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Alabama safety Mark Barron remains the 2012 NFL Draft topic du jour in Western New York, where the Buffalo Bills are reportedly enamored enough with the senior that he's a current front-runner to be the team's pick at No. 10 overall.
As it happens, the Bills made national scout Darrell Moody available to local media on Wednesday. Moody, who was hired by Buddy Nix to fill the GM's vacated role, was asked to talk about Barron earlier this afternoon. Here's what Moody had to say about Barron, via audio provided by WGR 550:
"I think he's a complete football player," Moody said. "Again, he has an excellent body of work. He's been a productive player in a very good league. He's been a leader on a very good football team. He's physical against the run. He can play the run from the strong safety position, and he can also move into the linebacker position in your dime packages. I think he's got good cover skills against tight ends and running backs, and I think he's adequate against wide receivers."
A reporter then brought up the fact that Barron had lined up in the slot across from receivers some at Alabama, which prompted this thought from the scout:
"He's like most safeties in coverage - I mean, you'd like to have a little help behind him against elite receivers," Moody said. "But I think his cover skills for a safety are real good."
Things got a little more interesting when a reporter asked if Barron was best as an "in the box" safety.
"I didn't say that," Moody responded. "I said he was good in the box, but I think he's got good cover skills, too. I think he's a complete player."
Finally, when it was brought to Moody's attention that Bill Polian on Tuesday decried an opinion from ESPN's Todd McShay that Barron could cover tight ends - and that, in fact, Barron was an "in the box" safety - Moody's reply was short.
"I didn't hear Bill," Moody said.