Tim Anderson

The tight end position is among the more exciting groups as we prepare to enter training camp.  The battles for jobs at varying levels within this unit will give fans a true feeling of competition during the preseason.  As it stands now, there are five tight ends on the roster, and I expect that number to dwindle to 4 before the season starts. 

Current Roster Players (In order of NFL experience)

Robert Royal - Entering his 8th season; 3rd with the Bills

Courtney Anderson - Entering his 6th season; 1st with the Bills

Tim Massaquoi - Entering his 4thseason; 1st full season with the Bills

Derek Schouman - Entering his 2nd season; 2nd with the Bills

Derek Fine - Rookie

Battle for starting spot

Robert Royal is the incumbent, andwill likely enter training camp with the #1 spot being his to lose.  However, a bad knee, anda sub-par ‘07 campaign makes him ripe for the picking.  Enter newcomer Courtney Anderson, who possesses all the physical tools, but has yet to put it all together.  Anderson will be leaving it all on the table, as his football career may be hanging in the balance.    The wild card for this job lies lower on the depth chart, in 2nd year Boise State grad Derek Schouman.  While Schoumanwill not contend for the #1 slot, his blocking prowess could leave the Bills no longer needing the services of Robert Royal.  Thus, Schoumancould become Anderson’s best friend in the upcoming 8 weeks.  Don’t be misled though - Anderson will have to earn it.

Battle to make the team

There are a few scenarios here, which could totally change the outlook of this unit in 2008.  Derek Fine was drafted as a tight end, but also based on his history of strong special teams’ play.  Additionally, Tim Massaquoiappeared in 4 games last season with the Bills, playing in that same role.  This leads me to believe that 4 spots may be open.  However, if a young linebacker or defensive back shows the ability to cover kicks exceptionally well, only 3 will make the team.  If it comes down to 3, I think Royal and Massaquoi will be cut.  If it stays at 4 (more likely), I think Massaquoi gets the axe unless Courtney Anderson has a very poor showing.  Interestingly enough, I believe Schouman is the only lock.  His blocking is above average, and his pass catching ability is adequate.

Who to watch for

As I said before, Derek Schouman may be the sleeper in this group, and could be a regular contributor in the blocking game.  I don’t see him hauling in more than 10-15 passes, but you’ll see #80 in on all short yardage situations.  Word is that he has shown a significant improvement at the OTA’s and in Mini-Camp, and I think he will sneak up and steal a job.

Potentially Shocking Cut

Robert Royal has a very realistic chance of being in the unemployment line before September.  As previously noted, his knee is questionable, and his pass catching numbers simply haven’t been there.  That said, if his knee is up to snuff, and Anderson can establish himself as a threat in the passing game to take some of that pressure away from Royal, he will still have a job.

Final Prediction

Quantity Kept: Four; I think Fine’s ability to play special teams opens up an extra slot in this group, and the Bills will hang on to 4 tight ends.

Players Cut: Tim Massaquoi

Practice Squad Candidates: Tim Massaquoi; With all of the losses in the kick coverage units this past off-season, Massaquoi’s special teams’ experience could easily land him a job on the practice squad.

Tim Anderson

A few days ago, I raved at the Bills’ foresight in locking up starting right tackle Brad Butler.  Yesterday, they continued that trend by extending the contract of defensive tackle Kyle Williams through the end of the 2012 season.  The deal is worth 14.5 million dollars, which will average out to roughly 3-million per season. 

This move comes as a bit of a surprise to me, not because I’m unhappy with the deal or because I don’t like Williams, but because I fully expect John McCargo to take on the role of starter in the middle of the d-line this upcoming season.  That said, the Bills play a system, as many teams now do, of rotating their front 4 frequently, and many times the #3 guy on the depth chart will see nearly as many snaps as the #1 guy.  Nevertheless, this will open up quite a position battle in training camp between Williams and McCargo.

Now that the Bills have shored up their role players, it may be time to close the cash drawer and open up the main vault to address the contracts of Lee Evans and (I say this with an annoyed flair) Jason Peters.  I fully expect the latter to happen near the end of camp, while I don’t expect the former until possibly mid-season, or next off-season.  Either way, I believe both will be in Buffalo long term.

Tim Anderson

The fourth of Buffalo’s 2008 draft class is officially on board, as 7th round pick Demetrius Bell signed his first NFL contract today.  Bell was the most intriguing of the ten picks in my opinion, as his raw talent is similar to that of current Bills’ tackle (sort of) Jason Peters when he began his NFL career.  I fully expect him to make the roster this season, but he will be a project.

As for the second move, undrafted fullback Mike Viti has been released, leaving me down 1 in my “bold” predictions for training camp.  Obviously, I find this move a bit of a surprise, simply because it doesn’t seem like they could have seen a whole lot in mini-camp and/or OTA’s.  This leads me to believe that there was some other issue - and by virtue of his background, this would be even more surprising.  Nevertheless, it looks as though the fullback position, which the offense is allegedly going to bring back this season, will be up for grabs between second year man Jonathan Evans, and journeyman Darian Barnes - unless they bring in another free agent.

Finally, I plan on beginning my position-by-position training camp preview later this week, so stay tuned Bills’ fans.  I hope to get some of your input as well.  As always, send me your comments at Tim.Anderson20@gmail.com.