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5 pressing Buffalo Bills questions as we get closer to the start of the season
Wednesday September 1, 2010 | By:Joe Pinzone
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- C.J. Spiller (photo: Buffalo Bills)
C.J. Spiller (photo: Buffalo Bills)
The answers to three of the following five questions about the upcoming Buffalo Bills season may decide how this entire year plays out for the hard luck Bills. (Questions 3-5 are the most important)
1) Who starts, McKelvin or Florence?
Nothing against Drayton Florence, the guy can play and was arguably the best cornerback for the Buffalo Bills last year, but when you're going into your contract year and the other party is two years removed from being a 1st round pick, you have to go with youth. Before training camp, I thought the reason for having Leodis McKelvin fight for a job was so the Bills could get a 100% effort from him in training camp. You know, light a fire underneath him. Now that we are less than two weeks away from the start of the season, Chan Gailey hasn't blinked on giving McKelvin the job. If you look at both players statistics for the preseason, they are relatively the same. They are close in tackles and pass breakups, and really haven't made enough plays to separate themselves from each other.
Prediction: Flip a coin for this battle, but I'm going with Florence. If it was going to be McKelvin, he would have started by now during the preseason. I'll say this though, fans shouldn't get up in arms about McKelvin not starting. Sure, it's not a great sign and would signal another questionable draft choice by the Bills, but it's not like he's going to ride the bench. This is a throwing league, where offenses play with three or four wide receiver sets constantly. McKelvin will get on the field and should eventually take over the starting role.
2) Will James Hardy get cut?
I wrote earlier in August that I felt the Bills should give Hardy every opportunity to win a job on this team. I happen to believe in being patient when it comes to draft picks. Especially when the high draft pick is a wide receiver. However, things aren't looking good for the former 2nd round pick. Hardy has struggled this preseason with injuries and consistency and has a lot of competition from other wide receivers, particularly David Nelson, who is the same type of receiver as Hardy and could easily replace him on the roster.
Prediction: I think Hardy survives, barely. Something tells me that because Chan Gailey is an offensive minded coach, he's going to elect to have more wide receivers on the roster than normal. Dick Jauron used to be known for keeping a large amount of cornerbacks. Why? Because he's a defensive coach and former defensive back and thought you couldn't have enough of them. When Mike Mularkey was the head coach, he had seven wide receivers on the roster at one point. Why? Because he's an offensive minded coach. Also, it's not like there's a wide range of outstanding wideouts on this squad. Besides Lee Evans, the majority of these wideouts don't seem to have much upside and because of Hardy was a former 2nd round pick, it should allow him to stay at least one more year.
Rapid fire questions
3) Will Aaron Maybin start a game this year?
Seriously? Chris Ellis and some guy named Torbor are playing ahead of Maybin? Something tells me that with the injury history of Ellis and the fact that Torbor is a journeyman, Maybin will eventually start a game. If he does not and also fails to contribute this year at all, then consider him a bust and forget about having any type of pass rush this season.
4) Will a Buffalo defensive player get more than 10 sacks?
Marcus Stroud's career best for sacks in a season is 6.5 for the Jags during the 2002 season. Doesn't seem like a lot, does it? Well, that tops the most sacks by anyone else in a single season on the Bills roster. Judging by the Bills no-named outside linebackers, which are normally the players that would lead the team in sacks in a 3-4 defense, the Bills won't get past 10.
5) Will C.J. Spiller get over 1,100 yards rushing?
Yes! C.J. Spiller is the talk of the preseason and because of his talent, I can't see the Bills not giving him 15-20 carries a game. When he was first drafted, I thought the Bills were getting their version of Reggie Bush, a guy that would return kicks and catch passes out of the backfield. I know it's still early, but Spiller looks like our version of Chris Johnson and I think he's the type of back that can average almost five yards a carry.
What are your answers to these questions? Let us know what you think by commenting below and join in on the conversation.
Other Columns by and about the Bills:
The skinny on the Buffalo Bills defensive line. Will the 3-4 work?
