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While OTAs and training camp always have competition for jobs, the more interesting position battles for the Rams are at safety, wide receiver, tight end and linebacker.
Receivers Laurent Robinson and Brandon Gibson, and safety Kevin Payne said competition is part of life in the NFL.
“Everyone’s competing, that’s just how it is,” said Payne, a former Chicago Bear who the Rams signed this offseason. “I’ve been a starter, and you’ve got to compete for your job. I’ve been a backup, and you’ve got to compete. You’re always competing. That’s the NFL. We get new drafted players in every year. That’s just part of the job.”
Payne is one of six safeties on the team battling for two positions. James Butler was the starter last year at strong safety while Oshiomogho Atogwe was the free safety. Atogwe is an unsigned unrestricted free agent, and if the Rams were to play a game tomorrow, coach Steve Spagnuolo said Craig Dahl would be the starting free safety. That leaves David Roach, expected to back up Butler, Payne and free agent rookies Darian Stewart and Jeromy Jones battling for roster spots.
The two rookies appear to be the odd men out and Payne is a guy who play either safety position.
At receiver, there are 10 players on the current 91-man roster for what will most likely be five spots on the final 53-man, opening-day roster.
Gibson and Robinson are joined by Keenan Burton, undrafted rookies Dominique Curry and Brandon McRae, Danny Amendola, Donnie Avery, rookie Mardy Gilyard, Jordan Kent and Brooks Foster.
Burton, Robinson and Foster are all coming off season-ending injuries in 2009. All three are back in practice and Spagnuolo said Burton “looks natural” on the field with no signs of an injury.
The locks to make the team are leading receiver Donnie Avery, entering his third season, Gilyard, a fourth-round draft choice and explosive kick returner and Robinson, whose size (6-2, 197) can make him a viable No. 1. So that leaves seven guys for two spots.
With Gilyard on the team, I cannot see Amendola making the team. His return average last year was among the best in the league, but he did not have the speed to break and punt or kick return for a touchdown. He had a 50-plus yard kickoff return against Houston for his longest of the season, but was caught from behind. I like Amendola’s toughness and grit, but just can’t see him making the team.
Gibson and Foster, both rookies last year, are the favorites to land the final two spots. Foster, taken in the sixth round of the 2009 draft, missed all of his rookie year with an ankle injury. You’ve got to think that the Rams will give him a chance to show his skills this year. Gibson had an up-and-down rookie campaign after being plucked off Philadelphia’s practice squad. His first home game was phenomenal, but then he was inconsistent and has so far in OTAs dislocated a finger and tweaked a hamstring.
That could open things up for the two rookies, Curry and McRae, both of whom have displayed impressive hands in the rookie mini-camp, as well as OTAs. That probably spells bad news for Kent, who is the best non-kicker kicker on the team, but his ability to kick line-drive field goals on the practice field will not land him a permanent job with the Rams.
One of the things that makes the linebacker battle so interesting is the four Ohio State Buckeyes—Na’il Diggs, James Laurinaitis, Larry Grant and Bobby Carpenter—at the position. Including David Vobora, those five appear destined to play for the Rams in 2010. With possibly seven players on the final roster, the Rams have six guys for the final two spots.
K.C. Asiodu and undrafted rookie Cardia Jackson have been the least impressive during OTAs, so let’s cast them aside. Spagnuolo has praised the play of seventh-round pick Josh Hull, who led Penn State in tackles last season. The other three linebackers are Dominique Douglas, Chris Chamberlain and Freddie Harris, a second-year player who was Asiodu’s teammate at Central Oklahoma.
A pair of rookies bring intrigue to the tight end position. The Rams selected Illinois’ Michael Hoomanawanui in the fifth round, then took Houston’s Fendi Onobun at the top of the sixth round. The two rooks join incumbents Billy Bajema and Daniel Fells and Darcy Johnson, a free-agent acquisition from the New York Giants this offseason. Eric Butler, listed as a tight end last year, has been moved to fullback.
Onobun played just one season of football, his first year of football since middle school, after focusing on basketball and playing four years at the University of Arizona. A freakish athlete still trying to learn the game of football, Onobun’s likely opening-day spot is on the practice squad.
