Buffalo Bills 2009 Training Camp: Five Players to Watch

The wait is over. Football is back.

Rejoice Bills’ fans, training camp starts today and Buffalo’s road to ending a decade-long playoff drought has begun.

So cover up those pools, put those golf clubs away, and dust off those jerseys because football is just around the corner. Finally, training camp is here.

Now that things are starting up for real, it’s time to get serious. No more putting an “x’” on the calendar to count down the days until the pads start popping.

With the guys out in the fun and sun of Rochester, N.Y., I decided to put together a list of five players I will be watching closely over the next couple of weeks.

There is not a set criteria for this list, they are just five players I find intriguing and guys I feel are worth keeping an eye on. Feel free to add your own in the comments section.

Leodis McKelvin

I have been a McKelvin fan since his college days at Troy, and I thought the Bills made a smart move when they drafted the athletic corner/return man.

Cornerback is a little bit different than some other positions like running back, where rookies come right in and look like future Hall of Famers.

Corner is a position that is a little more complex and it requires a bit more thinking, so a player can’t rely solely on his God-given physical skills to succeed in his first year.

What I found encouraging from watching McKelvin last season was in my opinion he progressed as the year went on. To me, that sets up for McKelvin to have a very strong year as Buffalo’s starting corner in 2009.

Last year as a rookie coming out of Troy, my guess is McKelvin did too much thinking during training camp. He was digesting a huge NFL playbook and trying to avoid making a lot of mistakes that would draw the coaches’ ire.

Now with a year in the Bills’ defensive system under his belt, I expect McKelvin to be much more comfortable out on the field and let his physical ability take over.

Buffalo is looking for guys on the defensive side of the ball to make more plays I would like to see McKelvin start showing that kind of big-play ability right from training camp.

The Bills have a deep, talented group of corners but McKelvin has the upside to become the best of the bunch. I will be watching the second-year corner closely over the next month, because I honestly believe the sky is the limit for McKelvin.

Andy Levitre

Back when I ran the draft coverage for Patriots.com, I used to tell people it wasn’t fair for me to give them my opinion on 99 percent of offensive linemen that came out in the draft.

It has always been my contention that as a novice, offensive linemen are the hardest position for people like me to judge by just watching games.

Watch four quarters of a game. A majority of the time can you honestly tell me how well a center or guard played? If you can, perhaps you have a future in scouting.

I think with quarterbacks, running backs, etc. we see enough to form an educated opinion but when it comes to most offensive linemen, I believe one needs to see the coaches’ tape to really break down the position.

Some people disagree with me, but that’s my opinion.

But every now and then, a lineman comes along in the college game that is so dominant that he stands out all by himself. Andy Levitre was one of those players.

I saw eight Oregon State games live last season. By the third game I said to myself, “Who in the heck is this No. 66?”

It was Levitre. He was such a road grader in the running game, opening up holes for Beavers’ mighty mite running back Jacquizz Rogers, I couldn’t help but take notice.

It got to the point that by the end of the season, I was actually watching Levitre destroy the man in front of him instead of watching Rogers, the Pac 10’s Offensive Player of the Year, shake and bake his way to another big run.

I thought Oregon State had one of the best offensive lines in the country last season and Levitre was the leader of that group. He is a monster in the run game, which is why the Bills are moving him to guard.

Once Levitre got his hands on a defender in college and started driving forward, it was pretty much game, set, match. You rarely see a left tackle run block the way Levitre did last season for the Beavers. Again, that’s why the Bills are moving him inside to guard.

The other thing I really like about Levitre is he plays with a real mean streak. I lost count of how many times the whistle had blown and he was still going at it with an opposing defender, usually tossing him to the ground.

Like I said, I’m far from an offensive line guru, but I do believe Levitre has what it takes to beat out Kirk Chambers for the starting left guard job. I’m excited to watch him and chart his progress during training camp.

Chris Ellis

Who’s it going to be, guys? Aaron Schobel can’t do it alone. Buffalo needs someone else to step up and put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Improving the pass rush is vital to the Bills’ success this season. Buffalo finished 28th in the NFL last year with just 24 sacks.

The Bills drafted Aaron Maybin with the 11th pick to help solve the problem. In a perfect world, Maybin will be a star from Day 1 and record 12 sacks as a rookie.

In a more realistic world, the former Penn State star will help contribute on passing downs and a rookie campaign with five or six sacks will be considered a success for a guy who weighed 235 pounds just six months ago.

So someone else needs to step up. The Bills know what they have in Chris Kelsay and Ryan Denney. I don’t know about anyone else but neither of those guys gets the old blood pumping with me.

That leaves Ellis as a possible wild card.

The former third-round pick didn’t make much of an impact as a rookie before being placed on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain but reports are he’s been training like a madman all offseason.

That doesn’t guarantee success, but it shows he’s hungry and it could mean more playing time in the defensive end rotation for Ellis.

At Virginia Tech, Ellis had a lightning-quick first step off the ball, and that’s a quality you’re either born with or you’re not, so he already has that going for him.

The other thing that has me intrigued by Ellis heading into training camp is the one knock on him in college was always his work ethic, never his ability. So hearing that he’s busting his hump is a good sign because the talent is there.

If someone can step up and help take the pressure off of Schobel, it will be a big boost to Buffalo’s defense.

And if the Bills have a healthy Schobel to go along with two young, up-and-coming pass rushers like Ellis and Maybin, their defense will be better than anyone ever imagined this season.

Hey, you never know.

Nic Harris

I touched on Harris quite a bit in my last column, so I won’t go into detail again here. In short, I believe now that Harris is playing his proper position, he has a chance to be a star for the Bills at outside linebacker.

Physically, Harris has all the tools to excel at strong side linebacker in the Bills’ system.

He is quick and fast when not being forced to cover a lot of ground. Harris is a big-time hitter who always seems to be around the ball making plays.