NFL Notebook: Leinart to play second fiddle; Spiller and Johnson not sluggers
NFL Notebook: Tim Tebow analysis & C.J. Spiller & the Buffalo Bills running back situation
Buffalo Bills QB Situation and Hall of Fame Enshrinement Thoughts
Read more of Joe at http://joefromnyc.blogspot.com/
1) Who starts, McKelvin or Florence?
Nothing against Drayton Florence, the guy can play and was arguably the best cornerback for the Buffalo Bills last year, but when you're going into your contract year and the other party is two years removed from being a 1st round pick, you have to go with youth. Before training camp, I thought the reason for having Leodis McKelvin fight for a job was so the Bills could get a 100% effort from him in training camp. You know, light a fire underneath him. Now that we are less than two weeks away from the start of the season, Chan Gailey hasn't blinked on giving McKelvin the job. If you look at both players statistics for the preseason, they are relatively the same. They are close in tackles and pass breakups, and really haven't made enough plays to separate themselves from each other.
Prediction: Flip a coin for this battle, but I'm going with Florence. If it was going to be McKelvin, he would have started by now during the preseason. I'll say this though, fans shouldn't get up in arms about McKelvin not starting. Sure, it's not a great sign and would signal another questionable draft choice by the Bills, but it's not like he's going to ride the bench. This is a throwing league, where offenses play with three or four wide receiver sets constantly. McKelvin will get on the field and should eventually take over the starting role.
2) Will James Hardy get cut?
I wrote earlier in August that I felt the Bills should give Hardy every opportunity to win a job on this team. I happen to believe in being patient when it comes to draft picks. Especially when the high draft pick is a wide receiver. However, things aren't looking good for the former 2nd round pick. Hardy has struggled this preseason with injuries and consistency and has a lot of competition from other wide receivers, particularly David Nelson, who is the same type of receiver as Hardy and could easily replace him on the roster.
Prediction: I think Hardy survives, barely. Something tells me that because Chan Gailey is an offensive minded coach, he's going to elect to have more wide receivers on the roster than normal. Dick Jauron used to be known for keeping a large amount of cornerbacks. Why? Because he's a defensive coach and former defensive back and thought you couldn't have enough of them. When Mike Mularkey was the head coach, he had seven wide receivers on the roster at one point. Why? Because he's an offensive minded coach. Also, it's not like there's a wide range of outstanding wideouts on this squad. Besides Lee Evans, the majority of these wideouts don't seem to have much upside and because of Hardy was a former 2nd round pick, it should allow him to stay at least one more year.
Rapid fire questions
3) Will Aaron Maybin start a game this year?
Seriously? Chris Ellis and some guy named Torbor are playing ahead of Maybin? Something tells me that with the injury history of Ellis and the fact that Torbor is a journeyman, Maybin will eventually start a game. If he does not and also fails to contribute this year at all, then consider him a bust and forget about having any type of pass rush this season.
4) Will a Buffalo defensive player get more than 10 sacks?
Marcus Stroud's career best for sacks in a season is 6.5 for the Jags during the 2002 season. Doesn't seem like a lot, does it? Well, that tops the most sacks by anyone else in a single season on the Bills roster. Judging by the Bills no-named outside linebackers, which are normally the players that would lead the team in sacks in a 3-4 defense, the Bills won't get past 10.
5) Will C.J. Spiller get over 1,100 yards rushing?
Yes! C.J. Spiller is the talk of the preseason and because of his talent, I can't see the Bills not giving him 15-20 carries a game. When he was first drafted, I thought the Bills were getting their version of Reggie Bush, a guy that would return kicks and catch passes out of the backfield. I know it's still early, but Spiller looks like our version of Chris Johnson and I think he's the type of back that can average almost five yards a carry.
What are your answers to these questions? Let us know what you think by commenting below and join in on the conversation.
Other Columns by and about the Bills:
The skinny on the Buffalo Bills defensive line. Will the 3-4 work?
NFL Notebook: Leinart to play second fiddle; Spiller and Johnson not sluggers
NFL Notebook: Tim Tebow analysis & C.J. Spiller & the Buffalo Bills running back situation
Buffalo Bills QB Situation and Hall of Fame Enshrinement Thoughts
Read more of Joe at http://joefromnyc.blogspot.com/
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