Bajema, a solid all-around player with exceptional blocking skills and underrated hands, and Fells, who tied for the team lead last year with three touchdowns, will make the team. Hoomanawanui has probably had the best hands of any tight end during OTAs. But things can change when the pads come on, and the Rams didn’t bring in Johnson just to cut him a few months later.
Teams typically keep three tight ends for the opening day roster, so either Hoomanawanui or Johnson could be searching for a job in late August/early September. Who knows? Maybe they’ll keep them both. It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out.
This article can also be found at The Alton Telegraph .
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With the exception of the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos, the AFC West wasn’t well represented in 2009.
However, the draft and the signings of free agents may have leveled the playing field. But which team will use the combination of draft picks and free agents to contend for the AFC West title?
Will the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs still be the doormat of the AFC West, or will they be able to turn things around in 2010?
Below are the four teams in the AFC West with an analysis of each team’s draft picks and free agent signings, and the impact these players will have on each team in 2010.
Denver Broncos: Denver wrapped up the 2009 season with an 8-8 record.
The Broncos started their season off strong, winning their first six games.
But in week seven, Denver had a bye week, and things started to fall apart.
After the bye, the Broncos lost four straight games by an average of 20 points.
Despite their 8-8 record, Denver had the seventh best defense in the league, only allowing 315 yards per game.
The offense struggled somewhat, ranking No. 15 in the league with only 341.4 yards per game.
Key Draft Picks:
- Tim Tebow : While there is some debate over whether Tebow’s throwing motion is suitable for the NFL, head coach Josh McDaniels chose Tebow for his “team-first” mentality. Tebow has great examples in Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn to help him develop.
- Demaryius Thomas : Thomas had a great career at Georgia Tech, with 2,339 receiving yards and 14 TDs. The only problem with Thomas is his route-running skills, as he tends to round off his breaks and occasionally telegraphs his routes. But at 6’3″, he has the size of a TE and the speed of a CB.
- Zane Beadles : Originally an OT at Utah, Beadles will likely move to G and help the Broncos’ running game, which was 18th in the NFL with 114.8 yards per game. Beadles also adds solid depth to Denver’s offensive line.
- Eric Decker : Decker had a phenomenal career at Minnesota with 3,119 receiving yards and 24 TDs. While a broken foot caused him to miss the last four games of the season in 2009, he still has a lot of potential. He possesses great speed and can separate from the defender, but there are concerns that he can’t maintain that separation and doesn’t have the big-play ability to take all that many passes to the house. Either way, he’s a solid receiver.
- Perrish Cox : The CB out of Oklahoma St. gives the Broncos an excellent weapon in the return game, which is where the Broncos will probably use him his rookie season. He has great open field ability as a returner, but struggles shedding blocks when on defense. Cox has great ability to jam receivers at the line, but needs to improve his skills at reading route progression. Overall, a good pick for the Broncos.
Key Free Agents:
- Akin Ayodele : Released by the Dolphins in 2010, the Broncos snatched Ayodele up in April. Ayodele has nine years experience in the NFL, and has played four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, and two seasons with the Miami Dolphins. Ayodele is a key defensive player, as he has 493 solo tackles, 9.5 sacks, 9 FF and 7 INTs.
- Justin Bannan : Denver looks to bolster its defense with the signing of DL Justin Bannan. Bannan and the Broncos came to terms on March 5. Bannan has 141 solo tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 FF and 1 INT.
- Nathan Jones : Jones has seven years experience at the CB position, and has 130 solo tackles, 6 sacks, 3 FF, and 3 INT in his career. Along with Ayodele, Jones should help strengthen the Broncos’ defense.
- Russ Hochstein : Denver gets an experienced G here in Hochstein. Hochstein has 10 years playing as a G in the NFL, and will help the Broncos’ depth along the offensive line.
- Brandon Lloyd : Lloyd brings eight years of experience to Denver, and some considerable talent, too. In his eight years, Lloyd has 164 receptions, 2,370 yards, and 15 TDs.
Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs went an abysmal 4-12 in 2009.
The offense was atrocious, coming in at the No. 25 spot in the NFL with 303.2 yards per game.
However, the defense was even worse than the offense, ranking 30th in the NFL with 388.2 yards per game.