From reports coming out of Buffalo, he’s also very intelligent and picking up the new position much quicker than anyone anticipated. I really think Harris is going to be a fixture in the Bills’ defense for years to come.

I don’t want to put any unreasonable expectations on a guy switching positions. I expect Harris to be a backup and special teams ace as a rookie.

If he proves me wrong and wins the strong side linebacker job, more power to him.
Either way, I look forward to charting his progress in camp and watching him closely this preseason.

I will always be objective as a columnist but I don’t mind saying that I will be rooting for this kid to succeed when I shut the laptop down and put my fan hat back on.

Brad Butler

Other than Trent Edwards, Butler may be the most important player on the Bills’ offense this season.

The Bills will have two new starting tackles in 2009, sort of. Langston Walker is moving over from the right side to replace the departed Jason Peters at left tackle.

Walker may not be as talented as Peters overall but the Bills know what they are getting in the eight-year veteran.

He’s a solid NFL tackle that the coaches trust to protect Edwards’ blind side week in and week out. And most Buffalo fans will probably rest somewhat easy with Walker playing left tackle.

Butler is a bit more of a risk. He’s making the switch from guard to right tackle. He did start 31 consecutive games at right tackle in college, so it’s not like this is a completely new position to him.

However, because left tackle is one of the most important positions in the NFL, people tend to toss out right tackle as if teams can just put in anyone there and get away with it.

Yet if Butler struggles, so will Edwards and the Bills’ no-huddle offense, regardless of how well Walker is playing on the left side.

Butler is a freakish athlete and the Bills’ coaching staff is confident that he will make a successful transition to tackle.

As a matter of fact, they are so confident in Butler’s abilities that he was one of the reasons they were willing to part ways with the disgruntled Peters.

Personally, I always thought Butler was a vastly underrated player and it won’t surprise if he ends up in the Pro Bowl someday. I think his game is perfectly suited to play right tackle in the NFL.

The outcome of preseason games doesn’t matter and neither does the performance of some of the upper echelon players.

However, if Buffalo’s first-string offensive line is getting beat like a rented mule all summer long, it will be cause for concern heading into the opener with the Patriots.

By the way, I didn’t feel a need to put Terrell Owens on this list. If Owens isn’t one of the players you are keeping an eye on in training camp, you either don’t care about football, don’t care about the Bills, or you are probably lying through your teeth.

Now, that’s enough of my inane babble. Football is back and the Bills’ quest for a playoff berth is officially underway. All is right with the world.

Buffalo Bills’ 2009 Training Camp Battle: Strong Side Linebacker

As the Bills kick off their training camp July 25, there will be a few position battles to keep a close eye on.

Perhaps the most heated competition will take place at strong side linebacker where incumbent Keith Ellison, second-year man Alvin Bowen and rookie Nic Harris will battle for the starting job.

Ellison has the most experience and the inside track but either Bowen or Harris has a chance to unseat him with a strong camp and preseason.

Here is a closer look at the three leading candidates for Buffalo’s starting strong side linebacker job this season:

Keith Ellison: Ellison found himself as the strong side starter last year when Angelo Crowell went on injured reserve just before the start of the season and the Bills needed someone to step up. Ellison proved to be the guy.

Ellison is your classic overachiever. The former sixth-round draft pick out of Oregon State moved over from his weak side linebacker spot and started 14 games in place of Crowell for Buffalo in 2008.

Like many of the Bills’ defensive players from a year ago, Ellison was steady but not spectacular. He recorded 73 tackles but there were no sacks, interceptions or forced fumbles.

The Bills’ defense had a terrible time getting off the field and creating turnovers in 2008 and Ellison certainly didn’t help in that department. Again, steady but unspectacular.

The Bills want to win now and it’s no secret that head coach Dick Jauron’s job is on the line this season. This is another advantage in Ellison’s corner.

Even though Bowen and Harris both could have more upside than Ellison, the veteran will probably be viewed as the safer bet to start the season. Jauron may not want to deal with the growing pains of a younger player in such a pivotal season.

Jauron has always put a premium on players who have familiarity with his system, so going by history it would appear the strong side linebacker job is Ellison’s to lose heading into training camp.

Alvin Bowen: When I worked for Patriots.com we would get scouting videos of the draft prospects coming out so we could evaluate them ourselves. It was kind of our opportunity to be amateur scouts.

Bowen was a guy that really jumped out at me as a possible sleeper when we watched him on tape. He played on a bad Iowa State team but Bowen made plays all over the field.

I was excited when Buffalo drafted him because I thought Bowen’s size and style of play was a good fit for the Bills’ defensive scheme.

To me, Bowen is the wild card in this battle. Ellison is the favorite but he is kind of ripe for the picking. Harris has the biggest upside but is making the transition from safety and most likely won’t be ready to start in 2009.

That leaves Bowen as the guy who could come up and take control of the starting job with an impressive camp.

Two things that really stuck out at me when watching Bowen play in college were his tenacity and quickness to the ball. Not only did Bowen get to the ball carrier quickly but he made him pay once he got there.

Bowen is a big-time hitter. A player like that can help create more turnovers, an area the Bills need to improve in dramatically from a season ago.

Of course, Bowen is coming off knee surgery from an ACL injury that cost him his entire rookie season, so we don’t know how much of that speed, if any, he lost.

I’m not on the Bills’ medical or coaching staff, so I don’t know for sure how Bowen’s knee is holding up but reports are he is doing great.

If that’s the case, Bowen possesses all the other qualities Jauron, Perry Fewell, and the rest of Buffalo’s defensive coaches look for in an outside linebacker.

As long as Bowen is 100 percent healthy, expect him to make a strong push for the starting strong side linebacker job in training camp.

