My 2006 Buffalo Bills Training Camp Preview.

[2003]

Biggest Impact Player: Willis McGahee I feel Willis Mcgahee is primed to have the best numbers of his early career this year. Willis came into minicamp closer to his college weight, which means his will be playing with more agility and speed (and don't forget that killer stiffarm). Finally Willis will be involved in the passing game this year (he only had 27 catches last year for 178 yds). Also, the Bills won't be all fancy and cute in the red zone this year, let's just say Mr. Mcgahee will be raking in more TDs this year.

 

Biggest Question Mark: Quarterback Obviously quarterback is the biggest question mark this year going into training camp. I predict JP Losman will be the starter from week one and he will make the coaches look like geniuses for sticking with him. Virtually, last year was JP's rookie year, and his numbers look very similar to donovan mcnabb (Mcnabb: 12gms 49.1% 948yds 8 tds 7 ints rat. 60.1 Losman: 9gms 49.6% 1340yds 8tds 8ints 64.9rat). I'm not saying that Losman will be the next Mcnabb, but Losman has looked good in minicamps, and , as you can see, players can turn around and become great players.

 

Biggest Off-Season Acquisition: Larry Tripplett Marv Levy believes that winning starts in the trenches. He definitely picked up a guy that will help the Bills win. Tripplett is a very hard worker and a relentless player. Last year Larry Tripplett split time with raheem brock and corey simon but he compiled 30 tackles and 4 sacks.

 

Player that will Surprise many people: Chris Kelsay Kelsay played at 280ilbs last year. This year he will be playing at around 260 ilbs. He will definitely be a much quicker player and quick d-linemen are huge for the Bills new cover 2 scheme.

[LabattBlue]

Biggest Impact Player: Willis McGahee I feel Willis Mcgahee is primed to have the best numbers of his early career this year. Willis came into minicamp closer to his college weight, which means his will be playing with more agility and speed (and don't forget that killer stiffarm). Finally Willis will be involved in the passing game this year (he only had 27 catches last year for 178 yds).  Also, the Bills won't be all fancy and cute in the red zone this year, let's just say Mr. Mcgahee will be raking in more TDs this year.

 

722508[/snapback]

Ah yes...the great WM straight arm. The one we saw as an effective weapon in 2004, but that became non-existant in 2005.

[2003]

Ah yes...the great WM straight arm.  The one we saw as an effective weapon in 2004, but that became non-existant in 2005. 

722516[/snapback]

Yea I know, but I think he's gonna give it a come back. It was a great stiff arm.

[Dan III]

Ah yes...the great WM straight arm.  The one we saw as an effective weapon in 2004, but that became non-existant in 2005. 

722516[/snapback]

It's hard to stiff arm somebody when Trey Teague is laying on your feet.

[Beerball]

It's hard to stiff arm somebody when Trey Teague is laying on your feet...

722553[/snapback]

before you receive the handoff.

[LabattBlue]

It's hard to stiff arm somebody when Trey Teague is laying on your feet.

722553[/snapback]

I knew that it wouldn't be long before bad OL play was stated as the reason why WM did not use his straight arm in 2005. I think you need to look inside WM's head to find the answer instead.

[Dan III]

I knew that it wouldn't be long before bad OL play was stated as the reason why WM did not use his straight arm in 2005.  I think you need to look inside WM's head to find the answer instead. 

722590[/snapback]

My post was actually a half-hearted attempt at humor.. In my opinion, the Willis straight arm story goes like this:

 

2004: Because of weak OL interior play, Willis bounces all runs to the outside, ending up one-on-one with a DB or LB.. the Willis straight arm is born.

 

2005: MM tells WM all plays are to be run as called.. MM claims WM left yds on the table.. blah blah smash mouth. MM goes so far as to tell the media that WM needs to "hit it up the middle and settle for 3 yds". WM follows orders.. because of bad OL play WM never ends up one-one-one w/ a DB or LB.. the Willis straight arm dies.

[smokinandjokin]

My post was actually a half-hearted attempt at humor.. In my opinion, the Willis straight arm story goes like this:

 

2004: Because of weak OL interior play, Willis bounces all runs to the outside, ending up one-on-one with a DB or LB.. the Willis straight arm is born.

 

2005: MM tells WM all plays are to be run as called.. MM claims WM left yds on the table.. blah blah smash mouth. MM goes so far as to tell the media that WM needs to "hit it up the middle and settle for 3 yds". WM follows orders.. because of bad OL play WM never ends up one-one-one w/ a DB or LB.. the Willis straight arm dies.

