Aaron Maybin's Season in Review

I think that the Bill's fans will be pleasantly surprised next year with how much Maybin has improved and I think that next year the coaches will have the opportunity to play him more in the role he was drafted for. Aaron Maybin was drafted to be a pass rusher but in the instances where he would be most effective he rarely is on the field because Schobel plays the same position and just happens to be our best pass rusher. Since he doesnt get a chance to play in the specific role he is best suited for he sees snaps when Schobel is given a break and when the opposing teams see that they run right at him because he is a rookie pass rusher who has trouble with the run as do most rookie pass rushers. In the off seasonn i think that his body will continue to develop and he will have a year of experience playing in the NFL and i think that Scobel will retire giving him the opportunity to excel in rushing the passer.

All the comparison to Orakpo seem unfounded because he plays SLB on a defense that is much more talented than the Bills also he had 4 sacks against the Raiders while Jamarcus Russell played QB. He also plays with Haynesworth in the middle drawing a lot of attention and Carter as well who is playing lights out this year for the same reason because of Haynesworth. Orakpo is a terrible pass defender he is lost in space and can not stay with anyone man to man so he is not the gem everyone makes him out to be. I think in time he will move to DE after Andre Carter is retired and Phillip Daniels moves on as well both are old.

The thing about Maybin is that he is still extremely fast around the corner and he can make the plays against LTs in the NFL. Given the chance to learn more moves to the inside and the chance to rush the passer after Schobel moves on I am sure this draft pick will bear fruit he just might take 2 or 3 years to fully blossom into a star and that was the thinking all along with Maybin. He is a project that has all the tools to succeed and with a little seasoning he will be an exceptional pass rusher.

In the pre season he made some big plays against the Steeleers and the Lions and i thought for sure he was gonna have big first year but it didnt turn out that way statistically but i am not gonna give up on him in fact just the opposite i think that having Schobel and Kelsey around gave him a chance to learn the position and earn his playing time and that may have given him the proper perspective about being a rookie. He isnt anything yet and unitl he plays like a star being drafted high doesnt mean anything and now i think he will earn everyones respect with a big year in 2010 and beyond.

To properly compare him to other rookies you have to look at Larry English,Michael Johnson, Tyson Jackson, Robert Ayers, and Everette Brown. Those players also play DE and came out of the same draft class u cant just look at the best statistical year and say see he si as good as that so he sucks

Everette Brown 21 tackles 2.5 sacks

Tyson Jackson 35 tackles 0 sacks

Larry English 28 tackles 2 sacks

Michael Johson 17 tackles and 3 sacks

Robert Ayers 18 tackles 0 sacks

Brian Orakpo 48 tackles 11 sacks

Aaron Maybin 16 tackles 0 sacks

I know that some of these guys play in 34 defenses and other play LB but these were the other guys battleing for the top spots in the draft at DE so u can see for urself that alot of porduction isnt the norm and if u have seen the BIlls play then u know Maybin could have easily had one or two sacks on the year and been in the same boat as these guys. In conclusion Maybin is gonna be a building block for the future just like Levitre and Byrd and Nelson so IMO this was the best draft in the last 5 years easily and Russ Brandon isnt the problem. While i do think they need a GM to run the football part of things he has done a great job increasing the profitablitlty of the franchise and that will be a big part of being able to keep the team in Buffalo.