Nic Harris: I am what you call a college football junkie. One player that I have been intrigued by and have followed a lot over the last couple of years is Harris, so I know a great deal about him and what he brings to the table.

I can tell you that I thought he was playing out of position at Oklahoma and when I saw that the Bills drafted him, the first thing I thought was “strong side linebacker.”

Anyone who follows the college game closely knows the Big 12 is all about passing offenses and Harris was one of the worst coverage safeties in the country.

The quick receivers on teams like Texas, Texas Tech, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma State abused Harris. To put it bluntly, Harris is terrible when it comes to trying to cover and tackle receivers in space.

However, when Bob Stoops would move Harris close to the line of scrimmage in the “rover back” role against running teams, Harris became arguably the best defensive player on the field.

It was an amazing transformation. The bottom line is Harris just wasn’t cut out to be a safety and was playing out of position in college most of the time.

I don’t think Harris will begin the year as Buffalo’s starting strong side linebacker because he is learning a completely new position and it’s just too much to ask from a rookie.

Talking just in terms of athletic ability and upside, Harris has the most to offer out of the three players in this group.

Like I said, I have watched this kid play a lot and if he can master the mental part of the NFL game, I truly believe Harris may be the future for the Bills at strong side linebacker, with the future being next season if everything goes according to plan.

However, for 2009 Harris will most likely learn the position as a backup and use his speed to become a key contributor on special teams.

Overview: Jauron and his staff have a tendency to go the safe route. It’s a strategy I don’t personally agree with but then again, I’m not the head coach. However, a coach like Jeff Fisher is more likely to go with a younger player with upside and live through his mistakes than a more conservative coach like Jauron.

Because of Jauron’s history of being cautious in his decision making, it’s hard to imagine he won’t go with Ellison as his starting strong side linebacker.

While this decision won’t doom the Bills, I would like to see Jauron go with Bowen if it’s close because I believe he has a higher ceiling than Ellison.

I re-watched most of the Bills’ games from last season this summer and there were a few players I really spotlighted, including Ellison. He is the epitome of average.

Teams love to run right at him and more often than not he gets caught up with blockers or runs himself out of a play.

Ellison is a hard worker and he gives his all on every single play. He doesn’t complain and he does everything asked of him. There is something to be said for that.

On the field though, Ellison is restricted physically and the truth is other teams know it and take advantage of his limitations.

Again, I don’t believe Harris is going to be ready until 2010 at the earliest and I’m not suggesting Buffalo start someone other than Ellison just to do so. If Ellison wins the job than by all means, he deserves to be on the field opening night against the Patriots.

But by the same token if Bowen outperforms Ellison and shows a lot of promise, the Bills’ coaching staff shouldn’t feel obligated to go with the veteran just because he’s the “safe” choice.

Safe isn’t going to unseat the Patriots and Dolphins in the AFC East. Safe isn’t going to get the Bills into the postseason for the first time since 1999. Safe isn’t going to keep Jauron in Buffalo beyond 2009.

While this should be a heated competition over the next month, expect Jauron to stick to his guns and go with the veteran Ellison at strong side linebacker.

Either way, look for the talented youngsters Bowen and Harris to make it a difficult choice for Jauron right up until the very end.

It’s Time For Turk Schonert’s Offense In Buffalo

Shortly after the Bills’ 2008 season came to an end, owner Ralph Wilson met with head coach Dick Jauron.

The two discussed many different topics, most of them directly associated with the immediate future of the Bills’ organization.

Wilson, not happy with the performance of the offense under first-year coordinator Turk Schonert, requested that Jauron fire Schonert, but the head coach refused.

Jauron had no choice but to stand by his beleaguered offensive coordinator. Despite promising a wide-open, no-huddle passing attack when he was first hired, Schonert’s offense instead was built more around flare passes and dump-offs to the running backs.

However, the Bills’ struggles on offense last season weren’t Schonert’s fault. The blame for the offensive’s ineptitude falls directly on the shoulders of Jauron.

He was the one who held back Schonert and restricted the Buffalo’s offense, so he had to stand up for him when Wilson asked for a change to be made.

Jauron is a defensive minded coach, so by nature he tends to be on the conservative side. In his defense, much of Jauron’s reasoning for scaling down the offense made sense early on in the 2008 season.

The Bills had a young quarterback in Trent Edwards, who was entering just his first year as a full-time starter in the NFL. Asking Edwards to do too much early on may have stunted his progression and ruined his confidence.

Buffalo really had just one gamebreaker at receiver in Lee Evans last year. No other Bills’ pass catcher struck fear into a defense, which is why Evans saw double and triple teams virtually every week.

It isn’t easy to open up the offense when you don’t have the weapons in place to do so.

Finally, Buffalo’s offensive line was being re-shuffled pretty much on a weekly basis and its play throughout the season was inconsistent, making it difficult to play a wide-open brand of offense.

Not checking down a lot on passing plays might have gotten Edwards killed.

So Jauron did have some very logical reasons for not letting Schonert go hog wild and turn the Bills into the old Houston Oilers of the Warren Moon “run ‘n shoot” days.

However, he also couldn’t let Schonert take the fall for the offense’s ineffectiveness in 2008 because, in all honesty, that really isn’t the offense Schonert wants to run.

To get an idea of what we can expect from Buffalo this season on offense, one just needs to look at Schonert’s pedigree. He learned offense under Jim Fassel and Sam Wyche.

Say what you will about those two as head coaches but no one can deny that Fassel and Wyche know a thing or two about offense; particularly the passing game.

The main thing Wyche and Fassel preach is tempo. They like their offenses to play and practice at a fast pace, which would be a complete turnaround from anything the Bills have done on that side of the ball in recent years.

What Schonert is doing is installing the no-huddle offense in Buffalo, and that is going to accomplish a number of different things. First and foremost, it’s finally going to make the Bills less predictable on offense.

