ORCHARD PARK http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-drew-sample-jersey , N.Y. (AP) — Brandon Beane has plenty of options entering the NFL draft. And the Bills general manager isn’t going to restrict himself to focusing on one or two positions when it comes time for Buffalo to make the No. 9 selection.Name a position outside of quarterback, after Buffalo selected Josh Allen with its first pick a year ago, and Beane won’t rule it out. And that includes an offensive lineman, even though Buffalo added seven newcomers already this offseason.“I wouldn’t say it’s less likely, no. I think there’s some good ones,” Beane said.“Guys, I’m serious. We’re taking the best player,” Beane added, before noting he and his scouting staff will hold several in-house mock drafts to prep for the draft. “I feel confident that we’ll get a good player at nine. And I’ll be curious how these mocks go, but I can see a lot of scenarios of (selecting a player from) either side of the ball.”With that in mind, it wouldn’t be out of the question for Buffalo to select an offensive tackle such as Florida’s Jawaan Taylor, should he be available. Then there’s the option of the Bills addressing their defensive line with Houston tackle Ed Oliver, or adding a pass-rusher, such Michigan’s Rashan Gary.Tight end http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/trayvon-mullen-jersey , a position long lacking in production in Buffalo, might even be on the table with Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson being linked to the Bills in various mock drafts.Beane’s point is Buffalo’s roster is in a much better place when it comes to competitive depth and salary structure entering his third year. The change is the result of Beane spending the past two years purging high-priced contracts and underperforming players, and rebuilding through youth by stockpiling draft picks.The overhaul resulted in the Bills taking a step back in going 6-10 a year after a 9-7 finish in which they sneaked into the playoffs to end a 17-year drought.The benefits were evident a month ago. With more than $70 million in salary cap space available, Beane took an aggressive approach by filling numerous needs in free agency. He focused mostly on surrounding Allen with more talent by upgrading what had been a patchwork and inexperienced offense.After center Mitch Morse, the most notable additions were receivers Cole Beasley and John Brown, who join a relatively untested group of receivers made up of Zay Jones and Robert Foster.With a defense that allowed the second-fewest yards in the league returning mostly intact, the expectation now is for Allen to build off a promising finish to his rookie season and help the Bills take the next step toward being a contender.Coach Sean McDermott isn’t buying into the notion the newcomers make the Bills any better.“Right now, they’re just names on paper,” McDermott said. “What we have to do is find a way to bring these names that are on the paper and bringing them to life.”DRAFT ASSETSThe Bills have 10 selections, with seven spread over the final four rounds. With only one second- and third-round pick, it makes it difficult — but not impossible —for Buffalo to move up in the first round as it did twice a year ago. Don’t rule out the Bills combining their later-round picks to trade up should the opportunity present itself.WHEELING AND DEALINGBeane spent the first round last year maneuvering up the draft board. He traded up five spots to select Allen with the No. 7 pick, and then moved up six draft positions to select Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds at 16.MOCK MISSAsked about how many times his in-house mock draft finished with Buffalo landing both Allen and Edmunds, Beane said: “I think we were zero for zero.”Though he always considered the likelihood of trading up to select Allen, not once did he consider being in a position to move up and select Edmunds. “We always made a pick at 22 or, we used that pick to move up http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/isaiah-johnson-jersey , so we didn’t have it,” he said.WHO’S LEFT?With defensive tackle Kyle Williams retiring after 13 seasons, the Bills have five players left who were on the roster since coach Rex Ryan’s final year in 2016.And of those five, defensive end Shaq Lawson (a first-round pick in 2016), is the lone player drafted by Buffalo who remains. Defensive end Jerry Hughes, acquired in a trade in 2013, is now Buffalo’s longest-serving active player.AGE-OLD QUESTIONBeane doesn’t consider drafting a running back a high priority even though Buffalo’s backfield currently features 30-year-old LeSean McCoy and 35-year-old free-agent addition Frank Gore. The GM said if he doesn’t select a running back, there are still several free-agent prospects available. ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys failed in their first attempt to wrap up the NFC East by losing to Indianapolis when the Colts badly needed a win for their playoff chase.Now the NFL’s rushing leader and his teammates will try again Sunday, this time facing an opponent with nothing on the line a week after Tampa Bay was eliminated from postseason contention with a loss in Baltimore.“I think everyone in this locker room understands how important this game is,” Elliott said with Dallas coming off the franchise’s first shutout loss in 15 years . “I think it would be kind of beating a dead cow to come in here and harping on what happened last week.”Article continues below ...Jameis Winston and the Bucs (5-9) are putting the wraps on a strange year that began with the quarterback’s personal-conduct suspension, followed by his inability to keep the job once Ryan Fitzpatrick cooled off.Fitzpatrick’s struggles gave him another shot, and Winston is set for his fifth straight start, the longest stretch for either QB this year.“Even though we’re out of contention, it still feels good to win http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/hunter-renfrow-jersey ,” said receiver Mike Evans, a bright spot for an offense that had little trouble churning out yards but often didn’t turn them into points. “Christmas is coming up. It’ll be good to have Christmas sitting on a ‘W.'”The Cowboys (8-6) just want to end their division race.Dallas ran off five straight wins to earn the enviable position of needing one victory in the final three games to reach the postseason for the second time in three seasons with Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year on a playoff team two years ago.Moving the ball wasn’t a problem for the Cowboys in the first half of the 23-0 loss to Indianapolis, but they squandered several scoring chances. A defense that has carried Dallas most of the season had the bigger letdown in the second half.The Cowboys can win the division with another loss if Washington and Philadelphia lose. They don’t want to go there.“Guys were excited to get back there and get rid of that last game and kind of build from scratch and kind of build our swag back,” said cornerback Byron Jones, who was voted to his first Pro Bowl this week. “I know we’re going to come out feisty and fierce.”Things to consider as the Cowboys try to build on a 9-1 home record in the series with the Bucs, 11-1 if you include two playoff wins in the 1980s:RACE IS ONElliott and Todd Gurley of the Los Angeles Rams have been locked in a duel for the rushing lead for several weeks. Elliott, the 2016 rushing champion as a rookie, extended his lead despite the Cowboys’ paltry showing at the Colts. He’s 98 yards ahead with two games left, and also leads in yards from scrimmage.DECEPTIVE NUMBERSThe Buccaneers have thrown for 4,464 yards, fourth-most passing yards through the first 14 games in NFL history behind the 2013 Broncos (4,713), 2000 Rams (4,706) and 2011 Saints (4 http://www.seattleseahawksteamonline.com/marquise-blair-jersey ,639). They’ve dropped from first to third in total offense (416.6 per game) over the past two weeks after leading the league for much of the year.Although they still have the No. 1 passing attack (318.9), that hasn’t translated into scoring enough points to win consistently. The Bucs are 12th in points scored (24.6) and 30th in points allowed (28.8).EASY ON LEEIt would be putting it mildly to say the Cowboys eased Sean Lee back in after the linebacker missed five games with his second hamstring injury of the season. He played seven snaps against the Colts. The emergence of rookie Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith is the primary reason, although the defense played poorly enough last week that perhaps more playing time for Lee is warranted.EVANS’ BANNER YEAREvans has 74 receptions and is closing in on Tampa Bay’s franchise record for receiving yards in a season. One of just three receivers in league history to begin a career with five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, Evans has 1,328 yards through 14 games. He needs 95 to break Mark Carrier’s club record of 1,422 from 1989.“Hopefully I can get it,” said Evans, who has seven 100-yard games this season. “This week hopefully. If not, then next week.”LOOKING TO RETURNDallas right guard Zack Martin, who has now made the Pro Bowl in all five of his seasons, practiced Thursday for the first time since aggravating his left knee injury two weeks ago in a win over Philadelphia that pushed the Cowboys to the brink of the division title. He sat for the first time in his career against the Colts.If Martin returns, the Cowboys will have to decide between Xavier Su’a-Filo and rookie Connor Williams at left guard. Su’a-Filo went to the hospital in Indianapolis after getting poked in the eye by teammate La’el Collins. The eye is improving, and he was a full practice participant Thursday.