AFC East: Santana Moss
For Gailey's offense, Parrish a thought
The Buffalo Bills signed Terrell Owens, a move that would squash Parrish at the bottom of a depth chart he already felt was oppressive. Parrish was the NFL's leading punt returner in 2007 and 2008 but couldn't convince the Bills to use him more in their atrocious offense.
AP Photo/ David DupreyUnder Chan Gailey, Roscoe Parrish figures to be an important aspect of Buffalo's offense.The Bills refused. Rosenhaus floated reports that Parrish was on the trade block in hopes of stimulating some action. That didn't help either.
Why the Bills insisted on keeping Parrish isn't clear. He rotted on the sideline. Even more bizarre, former head coach Dick Jauron named Parrish the third quarterback.
"In this profession, you can never feel down on yourself," said Parrish, who caught a grand total of three passes for 34 yards last year. "Last year was a tough year for me, and I just had to handle myself like a professional and have a good attitude. You never know what tomorrow will bring."
That's the truth.
Parrish loves playing for the Bills again. In Saturday night's 35-20 preseason victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Ralph Wilson Stadium, he had a team-high four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown.
"He's a big weapon for this football team," new Bills coach Chan Gailey said.
To be considered a weapon is contrary to Jauron's feelings. But Jauron was offensively unaware, a defensive coach through and through who would always claim he was working on ways to get Parrish more involved but never did.
Gailey, meanwhile, has a respected offensive mind.
"He just likes to get the ball in his playmakers' hands," Parrish said. "I heard a lot before, but that is in the past. Right now is right now. I just have to control my own destiny, and that is to take advantage of all the opportunities that come my way."
Asked if he knows why Parrish wasn't used more in the past, Gailey replied "I don't know anything about that."
The main criticisms of Parrish are that he is 5-foot-9 and sometimes plays small, unable to beat press coverage and unable to get physical. But when I spoke to Parrish last year about the outside perceptions of his limitations, he rattled off a list of receivers who play bigger than their height: Santana Moss, Steve Smith, DeSean Jackson, Eddie Royal.
Parrish might finally get the chance to see if he can make an impact, too.
"I've been a punt returner for a while in this league," Parrish said. "My speed and my quickness have been helping me out a lot. I'm just trying to transfer that over as a receiver."
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| Roscoe Parrish wants to be known as more than just a punt returner. |
PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Not every Buffalo Bill was delighted by the Terrell Owens signing.
The bombshell acquisition caused borderline delirium within the organization and among its fans. Before enough time had elapsed for the deal to sink in, receiver Roscoe Parrish came to the conclusion it wasn't going to create a favorable scenario for him.
"I asked my agent to let the organization know that I wanted to be traded," Parrish revealed after a recent training camp session at St. John Fisher College in suburban Rochester.
Unwilling to part with him, the Bills declined to honor his offseason request. Now he's hoping to make the most of an undesirable situation.
"I had a lot of issues with the organization in the offseason," Parrish said, "and I don't want to bring those negative issues to training camp."
Parrish, entering his fifth NFL season, is an intensely proud athlete. He's an elite NFL punt returner, but that's not enough for him. He figured he would be an established offensive star by now, not trying merely to be relevant, buried on a depth chart, scrounging for passes.
Owens' arrival pushed Parrish down the receiver pecking order to fourth at best. He's behind Josh Reed as the team's slot receiver. If you consider sophomore Steve Johnson, whom the Bills are high on, Parrish might be fifth.
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"It's all good to be one of the best punt returners in the NFL, but I came into the NFL to be a wide receiver," Parrish said. "I wanted to leave that behind with a trade because it's a matter of getting used more at wide receiver. I know what I can do."
Parrish has led the NFL in punt return average the past two seasons -- 15.3 yards last year, 16.3 yards the year before. He has dashed for a touchdown three years running.
But the Bills weren't able to figure out ways to get him offensive touches before Owens joined them. It'll be much tougher now.
