Apparently, adding two defensive backs in one day (S Bryan Scott and CB William James) wasn't quite enough depth-bolstering for the Buffalo Bills, as the team is meeting with Raiders restricted free agent CB Chris Carr today. Carr, a four-year veteran, stands at 5'10", weighs in at 180 pounds, and is just 25 years old with some untapped potential. He fits the type of player profile that the Bills usually target during free agency.
What makes Carr an intriguing visit is the fact that he's spent a large portion of his career returning kickoffs - relatively well, at that - for a poor Oakland franchise. This type of player is exactly what the Bills need, as 2008 is the ideal time to finally allow Terrence McGee to focus solely on defense. That goal is the reason that I included UConn cornerback Tyvon Branch in my section of the Buffalo Rumblings Authors Mock; Carr is a bit smaller than Branch and isn't a perfect fit in Buffalo's scheme, but he would bring solid value to the return units. Personally, I wouldn't be disappointed to see Carr signed at all - his presence could do wonders for McGee, who needs to prove this year that he can be the Bills' top cornerback for the rest of his career.
In case you hadn't heard, voluntary off-season conditioning workouts begin for the Bills next week - although some players have already showed up. That list includes DE Chris Kelsay; the fact that his starting linemate, Aaron Schobel, has not showed up yet is concerning to Connor Byrne:
Instead, though, Schobel has so far chosen to keep his distance. If he doesn't make an appearance within the next week, then he'd better show himself on the field in 2008.
The crux of Byrne's article is that Buffalo's defensive ends are overpaid - a topic we've beaten to death here. (And by the way, Byrne's figures for Kelsay's contract - 6 years, $24 million - are incorrect. Kelsay signed a 4 year, $23 million deal last off-season.) Schobel's absence at One Bills Drive, at this point, means nothing. Sure, it'd be nice to see him in Buffalo sending that "positive message", but he's not exactly sending a negative one, either. Byrne is right - Schobel needs to prove his worth this season; I'd just much rather see him do it on the playing field. Byrne seems to be jumping the gun on this one a bit.
Stay tuned - jri111 will have an interesting article about Buffalo's defensive backfield situation up later this evening, and we'll wrap up the Buffalo Rumblings Authors Mock tomorrow morning with the final two rounds. We'll be asking for feedback on that little project, as well, so brainstorm ideas for future mocks from the four of us so that we may best serve y'all.