722623[/snapback]

 

I think you are right on here daninator. I've heard this in more than a few places that Mularkey did not want Willis bouncing runs outside. It makes no sense but coming from MM it's not surprising.

 

By the way, the Teague comment was effing hilarious. Definately chuckled out loud at that one.

[Marv Levy]

I refuse to believe the hype from training camp this year. They always pump up everyone and then when they get down to it.... they suck royally. Sorry guys, but the Bills will be in the basement this season unfortunately. I really hope I'm wrong on this.

[erynthered]

Yea I know, but I think he's gonna give it a come back. It was a great stiff arm.

722520[/snapback]

 

 

Are you still sticking to this Bills record you have in your sig? Or are you done drinking yet?

 

 

 

[LabattBlue]

2005: MM tells WM all plays are to be run as called.. MM claims WM left yds on the table.. blah blah smash mouth. MM goes so far as to tell the media that WM needs to "hit it up the middle and settle for 3 yds". WM follows orders.. because of bad OL play WM never ends up one-one-one w/ a DB or LB.. the Willis straight arm dies.

722623[/snapback]

WM had 325 carries in 2005 and he NEVER had the opportunity to be 1-on-1 with a LB or DB? I'm not going to try and tell you that I have memorized every one of his carries from 2005, but I have to believe he had many 1-on-1 opportunities in which he could have utilized the straight arm which was a force in 2004.

[2003]

WM had 325 carries in 2005 and he NEVER had the opportunity to be 1-on-1 with a LB or DB?  I'm not going to try and tell you that I have memorized every one of his carries from 2005, but I have to believe he had many 1-on-1 opportunities in which he could have utilized the straight arm which was a force in 2004.

722784[/snapback]

I agree with that statement. But this new o-line and offensive scheme will allow him to go mano y mano with dbs.

[keepthefaith]

I think you are right on here daninator.  I've heard this in more than a few places that Mularkey did not want Willis bouncing runs outside.  It makes no sense but coming from MM it's not surprising.

 

By the way, the Teague comment was effing hilarious.  Definately chuckled out loud at that one. 

722721[/snapback]

 

 

Willis was due a lot of the critism he got last year for his decision making when not running through the hole. He was very hesitiant in several games last year and got tackled for losses or no gain a number of times when he chose to go away from the designed play. He also did not run to the hole in an explosive fashion after taking a lot of hand-offs and so far he has not demonstrated that Thurman Thomas-like knack for finding a hole when there wasn't one. Willis just doesn't have the quickness necesary to make those kind of changes of direction, at least not at the weight he played at last year. In '04 he ran away from people better. If any of you have a copy of the Tampa-Bills game from last year, go look at that. Willis was awful and Cadillac Williams put on a clinic on how to get to the hole quickly and run with amazing determination on every play. That guy is a star in the making.

 

Willis with his head screwed on straight playing at a lighter weight and giving 100% on every moment on every play can be a star as well. Yeah he'll need some help from the O-line, but he has not shown much motivation since he has declared himself recovered from his injury. I hope he's sandbagging.

[Buffan00]

A "Must Read" ????????????

[CosmicBills]

My hunches (for what they're worth):

 

-JP has a strong camp and wins the "competition" easily. Still, he takes a few weeks to get into a rythm in game-situations due to the new offense.

 

-Preston pushes CV hard throughout the whole camp. He wins the most improved OL award (if there was such a thing), but CV holds onto the job going into NE.

 

-The Bills will keep 7 WR (Evans, Price, Parish, Reed, Davis, Aiken, Nance)

 

-Royal wins the starting TE job, Everett shows flashes but is too raw to be the number 1 heading into NE.

 

-Vincent is the starting FS heading into NE, outplaying Ko and Baker due to experience.

 

-TKO's health is still unknown heading into NE, but Crowell has a solid camp.

 

-The interior DL, led by Tripplet and Anderson, play above expectations.

 

-Kelsay has a medicore camp, still a hole at DE.

[Pyrite Gal]

My QB guestimate is:

 

Outcome: No outsider can really predict this with any authority as having 3 guys with a shot (and at least two of them with huge unknowns how they will respond to the mental drubbing (JP) or sitting on the bench watching and learning from an HOF player(Nall)) simply makes for too many variables to predict with any hope of being right beuond coincidence.