Parrish's best receiving season was 2007, when he caught 35 passes for 352 yards and one touchdown. Last year, he had 24 receptions for 232 yards and a touchdown.
For Parrish, that kind of action is trifling. He wants to perform, but he apparently has hit a glass ceiling with Buffalo.
"There's only so much a guy with my competitiveness can take," Parrish said. "You got some guys satisfied with being a role player or just being on a team. You got some guys who want to up their games an extra notch every year and not be complacent. That makes you a superstar.
"Coming into my fifth year, I should be a superstar wide receiver, not a punt returner."
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Moss increased his reception total by 150 percent by his third season, catching 74 passes for 1,105 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was a Pro Bowler in his fifth season.
"I feel he's a guy that has all this talent and all these big plays just balled up inside him, ready to explode if given the opportunity," Moss said.
"He's going to get his. He puts in the time. He puts in the work. He works harder than most guys at his level. Whether his team allows him to be the guy that he wants to be, that time's going to come sooner or later."
Shortly after the Owens acquisition, reports circulated Parrish was on the trading block, suggesting the Bills were shopping him around. But that wasn't true, regardless of how badly agent Drew Rosenhaus, who represents both Parrish and Owens, wanted to stimulate some action.
The Bills simply weren't interested in trading Parrish. He skipped voluntary workouts. On the first day of mandatory minicamp, he mostly watched from the sideline with an ice wrap on his leg.
"I'm not a guy that's so outspoken, but there's a time when you just have to voice your opinion," Parrish said. "If you don't, they always think you're satisfied. Maybe it'll open the coaches' eyes. They need to know punt returning isn't the only thing I want to do."
About a month ago, Parrish finally came to grips he wasn't going anywhere. That doesn't mean he won't be looking ahead to the October trade deadline if circumstances don't improve.
"I'm not going to say I'm disappointed because I feel if they didn't trade me they got plans for me," Parrish said. "I'm just staying with a positive mindset and just come out here and do what I can do and take advantage of my opportunities.
"I know if I would get my opportunity in a game, all hell's going to break loose. That's how confident I am."
Buffalo is going to an up-tempo, no-huddle offense this year. One can see how depth at receiver will help, but that type of system makes substitutions difficult.
Bills head coach Dick Jauron acknowledged they're trying to find ways to get Parrish more involved.
"We've all seen what Roscoe can do with the ball in his hands, particularly in the open field," Jauron said. "We just need to keep working to find ways to get him the ball. And we also know he's got speed. If he gets a step on somebody he's hard to catch."
Parrish has felt typecast by his size. Listed at 5-foot-9 and 168 pounds, he has been unable to overcome the perception he can't withstand the rigors of every-down football.
But he rattles off a list of names of top NFL receivers who are closer to Smurfs than Goliaths.
"You got a lot of small guys," Parrish said. "You got Steve Smith. You got Santana Moss. You got DeSean Jackson. You got Eddie Royal. Those guys are just put in a good situation.
"That's the thing that was stressing me out. My situation's not as good as theirs, but I'm not going to say any negative things about it, but I'm just being 100 percent honest with everything. We're in training camp, and I'll just do what I have to do on my end."
Parrish has drawn strength from Moss' story. They work out together in the offseason at the University of Miami campus with fellow Hurricanes such as Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne.
"He sees other guys he played with and against in high school and college doing things he can do, and he's not being allowed," Moss said. "That can bring a guy down."
"Any punt returner can be a big playmaker on any offense. If you can elude all those defenders by yourself at times you can get the ball on offense."
Parrish cannot afford to become consumed with the belief the Bills are wasting him as an asset or holding him back from developing all he wants to be.
"If you go out there with a negative state of mind and your opportunity comes, you're not going to seize that moment," Parrish said. "I'll never let anybody break me. If this team doesn't use me, another team down the line one day will use me."
I recently checked in with Rob Rang, senior analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, for his insight on the first-round possibilities for each AFC East club.
I provided Rang a list of three needs, and he projected the best candidates available when the time comes.
