This is the second of 11 articles targeting all position situations for the Buffalo Bills entering the 2008 season. The second entry will deal with the wide receiver position.
Speed, agility, power, size. This is what the '08 receiving core will bring to the table for the Buffalo Bills.
Lee Evans is an outstanding receiver. Everyone already knows this. His game against the Texans in 2006 in which he caught two 83-yard touchdown passes in route to a 24-21 victory, demonstrated his ability to step up and be "The Man" for the Buffalo Bills, whomever the quarterback is. Evans created a small buzz around the city when he implied that he would have rather had Losman throwing him the ball than Edwards. This is mostly because when Losman is on the field, he is willing to take the risk of looking for Evans beyond 30 yards down field, a risk that Edwards wasn't ready to take in his rookie campaign. Evans will once again take up two sets of eyes this year, except this year there'll be another reliable option for the quarterback.
Josh Reed had problems in his first two seasons with a Bills jersey on his back. He dropped balls that hit him square in the numbers. He also was criticized last season for a questionable curl-up at the end of a meaningless game, seemingly too scared of getting hit to stay midair. However, all public criticisms aside, Reed made the decision in himself that he was not going to let his career fizzle out so soon. He chose to work doubly hard and come back in '07 with vengeance in his heart. Giving his quarterback a solid target, he also showed the willingness to cross the field. He will perform well in slot, and opposite Evans when needed.
Roscoe Parrish has won himself a place in the hearts of Buffalo fans with his outstanding returning ability. He set an all-time Bills record in yards per return in the punting game last season, and that was despite having multiple returns for touchdowns called back on blocking penalties. His only touchdown in the passing game came on Sunday night, the only touchdown in a blowout loss. It's still yet to be seen, however, if he can provide the deep threat the team needs to steal momentum in games.
James Hardy, the Bills' second round selection in the 2008 draft, will step in and have an instant impact. It's up to the coaches whether he will fill in the #2 role, or swap that time with Parrish and Reed. The biggest criticism last season of the Bills' receiving core was the lack of size and power. Hardy brings that with his 6'6 frame. There has been a trend recently in the NFL of large possession receivers making the headlines, so hopefully Hardy will provide the Bills with some headline-worthy plays.
After these four, it's up in the air if any other receivers will make an impact for the team.
They currently have 5 other receivers under contract- Justin Jenkins, Steven Johnson, Scott Mayle, Jason Jones and Felton Huggins. They will likely keep one of these 5 on the team, and place two on the practice squad. The most likely candidate to make the team is Justin Jenkins, who played well on special teams last year and likely will have the backing of Bobby April, the Bills' Special Teams Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach. Steve Johnson, a 7th round pick for the Bills in 2008, and Scott Mayle, , will most likely be the two designated to the practice squad. Given the amount of injuries last season for the Bills, there's a decent chance that one of them, if not both, will be brought up by the end of the season. None of these 5, however, will have a significant bearing on the passing game.
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5 months ago
hardy wasent a frist round pick!!!!
why dont you get your facts right b4 you write something ...you pepole write anything but the truth
5 months ago
Lol one mistake in the article and instead of editing it you comment about it as if it compromises the integrity of the entire thing.
Why don't you write "the truth" then, and do it comprehensibly.
5 months ago
i guess we'll have to call you marshall faulk cause he dont know what he's talking about just like bleacher reports
5 months ago
You're so clever. I was being serious when I mentioned comprehensibility though..
5 months ago
Evans definitely is "The Man" in Buffalo. Being from Wisconsin, I saw all his years in college. It was great to see him rebound from his injury in college and make a name for himself in the NFL. He's small but dangerous because of his speed. I'm glad to see that he is getting some more help, and the Bills look like a team on the rise. Well done!
5 months ago
First of all, Reed did not struggle his first season, he struggled his next two. Secondly, it was perfectly obvious he lost the ball in the sun on his "curl up"... no sense in getting laid out if you can't see the ball and aren't going to catch the ball anyways.
5 months ago
Yeah, 58 catches in his sophomore season for 588 yards pails in comparison with a rookie campaign in which he touched the ball 37 times.
If you watched the games, and I'm assuming you're a Bills fan and did watch the games, he didn't make catches he was capable of making throughout the start of his career. It wasn't until the end of '06 that he started showing an adjustment to the NFL.
And I know this, and implied it in my article by using the word "seemingly." But that has no bearing on the fact that he was chewed out around the city for that play. He took criticism from the media and from the fans for it before it blew away in the wind. If you really need proof of the criticism dealt him, look at this forum section in which some members agreed with what you've said, as I do as well, and others stake claim to his cowardice.
http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?t=26802
5 months ago
Josh Reed is great in the slot. Its easy for you to sit there and point out every flaw like that when you just watch the TV and most likely never suited up for a real game. Just like EVERY receiver in the game receivers drop balls they should catch, and you can't expect them to catch everything. Reed isn't a caliber #2 receiver. But look at him on the field. He's 5'10 and makes it his job to at least attempt to catch every ball thrown his way. Don't knock on Reed because he had one ball he didn't go for. Cowardly you describe it? I tell you whats cowardly sitting behind a computer and telling everyone else what they are doing wrong. Do us a favor and stop writing these articles. You're a disgrace to bills fans everywhere.
5 months ago
Do you read anybody's comments? I'm just curious. But I'll entertain your points again.
1. "Josh Reed is great in the slot."
"He chose to work doubly hard and come back in '07 with vengeance in his heart. Giving his quarterback a solid target, he also showed the willingness to cross the field. He will perform well in slot, and opposite Evans when needed."
Read the article and you'll realize that I said he would perform well in the slot.
2. "And (you) most likely never suited up for a real game."
If by real you mean at the professional level, you'd be correct, but I'm pretty sure you haven't either. If real implies the high school level, though, you'd be wrong.
It is the nature of the sportswriter to be critical. Do you read professional writing?
3. "Every receiver in the game drops balls they should catch, and you can't expect them to catch everything."
Obviously every player drops passes. The difference is that Chad Johnson's dropped passes show up on sportscenter, and the analysts discuss why he isn't making those plays, whereas Josh Reed's dropped balls go down as nothing more than a statistic. I'm sorry, though, that the point of the section I wrote about Josh Reed was to commend his efforts in improving his hands and looking forward to him playing a solid season for the Bills.
4. "Don't knock on Reed because he had one ball he didn't go for."
For the second time, I did not knock on him for that play, I merely mentioned it in my article as a play that was criticized by the Buffalo community. If you've never seen it brought up on the Bills' forum, you aren't trying hard enough.
5. "Cowardly you describe it? ..."
No, actually, I said "OTHERS" staked claim to his cowardice. Read the posts on the forum link I posted in my comment to Jake. I never called him a coward, and never would, because again for the second time, I agree that the play was due to the sunlight in his eyes, but that does NOT change the fact that he was publicly criticized for the play by both the fans and the media.
Do me a favor and express your opinion only after you read and contemplate the message an article is intended to give you. The point of my Josh Reed section was to highlight the work he's done to improve himself and look forward to him playing well next season. 2. "And (you) most likely never suited up for a real game."
Who have I put down in any of my articles? My few articles, especially this one, have PRAISED every individual for their accomplishments, grading against their drawbacks. If you actually took the extra three minutes and read them as opposed to reading them and picking the strong words out of context you would realize that I haven't put a single player down.
5 months ago
James Hardy.... 87 catches , 1232 yards,12 touchdowns in 2008....GO BILLS(Fantastic article by the way)
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