I was talking to an AFC East scout. He doesn’t scout college players, rather opponents for the team that employs him. He told me that out of all the teams he evaluated last season the Bills threw the ball over 20 yards the fewest times.

Let’s face it; the Bills were very predictable on offense in 2008. Making Edwards and Co. more difficult to defend is the first thing Schonert needs to change, and he has the pieces in place to accomplish that goal.

Not just any team can run the no-huddle offense. Like any system, the no-huddle takes certain players in order for it to work. For instance, the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans probably wouldn’t be good fits for the no-huddle. They are better suited as power-based run teams.

The Bills, however, look like they have the tools to run Schonert’s offense very well.
It all starts with the quarterback, and for what Schonert and the no-huddle asks out of the position, Edwards appears to be a perfect fit.

The key to running a no-huddle offense isn’t arm strength or mobility, it’s intelligence.

Look at the quarterbacks who have been successful in the system, guys like Jim Kelly and Boomer Esiason. They were so good in the offense because of their ability to call plays and read defenses; a quality Edwards is believed to have as well.

As a matter of fact, when you talk to people around the NFL, they rave about how smart Edwards is, and how comfortable he is in the pocket. So while he is still a young pup in terms of NFL starts, Edwards seems to have all the tools needed to be a very productive leader in the no-huddle offense.

The next thing a no-huddle offense needs to be successful is weapons. It’s no use having a quarterback that can read defenses if no one is ever open.

Enter Terrell Owens.

If the Bills had the same set of receivers as they did a year ago, a switch to this kind of wide-open passing attack may not be as successful. However, with the addition of Owens on the outside, Buffalo now has a dangerous set of pass catchers with T.O. teaming up with Evans.

Owens isn’t just a great receiver in his own right, he will also finally open things up for the underrated Evans.

Evans has to be happier than anyone to see T.O. in Buffalo. No receiver on the planet has seen more double and triple teams over the last couple of seasons than him.

With Owens and Evans stretching defenses on the outside, Josh Reed and the emerging Steve Johnson will have room to work underneath.

Edwards will have plenty of options in the passing game this season, and with Buffalo pushing the tempo in the no-huddle, defenses will be scrambling to keep up. It will be a completely different looking Bills’ offense if Schonert gets his way.

There is no reason for Jauron to resort back to conservative ways this season. There are a lot of teams that would love to have the Bills’ depth at receiver, so Jauron needs to just sit back and let Schonert play with all of his toys.

When Schonert and Edwards call running plays out of the no-huddle, they will once again have a number of talented options to choose from.

The Bills have one of the most talented backfields in the league with Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson, and Dominic Rhodes leading the way.

The no-huddle is known as a passing system, but it’s actually a very balanced offense, and the Bills have enough depth at running back that even if Lynch should go down they won’t miss a beat.

Jackson proved last season that he’s one of the best backups in the NFL and could probably start for some teams in the league. He should really shine in this kind of system, thanks to his pass-catching skills, and ability to make defenders miss in space.

So Schonert has a check at virtually every offensive position for the no-huddle. Now comes the one question mark: the offensive line.

This unit will probably be the key to Buffalo’s entire 2009 season because even with all the good things mentioned above, none of it will mean a thing if the new-look line can’t block anyone.

No one knows what to expect from the Bills’ offensive front this season. Gone is Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters.

Taking his place is Langston Walker, who is moving over from the right side. Brad Butler is making the transition from guard to Walker’s old spot at right tackle.

The Bills also drafted guards Eric Wood in Round One and Andy Levitre in Round Two. Both are expected to push for starting jobs in training camp.

While the offensive line remains a mystery, one thing going in the Bills’ favor is that the no-huddle system calls for a lot of quick passes that, if run correctly, won’t require the linemen to hold their blocks for very long.

That’s just one more reason why the no-huddle offense and the Bills look like a good fit.

Buffalo’s offense needs a fresh new start, and Schonert is the kind of bright, young coordinator to give it to them. Now all he needs is for Jauron to take the training wheels off and let Schonert do his thing.

Jauron stuck his neck out for Schonert, so he might as well let him run the offense his own way.

This is a big year for both the Bills and Jauron. He signed a three-year contract extension, but that means nothing in the NFL. He could be fired if Buffalo gets blown out Week One at New England. Jauron needs to win and he needs to win now.

Buffalo hasn’t been to the playoffs in a decade, and with Wilson not getting any younger, you know he wants to see his beloved Bills in the postseason at least one more time.

Schonert has the pedigree and the players to change the culture of the Bills’ offense. For the first time in many years, Western, NY could once again be the site for exciting NFL football.

If that’s the case, Schonert may singlehandedly save Jauron’s job and grant Wilson’s wish of seeing the Bills back in the playoffs.

And to think this may all be accomplished simply by not huddling up on offense. It’s amazing how far a little innovation and creativity can go.

Steve Slaton: Proving Size Doesn’t Matter in the NFL

Late in Steve Slaton’s junior season at West Virginia, he was answering criticism about being too small to be a featured back in the NFL.

When one reporter asked Slaton if he would be relegated to a third-down back in the NFL, the agitated 5’9″, 195-pounder responded “I don’t know, was Tony Dorsett a third-down back? I am bigger than he was when he played in the NFL.”

People chuckled but it’s Slaton who is getting the last laugh.

Despite being one of the most explosive players in college football and a star at West Virginia, Slaton lasted until the 89th pick in the NFL Draft because he was deemed “too small” to be an every-down back in the pros.

It didn’t take long for Slaton to smash the stereotype that size matters in the NFL.

As a rookie he burst on the scene with 1,282 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. He also caught 50 balls as a receiver coming out of the backfield.

This is a strong rookie season for any running back but these numbers are even more impressive when you take into account that Slaton didn’t carry the ball 20 times in a game until Week 12.