Key Draft Picks:
- Eric Berry: The Chiefs picked up what may be college football’s best safety in Berry. Out of Tennessee, Berry collected 241 tackles, 2 FF, and 14 INTs in his career as a Volunteer. He’s an excellent addition to the Chiefs’ shoddy defense.
- Javier Arenas: Kansas City continues to address their defensive issues with Arenas from Alabama. As a CB with the Crimson Tide, Arenas had 148 tackles and 6 INTs in his career.
- Dexter McCluster: Kansas City chose to ignore the obvious need for offensive linemen, but they made for it with the McCluster pick. Out of Mississippi, McCluster has excellent speed in the open field and will excel as either a runner or a receiver.
- Jon Asamoah: While the Chiefs didn’t address all their needs along the offensive line, they did get an excellent OG in Asamoah from Illinois. Asamoah is an solid interior player, and will push for immediate playing time.
Key Free Agents:
- Thomas Jones: Released by the New York Jets in 2010, the Chiefs picked up the productive RB. Jones is an excellent rushing attack, and will provide valuable offensive life to Kansas City. In 2009, Jones had 331 carries with 1,402 yards, and 14 TDs.
- Ryan Lilja : While Kansas City didn’t address too many of their offensive line needs, they picked up an experienced G in Lilja. Lilja’s seven years of experience will prove beneficial for the Cheifs’ offense.
Oakland Raiders: The Raiders went 5-11 in 2009, just a hair better than Kansas City.
The Raiders’ offense was, well, horrible. Out of the 32 teams in the NFL, Oakland ranked 31st in total yards per game with 266.1.
Oakland’s defense was better, coming in at No. 26, allowing 361.9 yards per game.
Key Draft Picks:
- Rolando McClain: McClain will offer the Raiders defense a huge boost. Out of Alabama, McClain can do it all, whether it be blitzing or short-coverage assignments from the LB spot. His only weakness is his lacking ability in man coverage. Look for him on special teams while competing for starting time.
- Lamarr Houston: Oakland is strengthening their defense, especially with DT Houston from Texas. Houston has great strength, and can be useful as an up-field rusher. At times, he’s inconsistent with anchoring the middle of the defensive line. All in all, a solid pick.
- Jared Veldheer: Oakland balanced their draft picks with OT Jared Veldheer from Hillsdale. Although from a small school, Veldheer showed immense strength in dominating his opponents and shows a lot of potential at the next level.
- Bruce Campbell: The Raiders also picked up OT Bruce Campbell from Maryland to fortify the offensive line. Campbell has been called one of the most athletic OTs in college football.
Key Free Agents:
- Kyle Boller: Boller spent five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and one season with the St. Louis Rams. In his five seasons with the Ravens, Boller threw for 7,846 yards, 45 TDs, and 44 INTs. His best season at Baltimore was 2004, where he threw for 2,559 yards, 13 TDs, but he also threw 11 INTs. With Bruce Gradkowski’s injury in 2009, the role of starting QB is open between Boller and Jason Campbell.
- Michael Bennett: Released from the San Diego Chargers in 2009, Bennett signed on with the Raiders on May 6. Bennett spent five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, and only had one breakout season in 2002 where he rushed for 1,296 yards and five TDs. Since then, his numbers have fallen dramatically, only averaging 214.25 yards per season. Oakland also picked up RB Rock Cartwright from the Washington Redskins in 2009. However, Cartwright only has 889 yards and six TDs in his nine year career. His role will strictly be third-and-short situations.
- Jason Campbell: The Redskins did away with Campbell to make room for Donovan McNabb, and the Raiders picked him up to be the new leader of the team. In 2009, Campbell threw for 3,618 yards, 20 TDs, and a disappointing 15 INTs. In his four years as the Redskins’ field general, Campbell amassed 10,860 passing yards, 55 TDs, and 38 INTs. His QB rating for those four years was 82.3. Campbell seems to be the obvious choice for the starting QB job in Oakland.
San Diego Chargers: The Chargers were at the forefront of the AFC West, finishing 2009 with a 13-3 regular season record.
The Chargers’ offense was very efficient, coming in at the No. 10 spot in the league with 360.1 yards per game.
