Evaluating the Bills’ offensive personnel (Part III)

By Connor Byrne  |   Thursday, February 09, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

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For the previous two days, I have reviewed the Buffalo Bills' defensive personnel. During that time span, I made judgments on which players the Bills ought to keep as they head for 2006, and which players they should say goodbye to in the coming weeks. Notable names such as Nate Clements and Lawyer Milloy came to the fore as players that the Bills should release this off-season.

For the next two days, I will be reviewing the Bills' offensive personnel. Today, I will evaluate the Bills' offensive reserves. Without any further comments, it is time to get the assessment started.

Quarterbacks-

Youngster J.P. Losman spent the second half of the 2005 season as the backup behind veteran Kelly Holcomb. Unfortunately, during that period of time, Losman was unable to properly develop. The Bills would be in much better shape with Losman raring to go for 2006. Thanks to the buffoonery of ex-coach Mike Mularkey, the former first-round selection out of Tulane still has much to learn when it comes to on-field tactics. Verdict: Losman and Holcomb will certainly compete for the starting job, but Losman ought to be the one to nail it down. Frankly, Holcomb is nothing more than a solid backup. Despite popular opinion, Losman has the tools to become one of the league's best quarterbacks.

Third-string QB Shane Matthews was actually the starter in Chicago for a period of time when new Bills head coach Dick Jauron was running things with the Bears. Matthews has been a good teacher and a solid presence for the last couple seasons in Buffalo, but I would expect him to retire. Verdict: Matthews' best decision would be to leave the NFL and lead a normal life. Buffalo would be wise to put NFL Europe QB Tory Woodbury as their third quarterback in 2006.

Running backs-

Buffalo's primary backup, Shaud Williams, struggled to find the form that he had in the latter weeks of 2004. At 5'7", 193 pounds, he has a hard time beating opposing defenses and does not have the speed to make up for his lack of size. The former undrafted free-agent out of Alabama just has not shown the consistency that the Bills have been hoping for. Verdict: The smartest thing the Bills can do at this point is find a better backup than Williams. He just does not have what it takes to make an impact on five to ten touches per game. The dark horse to replace Williams could be Bills' practice squad back Lionel Gates. The former seventh-round pick showed a lot of promise in the pre-season of 2005, but never received an opportunity to shine in a regular season game.

Veteran Joe Burns has never shown a great deal of ability as an NFL running back. The Bills have given him ample opportunity over the years, but Burns just has not been a reliable guy for them. Verdict: Burns could make the squad as a special teamer or the Bills' starting fullback in 2006. Current fullback Daimon Shelton's contract has expired, and the Bills may view Burns as the better option.

Wide receivers-

Slot receiver Josh Reed showed plenty of positive signs in 2005. The much-maligned ex-second-rounder struggled mightily in his second and third seasons, but his fourth was certainly more fruitful. Reed pulled in 32 catches while averaging a solid 14.0 yards per catch. Occasionally, Reed was a solid option on third downs in 2005. Verdict: Reed has a lot of upside and the Bills would be wise to keep him around. The ball is clearly in the organization's court, since Reed is still under contract for 2006.

In 2005, rookie burner Roscoe Parrish was injured during July training camp, and that led to him missing the first six games of the season. Over the next ten Parrish pulled in just 15 catches for an uninspiring 9.9 yards per catch average. The second-rounder from Miami was one of the Bills' biggest disappointments in a season to forget. Fortunately, Parrish did emerge as an explosive punt returner. Verdict: Parrish is definitely staying with the Bills and could fight for the slot receiver position in 2006.

During his three years with the Bills, Sam Aiken has never proven that he has the ability to become a consistent receiver for the team. He regularly drops passes and does not do a good enough job of running routes. Aiken's ability to beat a defender is questionable as well. He has been the kind of player who might be able to catch two passes in a game, on a good day. Verdict: Aiken emerged as a solid special teamer in 2006, but the Bills have plenty of those. He's an unrestricted free-agent and I would not expect him to stay in a Bills uniform.

