ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- In what was supposed to be a cut-and-dried 2015 draft for a team without first- and fourth-round picks, the Buffalo Bills opened themselves up to scrutiny after selecting a pair of players -- running back Karlos Williams and cornerback Ronald Darby -- with character concerns.

At the very least, Williams' and Darby's judgment -- and the decision by the Bills to add both players to their team -- should be questioned after each was connected to a pair of off-field incidents during his career at Florida State. (Neither player was arrested or charged.)

The most troubling case was a domestic assault allegation made last year by the pregnant ex-girlfriend of Williams, the Bills' fifth-round pick. The woman, who had another child by Williams, posted photos of her bruises on Facebook but later told police she did not want to press charges, ending the investigation.

At a time when there is heightened sensitivity to domestic violence allegations against NFL players, the Bills took a risk by selecting Williams -- a player they didn't even need, considering their depth at running back. And the Bills didn't handle the situation smoothly when speaking about the pick afterward.

General manager Doug Whaley said the Bills investigated Williams and felt comfortable with his past. Asked generally about which infractions would cause him to take a player off his draft board, Whaley singled out stealing from a teammate.

The explanation of Bills general manager Doug Whaley regarding the selection of Karlos Williams did little to address Williams' character. AP Photo/Gerry Broome

"To me that is stealing from your family and that to me is just not something I can deal with for what we're doing," he said Saturday. "We're trying to build a team and a family, and that locker room is sacred. And for that, I have a hard time with. Obviously there are some other things that if they're guilty for murder and all that stuff, of course, but the indiscretions we're talking about, yes that would be it."

What was left unsaid is whether Whaley considers domestic violence part of "all that stuff," like murder, or something less serious, perhaps even less grave than stealing from a teammate.

Darby, the Bills' second-round pick, was a witness in a rape investigation that focused on former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston. Darby wasn't charged or disciplined by the school, but there are questions about what he saw and what, if anything, Darby did to stop the encounter between Winston and his alleged victim. In a separate incident, Darby fled the scene of a hit-and-run along with teammate P.J. Williams, the driver of the vehicle involved.

Upon arriving at the Bills' facility Saturday, Darby made a head-scratching comment when asked about his off-field issues and what he had to prove to teams.

"I didn't have to do anything at all. I was around a lot of stuff of course, but you can't control what you're around," he said. "But I was never the one that was getting in trouble or anything like that, but there was nothing for me to do."

Of course, Darby can control who and what he is around; in fact, that is the message that most teams deliver to their young players.

News conferences when players first join a team can provide some of their most organic thoughts -- teams have yet to coach players up on certain issues and how certain answers will be perceived by the public -- and in this case Darby didn't project the sense of responsibility you want from a young player.

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There also are questions about how much homework the Bills did on Darby. He said he met with the Bills at the combine and "had a few words exchanged on pro day," adding, "That's about it, really." Combine interviews last 15 minutes, which hardly seems like enough time for the Bills to gauge Darby's character face-to-face. Darby said he didn't even meet coach Rex Ryan until arriving at the team's facility Saturday.

Outside of Darby and Williams, the Bills added some promising young players with their other four selections in the draft. Guard John Miller (third round) and tight end Nick O'Leary (sixth round) both could contribute this season, and linebacker Tony Steward (sixth round) and wide receiver Dezmin Lewis (seventh round) are developmental prospects who could earn spots on the back end of the 53-man roster or on the practice squad.

Yet the questionable selections of Darby and especially Williams will overshadow the other work the Bills did in this draft. There weren't pressing needs at either cornerback or running back, so the Bills will be wedging two players of questionable character onto their depth chart -- and into a locker room that already includes Richie Incognito, made infamous by the Miami Dolphins' bullying scandal of 2013.

NFL fans have appropriately expressed concern about the way the league has handled cases of domestic violence and other serious off-field allegations. Most teams -- some of which might have previously treated such incidents as comparable to a failed drug test or another lesser offense -- have been more careful about which players they allow on their teams and how they discuss those issues with the public.

The Bills, however, seem a step behind the times.