 

Even folks inside the team who see these players a lot. add in the additional variable of installing a new offense no one has seen run yet and this is a total crapshoot at this point.

 

One can lay odds based on past performance and rep (IMHO, JP is more highly regarded in terms of raw talent, but as a youngster and being beaten up, I see his chances at about 40% max of even having some real blips but being merely adequate: Nall, I would put at about 10% as he is a career back-up with the pluses and minuses that go with that but the Pack drafted Rodgers and let Nall go as they saw his chances even in the familiar Pack O as being pretty limited: KH I onlu give a guesstimate to of about 20% chance of success since he has episodes of greatness in specific games but 10 years of not being consistent enough to be an adequate NFL starter.

 

The irony here is that since I am under no legend in my own mind illusions that I have the NFL figured out and can predict with much accuracy what weill happen next, this is a big part of why the NFL is so interesting to me.

 

I could think of few things so boring as something I understand so well that I can predict what is going to happen next. Life is fun because of the surprises. The NFL interest me because no matter how much I think I understand it something unexpected can happen.

 

Its rare that an NFL team I care about goes into camp with three players with a legit shot at starting. This is fun!

 

I think the best case for the Bills in 06 is actually if KH ends up being the chosen starter. I think this is pretty unlikely because he would need to show not simply productivity equal to JP, but will need to produce so well that the Bills braintrust gets attracted more by his potential to win now than the more likely case that JP will mpt be great but show potential.

 

In order for the KH production issue to work out, I think there will be several things that need to happen which will mak the most of the experienceKH brings to the game:

 

1. Fairchild will need to successfully develop and install at St. L like high-flying O based on short passes and RAC for big yards. He will need to call and run plays which allow his receivers to get quick separation using their speed (which creates space and even better forces DCs into zone coverage), crossing patterns, and some picks to get folks open quick.

 

2. Evans will need to step up and be a #1 WR (and draw some dts with his soeed), Price will need to return to some semblance of his 2002 production (70 catches rather than 94 would be great) or if he does not the Parrish, Reed or Davis must steo uo, we find a #3 from one of these 4 to go with Evans and the #2.

 

3. WM will be a key, not only will he need to run with the same productivity which saw him become the quickest Bill RB to 2000 yards on the ground, but also he will need to be at least a reconizable shadow of Marshall Faulk and the role as a pass catcher he played for St. L.

 

I think JP is a far more talented player than KH, but for the Bills to excel in 2006 ironically the most likely way this happens is that our O clicks and is so well designed that the experience and style of KH more likely fits the bill as it will likely be a while before JP can really make the NFL judgments consistently to make a RAV=C nased O work well.

[Captain Hindsight]

If Kelly Holcomb starts day one for the bills( unless injuries) i will never watch the bills again. I believe losman has tyhe talent and showed that he can play last year. Yea we sucked but i contribute that mroe to Donahue not taking care of the defense and mularky listening to the media than losmans play. if DJ starts Holcomb that proves to me that this organization doesnt care about the fans. We know what holcomb can do, hes a great BACK UP. If he plays a game or two for an injury fine thats his job but he is by no means an everyday starter. If losman isnt your guy why would you start someone who backed up tim couch ( probley pumping gas right now) and Threw away 2 game last year. (new england and jets). If losman isnt the guy get a big name (Brees or culpepper) but dont start the "vetern" and waste another year and fans money

[RuntheDamnBall]

If Kelly Holcomb starts day one for the bills( unless injuries) i will never watch the bills again. I believe losman has tyhe talent and showed that he can play last year. Yea we sucked but i contribute that mroe to Donahue not taking care of the defense and mularky listening to the media than losmans play. if DJ starts Holcomb that proves to me that this organization doesnt care about the fans. We know what holcomb can do, hes a great BACK UP. If he plays a game or two for an injury fine thats his job but he is by no means an everyday starter. If losman isnt your guy why would you start someone who backed up tim couch ( probley pumping gas right now) and Threw away 2 game last year. (new england and jets). If losman isnt the guy get a big name (Brees or culpepper) but dont start the "vetern" and waste another year and fans money

724870[/snapback]

Spell check, my friend, please.

 

And you know your first sentence is an out-and-out lie. If you're really a Bills fan, that is. We've sat through enough crap and experienced enough great heights to know that things change in this league, year-in, year-out.