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Linebackers, L. Walker Getting Media Attention

By Brian Galliford
Crowell is the elder LB in Buffalo

Angelo Crowell, John DiGiorgio and Langston Walker are all subjects in some interesting stories this morning...

Angelo Crowell, for better or worse, is now the elder statesman in Buffalo's linebacking corps:

Crowell's abilities and experience aside, the Bills are making sure not to put too much of a burden on his shoulders. That was evident during minicamp practices this past month. Crowell has stood to the side in the huddle while the middle linebacker calls the plays, as Fletcher did last year.

"I think the important thing for Angelo is for him to play ball and not try to do something that is out of character for him," Fewell said. "Yeah, he is the older guy now. But he leads better by example. ... He is one of the guys that is a proven playmaker for us, and we just want to use the most that he can offer."

I like the fact that the middle 'backer is still calling the defensive plays, but Crowell in my mind does need to be a bit more vocal this season. We have players that lead by example (Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, Terrence McGee); what we need is a vocal guy to fire his teammates up a bit. That was Spikes' job last season. Crowell needs to be that guy this year.

John DiGiorgio isn't conceding anything to Paul Posluszny at middle linebacker:

"I think my chances are pretty good as long as I'm doing the right things, I'm making the right calls, getting everybody lined up and just going out there and making plays," Di- Giorgio said Tuesday after practice at the Bills' training facility. "Competition is what this game is all about. Poz is a great player, but I want that spot as well as he does, and we're going to compete for it."

I'm going to go on record as saying I would be a bit irritated if DiGiorgio is able to hold off Poz during training camp. I'm still betting that that won't happen, but if it does, an interesting question to bring up is this: does Posluszny get a shot at the WLB spot over Keith Ellison?

Jim McNally is defending Langston Walker's honor already:

Buffalo Bills offensive line coach Jim McNally, a Kenmore West High School graduate, doesn't believe the Raiders' struggles can be pinned on Walker.

"He was not part of the problem, period," McNally said.

Don't get too snippy there, coach. Perhaps McNally realizes that if this Walker experiment doesn't work out, he may find himself out of a job in Buffalo. The chances of that happening (a failed Walker experiment) are slim in my mind - I believe McNally when he says that Walker wasn't an issue in Oakland last year. I said as much in a post on Walker and Derrick Dockery from last week.

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