Just imagine what kind of production he’ll put up now that he enters the 2009 season as the Texans’ unquestioned starter at running back.

Slaton, like Dorsett, is the rare breed of athlete where size really doesn’t matter. Scouts were right to question Slaton’s size at first.

Nine times out of 10 a running back with Slaton’s build would find it difficult to take the physical pounding that accompanies a 16-game NFL schedule.

But what makes Slaton different than most is that he’s a freak of nature.

He runs a 4.4 40-yard dash (he’s actually much faster than his timed speed too which is even scarier) and his quickness and elusiveness in the open field are a God-given talent that most running backs can only dream of.

These qualities help negate Slaton’s lack of size because he rarely gets hit hard. It’s similar to that of Emmitt Smith, who Slaton is built like. Slaton is currently five-foot-nine, 201 pounds, while Smith played most of his career at 5 foot 9 inches, 209 pounds.

Like Smith, Slaton has a knack of avoiding big hits and slipping tackles, which keeps him fresh throughout the season.

Because of these unique qualities, I really don’t think Slaton will get worn down over a 16-game season. I fully expect him to be able to carry the load for the Texans and improve on his impressive rookie campaign.

Emmitt Smith did it for the Cowboys. Tiki Barber did it for the Giants. Brian Westbrook does it for the Eagles. I believe Slaton will do it in Houston as well.

Every now and then a player comes around that defies logic. Someone who is so special that scouts can’t evaluate him just based on measurables like size and NFL Combine numbers. Steve Slaton is one of those players.

The Houston Texans are this year’s sexy pick as everyone’s sleeper team to make the playoffs. It could happen. Houston has a lot of good, young talent on both sides of the ball.

But if the Texans do indeed make the postseason for the first time in franchise history, they’ll do so on the back of 5’9″, 201-pound Steve Slaton.

Looks like he’s big enough to carry the load after all.

Steve Slaton: Proving Size Doesn’t Matter in the NFL

Late in Steve Slaton’s junior season at West Virginia, he was answering criticism about being too small to be a featured back in the NFL.

When one reporter asked Slaton if he would be relegated to a third-down back in the NFL, the agitated 5’9″, 195-pounder responded “I don’t know, was Tony Dorsett a third-down back? I am bigger than he was when he played in the NFL.”

People chuckled but it’s Slaton who is getting the last laugh.

Despite being one of the most explosive players in college football and a star at West Virginia, Slaton lasted until the 89th pick in the NFL Draft because he was deemed “too small” to be an every-down back in the pros.

It didn’t take long for Slaton to smash the stereotype that size matters in the NFL.

As a rookie he burst on the scene with 1,282 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. He also caught 50 balls as a receiver coming out of the backfield.

This is a strong rookie season for any running back but these numbers are even more impressive when you take into account that Slaton didn’t carry the ball 20 times in a game until Week 12.

Just imagine what kind of production he’ll put up now that he enters the 2009 season as the Texans’ unquestioned starter at running back.

Slaton, like Dorsett, is the rare breed of athlete where size really doesn’t matter. Scouts were right to question Slaton’s size at first.

Nine times out of 10 a running back with Slaton’s build would find it difficult to take the physical pounding that accompanies a 16-game NFL schedule.

But what makes Slaton different than most is that he’s a freak of nature.

He runs a 4.4 40-yard dash (he’s actually much faster than his timed speed too which is even scarier) and his quickness and elusiveness in the open field are a God-given talent that most running backs can only dream of.

These qualities help negate Slaton’s lack of size because he rarely gets hit hard. It’s similar to that of Emmitt Smith, who Slaton is built like. Slaton is currently five-foot-nine, 201 pounds, while Smith played most of his career at 5 foot 9 inches, 209 pounds.

Like Smith, Slaton has a knack of avoiding big hits and slipping tackles, which keeps him fresh throughout the season.

Because of these unique qualities, I really don’t think Slaton will get worn down over a 16-game season. I fully expect him to be able to carry the load for the Texans and improve on his impressive rookie campaign.

Emmitt Smith did it for the Cowboys. Tiki Barber did it for the Giants. Brian Westbrook does it for the Eagles. I believe Slaton will do it in Houston as well.

Every now and then a player comes around that defies logic. Someone who is so special that scouts can’t evaluate him just based on measurables like size and NFL Combine numbers. Steve Slaton is one of those players.

The Houston Texans are this year’s sexy pick as everyone’s sleeper team to make the playoffs. It could happen. Houston has a lot of good, young talent on both sides of the ball.

But if the Texans do indeed make the postseason for the first time in franchise history, they’ll do so on the back of 5’9″, 201-pound Steve Slaton.

Looks like he’s big enough to carry the load after all.

How Following Marion Barber’s Lead Can Pay Off for the Cowboys

During the Cowboy’s 12-year winless postseason drought, many different adjectives have been used to describe the Dallas teams of recent years.

Lifeless, heartless, no leadership, no passion, no desire, and dysfunctional are just some of the terms used to depict the Cowboys lately, and to be honest, most of the time it’s been justified, especially after last season’s debacle in Philadelphia.

If the Cowboys’ plan on changing their recent history and winning their first playoff game in 13 years, the team needs to take on the characteristics of a player that already calls Dallas home.

There is one Cowboy that lines up and plays every single down like it’s his last. He plays with heart, passion, toughness, desire and courage. He puts his body on the line for four quarters and does whatever it takes to help his team win.

That player is Marion Barber.

Don’t get me wrong, there are other Cowboys—such as tight end Jason Witten and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware for example—both who play with the same kind of mentality, but Barber is a warrior in every sense of the word.

If everyone on the Cowboys’ roster played the way he did, what happened last season in Philadelphia would be a thing of the past, and this talented Dallas squad will finally start playing up to its potential.

Barber is an old-school football player, plain and simple. I know a reporter who used to work in Dallas, covering the Cowboys.

