Speeding around has gotten Bills’ Parrish nowhere

By Anthony Bialy  |   Tuesday, June 02, 2009  |  Comments( 74 )

Buffalo Bills
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Roscoe Parrish can complain all he wants. And fans should ignore him all they want. The oft-invisible Buffalo Bills wide receiver has been carping about his lack of chances during minicamp, but his uninspiring play supersedes his disgruntled talk. One of the reasons the Bills sunk to adding Terrell Owens is because Parrish’s play offered nothing to dissuade them from doing so. His role is undefined, and it’s his fault.

It’s not that Parrish has been unable to make himself known throughout the league; rather, it’s that he’s barely even a presence on his own team. Last season was a strong example of his weak output, as he managed only 24 receptions for 232 yards. That works out to a measly 9.7 yards per catch, with the longest going for 22 yards. The Miami product goes fast but not far.

Even worse, Parrish doesn’t have many chances to lose when he’s held up against his teammates. The Florida native ranked sixth on the squad last season in both receptions and yards, trailing players such as running back Marshawn Lynch, backup running back Fred Jackson, and brick-handed tight end Robert Royal. Owens’ arrival didn’t exactly knock Parrish into second place.

Parrish was third best in both categories for Buffalo after 2007, but that was for a rotten passing offense. The situation was so bad that the team counted on Peerless Price to return to the franchise and then return to glory; only the former happened.

The grumpy receiver was only fourth in receiving yardage the year before. He also finished 2006 tied for fourth in receptions with Royal at 23. That mark was only one ahead of fading reserve rusher Anthony Thomas.

He didn’t burst on the scene as a rookie, either. Parrish ranked seventh on the Bills with 15 catches, while his 148 yards put him in sixth. He’s been mediocre throughout his career relative to his teammates. While it must be frustrating to be squeezed out, Parrish can’t find it surprising.

Plus, he’s going to face challenges this offseason for the punt returner job, the one area where he’s made himself productively comfortable. With a stable of young cornerbacks looking for playing time in any form, there are certain to be ample candidates seeking to bring back punts. That would in turn make the veteran entirely redundant. While Parrish has been undeniably fantastic in his kicking game role, he’s at the point in his career where he can’t hog a wideout’s roster spot just for the sake of special teams.

It’s not as if he’s a youthful athlete barely out of college: Parrish turns 27 next month. A long-rumored trade would be best for both the team and player, as the Bills could cut their losses by giving him a fresh start. Anything they get in return would be a plus.

He hasn’t presented a reason to stay. The Bills are coping with a player who doesn’t cope well with real-time situations. He’s not big enough to fight off rougher cornerbacks; at the same time, he doesn’t use his speed well enough to thrive as a slot threat.

Parrish has never utilized his drag racing skills on offense. In failing to do so, he’s buried himself on the depth chart of a team that’s been light on receivers. That, and not any coach’s decision, is the source of his predicament.

The player wants to show what he can do. The question is why he would have waited until his fifth season to put on that performance.
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