Bills have no shortage of slot WR competitors

By Connor Byrne  |   Friday, July 14, 2006  |  Comments( 10 )

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Outside of No. 1 receiver Lee Evans, the opening-day arrangement of the Buffalo Bills' wideout depth chart is anyone's guess.

At the moment, veteran free agent pickup Peerless Price has the inside track on taking the starting job opposite Evans. Assuming the 28-year-old maintains the spot throughout training camp and preseason, the Bills will have a three-way fight on their hands for the No. 3 spot.

The frontrunner to take the position is soon-to-be 24-year-old Roscoe Parrish, who was chosen in the second round of the 2005 draft by former Bills general manager Tom Donahoe. Although the selection left many scratching their heads, Parrish's talent can't be ignored. The speedster was one of the most versatile players in University of Miami history, where he emerged as a top-flight receiver and punt returner.

Unfortunately for the 5-9, 168-pounder, his rookie campaign in the NFL was nothing short of a disappointment. Parrish missed the first six games of the season with a broken wrist and finished the year with just 15 receptions for a disappointing 9.9-yard per catch average. In fairness to Parrish, however, the Bills' ex-head coach, Mike Mularkey, didn't utilize the wideout correctly.

Parrish's main combatant will be one of the Bills' new acquisitions, Andre' Davis. When free agency opened up in March, Buffalo quickly signed the 6-1, 195-pounder to a one-year deal.

The speedy 27-year-old excelled in his first two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, catching 77 passes for 996 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, he played in just seven games for the Browns in 2004, averaged a tremendous 26 yards per catch, and was traded to the New England Patriots.

Last year, he was on the receiving end of nine Tom Brady passes in as many games, racking up an impressive 21.1-yard per catch average.

The final candidate for the No. 3 job (if Price wins the No. 2) is Josh Reed. Surprisingly, the Bills elected to re-sign Reed to a four-year, $10 million contract in the offseason. The four-year veteran's best strength is his blocking, but he's drawn numerous criticisms from the team's fans for inconsistency in the receiving game. The 5-10, 208-pounder was quasi-dependable in 2005, making 32 catches for a 14-yard average.

When the Bills start the season in New England on September 11, look for either Parrish or Davis to line up as the team's No. 3 receiver. Offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild's scheme requires fast wideouts with the ability to stretch the field, and Reed simply doesn't fit that description.

For those fans out there on the Martin Nance bandwagon, expect the rookie to begin the year as a fourth or fifth receiver/threat around the opposing goal-line. If the undrafted former Miami (Ohio) star does end up making the roster, the 6-4, 213-pounder's impact will be felt on fade patterns in the red zone, since he's the only wideout on the team big enough to perform that task.

Buffalo's other tall receiver, Sam Aiken, will probably remain as one of the best special teams players in football, but not a legitimate offensive threat.

No matter which candidate ends up winning the slot job, a decent amount of production during the year is a must. Without any kind of contributions from the position, the Buffalo Bills' aerial attack will likely finish as low as it did last season, when it ranked 29th in total yardage.

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

Get more on the Buffalo Bills' wideouts at Realfootball365.com
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CommentsComments: 10  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
peterthedog		08:40 AM
07/14/2006
on paper, Levy has put together a nice blend of speedy receivers, but thats on paper. Only time will tell if we have a QB that...
No.2
J.A.K.e		10:44 AM
07/14/2006
I wouldn't say Andre Davis is in the running for the slot receiver at all... just doesn't fit the profile. Davis will compete...
No.3
bills		12:36 PM
07/14/2006
i would love to see what martin nance can do...hes fast but not super fast for a big man...he would be a nice target for who ever...
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