Smallish receiver Jonathan "Fast Freddie" Smith was one of Mularkey's most underutilized players in 2005. In 2004, Smith was often used on gadget plays that worked to perfection. He was also an outstanding punt returner. Last year, Smith's shining moment was his great touchdown effort against the New York Jets back in October. Smith pulled in just 5 catches on the season and was inactive for most of the time. Verdict: The prospects of Smith in a Bills uniform are not looking too good at this point. With the likelihood of the Bills going after a receiver or two in the draft and free agency, it is definitely unwise to expect Smith having an active role in Buffalo in 2006. The practice squad is not out of the question.

Tight ends-

Former Oregon State standout Tim Euhus has been incredibly injury-prone for his first two seasons in the league. In 2005, Euhus was often the culprit of foolish penalties and he did not exactly make up for it with his receiving. Euhus only caught 3 passes in 2005, but in all fairness, Mularkey and the rest of the Bills' offensive coaching staff didn't exactly look his way very often. Verdict: At this point, Euhus might be a long shot to make the Bills in 2006. There are other more capable backups, and current starter Mark Campbell is still under contract.

Much to the Bills' chagrin, former Miami standout Kevin Everett, their third-round pick last year, injured his knee during organized team activities in May. After taking an entire season off to heal, the youngster with all the tools to succeed will make his Buffalo debut in 2006. He has the size, speed, and hands to become the Bills' first great tight end in a long time. Verdict: Expect Everett to push for the starting job this off-season. If he doesn't get that job for the start of the season, anticipate him earning it as the season goes on.

30-year old Ryan Neufeld rounds out the Bills' tight end position. In his career with the Bills, Neufeld has been a fairly reliable blocker who has rarely been targeted as a receiver (one catch last year). Neufeld has a good attitude and is a much better player than Euhus at this point. Verdict: If Euhus is released, look for Neufeld to be the Bills' third tight end in 2006 behind Campbell and Everett.

Offensive tackle-

Mike Williams, the former fourth overall pick back in 2001's draft, has become one of the biggest busts in recent memory. Williams is lackadaisical, injury-prone, and quite honestly, too corpulent to maintain a starting job. He's regularly burned by even the most obscure of linemen. Williams lost his right tackle position to undrafted Jason Peters during the 2005 season. Verdict: Although the Bills would have to endure a cap hit, they must cut Williams. After all, if offensive line guru Jim McNally can't save him, then nobody can. The Bills have too much tied up in Williams to keep him around. They would save money by releasing him.

Offensive guard-

2005 was not exactly a year of development for rookie Justin Geisinger. For some reason he never saw any on-field action and that is another sign of Mularkey's inability. The Bills' season was a lost cause for the last couple months of 2005, and Geisinger should have received some playing time. Unfortunately, things just didn't work out. Verdict: Geisinger will be a backup/practice squad player next season for the Bills. He is still much too raw to get any playing time next season. If the Bills expect to compete for a Super Bowl--as Marv Levy said--then they better not have plans that include playing Geisinger.

27-year old Greg Jerman played regularly in 2005 and was a total train-wreck on the Bills' line. Frankly, Jerman does not have the ability to be even a decent lineman in the NFL. He is just another example of ex-GM Tom Donahoe thinking that he can plug journeymen into his line, and experience some level of success. No wonder he was fired. Verdict: Jerman is not even good enough to be a backup at this juncture. The Bills' signing of Jerman last summer was dubious anyway, and it is now time to part ways.

One of the few promising players on the Bills' line, Duke Preston played fairly well in 2005. The rookie from Illinois showed a lot of ability in the season opener and has the versatility to play center, right guard, and left guard. Preston should have been getting much more playing time in 2005, but Mularkey did not see it that way. Verdict: Preston could make a push for the starting center position for the Bills next season. He is an impressive youngster with a great deal of character and capability.

The Bills' offensive depth is clearly a concern at this point in time. When the great teams in this league are examined, they clearly show a good amount of depth at their offensive positions. The Buffalo Bills have a lot of work to do this off-season to improve what has been a lousy unit for the duration of the nine seasons in the post-Jim Kelly era.

- Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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