Tatonka
07-16-2004, 07:07 AM
Buffalo's Passing Attack
> While I'm not about to urge owners to rush out and snare Drew Bledsoe
> as quickly as possible come draft day, I will suggest there's reason
> to believe Buffalo's overall passing attack will be much better this
> season than it was last year.
>
> I'll further suggest that with Bledsoe coming off his worst full
> season as a pro, he's likely to be available very late in most drafts.
> And I believe that's going to work in some owners' favor this fall.
>
> This after the team spent most of May and June installing a new
> offensive scheme -- a scheme that left Bledsoe optimistic and prepared
> to put last season's troubles behind.
>
> "I'm extremely optimistic to be honest with you," the veteran signal
> caller told reporters. "I feel like at this point in the season, this
> is as good a team as I've been on."
>
> Bledsoe acknowledged he and his teammates might have been saying the
> same thing at this time last year -- before his struggles began and
> before the Bills stumbled to a 6-10 finish. The difference this time
> is Bledsoe's belief the necessary changes have been made to make it
> work.
>
> The Bills have a new head coach in Mike Mularkey, who took over after
> Gregg Williams was fired in December. Mularkey, an offensive expert,
> has worked to simplify a Bills scheme that was considered convoluted
> and too one-dimensional last year.
>
> The Bills have back a healthy No. 1 receiver in Eric Moulds, who was
> hobbled by a groin injury for most of last season. The team also
> bolstered its receiving corps by selecting Lee Evans -- a speedster,
> who could take the pressure off of Moulds -- in the first round of
> last April's NFL Draft.
>
> And then there's the Bills' commitment to running the ball, something
> the team neglected to do for parts of last season. Besides having
> starter Travis Henry back, Buffalo's ground game should be bolstered
> with a healthy Willis McGahee, the first-round draft pick who missed
> his rookie season last year recovering from a knee injury.
>
> But the change in system -- and coordinator -- is key here.
>
> As Pro Football Weekly noted Monday, early indications are that the
> Bills' receiving corps has been transformed from a mediocre unit to
> one that's poised to put up big numbers this fall.
>
> PFW went on to suggest the team's new offensive system has been
> embraced by the receivers, who believe that because they have fewer
> reads and a simpler playbook, they are able to play faster and make
> more plays.
>
> I also believe the arrival of new receivers coach Tyke Tolbert will be
> a factor. Although he broke into the league with the Cardinals just
> last season, Tolbert had an auspicious debut, with second-round pick
> Anquan Boldin catching 101 passes and making the Pro Bowl.
>
> The Bills are hoping Tolbert can do for Josh Reed and Evans what he
> did for Boldin.
>
> Now, the two guys I'm most interested in here are Moulds, who I expect
> to sneak back into the ranks of top-10 Fantasy receivers
> (http://apps.footballguys.com/04wrrank.cfm?sortorder=b,rank&desc=0)
> this season, and Evans.
>
> The fastest of this year's top-ranked receivers, Evans is more than
> capable of making an instant impact. Even after 2002 ACL surgery,
> Evans clocked consistent 4.35 to 4.41 times.
>
> As Tolbert told PFW, "Lee gives you that dimension that's hard to
> coach. You can't coach speed, and he has that speed. He's a guy that
> we're looking forward to be a deep threat and stretch the field
> vertically and open up some lanes for other guys."
>
> Reed's underwhelming effort as Peerless Price's replacement last year
> -- and the fact Bobby Shaw has been most effective coming off the
> bench in multiple-receiver sets -- all but guarantee Evans gets a
> serious look as the starter opposite Moulds this summer.
this came from an email that i get from footballguys.com
> While I'm not about to urge owners to rush out and snare Drew Bledsoe
> as quickly as possible come draft day, I will suggest there's reason
> to believe Buffalo's overall passing attack will be much better this
> season than it was last year.
>
> I'll further suggest that with Bledsoe coming off his worst full
> season as a pro, he's likely to be available very late in most drafts.
> And I believe that's going to work in some owners' favor this fall.
>
> This after the team spent most of May and June installing a new
> offensive scheme -- a scheme that left Bledsoe optimistic and prepared
> to put last season's troubles behind.
>
> "I'm extremely optimistic to be honest with you," the veteran signal
> caller told reporters. "I feel like at this point in the season, this
> is as good a team as I've been on."
>
> Bledsoe acknowledged he and his teammates might have been saying the
> same thing at this time last year -- before his struggles began and
> before the Bills stumbled to a 6-10 finish. The difference this time
> is Bledsoe's belief the necessary changes have been made to make it
> work.
>
> The Bills have a new head coach in Mike Mularkey, who took over after
> Gregg Williams was fired in December. Mularkey, an offensive expert,
> has worked to simplify a Bills scheme that was considered convoluted
> and too one-dimensional last year.
>
> The Bills have back a healthy No. 1 receiver in Eric Moulds, who was
> hobbled by a groin injury for most of last season. The team also
> bolstered its receiving corps by selecting Lee Evans -- a speedster,
> who could take the pressure off of Moulds -- in the first round of
> last April's NFL Draft.
>
> And then there's the Bills' commitment to running the ball, something
> the team neglected to do for parts of last season. Besides having
> starter Travis Henry back, Buffalo's ground game should be bolstered
> with a healthy Willis McGahee, the first-round draft pick who missed
> his rookie season last year recovering from a knee injury.
>
> But the change in system -- and coordinator -- is key here.
>
> As Pro Football Weekly noted Monday, early indications are that the
> Bills' receiving corps has been transformed from a mediocre unit to
> one that's poised to put up big numbers this fall.
>
> PFW went on to suggest the team's new offensive system has been
> embraced by the receivers, who believe that because they have fewer
> reads and a simpler playbook, they are able to play faster and make
> more plays.
>
> I also believe the arrival of new receivers coach Tyke Tolbert will be
> a factor. Although he broke into the league with the Cardinals just
> last season, Tolbert had an auspicious debut, with second-round pick
> Anquan Boldin catching 101 passes and making the Pro Bowl.
>
> The Bills are hoping Tolbert can do for Josh Reed and Evans what he
> did for Boldin.
>
> Now, the two guys I'm most interested in here are Moulds, who I expect
> to sneak back into the ranks of top-10 Fantasy receivers
> (http://apps.footballguys.com/04wrrank.cfm?sortorder=b,rank&desc=0)
> this season, and Evans.
>
> The fastest of this year's top-ranked receivers, Evans is more than
> capable of making an instant impact. Even after 2002 ACL surgery,
> Evans clocked consistent 4.35 to 4.41 times.
>
> As Tolbert told PFW, "Lee gives you that dimension that's hard to
> coach. You can't coach speed, and he has that speed. He's a guy that
> we're looking forward to be a deep threat and stretch the field
> vertically and open up some lanes for other guys."
>
> Reed's underwhelming effort as Peerless Price's replacement last year
> -- and the fact Bobby Shaw has been most effective coming off the
> bench in multiple-receiver sets -- all but guarantee Evans gets a
> serious look as the starter opposite Moulds this summer.
this came from an email that i get from footballguys.com