Buffalo Bills: Mark Barron Rumors a Masterful Strategy for 2012 NFL Draft

Alabama safety Mark Barron has drawn increasing interest during the run-up to the 2012 NFL draft.

The Buffalo Bills are hoping to cash in. 

From Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550:

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According to a league source, the Buffalo Bills are extremely interested in Alabama safety Mark Barron, along with South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore as candidates for the tenth overall selection.

The source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, says the Bills view Barron as a "playmaker" and a "day-one starter" for their defensive scheme. There is also some interest from the Bills in Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, but the buzz continues to surround Barron's name.

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This comes as something of a surprise. Safety isn't a very big need for the Bills, who already have a solid duo of starting safeties, and although starting strong safety George Wilson is coming off neck surgery, he has been cleared to play and should be in top shape for the NFL season.

There are certainly ways the Bills could use Barron—perhaps as a new personal assignment for Patriots tight ends Aaron Hernandez and/or Rob Gronkowski.

But at the core of the report is the word "interest," a funny word this time of year. "Interest" can be used legitimately, or it can be used as a smoke screen to build the stock of a certain player so as to eventually trade the pick and get solid value.

Ultimately, it is that word—value—which should be at the core of the Bills draft strategy.

Personal anecdote: I'm looking for a new apartment, and in my search, there are a lot of things I'm looking for. From utilities included in the rent to off-street parking to cat-friendly apartments in a nearby area with a decent-sized closet for all my stuff and, of course, at a comfortable price, there's a menu of attributes I'm searching for.

The apartment I end up with doesn't have to have everything I want, but at the price, it has to have the right mix of what I need. Ultimately, I'm searching for value. There is a long list of apartments that meet a wide spectrum of those needs. At this point, I'm keeping my options open, and when I have to make a decision, I'll assess those options and see which one is best for me.

That seems to be the case here. The Bills are keeping their options open so that, when the time comes, they can decide where the best value lies.

But if the Bills stay put with their pick, the better value would likely be Luke Kuechly.

The Boston College linebacker's stock has also been skyrocketing, and although the Bills may have bigger needs than linebacker, taking Kuechly at that spot makes a lot of sense from a value standpoint.

He has the potential to be the signal-caller for a defense down the road and to instantly upgrade the Bills run defense in the now. The problem is that the Bills won't likely be able to get him any later than No. 10—the Chiefs, Panthers, Cowboys and Eagles could all use linebackers.

So, if they want Kuechly, they'd be wise not to trade down. But that begs the question: Why drum up all the interest in the No. 10 pick?

The answer, in a word, is value. If the Bills can get a team to overspend for the No. 10 pick because of a dream player, they could trade down and acquire more picks to build their depth while also still getting a player they may covet. It may not be the one they covet, but value is hard to measure.

In apartment searches and in NFL drafts.