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To aid in stopping the run (the Bills finished 28th last year), soon-to-be second-year tackle John McCargo has beefed up. As a 295-pound rookie in 2006, the first-round pick from North Carolina State missed 11 games and wasn't an important factor as a run stuffer when healthy. Now, though, the highly talented 23-year-old weighs a solid 307, which means he's an ideal size for stymieing opposing offenses' ground games in the Bills' Tampa 2 defense. McCargo's current weight is actually just 10 pounds fewer than the game's preeminent run defender, former Bill and current 317-pound Viking Pat Williams.
McCargo's fellow one-year veteran tackle, Kyle Williams, has also packed on pounds this offseason. Williams, a fifth-round pick who surprised in '06 by accruing 53 total tackles as a 295-pounder, has added double digits. Eleven pounds, to be exact.
Contrary to McCargo and Williams, defensive tackle Larry Tripplett, who signed an expensive contract with Buffalo last offseason, has dropped pounds over the past few months. Tripplett weighed 295 last season, but he's now down to 293. If he stays that way, it means the five-year veteran aims to be slightly more impactful in rushing the QB in 2007. The former Colt registered 2½ sacks last season, which was down from four, the 28-year-old's 2005 number with Indianapolis.
Aiding in the pass-rushing department for next season should be the newly slimmed-down defensive ends Buffalo has.
Aaron Schobel, a 14-sack Pro Bowler in '06, has lost a whopping 19 pounds this offseason (from 262 to 243). Although that appears quite small for a modern-day end, it means the seven-year veteran should be even speedier in terms of getting into enemy backfields next year -- a scary thought for AFC East offenses, for sure.
Like Schobel, strongside ends Chris Kelsay (5½ sacks last year) and Ryan Denney (six sacks) have also dropped a substantial amount of weight. Kelsay has gone from 275 to 261; meanwhile, Denney's size has fluctuated from 275 to 264. That departed 25 pounds should mean more pass-rushing prowess for the Bills' DE rotation on the left side, which is good for the entire defense, obviously.
McCargo's fellow one-year veteran tackle, Kyle Williams, has also packed on pounds this offseason. Williams, a fifth-round pick who surprised in '06 by accruing 53 total tackles as a 295-pounder, has added double digits. Eleven pounds, to be exact.
Contrary to McCargo and Williams, defensive tackle Larry Tripplett, who signed an expensive contract with Buffalo last offseason, has dropped pounds over the past few months. Tripplett weighed 295 last season, but he's now down to 293. If he stays that way, it means the five-year veteran aims to be slightly more impactful in rushing the QB in 2007. The former Colt registered 2½ sacks last season, which was down from four, the 28-year-old's 2005 number with Indianapolis.
Aiding in the pass-rushing department for next season should be the newly slimmed-down defensive ends Buffalo has.
Aaron Schobel, a 14-sack Pro Bowler in '06, has lost a whopping 19 pounds this offseason (from 262 to 243). Although that appears quite small for a modern-day end, it means the seven-year veteran should be even speedier in terms of getting into enemy backfields next year -- a scary thought for AFC East offenses, for sure.
Like Schobel, strongside ends Chris Kelsay (5½ sacks last year) and Ryan Denney (six sacks) have also dropped a substantial amount of weight. Kelsay has gone from 275 to 261; meanwhile, Denney's size has fluctuated from 275 to 264. That departed 25 pounds should mean more pass-rushing prowess for the Bills' DE rotation on the left side, which is good for the entire defense, obviously.
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