s going to shake out. We’re going to give them a platform that will showcase what they can all do, and let’s see what happens. Is it a perfect situation? No, I’m not saying it is, but when we end it, it’ll be a clear guy who will be No. 1. There are three guys in my opinion, who can be NFL quarterbacks.”

–The Bills signed veteran free agent Richie Incognito to play one guard spot, and they added third-round draft pick John Miller to the competition for the other spot. However, that won’t be the only competition going on up front over the next few months. Every position is up for grabs, and Ryan has made it clear that he is going to mix and match combinations in an effort to find the best five linemen. In the voluntary mini-camp, tackles and guards were rotating in and out regardless of which side they have played in the past, and that will continue into training camp.

“Just letting them know, don’t get comfortable and this could easily happen,” Ryan continued. “When you only carry seven offensive linemen into a game a lot of times you have to move guys to different positions.”

Center Eric Wood would seem to be anchored into his position, but he admitted that nothing is set in stone for him, either. He knows he’s going to get some reps at guard – the position he first played when he came to Buffalo as a first-round pick in 2009 – and that’s fine by him.

“No one’s told me anything, but I’ll do whatever is best for the team,” the seventh-year veteran said. “When you’re trying to find the five best, you’ve got to mix it up and play guys at different positions, you’ve got to rotate guys in and give guys opportunities and see how it shakes out.”

–New tight end Charles Clay is now the fourth highest-paid player at his position, putting him in the company of stars Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski and Julius Thomas, but that’s not going to add a layer of pressure as he begins his tenure with the Bills.

“Nobody can put more pressure on me than I put on myself already,” he said. “I mean, that’s just part of it. I’m going to come out and do all I can to try to help this team. I’m not going out trying to validate why I got the money I got. When guys start to do that, that’s when you start pressing. And I don’t want to do that.”

Clay is a rare talent at tight end for the Bills. It’s a position that has traditionally been void of playmakers throughout their history, but the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Clay is someone who can get down the seam and make a defense pay attention, which is a good thing when you have weapons such as Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Percy Harvin, and LeSean McCoy also in the pass-route tree.

“I think Charles has shown that he’s a very multi-dimensional type player, and he can function at a high level in the run game and in the passing game,” Roman said. “He loves playing the game, and that’s what we look for. He’ll probably be doing a lot of things; he’ll have a lot on his plate. He’ll be studying a lot at night.”

A closer look at the Bills’ picks:

–Round 2/50 — Ronald Darby, CB, 5-11, 195, Florida State

In Rex Ryan’s aggressive defense, it’s imperative that he have lots of physical corners who can cover one-on-one and Darby has the size and speed to do that. General manager Doug Whaley acknowledged that Darby’s production wasn’t great in 2014, but he pointed out that he didn’t get challenged much. The year before, he was part of a national championship defense that led the country in fewest passing yards allowed per game.

–Round 3/81 — John Miller, G, 6-2, 303, Louisville

Whaley called him a mauler, which is exactly the kind of blocker offensive coordinator Greg Roman likes for his ground-and-pound running game. Miller is a bit short for the position, and he will have to improve his technique as a pass protector. He was a four-year starter at Louisville who should be able to come in and instantly compete for the vacant left guard spot in Buffalo.

–Round 5/155 — Karlos Williams, RB, 6-1, 225, Florida State

This pick didn’t make a lot of sense. Running back is a deep position for the Bills, even if Ryan ends up cutting Bryce Brown, who he doesn’t seem enamored with. With LeSean McCoy, Fred Jackson, and Boobie Dixon on the roster, adding even more depth to a position where you rarely would have more than three active on game day was perplexing. Williams did have a knack for finding the end zone (22 touchdowns in two years), and he could contribute to special teams.

–Round 6/188 — Tony Steward, LB, 6-0, 235, Clemson

Many evaluators didn’t even project Steward to get drafted, mainly because he battled injuries his entire career. He suffered two serious knee injuries, and also struggled with hamstring issues. The Bills lack depth at inside linebacker, but it would seem Steward is a long-shot to make the team unless he proves to be a special teams stud, which he was in college.

–Round 6/194 — Nick O’Leary, TE, 6-3, 247, Florida State

The grandson of golf legend Jack Nicklaus will have a chance to make the Bills because their tight end depth chart is thin behind free-agent signee Charles Clay. O’Leary was the 2014 John Mackey Award winner as the nation’s best tight end. He set FSU tight end records for receptions (114), yards (1,591), and touchdowns (18). He has excellent hands, but his lack of speed will curtail some of that big-play ability.

–Round 7/234 — Dezmin Lewis, WR, 6-4, 212, Central Arkansas

An experienced player who saw action in 48 games with 36 starts. He will be the tallest receiver on Buffalo’s depth chart, an attribute the Bills have lacked in their passing game. He made 197 receptions for 2,618 yards and 24 touchdowns at a lower level of competition, and he’ll have to make the transition to the NFL. Given the Bills’ depth, it seems unlikely Lewis can make the team.