CJ Spiller: Redemption time

CJ Spiller didn't have the rookie season we expected. Especially considering his draft position and that he was Buddy Nix's first selection. Or was it really Gailey's idea? The rumor at the time was Gailey wanted a "scat back." We'll never know but since Nix is the GM, he gets the credit/blame for the pick. It's not like the experts disagreed with the pick. Spiller was definitely considered the top back in the draft. It was just a question why the Bills picked him when they had Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch on the roster already and they had about a million other needs.

Not every rookie transitions into the NFL quickly. In fact, a lot of guys turn out alright when they barely play in their first season and sit back and learn. It was abundantly clear how much they pulled back on Spiller after his first few performances. I'm guessing that digesting the playbook was a process that was a bit challenging for Spiller. Or maybe Gailey didn't trust Spiller enough that early in the season.

Either way, based on training camp THUS FAR, they are running a lot of screen plays and dump offs and I'm guessing a lot of those plays will be directed toward Spiller because of his ability to operate in open space. I think we're going to see what Gailey REALLY had in store for Spiller all along. Call me crazy but once Gailey realized Spiller had some work to do (i.e. Blocking, learning the playbook), I have this crazy idea that they didn't want to do too much with him last season. I know, it sounds crazy but the entire handling of Spiller last season was just a bit strange.

He definitely lost confidence as the season went on. You could notice it in his kick returns -- the hesitation. He also claims to be really comfortable with his old number, #28, which sounds ridiculous but athletes are strange.

We're going to find out everything we need to know about CJ Spiller this season. No more excuses. We'll find out how he handles year #2 in the NFL very soon and we'll know if he's a wasted early round pick or the blazer we expected him to be coming out of Clemson. I personally believe it's redemption time for Spiller. He seems like a really good kid who wants it pretty badly. That's a trend for most of our recent draft picks. They're self-starters. We need CJ Spiller to be a difference maker this year. Fred Jackson can still be the #1 guy but we all know Gailey's playbook isn't limited to pounding the rock with one feature back. You need more than that in this league. This is where CJ fits in - he can catch coming out of the backfield and he works well in open space. It's redemption time, CJ.

August 1st Camp Notes

I attended my first Buffalo Bills training camp of the year at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, NY. It ran from 3 to 5:30pm.


It was pretty damn hot out there. Kind of a light crowd out there today which is what I prefer. I made a mistake when I first arrived assuming they would be practicing on the longer field (which they've done in years past) but I was wrong. They did the majority of the practice on the split fields. I assume it has to do with the turf. Anyways, lets get to fine points of the day...

• Levi Brown had a pretty brutal day -- misfiring and throwing near picks like you wouldn't believe.
• Josh Nesbitt, who was playing the role of QB today (until Brad Smith and Thigpen can participate, which is August 4th) was just as bad. No wonder this guy is listed as a DB. 
• Kyle Williams (who was one of the first guys on the field) was a big time disruption, consistently getting in the backfield. Dareus eating up double teams will make Kyle Williams into an even bigger star this year. 
• Dwan Edwards, a guy who I almost forgot about, had a few nice plays including batting down a Fitzpatrick pass (something he's vulnerable to) that led to a Shawne Merriman pick. Well, at least I think it was an interception. Edwards was having a strong year prior to his injury last year. Here's to hoping he can bounce back from his injury.
• Maybin looked tiny next to Merriman. This shouldn't matter so much to me but it does. He did show some speed on a run play, tracking down the RB (can't remember who it was)
• Johnny White, running back from North Carolina, physically resembles Marion Barber. He runs like him too. This guy could contribute this season if he can get some carries which will be a tough task with the Bills seemingly ready to put CJ Spiller in a feature role, next to Fred Jackson.
• Geoff Hangartner looked small next to his fellow linemates. 
• Andy Levitre, on the other hand, looked bigger than ever. Oh and I noticed the new haircut and mustache. 
• Donald Jones, a surprise contributor from last season, made some nice plays today in his limited time on the field. This guy has some serious speed.
• Reggie Corner came off the PUP list and made a nice play today. He's had a forgettable tenure with the Bills thus far. May have a tough time making the team this year with the new additions.
• Shawne Merriman made some nice plays again today. That would make it a few days in a row of looking good for him. We just need him to stay healthy. If I see him starting on September 11th against the Chiefs, I'll be excited. This guy seems to have all the tools to be a player but can he keep that Achilles healthy? 
• Fitzy made some nice, tight short throws today. The long ball was a bit off again today although he did throw a beautiful 50 yard bomb to Stevie Johnson who was double covered but had a chance to make the catch. Perfect placement of the ball on Fitzy's behalf. 
• Did I mention how awful Levi was? Sorry, nothing personal Levi, it's just that I expected better. I can't wait to see what Tyler Thigpen can do. Please be better than what I saw out of our backups today. 
• I'm still trying to adjust to McKelvin and CJ Spiller's number switch.
• I'm also still trying to adjust to Arthur Moats playing ILB. 
• Good to see McGee out there with the starting unit. #24 has been injured much too much the past few years. It's time to see if this guy can play anymore. Wouldn't it be nice if he could regain his form and we suddenly have really good depth in the secondary? Going into training camp I thought he could be a surprise cut but I'm not so sure about that anymore. Cornerbacks are valuable in this league and he was pretty good at one point. 
• The guy who I had no clue who he was until a fellow Bills fan told me, Emmanuel Moody seemingly made a bunch of good runs today. Not sure of his chances because he's undrafted but he did catch my attention a few times.
• Roscoe made a nice grab which reminded me of last year when he bailed the Bills out of some bad 3rd down situations.
• Mount Jasper is as big as advertised. He made other large men look small. I did notice he bullrushed some guys but I didn't catch who they were. I heard a lot of Jasper jokes around me. Not sure if it's the number (#69) or just the hope that this guy can even make the team. I personally think he will make the team. 
• Da'Norris Searcy got some reps with the 2nd team defense for the first time today.
• Merriman tagged David Nelson at one point. Nelson acknowledged it on his twitter account to which Merriman responded, "friendly fire bro you know its all luv"
• Sheppard and Easley were on the sidelines today. I'm sick of hearing the hype around Easley. Don't get me wrong, I probably started that hype. I want to see this kid play. Hopefully the injury bug escapes him. As for Sheppard, he's going to have to take this time to learn as much of the playbook as possible. Early timetable for both guys is a week but that's on the optimistic side. I have high hopes for Sheppard who endlessly retweets his fans comments about how great he is going to be.
• Not that this matters much but I caught Brad Smith and Tyler Thigpen busting each others chops and giving each other punches that looked about as real as the Rock's. Good to see the new guys trying to fit in right away.
• There was an Ed Wang sighting. He actually looked decent at times. 
• And finally, Dareus could be a big, big contributor to our defense this year. He was having an issue with his helmet that looked to piss him off at a few points but he looked good out there. 

I plan on attending camp next week as well. Come back for more reports and general thoughts about the Bills.