In 2008 and 2009, Buffalo Bills fans quietly talked up seventh-round pick Stevie Johnson - who caught all of 12 passes in his first two NFL seasons - as a future contributor. Those fans turned out to be right, as Johnson emerged first as a starter, then as a producer in 2010, hauling in 82 passes for 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Always on the lookout for the next big thing offensively, Bills fans have now turned their attentions to another receiver, Marcus Easley, who was a fourth-round draft pick out of Connecticut a year ago.
There's a lot to like about Easley, even though he did not do much in college until a highly productive senior season. The Bills' biggest receiver, Easley can also run; he possesses a skill set that the team did not have at the position last year. But with the likes of Johnson, Lee Evans, Roscoe Parrish, David Nelson and Donald Jones ahead of him on the depth chart, Easley may not get an early opportunity at playing time. To his credit, he's not worried about it.
"I'm not focused on the depth chart," Easley told The Connecticut Post. "I worry about what I bring to the team and what I can do. My job is to catch passes and be as productive as I can be."
Be sure to check out that article for more on Easley, including talk about his rehab a year ago, as well as his feelings about Ryan Fitzpatrick as the Bills' starting quarterback.