My friend told me that even with all the hype and circus-type atmosphere that surrounds America’s Team, it still doesn’t distract Barber. All he cares about is going out and doing his job every single day.

He said Barber is a quiet guy who actually seems uncomfortable in front of the media. Barber isn’t rude or anything like that, he just isn’t comfortable talking in front of big crowds or being in the spotlight. He would much rather be out on the field cracking helmets or running someone over.

Even in his spare time, Barber likes to be alone and play the piano. Think about that, Cowboy fans. After all the T.O. nonsense and Jerry Jones trying to play general manager, how refreshing is it to have one of your star players relax by going home and play the piano?

Barber is focused on and off the field. No one is concerned about him getting involved in a night club shooting or being somewhere he shouldn’t be at 4:00 in the morning. He takes his profession seriously and treats the game he plays with respect.

You would think anyone who gets paid millions of dollars to play football would act the same way but as we all know, that just simply isn’t the case.

If the Cowboys had more Marion Barbers on their roster the last two seasons, there is no way they would have zero playoff wins. They are just too talented a football team.

The problem with this team is between the ears. They need to get tougher, both physically and mentally, and there is no better guy to learn from than one of the toughest players in the NFL.

When I worked in New England, we traveled down to Dallas for the big Patriots-Cowboys showdown a couple of years ago.

Back then Barber wasn’t even starting yet (Why I still have no idea). That was the game where he had the amazing two-yard run where he actually ran 40 yards back into the end zone and basically stiff-armed the entire New England defense to avoid a safety.

After the game Patriots safety Rodney Harrison—one of the toughest players ever to put on a helmet—was asked about the run. He responded by saying that Barber was one of the Top Five running backs in the NFL.

Here was a guy that wasn’t even a starter yet and Harrison was calling him one of the best backs in football. You see, Harrison is all about toughness and respect, and Barber earned his respect on the field that day.

Not by how much money he was making or by how many endorsement deals he had, but by how hard he played.

Harrison actually said Barber was one of the toughest runners he’s ever tried to tackle. That’s pretty high praise right there.

For the past few years, all we’ve heard from the talking heads in the media is that the Cowboys don’t have any leaders. Well, some people lead by example. Barber isn’t going to talk a lot. He isn’t going to give big rah, rah, speeches before games.

What he is going to do is leave everything he has out on the field every single week. I can’t say that for a lot of the Cowboys I’ve watched over the last few years.

I see teams like the Steelers, Patriots, and Eagles acquiring their “type” of players, and I also see those teams competing for Super Bowls virtually every single year.

Well, it’s time Dallas create its “type” of player and what better prototype to use than Barber?

Getting rid of Terrell Owens was a good first step in Dallas but he wasn’t the only problem. The franchise was losing long before T.O. came to town.

This team laid down last year with a playoff berth on the line, so there are much larger issues at hand than just getting rid of one player.

But a new season is upon us and no one questions Dallas’ talent. The 12 painful seasons without a playoff win will all go away if the Cowboys can come together as a team and make a Super Bowl run in 2009.

The Cowboys just need to follow Marion Barber’s lead and good things will happen. Let him be the face of the organization and see where the bruising back takes them.

If all the Cowboys play with the same passion and intensity every week as Barber, the rest of the NFL is in for a rude awakening this season. If not, it will be 13 years and counting for America’s Team and its fans.

Will 2009 Finally Be The Eagles’ Time To Shine?

It’s the plight of every Eagles’ fan: so close, yet so far away.

For much of the decade the Philadelphia Eagles have dominated the NFC East and to a large extent, the conference in general. Yet, at the end of the day, they have nothing to show for it.

Last season may have been the most frustrating of all the Eagles shortcomings in recent years.

The back-to-back home losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship Game certainly ranks right up there, but after defeating the New York Giants on the road it certainly looked as if lady luck was finally on the side of the Eagles.

Seriously, how many people thought the Arizona Cardinals were actually going to the Super Bowl? It had to be the Eagles year, right? Sadly, it was not to be.

For whatever reason, the Eagles can’t seem to get over that proverbial hump. It’s odd because on the surface the Eagles appear to have all the ingredients of a championship team.

Philadelphia is a great sports city with a rabid, devout fan-base.

The Eagles have one of the NFL’s best owners in Jeffrey Lurie, who has built a top notch football operations department around him to help run the team.

Despite some recent criticism from Eagles fans, how many coaches out there are better than Andy Reid?

Reid hasn’t been able to win the big one yet but guys like Tom Landry, Bill Cowher and Tony Dungy used to have the same moniker attached to them until they finally won a Super Bowl.

Then there is Donovan McNabb. No athlete in my lifetime has received more unfair criticism, both from his own fan base and from others, than McNabb.

I never felt that McNabb was in the elite class of Tom Brady or Peyton Manning because he has always struggled with his accuracy on those short-to-intermediate throws across the middle.

But after Brady, Manning and maybe one or two other guys throughout the years, who would you rather have playing quarterback for your team besides McNabb?

I hear some Eagles fans saying it’s time for a change at quarterback. A change to who?

Have you seen the quarterback play in the NFL these days? So other than the two or three elite quarterbacks in the NFL, I don’t know who you would take over McNabb.

Then you toss in one of the best defensive minds in the NFL. Actually, I think Jim Johnson may be one of the best defensive coordinators of all-time.

We are always hearing about Dick LeBeau in Pittsburgh but I believe he gets more recognition only because the Steelers have won Super Bowls recently.

When you look at the schemes Johnson has put together to stop some of the best offenses in the NFL since coming to Philadelphia in 1999. His success is remarkable. He truly is one of the great defensive minds to ever walk the sidelines.

Johnson will obviously be missed while he is recovering from melanoma but if he fights the disease the same way he coaches, the cancer doesn’t stand a chance.

