Despite the fact that yesterday's Bills news was dominated by Thurman Thomas' Hall of Fame induction, the current Bills did in fact hold a practice yesterday. Rather than giving you the usual rundown, I'll highlight three players who stood out not just yesterday in practice, but throughout the entirety of the team's practices thus far:
Josh Reed a Deep Threat?
Other than perhaps Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish, the Bills' go-to receiver in camp has been Josh Reed:
This isn't the first big-gainer that Reed has been involved in - he's been stretching the field pretty consistently in practices, including catching a 50-yard touchdown from J.P. I'll be honest, this isn't the role that I envisioned for Reed, though I'm certainly not complaining about this production. It's still questionable how much downfield passing we'll see involving Reed this season, but the fact that he's performing well in this department only further diversifies our passing attack. Seriously, I cannot wait to see our guys in action this coming Friday - I'll be keeping a close eye on Reed.
RB Jackson Getting Heavy Looks
There is a strong contingent of Bills fans (and I'm on the fringe of it, swayed by some compelling arguments made by community members here) that the Bills will keep four running backs heading into the regular season. Most feel that Josh Scobey will earn that role; I'm here to disagree - if the team does keep a fourth runner, I believe it will be Fred Jackson:
This guy's name pops up in seemingly every practice report out there. He's making solid runs, being utilized as a receiver out of the backfield and is a top candidate to land the backup kick returner job. The coaches are getting this guy a ton of reps, while Scobey has battled through injuries and taken very few reps. I believe that Jackson offers a bit more overall value to the roster, and should push come to shove for a fourth RB, Jackson beats out Scobey and Shaud Williams.
Wilson a Favorite of Dick Jauron
Converted safety George Wilson has made a few plays in camp and has played pretty well in his first season since making a positional switch from wide receiver. He's impressed Dick Jauron, at the very least:
"He's tough physically, but he's also a tough-minded guy," said Jauron. "You might beat him on a play, but he's never going to quit on you. It's just one of a lot of things I like about George. I'm looking forward to seeing him play in preseason."
So am I, Coach. If Wilson doesn't make too many mistakes during his playing time this pre-season, I think there's more than a strong chance he makes this roster. Jauron seems to like him, which only increases his chances in my mind. This guy could be more valuable to our final roster than we might think.
McCargo, Others Sit
DT John McCargo, nursing an injured oblique muscle, missed yesterday's practice. Others held out or limited: OT Jason Peters, HB Ryan Neufeld, LB John DiGiorgio, OL Brad Butler, DE Anthony Hargrove, RB Josh Scobey, CB Jason Webster.
The Bills have their first day off today since camp started. In lieu of a practice report tonight, then, I've decided to do a little Training Camp Stock Report - which players are rising and falling on the depth chart? Check back here late this evening to throw your opinions out there on that report. Go Bills!