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Jauron Sticking To RB By Committee

Jauron Sticking To RB By Committee - Buffalo Bills

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Buffalo's head coach has stated more than once to Buffalobills.com that he's leaning toward a running back by committee approach this season. With all of the final four teams standing last season (New Orleans, Chicago, Indianapolis, New England) profiting greatly from a two-horse offensive backfield, Dick Jauron remains in favor of a group effort for 2007.

"Regardless of who the number one (back) is we do still intend to run the ball by committee," said Jauron. "We think it's better for our team over the long haul."

Jauron has seen the beating that featured backs have taken over his coaching career including the likes of Anthony Thomas who carried a full load for Jauron in Chicago. Buffalo's head man feels that a team good enough to qualify for the playoffs can do more damage if their backfield is still somewhat fresh in January.

"As we get good enough to win consistently and fight our way hopefully into a playoff spot, you want to be healthy at that point in the year," Jauron said. "A guy that gets overburdened carrying the ball constantly at that position will take so many more shots. We'd like to run it by committee and the guy that's the lead (back) will have to earn the right to be the lead."

Most believe the lead back will eventually be top pick Marshawn Lynch. With his elusiveness and superior balance along with his all-purpose skills he's the odds on favorite to land the top role for Buffalo.

"He's very quick, he can make you miss," said Jauron of Lynch after watching him Friday. "He has excellent hands and running the football you can see he can run. Clearly we really liked him as a lot of other people did. We drafted him high in the first round and we anticipate that he's going to be that player. Hopefully he will be, but he has to earn it."

No huddle
Almost all of the practice sessions thus far at training camp have begun the team segments with a no huddle series. Trent Edwards got to lead the second team offense against the second team defense in the afternoon workout.

Dwayne Wright was a busy man during that segment with three rushes. Wright hit the hole quickly on his first two carries. His final carry was thwarted in the backfield by Eric Powell who got good penetration and would have had a tackle for loss.

Edwards fared well. He had a dump off to Brad Cieslak, another completion to Ryan Neufeld off a great play fake to Wright. His best throw was his last on a 15-yard out to Donovan Morgan who toed the sideline for the reception.

7-on-7
Much like the morning there was an extended 7-on-7 session. J.P. Losman looked very sharp early as he completed seven of his first nine passes, one of which was a rare drop by Lee Evans. Losman was effective deep with a long throw to a streaking Roscoe Parrish who got behind Kiwaukee Thomas for a 40-yard gain. On the very next play Losman looked off Jason Webster and Donte Whitner who were doubling Evans and then quickly came back and fired a pass to Evans when the coverage slacked off. Evans then streaked past Whitner down the sideline for what would have been six points.

Craig Nall and Edwards didn't fare as well. Nall's first attempt was low and incomplete for Neufeld. His next pass was broken up by a lunging Paul Posluszny and his third pass was overthrown. Two snaps later he threw into double coverage where his throw to Parrish was broken up by Webster. Nall said on day one that he had to clean up some of his footwork, but it appears it is still affecting his accuracy.

Edwards meanwhile fired his first pass low. His second was complete to Sam Aiken before another completion. He did however, finish with a good throw to Scott Mayle on a quick slant.

11-on-11
Josh Reed got the segment started with a nice looking catch off a well executed play fake by Losman for a big gain. Dwayne Wright got some more work as he rotated in after "starter" Anthony Thomas. Fred Jackson, Lynch, Shaud Williams and Josh Scobey were all worked in during the team work period as well in that order.

Losman's only blemish on the day was a deep ball that was underthrown for Parrish. Terrence McGee had good inside position on Parrish and prevented him from coming back to ball, allowing McGee to make the interception.

Parrish and Aiken had strong days receiving. Aiken's best play came on a double move when he got Riley Swanson to bite and made a reception deep downfield from Edwards.

A few plays later Josh Reed caught a bomb from Losman that beat McGee.

Sub-packages
After two practices of running regular offense and defense personnel, the staff began to install their sub-packages on defense and their three-wide looks on offense.

"The first day we didn't mix plays by down and distance," said Jauron. "(Friday) we mixed them some and played a little more of our sub-packages on defense and a little more three-wide on offense. We'll keep mixing it in because that's the game. We, like everybody else, play multiple personnel groupings and our defense plays multiple groupings so we need to work on it constantly and we'll mix it in all the time."

The two slot corners that were used during this period were Donte Whitner and Kiwaukee Thomas. Both were the first two used during the spring camps as well. When Whitner moves up to cover the slot receiver Jim Leonhard comes on the field to fill the vacated safety role. Reed saw a lot of work in the slot offensively.

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