So it’s almost inconceivable that the Eagles haven’t won a Super Bowl title. They have virtually every piece of the puzzle needed to do so.

A great owner that doesn’t meddle, one of the smartest football operation departments and scouting staffs in the league, an elite head coach, a potential future Hall of Fame quarterback and a nasty defense created by a mad scientist.

But for some reason, when it comes to a big game, the Eagles have yet to put it all together. When the defense plays well, the offense underachieves. When the offense plays well, the defense can’t make a crucial stop.

Even Andy Reid, one of the most aggressive play callers in the NFL, seems to approach big games much more conservatively for some reason.

But with a new season comes new hope and because the Eagles are one of the best franchises in the NFL, they have put themselves in position to make another Super Bowl run.

First I want to talk about the draft because I’m so excited about one particular player. I love college football. I haven’t missed a day of college football in 20 years. I watch it religiously from noon until the Hawaii game is over with, so draft day in the NFL is like Christmas for me.

In my opinion, the Eagles, Patriots and Ravens are the three best drafting teams in the league. Watching these three teams work the draft board and pick players is a pleasure and this year was no different.

I think Philadelphia got by far and away the biggest steal in the draft and his name is LeSean McCoy.

People who don’t watch a lot of college football may look at some of McCoy’s numbers and not be blown away (YPC). That’s a big mistake.

McCoy played with some of the worst college quarterbacks in the country. Bob Stull and Pat Bostick would have trouble starting at good 1-AA schools.

I watched games last year where opponents had nine men in the box to stop McCoy. Plus, it’s not like Pitt made any adjustments, seeing that Dave Wannstedt is arguably the worst coach in all of college football.

Still, McCoy was able to rack up yards and touchdowns even with defenses totally committing to stopping him. This guy is the real deal and he was the best back in this year’s draft.

Oh, and McCoy’s biggest strength is that he’s a tremendous goal line runner. He almost always bounces off the first defender and gets that extra yard, kind of like the Cowboys’ Marion Barber.

McCoy was the nation’s second-leading scorer last season. See where I’m going with this Eagle fans?

Brian Westbrook is one of the best pound-for-pound players in the NFL but the Eagles do so many different things with him. It allows for another back to be a factor in Philly’s offense. Look at what Correll Buckhalter was able to do. McCoy is going to be a flat-out stud with the Eagles.

Then you look at what else the Eagles did on draft day. They brought in a spectacular offensive weapon in Jeremy Maclin.

I love hearing the criticism about this guy. Philadelphia drafted him at No. 19. Are you telling me a player with Maclin’s talent and upside isn’t a smart pick at 19? Sure he is and that’s why the Eagles are a great drafting team.

Then selecting Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram in the fifth round was pure genius in my opinion. Once Ingram is 100 percent healthy, you are talking about a second-round talent, according to most scouts.

That’s how you draft. It’s called value and the Eagles may have gotten themselves a future stud tight end in Round 5.

Also, don’t sleep on sixth-round pick Brandon Gibson. I watch a lot of Pac 10 football and this guy fell off the map last year because Washington State was so pitiful but Gibson can play. Keep a close eye on him this preseason. Gibson may surprise people.

It’s the same story every year when you go over the Eagles’ draft. That’s why they are always in contention.

Now look at the Cowboys’ draft in comparison. It’s nothing but a bunch of reaches and players that will be out of the NFL in a couple of years. That’s not my opinion, it’s a fact.

Go back and look at Dallas’ last twelve drafts under Jerry Jones and see how many of those players lasted five years in the league. It’s comical. That explains why the Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game in over a decade.

Of course, I didn’t even mention the acquisition of left tackle Jason Peters, which is a huge upgrade on the Eagles offensive line.

Peters’ play did fall off a bit last year but when you have a chance to get a left tackle of his caliber and bring him into your system, you have to take it.

There just aren’t that many quality left tackles in the NFL and now the Eagles have one. Trading for Peters was a no-brainer.

One final reason that makes the Eagles contenders year in and year out is they make the tough decisions.

When I worked for the Patriots I heard a phrase over and over again, “Football decisions.” No team does a better job of making tough football decisions than New England. Bill Belichick makes personnel decisions with his head, not his heart.

Everyone associated with the Eagles loved Brian Dawkins. Just like everyone associated with the Broncos loved John Lynch. It’s a nightmare for any organization to have to part ways with those kind of players.

Dawkins is still a leader and he does have a year or two left in his tank. However, he has lost a step and I believe the Eagles made the right decision in letting him go. It was a tough decision but speaking purely in football terms, the right one.

So as we enter the upcoming NFL season, the Eagles are set for another run at that elusive Super Bowl title. Philly fans have experienced a lot of heartache in recent years but there is still hope.

Because of the way the Eagles have set up their team for prolonged success, they are once again expected to be major contenders for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Philadelphia has all the pieces in place. Now if everything comes together at the right moment, it could finally be the Eagles and their fans time to shine in 2009.

Improved AFC East Is Still Patriots’ Division to Lose

The AFC East is no longer made up of the Patriots and three other teams.

However, while the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills are improving and could all challenge for playoff berths this season, the road to the AFC East title still runs through Foxboro.

The Dolphins, not New England, are actually defending division champions. While Miami displayed a lot of moxie last year, and Tony Sparano showed that a coach willing to be innovative can be successful in the NFL, let’s review what had to happen for Miami to win the division.

Arguably the best player in the NFL, Tom Brady, had to go down with a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of New England’s season-opening game.

The Patriots then had to rely on a quarterback that hadn’t started a game since high school. Again, Matt Cassel never started a game in college or the NFL before Week Two of last season.

Even with all that against them, it took Brett Favre throwing away the division in the final game of the season for the Patriots not to win another AFC East crown.

With Brady out for the year, New England still almost won the division yet again. How?

Bill Belichick.