Defensively, the Chargers struggled somewhat in 2009, giving up 327 yards per game, putting them in 16th place in the NFL.
Key Draft Picks:
- Ryan Matthews: Fresno State RB Ryan Matthews was selected to be the new franchise RB after the Chargers released LaDainian Tomlinson earlier this year. Matthews will combine with RB Darren Sproles to help boost the Chargers’ anemic running attack, which ranked 31st in the NFL in 2009.
- Donald Butler: San Diego added depth to their LB corps with the addition of Donald Butler from Washington. Butler’s grade wasn’t that great (5.0), and he will probably be a season or two away from having major playing time, but look for Butler to make an impact on special teams in 2010.
- Cam Thomas: San Diego looked to bolster their defense with a strong pick, and they got one in Thomas out of North Carolina. Thomas requires double teams, which will allow the LBs to come up and make plays. Good choice defensively for the Chargers.
Key Free Agents:
- Nathan Vasher: San Diego didn’t do much in the free market, as Vasher was the Chargers’ only free agent signing. The Chargers brought the CB in to give the 16th-ranked defense a hand. Vasher has played all of his seven seasons with the Chicago Bears, so Vasher is experienced and that will translate well onto the field. Throughout his seven year career with the Bears, Vasher had 137 solo tackles, 1 FF, 19 INTs and 2 TDs. Vasher will prove to be a solid defensive player in 2010.
Final Rankings:
4. Oakland Raiders: Oakland had a good draft, and picked some good free agents, but I just don’t see them doing very much again in 2010.
3. Kansas City Chiefs: I’m putting the Chiefs ahead of the Raiders because their use of draft picks and free agency signings are better than Oakland’s. I’m thinking the Chiefs go 8-8 in 2010.
2. Denver Broncos: I’m not too sure Denver can improve on their 8-8 season. And if they do, it will probably just be 10-6, which is progress.
1. San Diego Chargers: The Chargers had a good draft, and picked up an excellent CB in Vasher. Look for Philip Rivers and that offense to be on top again in the AFC West in 2010.
To read more of Jordan’s work, click here .
Here are the other NFL Previews I’ve done:
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The Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons had decent seasons, with both clubs hitting either the .500 mark or surpassing it.
Unfortunately for them, they’re in the same division as the New Orleans Saints, who marched all over the NFL on their way to their first Super Bowl title in team history.
Then you have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were the division’s only weak link in 2009.
Below are breakdowns of the four NFC South teams and how their draft classes will impact their upcoming season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tampa Bay went 3-13 in 2009.
With that said, the Bucs have a “B” rated draft class.
Tampa Bay’s defense couldn’t stop anybody, which is why they ranked 27th in the league in total yards.
With nine total picks in the draft, the Bucs dedicated six of those nine picks to the defense.
This was a wise move, considering the defense gave up 365.6 yards per game.
The two biggest defensive acquisitions were DTs Gerald McCoy from Oklahoma and Brian Price out of UCLA.
Tampa Bay looks to combine the skills of McCoy and Price to create a tough defensive front, much like Warren Sapp and Anthony McFarland.
The Bucs’ offense was no pleasure to watch either, settling in at the No. 28 spot in the league, producing a mere 287.5 yards per game.
However, the addition of WR Arrelious Benn from Illinois should help the stagnant unit.
In his three seasons with Illinois from 2007 to 2009, Benn collected 2,221 yards on 159 yards with seven TDs.
While Benn’s numbers aren’t off the charts, they’re good enough to provide QB Josh Freeman with another offensive outlet.
Carolina Panthers: The Panthers had a respectable 2009 season, finishing up at 8-8.
Carolina is looking to build upon their 8-8 season with a good balance of offensive and defensive picks in the draft. The Panthers had 10 picks in the draft, with five defensive and five offensive players.
Starting QB Matt Moore should be a little worried about his job, seeing as the Panthers drafted three QBs, the most notable of the three being Notre Dame product Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike from Cincinnati.
If Clausen performs well enough in the preseason, he could very well snatch the starting job from Moore.
With an offense that ranked 19th in the NFL in total yards per game (331.1), it would have made more sense to cut back on the QB picks and pick up offensive players they could use right away.