The New York Jets are slotted for their first selection at No. 17. High on Rex Ryan's want list will be a cornerback or a receiver. And even though they already have three youngsters on the roster and a legend who could leave them dangling, the Jets might not have a quarterback.
This is Rang's response:
With little assurance that Brett Favre will return in 2009, the Jets would be wise to scout this year's quarterback class heavily. It doesn't appear likely that Southern California's Mark Sanchez would slip all the way to No. 17, but crazier things have happened -- especially considering the trepidation scouts are feeling about the Trojan's 16 career starts. Don't rule out Kansas State's Josh Freeman, either. The big, strong passer is capable of flying up the board with a strong workout.
Wide receiver might be the Jets' biggest need at this point, however. There could be several worthy of strong consideration. The elite playmaker of the position isn't Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree, but Missouri's Jeremy Maclin. His speed outside would provide an added dimension to the Jets' offense, something it hasn't had since trading away Santana Moss. Percy Harvin and Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey also have the speed worthy of consideration.
A stout run defender with plenty of upside like Vontae Davis would make some sense opposite Darrelle Revis. Perhaps an even better idea would be to wait until the second round, where a playmaking, but smaller corner like Alphonso Smith or Darius Butler, might still be around.
You'll regret not reading this AFC East mailbag
Mack from Waverly writes: Hey Tim I have a couple of questions regarding the patriots defense. Alot of people are counting on the pats to draft a corner high or get one in free agency. I really felt like the defense improved down the stretch after Jonathan Wiilhite was injected into the starting lineup. Do you think he might be the answer at corner? Also do you think the pats might ask Junior Seau back for depth since he has bailed them out for three straight years?
Tim Graham: I'm with you on Jonathan Wilhite. I thought he played well opposite Ellis Hobbs late in the season and may have convinced the Patriots they're OK at cornerback for next year. Junior Seau was an emergency replacement late in the season. He won't be back in 2009 unless disaster strikes -- repeatedly.
Brian in Fort Myers, Fla., writes: I do not see Buffalo taking the TE from OSU, he is unpolished and has too many off the field issues in his past. I actually think he could be a bust and we need help at DE and LB, who do you see the Bills looking at with their first two picks. Thanks--Go Bills!
Tim Graham: You're correct that defensive end and linebacker are needs. The Bills also need a center, but that's not a position you take in the top third of the first round unless he's elite, and there are no elite centers in this year's draft class. That said, Bills fans should be happy if Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew is the pick.
Matthew in Wichita, Kan., writes: There Rumor going on net that Pats hired Romo back to staff. That Pats going after Free agents in nfl as well look at draft because of Jared Mayo.And look at May talking Ray Lewis.
Tim Graham: See what I deal with here? I get about 47 questions like this in my chat every week and another dozen in my mailbag.
Mr. Anonymous in Phoenix writes: tim, i seem to be the only bills fan that doesn't blame dick jauron for yet another losing season (bills seem to have a history of it). do you think he can get the bills to 9 wins or should i wait until the team is sold to another town to see a winning season.
Tim Graham: I've written in my chats and mailbags before I think Jauron is a satisfactory coach. Buffalo's problems are systemic, not coach-oriented. When the Bills decided to retain Jauron and make few front-office changes, Bills fans must hope they've at least decided to adopt a new philosophy on spending money and obtaining players.
The free-agency period hasn't begun yet, so it's too early to tell for sure, but fact the Bills went hard after CFL sackmaster Cameron Wake -- they lost out to the Dolphins -- could indicate they'll be active in pursuing free agents.
Josh in Norfolk, Va., writes: Mr. Graham -- do you think the Phins will pursue Julius Peppers?
Tim Graham: It wouldn't appear the Dolphins would be hot for Peppers, whose agent recently announced the Carolina Panthers defensive end would like to play linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. The Dolphins already have Joey Porter, and last week they spent a healthy chunk (by CFL standards) on Wake. They also gave an exorbitant sum to Charlie Anderson last year.
