Bills Take Some Suspense Out of Tuesday’s NFL Draft

The Buffalo Bills have already taken some of the suspense out of Tuesday’s NFL draft.

The Bills, who have the first overall draft pick by virtue of their 2-14 record last season--the worst in the NFL--made their intentions known by signing mammoth Virginia Tech defensive end Bruce Smith in February.

The 6-foot-3 1/2, 290-pound Smith, winner of the 1984 Outland Trophy as college football’s top lineman, will reportedly receive $2.6 million over the life of his four-year contract with Buffalo.

“In Bruce Smith, we feel we now have the No. 1 football player available to the National Football League,” Bills’ Coach Kay Stephenson said. “Bruce is the type of football player who can come in and make an immediate impact on a football team.”

Besides signing their first pick early, the Bills may made extraordinary use of their first pick in the supplemental draft by acquiring All-Pro outside linebacker Chip Banks of Cleveland in the Bernie Kosar deal. The Browns will select Kosar, the top collegiate quarterback available who will graduate a year ahead of his class at the University of Miami, with the first pick in the supplemental draft, obtained from Buffalo.

Another major need for Buffalo is quarterback, but it’s unlikely the Bills will draft one early. There are few good ones available and Buffalo still has the rights to Jim Kelly, its first-round pick in 1983 who is tearing up the United States Football League with the Houston Gamblers, and could sign him if the USFL falters.

Buffalo is also investigating a trade of a 1985 draft choice to the Rams for veteran quarterback Vince Ferragamo, who is expendable since the Rams recently signed former Canadian League star Dieter Brock and have four quarterbacks on their roster.

“Obviously, we have an interest,” Stephenson said. “We want to take a look at him and work him out.”