Before the Buffalo Bills hit the practice field at 2011 training camp, GM Buddy Nix informed reporters that, in the wake of losing Paul Posluszny to the Jacksonville Jaguars via free agency, the team would be moving second-year outside linebacker Arthur Moats to the inside 'backer position. We openly wondered why the team would do this.
Yesterday, head coach Chan Gailey was asked precisely that question after the team's first camp practice. Here's how Gailey answered the question.
"There were a couple of reasons," Gailey explained. "One, I thought we had some good outside prospects. Two, I thought that we wanted another good, young prospect inside. And three, at six foot, he would never be the prototypical guy outside, so he has a better chance to be an impact player probably on the inside than he does on the outside."
On the point of Moats' physical stature, it's hard to argue. There's still the fact, however, that Moats is arguably the team's best pass rusher, given that Shawne Merriman is anything but a lock to be healthy. Perhaps Gailey's applying the same logic to Moats as he is to Eric Wood: play your players at their best position, regardless of how it affects the rest of your lineup.