Camp tour: Can a rookie RB cope with cold, snow in Buffalo?
Bills: Five things to know | 
Judge
PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Most people want to know how rookie running back Marshawn Lynch operates in the Buffalo offense. Me? I want to know how he'll handle the Buffalo weather.
The poor guy not only hasn't played in snow; he's never seen it.
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| Marshawn Lynch has figured out that bundling up is one way to stay warm in Buffalo. (US Presswire) |
"I once played in rain up in Oregon," he said.
Great. This isn't just rain, Marshawn. It's sleet. And snow. And wind. And cold. Lots and lots of cold.
"It's going to take a little bit of adjusting," said Lynch.
He didn't sound worried. Probably because he's not.
"I can do it," he said. "I have no choice."
Well, that goes double for his role as the team's new running back. Though the Bills are quick to tell you that Lynch won't be alone out there -- that he'll share the running-back duties with Anthony Thomas and others -- he's the guy they're counting on to replace Willis McGahee.
He has no choice.
"I'm going to excel," Lynch said matter-of-factly. "I've made it this far. I don't plan on taking any steps backward."
That, Buffalo, is what you want to hear because no one's exactly sure what to make of this year's Bills. They lost McGahee, their leading rusher. They lost their leading tackler and interceptor in London Fletcher-Baker. Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Clements is gone. Linebacker Takeo Spikes is history, too. And so are three offensive linemen who started six games apiece last year.
| Community Focus | |
 One man vs. One fan | |
bigmonsterman: "My expectations of the Bills this year are that they will win it all. I am a die hard fan and I can't think any other way about the team." |
So the Bills become younger and faster. The question is: Are they better?
"I don't know that," said coach Dick Jauron. "We have to prove it. We have to prove on the field that we're a team that can win consistently, and we're a ways from that now.
"I have confidence. I have a lot of confidence because these are real good guys. But there are a lot of question marks on this team of people who have never performed at this level."
Marshawn Lynch is Exhibit A. Last year's Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, he was the University of California's second all-time leading rusher and set a school record with 17 100-yard performances.
But you probably knew that. What you don't know is what he'll do at the next level. Neither do I because there's no NFL résumé on the guy.
There is on McGahee, so the Bills know exactly what they sacrificed when they dealt him to Baltimore. And what they believe is that they traded up by importing Lynch, telling me their first-round draft pick gives them more dimensions -- particularly a burst and an ability to pass block -- that weren't there with McGahee.
Maybe. But we still haven't seen it.
| Out of Nowhere Man |
| WR Josh Reed |
 I hesitate to offer a six-year veteran as someone to watch, basically because we've been watching him for years. But wide receiver Josh Reed hasn't done much in that time. The Bills think that might be about to change. He's one of three receivers competing for the No. 2 position (Peerless Price and Roscoe Parrish are the others), and he's having such a good camp that you start to ask yourself: "Is this the year he breaks through?" I don't know. What I do know is that he reported to camp 10 pounds lighter, seems to have settled down and is playing so well that coaches couldn't wait to mention him. "He brings a little something in 'run after the catch,'" said offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild. "Not in terms of running by you, but in breaking tackles." Sounds good to me. |
| '06 Rewind: CB Jabari Greer On the road from nowhere:  Last season Clark Judge expected the Tennessee product to push for the nickel corner position. He did just that and left the Bills confident enough to cut Troy Vincent in the process. He should again be the team's extra corner and special teams ace. |
| Who is your Out of Nowhere Man? |
"Clearly," said Jauron, "we think he's really good. And he's shown us he's every bit as good as we thought he was. Or maybe better."
That's another piece of encouraging news, Buffalo, because if the Bills win in November and December, it won't be with J.P. Losman throwing to Lee Evans. They'll win by running the ball, controlling the clock and taking that brutal Buffalo weather that Lynch hasn't experienced out of the game.
That's one reason they sank millions in free-agent offensive linemen Derrick Dockery, Langston Walker and Jason Whittle -- all of whom could start. The only question there is with Whittle, in the mix for the right-guard spot. Walker and Dockery are locks.
When I spoke to McGahee last week, he bemoaned the lack of talent on Buffalo's offensive line last season, basically saying that left tackle Jason Peters and center Melvin Fowler were the only reliable run blockers. The Bills must have agreed because they overhauled their front five, meaning Lynch may have holes that weren't there for McGahee.
"We had a difficult equation last year," said offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild. "We were trying to develop a quarterback (Losman) with some deficiencies up front. In this league, that's a nightmare. And at times that's what we looked like."
The Bills think that could end. They're satisfied with Losman, and if you were there at Monday night's practice, you know why: The guy has a bazooka for a right arm, and usually it's aimed at Evans. The two hooked up for two bombs, with Evans scoring both times.
I don't wonder about Losman. I wonder about Lynch because he's the key to the all-important running game. Remember when McGahee had his best season? It was 2004, and if the Bills had won their season finale with Pittsburgh they would've reached the playoffs.
"Marshawn's a special player," said Fairchild. "That's why we drafted him where we drafted him. He not only brings the ability to run it; he's real versatile.
"He's fortunate to play for Jeff Tedford at Cal because he understands protections, and he understands passing games. He's a versatile back, and he appears like he gives us some big-play capability -- some explosiveness -- that maybe we had been lacking."
Translation: He's an upgrade from McGahee.
| Fantasy Focus |
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| QB J.P. Losman |
 Jamey Eisenberg's take: Losman might be one of the more surprising players in Fantasy football this year. He might not be drafted at all in the majority of leagues, but Losman has plenty of upside. Last year, he took every snap and passed for 3,051 yards, 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He has a solid wideout in Lee Evans, and the lack of an experienced running back with Willis McGahee gone to Baltimore could allow him more opportunities to shine. He should be considered a No. 2 Fantasy QB at best. If he fails, it's what you expect with a guy like Losman, but if he succeeds you might have found a sleeper in the last few rounds of the draft. |
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Look, the Bills liked what they had in McGahee while they had him. But there were limitations. He never seemed to embrace Buffalo, people say, and it cost him with the organization and the fans.
By contrast, Lynch scored immediate points with the locals when he announced that he's moving his mother and brother to Buffalo from Oakland.
But this isn't about winning fans. This is about winning games, and the Bills could improve on last year's 7-9 finish if Lynch is everything they think he is. I know that's putting a lot on one guy, but as Jauron pointed out, "the fact is: We have to run the ball; we have to be productive running the football."
A year ago they weren't. Heck, a year ago they weren't productive doing much offensively, ranking 27th in rushing, 28th in passing and 23rd in scoring. More important, they ranked 30th in time of possession, ahead of only Tennessee and Detroit.
So they made changes. Lots of changes. And none bigger than at running back, where Buffalo can't wait to see what it has in Lynch. Me? I still can't wait to see what it has when clouds darken, the wind howls and the temperature plummets.
Welcome to the NFL, Marshawn Lynch.
"What I told him," said Jauron, "is May through November it's about as nice as any place you can imagine. When you get into November anything can happen, and it's going to get harsh. But if we are a consistently winning team it's to our advantage."
Let the snow begin.
