If you're not reading Chris Brown's weekly Fan Friday column over at BuffaloBills.com, you should re-consider - it's a good read, without fail, every time. That's not just because it's good content, but because Brown drops useful little informational nuggets into his replies to fan questions, such as this one about the expectations of Bills wide receivers coach Stan Hixon:
Add in the fact that receivers coach Stan Hixon wants all his wideouts to learn all of the receiver positions and the responsibilities are numerous.
That bit of info came in reply to a question about the possibility of rookie receiver Marcus Easley earning a starting job opposite Lee Evans, but it speaks to a larger point - Buffalo's new coaching regime is putting a lot of pressure on its young receiving corps.
The team allowed two veterans with a combined 22 years of NFL experience walk this off-season in Terrell Owens and Josh Reed. Aside from Evans, a six-year veteran, the most experienced receiver on the roster is Roscoe Parrish, who hasn't seen much playing time as a receiver during his five-year career. Chad Jackson's 14 career receptions are the third-highest total amongst Buffalo's ten receivers. There's unproven talent everywhere, and Hixon is still asking those young guys to learn at least two, but perhaps three or four, positions apiece.
I like that mentality. In the first year of a re-build, it's absolutely critical that you find out what your young talent is capable of, not only on the field but in the classroom. Buffalo's got a lot of that going on at more than just the receiver position, but there's some serious talent here, and watching the cream rise to the surface this summer should be one of the most entertaining positional battles we'll witness.