The Panthers did pick up WR Brandon LaFell from LSU, and he’ll no doubt have a huge impact on increasing the Panthers’ offensive production. I’m just not sure if Carolina needed to draft three QBs.
As for the defense, well, they don’t need any help.
Carolina’s defense ranked eighth in the NFL, giving up 315.8 yards per game.
They did pick up some help with LB Eric Norwood from South Carolina.
However, Carolina may have made a mistake by drafting too many QBs and defensive players, and not enough offensive play-makers.
Atlanta Falcons: The Atlanta Falcons’ 2009 season ended with a 9-7 record.
Atlanta juiced up their defense, which ranked 21st in the NFL with 348.9 yards per game, with LB Sean Weatherspoon from Missouri.
In his career with the Tigers, Weatherspoon racked up an amazing 388 tackles, but only had three FF and four INTs.
Either way, there’s still a place for him in the Falcons’ defense, and he’s primed to make his mark during his rookie season.
CB Dominique Franks from Oklahoma will be a solid piece in the Falcons’ dime and nickel packages, and will help remove from memory Atlanta’s pass-coverage problems.
The Falcons ranked 28th in the NFL against the pass, giving up 241.9 yards per game. Franks could be the answer to that passing problem and bolster the Falcons’ defense.
Atlanta didn’t add much in the way of offense, but they did add depth to their offensive line in OGs Mike Johnson from Alabama and Joe Hawley from UNLV. While Hawley and Johnson aren’t a dire necessity, they do add much-needed depth to the offensive line.
New Orleans Saints: Honestly, the Saints didn’t need any help from the draft.
They went 13-3 last season, not to mention claiming the Lombardi Trophy, and there’s no reason they can’t do it all again this season.
That being said, the Saints picked up monster talent within the draft, making them an even more formidable opponent this season.
Interestingly enough, the Saints’ defense ranked 25th last season, allowing 357.8 yards per game.
Lucky for them, they acquired CB Patrick Robinson, whom the Saints may move to FS or use him as a piece in their nickel packages.
Also, the Saints added depth to their defensive front with DT Al Woods out of LSU. Davis will be integral in controlling the interior of the line.
It should come as no surprise that the Saints are No. 1 in the league in total offensive yards per game with 403.8.
New Orleans locked up that No. 1 offensive ranking by adding TE Jimmy Graham from Miami. Graham will have the chance to develop behind starting TE Jeremy Shockey, and the Saints could use him as a red zone TE in his rookie season.
Final Rankings:
4. Carolina Panthers: The Panthers may have shot themselves in the foot by drafting three QBs and not enough other offensive and defensive weapons. Look for another 8-8 season here.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tampa Bay made excellent use of their picks, as they picked up McCoy and Price to tighten up that defensive front, thus creating problems for opposing offenses.
2. Atlanta Falcons: I think the addition of Weatherspoon will great increase the Falcons’ potential and they’ll build off their 9-7 record from 2009.
1. New Orleans Saints: This should come as no surprise. The Saints won the Super Bowl with a defense ranked 25th in the league. They’ve added Robinson and Woods to the lineup, so I’m expecting the New Orleans’ defense to become much better in 2010. Also, they added TE Graham, who gives Drew Brees just another outlet to beat you.
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Brad Childress is the coach of the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings. Brad was able to take the time to answer these questions despite a hectic draft week for the Vikings. Here is our interview:
Brad Wolff: What do you want your legacy to be remembered as?
Brad Childress: I think the most important aspect our coaches want to be remembered by is our preparation. No team can win every game, but we always want to outhustle and outprepare our opponents so it gives us the best chance to succeed. In any sport, the way you go about practicing and preparing carries over to game day. To be a winner, you must prepare like one.
BW: What is your most embarrassing moment?
BC: I’ve learned from many mistakes on the job. The one I regret is cutting Marcus Robinson on Christmas Eve. I should not have handled the situation that way and should have shown more compassion. I do not regret cutting him, but I look back in embarrassment at cutting him on that particular day and time. Marcus has a family–that move could have waited until after the holiday season.
BW: What is the toughest part of being a head coach?
