Bills’ Bowen tries once more for the first time

By Anthony Bialy  |   Thursday, May 21, 2009  |  Comments( 54 )

Buffalo Bills
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It’s nice to see Alvin Bowen participating in offseason workouts this week. It’s also nice to remember who Alvin Bowen is. He's a Buffalo Bills linebacker, just in case anyone forgot; sadly, the cruel injury he suffered during last training camp made him obscure. The upside is that all he can do is get noticed for good play during team activities.

The New Jersey native suffered an ACL tear last Aug. 1, which ended the 147th overall pick’s season over a month before it began. Unfortunately, that means he’s actually behind this year’s rookies: Bowen spent 2008 away from football, as he was forced to rehab instead of practice. He’s now competing for time with first-year men who played a full fall season of college ball and have been working out since then; it’s just another layer of struggle for Bowen.

At the least, Bowen is the right size for what he’s supposed to do. Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 220 pounds, the Iowa State man fits the bill of a weakside linebacker who could mistakenly get grouped with the secondary. At the size of a borderline safety, Bowen was expectedly solid in pass coverage as a Cyclone; the Bills added him thanks to his reputation as a patrolman who can guard a wide jurisdiction.

Yet, the Bills really don’t know what they have in Bowen. And that could make for a pleasant surprise. The indistinct player could make himself memorable to coaches with a positive showing this offseason, especially if he can keep up in pass defense.

Whether the weakside linebacking position is open for competition depends on if the team signs Pisa Tinoisamoa, who would be immediately promoted to starter. But, if the former St. Louis Ram doesn’t become a current Bill, Bowen will get the chance to at least get his name in the mix.

He must of course heal before he can play to his potential. This might be a special teams season for the de facto rookie if it takes him time to get up to speed. If his joint doesn’t cooperate, Bowen may not even get the opportunity to make a true impact until his third season; it’s an extra burden for a mid-rounder facing the typical uphill struggle.

On the other hand, Bowen is close to 10 months past his injury, and it’s not unreasonable to think he could be near recovered by training camp. The second-year man took a promising first step during this week’s activities, as he got on the field with the third team early during activities and reportedly looked unhindered. Seeing him back on the turf at all was nice, and it’s even nicer to consider that he may be approaching his pre-injury state.

Hopefully, Bowen can keep pace during more strenuous mandatory activities. He does need to get going soon, though, as he’s 25 and still hasn’t played a pro game, with a birthday looming this Christmas Eve. All Bowen wants from Santa is a chance to make his second NFL year as good as his first could have been.
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