Bills’ Parrish could speed his way into a significant role

By Anthony Bialy  |   Thursday, August 30, 2007  |  Comments( 18 )

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It's not Roscoe Parrish's fault he started off on the wrong foot in Buffalo. Blaming Tom Donahoe, the Bills' former general manager, for everything that went rotten under his watch is like making fun of Britney Spears' parenting skills: easy, but totally justified. The fact is that the Bills needed help on both lines going into the 2005 draft, and Donahoe instead added yet another skill player with the team's first pick, a second-rounder.

Donahoe seems like the sort who, if he had a third mortgage notice, would spend all his money on comic books and cotton candy. But regardless of whether the pick was prudent at the time, Parrish is on the roster. And the Bills didn't exactly end up with some stiff out of the deal, either: Parrish has shown blistering flashes of promise, and this season is an opportunity for him to become a steady target for J.P. Losman's passes if he can manage to threaten the space between the two primary receivers.

Like all Bills wide receivers not named Lee Evans, Parrish didn't have a statistically magnificent 2006. He caught 23 passes for 320 yards, numbers that are mediocre at best. The positive way to view his season is that he obtained 13.9 yards per catch, second on the team behind Evans. That's a big chunk of field gobbled up every time he receives a pass.

What's encouraging about Parrish more than his yardage is what he is able to do for someone of his height. He's officially 5-foot-9, and unofficially about the size one would expect a high school sophomore to possess before a growth spurt. Yet, despite his diminutive stature, he's willing to get popped by defenders in order to make a play.

Followers of the team have already seen him get walloped after receptions in that frightening middle of the turf, and yet he springs immediately back into action. Of course, Parrish is speedy, as one would expect for an NFLer of his size, but he combines that with toughness, two ingredients which make an impressive cocktail.

His fearlessness is most evident in his special teams play. Parrish may not be built robustly enough to ever be on the field for kickoffs, but he still has the gumption and physical constitution to deal with charging special teams defenders during punt returns. Combine that with his elusiveness and phenomenal swiftness, and he's a weapon both bringing back punts and heading between the hash marks during pass routes, two places where guts supersede size.

Parrish also has a chance to succeed in Buffalo because he carries little baggage. Unlike some other University of Miami players, Parrish doesn't seem to have the same astounding swagger so common among former Hurricanes. Some more glamorous communities might find braggadocio appealing, but such behavior is viewed as off-putting in a no-nonsense, no-illusions city like Buffalo.

Bills fans are unlikely to tolerate anyone brasher than someone like, say, Jim Kelly, and he was a Hurricane who also happened to end up as a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback; certain accomplishments justify a tad bit of cockiness. Thankfully, Parrish doesn't seem prone to strutting, preening, or any other disreputable behavior that distracts from his game.

And his game has been thrilling. Parrish has been explosive in somewhat limited preseason activity, catching eight passes for 95 yards (with a touchdown in the Atlanta game) while playing largely with and against second-teamers. Even when he's not a play's primary target, there's a tangible excitement every time he's included in a formation. Parrish is the equivalent of what Maxim Afinogenov is to Buffalo's hockey team, the Sabres: not a complete player, but a remarkably dynamic athlete with the ability to change games on one play and get those watching to rise out of their seats.

Parrish finds himself with the opportunity to regularly get on field in the slot. His rookie year was partially sabotaged by his broken wrist, meaning 2006 was his first preseason and full training camp. With only one true campaign under his belt, Parrish still has room to ripen as a pro and take hold of the inside receiver position.

Josh Reed, his primary competitor for the third receiver spot, is a better blocker in addition to having a blockier build, but Parrish is of course faster, not to mention his ability to vacuum up most passes tossed his way. Reed has reached a plateau, and Parrish has every chance to keep ascending the depth chart by the season's start.
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About Anthony Bialy

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CommentsComments: 18  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Michael Sluder		03:08 AM
08/30/2007
Heres to the coaches giving Roscoe Parrish that chance. And if they don't well then that would be another dumb mistake. And may I...
No.2
Nate		05:58 AM
08/30/2007
Parrish may not be built robustly enough to ever be on the field for kickoffs, but he still has the gumption and physical...
No.3
gjv		08:13 AM
08/30/2007
Roscoe Parrish should be an every down player with the Bills offense. He has similar size,speed and hands as Steve Smith of the...
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