BC: To be a head coach, you must have thick skin. Luckily for myself, I have been around Andy Reid, Barry Alvarez and many other strong-willed, talented coaches in my career. The fans are always very important to us, but it’s crucial a coach remains dedicated to what he believes in, even if it’s unpopular among many fans.
BW: Who has been your favorite player to coach?
BC: I’ve enjoyed almost all of the young men I’ve had the pleasure of coaching. Two of my favorites have been Pat Williams and Antoine Winfield based on the way our relationships have changed over time. Both are great young men and very strong willed. I pushed Antoine and Pat to get better and they pushed me to get better. We didn’t always have a smooth relationship initially, but now we have a great one.
BW: What team did you like as a kids?
BC: Growing up in Illinois, I was a Bears fan.
BW: Who was your idol when you were younger?
BC: Family has always been very important to me. I love football but family comes first, and they are my inspiration.
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As the Buffalo Bills prepare to kick off their rookie mini-camp this week, it seemed like an appropriate time to address the rapidly increasing list of new Buffalo Bills players that seem to be added to the team on a daily basis.
As you hear more and more about who is doing what, and you aren’t sure who that new player is, you can use this article as a reference for learning a bit more about each of the new Bills that will be evaluated during mini-camp and training camp. A number of these players will be part of the special teams units, and will be adding depth to the returning starters, or challenging them for their jobs.
So, in alphabetical order, let’s meet all the new Bills that have been added since the offseason began. We will start with the 23 new rookies—players either drafted or those that were signed after the draft concluded.
Player, Jersey Number, College, Position, How Acquired, Height and Weight
Allen, Sean (75) East Carolina University, Center, signed as undrafted free agent, 6’3″ 305
Batten, Danny (57) South Dakota State, Inside Linebacker, sixth round draft choice, 6’3″ 246
Bell, Joique (35) Wayne State, Running Back, signed as undrafted free agent, 5’11″ 220
Brown, Levi (10) Troy University, Quarterback, seventh round draft choice, 6’4″ 229
Calloway, Kyle (60) Iowa University, Tackle, seventh round draft choice, 6’7″ 323
Carrington, Alex (92) Arkansas State, Defensive End, third round draft choice, 6’5″ 285
Coleman, Antonio (59) Auburn University, Linebacker, signed as undrafted free agent, 6’1″ 248
Croner, Will (79) Howard University, Defensive End, signed as undrafted free agent, 6’2″ 279
Destin, John (41) Tulsa University, Defensive Back, signed as undrafted free agent, 5’11″ 191
Easley, Marcus (81) University of Connecticut, Wide Receiver, fourth round draft choice, 6’3″ 210
Guerra, Jorge (62) Texas A&M-Kingsville, Guard, signed as undrafted free agent, 6’3″ 300
Harris, Dominique (36) Temple University, Defensive Back, signed as undrafted free agent, 6’2″ 213
Howard, Codaro, (68) Georgia Tech, Offensive Lineman, signed as undrafted free agent, 6’4″ 314.
Jones, Donald (19) Youngstown State, Wide Receiver, signed as undrafted free agent, 6’0″ 214
Moats, Arthur (53) James Madison, Linebacker, sixth round draft choice, 6’0″ 246
Mutcher (72) Weber State, Center, signed as undrafted free agent, 6’3″ 289
Nelson, David (86) Florida University, Wide Receiver, signed as undrafted free agent, 6’5″ 217
Roosevelt, Naaman (18) University of Buffalo, Wide Receiver, signed as undrafted free agent, 6’0″ 189
Spiller, C.J. (21) Clemson University, Running Back, Bills number one draft choice, 5’11″ 196
Troup, Torrell (96) University of Central Florida, Nose Tackle, Bills second round draft choice, 6’3″ 314
Virgil, Stephan (42) Virginia Tech, Defensive Back, signed as undrafted free agent, 5’11″ 189
Wang, Ed (71) Virginia Tech, Tackle, Bills fifth round draft choice, 6’5″ 314
Wright, Mike (49) Utah University, Linebacker, signed as undrafted free agent, 6’1″ 241
Some of these guys will be on the Bills roster, some will be special team unit members, others will find their way on to the Bills practice squad, while others will be warm bodies for training camp competition.