Doug in Memphis, Tenn., writes: Kurt Warner will QB a second team in the Super Bowl. How many other QB's have done that?
Tim Graham: Kurt Warner is the third quarterback to lead two franchises to the Super Bowl, joining Craig Morton (Cowboys, Broncos) and Earl Morrall (Colts, Dolphins). But Morton was the first to start both Super Bowls. Bob Griese came back from injury in time to start Super Bowl VII in place of Morrall.
George in Wilmington, Del., writes: The last time the Jets drafted an offensive weapon in the 1st round was in 2001 (Santana Moss) and before that it was Keyshawn. Do you think this has contributed to gang greens woes? Was sticking with Tannenbaum over Mangini (or sticking with him at all) a bad choice? Is there a roadmap for the Jets to make a play-off run next season? I am not looking forward to another 5 or more years of having my heart broken.
Tim Graham: Great football teams are about the organization, the culture, the system. Mike Tannenbaum has made more moves that contribute to establishing a winner than he has made mistakes.
The Rex Ryan hire was a great one, even though he is another in a line of defensive-minded coaches. That's where their affinity for taking defensive players in the first round stems from.
Ryan will establish his tone and begin to weed out the players who don't fit his mind-set while adding players who do. But the Jets aren't in need of a major overhaul. They won nine games last year and have talent on the roster. If the Dolphins can go from one victory to 11 in one year's time, then the Jets certainly can make the playoffs next year.
Mark in Danville writes: With McCoy and Bradford electing to return to school does that increase the potential trade value for Matt Cassel should the Pats look to move him before the draft?
Tim Graham: Fewer available prospects will affect Cassel's value somewhat. It's about supply and demand. But the Patriots won't be able to trade Cassel before the draft because they won't know enough about Tom Brady's rebuilt left knee by then. The primary reason they'll franchise Cassel is to provide insurance in case Brady's not ready.
TK in Brooklyn, N.Y., writes: Hey Tim, this seems like a no brainer to me, but is there any chance the Bills go after former Colts defensive cooridinator Ron Meeks? Buffalo runs that Tampa 2 defense he ran under Dungy, and he would be a great help in improving their defense; plus he knows how to defend Brady and the Patriots. The Bills would be foolish not to try and get this guy on their staff in some capacity or another. Please tell me this is going to happen.
Thomas Jones' sublime season continues
New York Jets running back Thomas Jones resumed his torrid season Sunday, but for the first time in a long while, his efforts weren't nearly enough.
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The Jets, dating to last season, were 9-0 when Jones had a touchdown, and his teams had won 16 straight games when he crossed the goal line.
The AFC's leading runner scored twice Sunday against the Denver Broncos, but the Jets still lost, 34-17, at the Meadowlands.
Jones rushed for 136 yards on just 16 carries. He also had two catches for 21 yards.
Here are some Jones nuggets that illustrate the season he's having:
- With four games to play, he has a career-high 11 rushing touchdowns.
- He needs one more to tie Curtis Martin's single-season franchise record from 2004. Brad Baxter (1991), Johnny Hector (1987) and Emerson Boozer (1972) also scored 11 for the Jets.
- Jones' previous best season was nine rushing touchdowns. He has 10 rushing touchdowns and 12 total touchdowns in his past eight games.
- He eclipsed the 1,000-yard barrier for the fourth consecutive season.
- His 8.6-yard average per carry on Sunday raised his season average to 4.7, the best of his nine-year career.
- Jones ripped off a 59-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, the longest scoring run of his career. He had a 61-yard run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003, but he didn't score.
- He has scored a touchdown in six consecutive games, one off Santana Moss' franchise record from 2003. Tony Paige (1985), Boozer (1967) and Bake Turner (1964) also scored in six straight.
- Jets fullback Tony Richardson has blocked for five running backs in seven 1,000-yard campaigns. The others are Priest Holmes, Larry Johnson, Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
James Walker
Walker joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the NFL and NBA for the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. He's a Temple graduate and Hyattsville, Md. native who lives in Miami.
