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Rookies giving Bills a big boost
When three rookies trot out as opening-day starters for an NFL team, the reactions can vary wildly.
Anything from "Wow, look at all that young talent!" to "Yikes, they didn't have anyone else, huh?" might capture the situation accurately.
So when ESPN Insider Mike Sando tweeted earlier this week that Buffalo Bills' 2013 draft picks have played more snaps through two games than those of any other team, it was worth pondering where the Bills fell on that spectrum....
Of those league-leading 440 snaps, the vast majority has gone to three players, who were also the team's top three selections in April's draft: quarterback EJ Manuel, receiver Robert Woods and linebacker Kiko Alonso.
It's true that the Bills entered the draft with holes at all three of those positions, so entering training camp, the top three picks were all favored to start or at least see significant time.
Even so, this much has been clear: All have earned their jobs. Manuel would have won the starting job with or without Kevin Kolb suffering a season-ending concussion. Woods outplayed T.J. Graham throughout the preseason. And the task of manning the middle of the Bills' defense never seemed too big for Alonso.
When three rookies trot out as opening-day starters for an NFL team, the reactions can vary wildly.
Anything from "Wow, look at all that young talent!" to "Yikes, they didn't have anyone else, huh?" might capture the situation accurately.
So when ESPN Insider Mike Sando tweeted earlier this week that Buffalo Bills' 2013 draft picks have played more snaps through two games than those of any other team, it was worth pondering where the Bills fell on that spectrum....
Of those league-leading 440 snaps, the vast majority has gone to three players, who were also the team's top three selections in April's draft: quarterback EJ Manuel, receiver Robert Woods and linebacker Kiko Alonso.
It's true that the Bills entered the draft with holes at all three of those positions, so entering training camp, the top three picks were all favored to start or at least see significant time.
Even so, this much has been clear: All have earned their jobs. Manuel would have won the starting job with or without Kevin Kolb suffering a season-ending concussion. Woods outplayed T.J. Graham throughout the preseason. And the task of manning the middle of the Bills' defense never seemed too big for Alonso.
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