Here is the rundown of the players the Bills acquired in the offseason prior to the draft.
Player, Jersey Number, College, Position, How Acquired, Height and Weight
Davis, Andra (54) Florida University, Linebacker, signed as free agent, 6’1″ 251
Edwards, Dwan (98) Oregon State, Defensive End, signed as free agent, 6’3″ 290
Favorite, Marlon (64) LSU, Defensive Tackle, signed as free agent, 6’1″ 317
Ferguson, Rodney (44) New Mexico, Running Back, signed as free agent, 6’0″ 234
Green, Cornell (74) Central Florida University, Tackle, signed as free agent, 6’6″ 315
Jackson, Chad (17) Florida University, Wide Receiver, signed as free agent, 6’1″ 215
Matthews, Michael (82) Georgia Tech, Tight End, signed as free agent, 6’4″ 270
Mendenhall, Walter (39) Illinois State, Running Back, signed as free agent, 6’0″ 227
This group contains three key veteran free agent pickups in Andra Davis, Dwan Edwards and Cornell Green. The others are trying to resurrect their NFL career and hoping to make the Bills roster.
Marlon Favorite is only one year removed from LSU so would be a candidate for practice squad if he fails to make roster. Michael Matthews appears to be the only Georgia Tech player that would have had any connection to Chan Gailey during his tenure there, as the Bills failed to draft or sign any Yellow Jackets.
Editor’s Note – no sooner than I wrote the article on May 4th, did the Bills announce the signing of offensive lineman Codaro Howard, who played at Georgia Tech. Howard was starting in 2007 at Tech, which coincidentally was Chan Gailey’s final year as the head coach at Tech.
Will The Bills Season Be Renamed as “The Jake Locker Sweepstakes”?
The Bills are being tabbed by the likes of the Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay as the preseason favorite to have the number one draft choice in the 2011 draft. That also means the Bills would have the worst record in the NFL.
On the surface, I suppose that is always possible, and looking at the flaws on offense (without picking up a veteran QB in the offseason) and not drafting or trading for a top offensive tackle, there are plenty of reasons why the experts think the Bills will have a bummer of a season.
So, is it time for the Bills to start labeling the 2010 season as the Jake Locker Sweepstakes Season? I don’t think you would want the Bills to be scouring the country for talent, hire an entirely new coaching staff and bring in the veterans they did to turn around and fold their tent so they could have the number one pick.
The road schedule for the Bills this year is ridiculously hard. I would not be surprised if the Bills only managed one or two road wins based on the places they have to play and the teams that they are facing. The home schedule is another matter, but a number of those teams are greatly improved—Detroit and Cleveland come to mind. Plus Big Ben will be back with the Steelers when they come to town.
Not to mention the AFC East is loaded and the AFC and NFC Central Divisions are not a walk in the park.
Aaron Schobel – When Will He Provide The Bills With A Decision?
I think most Bills fans assumed that Aaron Schobel would have given the Bills some sort of a decision on what he wanted to do prior to the draft, so the team could proceed accordingly. However, he failed to give any answer yet and has kept the Bills hanging in the process.
Buddy Nix continues to say that they are keeping the door open for him, and I suspect that is fine on the surface. But since this is a rebuilding project that Nix admits will take two to three years to accomplish, wouldn’t it have been better to trade Schobel to one of the Texas teams that have a legitimate chance to be in the playoffs and used the draft pick(s) you acquired to improve the team?
I don’t know how much longer Schobel will play, but it seems that Buddy might have missed the boat on the chance to cash in that chip. Speaking of cashing in chips, all potential Bills veterans that had any trade value whatsoever, Roscoe Parrish, Donte Whitner and Marshawn Lynch, are all still part of the team.
You can read in to that statement however you want to. Was Nix asking for too much for these guys? Was he afraid to pull the trigger? How is it that so many other teams were able to pull off deals and the Bills pulled off none?
Surely this offseason provided the correct setting for trades due to the lack of a collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA. Is it possible that the Bills were trying to set up their team to be financially leaner and meaner on the books, and then make some bold moves in the 2011 off-season?
Time will tell, but I have now voiced my concerns. Feel free to share any other observations you wish over the material we covered here.
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