NFL Draft: Bills sign WR RogersBy Jeff
Reynolds | NFLDraftScout.com
Da'Rick Rogers was the 12th-ranked wide receiver and No. 95 player in the draft. That based on his talent and potential, according to NFLDraftScout.com.
But 254 picks, the entire expanse of the 2013 draft, were made without Rogers being selected. It was a kick in the chin for Rogers, 21, who is still paying for missteps that raised character red flags.
In August, Rogers was the 47th-ranked prospect potentially available for the '13 draft. He plummeted when Tennessee kicked him out of the program before the start of the season for repeated failed drug tests. Rogers was forthright at the Scouting Combine about marijuana use and the Knoxville bar fight that led to his arrest. His one year, 10 touchdowns and even the 303-yard game at Southeast Missouri spent at Tennessee Tech had little value for NFL scouts.
The Buffalo Bills offer a potential perfect situation for Rogers to rehab his reputation and earn a second contract in the NFL before his 24th birthday.
The franchise has a history of resurrecting overlooked, or bypassed, talent. No. 1 receiver Stevie Johnson was a seventh-round pick and starting running back Fred Jackson went undrafted. Until March,
Ryan Fitzpatrick (seventh round, 2005) was Buffalo's starting quarterback.
Rogers can find redemption with the Bills, but first he has to prove he's ready to act the part of a professional. At 6-3, 217 with 4.5 speed and a 39-inch vertical, he looks the part. Will he act the part, too?
Behind Johnson, the Bills have 2013 second-round pick
Robert Woods, 2012 third-round pick
T.J. Graham, 2013 third-round pick
Marquise Goodwin and veteran
Brad Smith. Rogers, a possible sixth receiver, can stick on the roster with a strong camp. First-year coach Doug Marrone would be glad to make the numbers work if he shows the same ability evident in a 67-catch sophomore season at Tennessee.