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Happy Days Lois & Clark

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    where has Dorin Dickenson gone?

    in The Stadium Wall Archives

    Posted

    John Clayton on the Bills http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp1...training-camps

     

     

    And here are three observations from the Bills' training camp:

     

    1. The Super Mario effect in Buffalo: Not only did the Bills recruit the best free-agent pass-rusher in Williams, they also signed defensive end Mark Anderson, whom they rated as the second-best available. Many thought it would take two years for the Bills to add a pass rush. Arguably, the Bills have one of the best defensive lines in football. By switching back to a 4-3 scheme that is run by Dave Wannstedt, the Bills allowed Kyle Williams to play at his more natural position of 3-technique defensive tackle. Marcell Dareus, last year's first-round pick, can collapse the middle of a blocking scheme. All of that appealed to Mario Williams. He said he thinks Kyle Williams and Dareus can push the pocket several yards, setting up sack opportunities for him and Anderson. Another positive for the defensive line is that backups Chris Kelsay, Dwan Edwards, Spencer Johnson and Shawne Merriman all have been starters and now only will be asked to be part of the rotation. In 2012, the Bills will go as far as their defensive line takes them.

     

    2. Cornering the market on coverage: The Bills appear to have scored big by drafting cornerback Stephon Gilmore. He's a big, physical player who can challenge every throw from man coverage. In Houston last year, Mario Williams watched Wade Phillips turn a horrible defense into one of the league's best by bringing in three key players -- defensive end J.J. Watt, cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Danieal Manning. Gilmore, Williams and Anderson could produce comparable results in Buffalo. Wannstedt knows a good pass rush improves the effectiveness of cornerbacks. Gilmore earned a starting job in Buffalo by his second day in the offseason program. Aaron Williams, a second-round pick last year, may not be as consistent shutting down receivers as Gilmore, but he's a big corner with skills.

     

    3. Chan Gailey's offensive system is hard to figure for defenses: No team spreads the field with four-receiver sets more than the Bills. The great part of the system is that Gailey doesn't need big-name receivers to make it work. He believes he has the smart quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick, who can get the ball quickly to receivers in the spread set. Steve Johnson is his best receiver, and the hands of 6-foot-5 David Nelson earned him the chance to be the slot receiver. What was noticeable in practice was how Gailey is still finding weapons. Dorin Dickerson, a tight end/fullback who failed in Houston, is making plays coming out of the backfield. As for Fitzpatrick, new quarterbacks coach David Lee will help maintain Fitzpatrick's mechanics through the season and prevent the second-half slump he experienced last season.

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