Belichick was already a first ballot Hall of Famer before last season. He had already won three Super Bowl titles and was considered among the greatest football minds to ever roam the sidelines.

Yet, for all the praise he’s received, I believe last season was Belichick’s best coaching job by far.

Because the Dolphins and Falcons were so bad in 2007, it was inevitable that Sparano and Atlanta’s Mike Smith would battle it out for Coach of the Year.

While I’m not saying those two weren’t worthy candidates, I don’t understand how Belichick didn’t get more votes and recognition for what he accomplished last year.

Here is my argument: The Dallas Cowboys had a ton of talent. They won nine games and missed the playoffs.

The San Diego Chargers had a ton of talent. They won eight games and barely snuck into the playoffs.

The Philadelphia Eagles had a ton of talent. They won nine games and needed a miracle on the final day of the season to make the playoffs.

The Patriots lost the most important player in the NFL, and Belichick found a way to win 11 games with a guy under center who hadn’t played a meaningful game at quarterback in seven years.

A quarterback who looked so bad in preseason games the past two years, some Patriots fans were surprised that he even made the team.

So my question is: How many other coaches could have won 11 games after losing Tom Brady and starting Matt Cassel in his place?

The answer? None.

Seriously, anyone reading this article knows deep down the answer is none, even if you despise Belichick and the Patriots.

How many games would Belichick have won with talented teams like the Cowboys, Chargers, and Eagles? I’m not sure, but I’m willing to bet it would have been a heck of a lot more than eight or nine.

Now here we are a couple of months away from the start of the 2009 season, and the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills are excited about challenging New England for division supremacy—and for good reason.

The Jets are building one of the best defenses in the NFL, and the addition of new head coach Rex Ryan is only going to help speed up that process.

Darrelle Revis, Calvin Pace, David Harris, Bart Scott, and Kerry Rhodes should lead one of the NFL’s top defensive units.

The Dolphins are flying high after winning the division in 2008, and I don’t think this is going to be a one-hit wonder under Sparano.

He kind of reminds me of Belichick in a lot of ways, and in my opinion, Miami is a franchise that’s going to compete for many years, assuming the quarterback position remains settled.

Even Buffalo—a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs in 10 years—didn’t sit still this offseason. The Bills made a major splash by signing Terrell Owens.

The combination of T.O. and Lee Evans should give young quarterback Trent Edwards one of the top receiving tandems in the league.

With rumors swirling that the Bills are going to bring back the no-huddle offense this fall, there is a lot of excitement in Buffalo for the 2009 season.

But just when these teams are feeling good about their prospects for the upcoming season, they have to look at the Patriots. Belichick is still there. Brady is returning. Randy Moss and Wes Welker make it almost unfair for defenses to try to cover them.

Not to mention the Patriots brought in their usual bevy of under-the-radar veteran help this offseason. I loved both the Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway signings.

Taylor teamed with Sammy Morris gives New England a perfect one-two punch in its backfield. I believe Taylor still has a couple of productive seasons left in those powerful legs.

Galloway has “Darrell Green speed.” What I mean by that is he can be 50 years old, fall out of bed, and still run a 4.3. A lot of my friends are Giants fans, and I really thought Galloway would have been a perfect fit in New York.

If Galloway is healthy, who do you double-cover? The easy answer is Galloway instead of Moss or Welker. Go ahead and give that a try.

When Galloway is healthy, there still isn’t a corner in the NFL that can stay with him one-on-one. If he isn’t healthy, the Patriots spent virtually nothing to give him a shot.

Then you look at what New England did in the secondary. First, getting rid of Ellis Hobbs is an upgrade.

Why are people saying the Patriots got robbed by the Eagles because they gave up Hobbs for two fifth-round draft picks? Has anyone ever watched Hobbs play in a football game?

He may have been the worst starting corner in the NFL over the last three years. Belichick had to play him so far off receivers to prevent Hobbs from getting beat that it limited what New England could do on defense.

By adding Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden, the Patriots drastically improved one of their weakest positions from a season ago.

Both players are better at pressing receivers at the line than Hobbs is, and that will allow the Patriots to play more aggressively on defense and send more blitzes.

Some may point out that Bodden had a down season in Detroit last year, and that’s a valid argument.

However, I was talking to a reporter I know in Detroit, and he said that entire team just went into a funk and guys weren’t playing with any confidence midway through last season.

When I saw Bodden in Cleveland, I thought he was a really good corner. I remember when the Lions traded for him, I loved the move. When a team goes 0-16, sometimes it’s a bad year for everyone involved.

My guess is Belichick thought this exact same thing, and now he’s getting Bodden at a great price based on how he views him as a player.

Don’t forget, in 2007, Bodden picked off six passes and totaled 88 tackles for the Browns. This could end up being one of the best free agent signings by year’s end.

So when I look at this division, I see the Patriots’ competition as being much improved heading into the season. That’s the good news. The bad news is that New England won 11 games in 2008 without Brady, and I think they are much improved as well.

When it comes down to it, the Patriots do things the right way. People can hate them all they want, but as a football fan, how can you not respect the way Belichick and Co. put together a team?

In contrast, look at what the Cowboys are doing in Dallas. Another year of Wade Phillips? That’s your answer? Good luck with that.

That’s what happens when things are done wrong at the top. It doesn’t matter who the Cowboys sign or if they release T.O. As long as Jerry Jones is making personnel decisions, that team won’t win anything. Case closed.

You may not like Belichick, but everything he does professionally is almost always right. The way he runs his team is the right way; that’s why the Patriots compete every single year.

And if there was any question if he could win without Tom Brady, last season erased any doubt.

So, just when you thought the AFC East was improving, at the end of the day, it’s the same old story. The road to the division title goes through Belichick and the Patriots.

I imagine that will continue to be the case every year as long as Belichick calls New England home.

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