Throughout the month of July, the Last Word on Sports NFL department has been taking a look at the three most recognizable faces for each NFL team. For this series, we’re only considering active players. Today, we will be focusing on the Buffalo Bills.
Faces of the Buffalo Bills
Sammy Watkins
Watkins will be entering his sophomore season in 2015. He was part of one of the most stacked draft classes at the wide receiver position in NFL history and was selected fourth overall by the Bills in last year’s draft. General manager Doug Whaley was so keen on bringing Watkins in that he decided to orchestrate a trade to move up.
He found a willing partner in the Cleveland Browns, who received the Bills 2014 first round pick (ninth overall) as well as their 2015 first and fourth round picks (19th and 115th overall) in exchange for Cleveland’s first round selection which they used to get their go-to target of the future.
Despite massive uncertainty at quarterback last season which led to the Bills signing Kyle Orton at the tail end of the preseason and subsequently benching E.J. Manuel after Week Four, Watkins was impressive throughout his rookie campaign. He finished 18 yards shy of 1,000 yards receiving and was the fourth-best rookie receiver in that category, adding six touchdowns. 72.3 percent of the passes he caught resulted in first downs which ranked tenth in the league amongst wideouts who had at least 900 receiving yards on the year.
Now, if only the franchise can find a game changer at the quarterback position to throw him the ball. It would sure do wonders for this team’s ability to realize long-term success down the road.
Fred Jackson
There is perhaps no more beloved figure on the Buffalo Bills roster than Jackson. Fans are well-aware of the long, often arduous road he took to realize his dream of NFL success. He played his college ball at Division III Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA. After being cut from the Bears, Broncos and Packers, he played two seasons with the Sioux City Bandits of the National Indoor Football League, making $200 per week and supplementing his income by working as a youth counselor.
His big break came when he was signed to the Bills practice squad in 2006. A year later, he started his first game against the Washington Redskins and over the next few seasons would share the backfield with Marshawn Lynch. After signing a four-year extension in 2009, Jackson would then rush for 1,062 yards and two touchdowns while also gaining 1,014 kick return yards as the team’s option on kickoffs. It marked the first time in NFL history a player has ever had both 1,000 yards rushing and kickoff return yards.
His style of running has always been of the physical, north-south variety. It was on full display in 2013, widely regarded as another one of his best seasons in the NFL. Despite being 32 and playing a position where you’re widely perceived as past your prime even in your late 20s, Jackson accumulated 896 rushing yards and 387 receiving yards while finding the end zone ten times in total. The rough and tumble nature of his running was indicated by the fact that he finished with 2.56 yards after contact per attempt, good enough for sixth best in the league that year.
Jackson’s extensive involvement in charitable causes is another reason he has so endeared himself to the western New York community. Among the organizations he’s been involved with include the United Way, the Food Bank of Western New York as well as the Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s program known as Carly’s Club which works with children battling cancer. In March of 2015, he received the Jefferson Foundation’s Award for Greatest Public Service by an Athlete for his tireless work within the community.
The 34-year-old is currently the oldest running back on any NFL team and is clearly in the twilight of his career. It remains uncertain as to whether or not he’ll even be on the final 53-man roster once the preseason concludes. Nevertheless, in an era of the Bills franchise marked by perennial disappointment, he will forever be remembered as one of its bright spots.
Mario Williams
You simply cannot have a faces of the franchise series about the Bills without including a member of its fearsome defensive front. The four regular starters last year combined for 40 sacks, while the defense as a whole netted 54, which was tops in the NFL last season. The man who led all Bills players in that category in 2014 with 14.5 quarterback takedowns and widely regarded as the face of the entire unit is none other than Mario Williams.
The N.C. State product was drafted first overall by the Houston Texans in 2006 and had six relatively successful seasons there. His 53 sacks remained a franchise record until J.J. Watt exceeded it on December 21st of last year. He became a free agent after the 2011 season and eventually signed a gargantuan six-year, $100 million contract (with $49.5 million guaranteed) with the Bills in March of 2012. At the time, it was the biggest deal for a defensive player in NFL history.
Suffice it to say he’s been as good as advertised three years in. His 38 sacks since he joined the Bills is third-best in the league since 2012, bested by only Watt and Justin Houston of the Kansas City Chiefs. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month in November of last year and has been a part of two more Pro Bowls since arriving in Buffalo.
One of the challenges heading into this coming season will be the new defensive scheme under first-year head coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman. The Bills will be switching to a base 3-4 front as opposed to the 4-3 implemented by the previous regime. Even though it may look like Williams might switch to outside linebacker, the versatility and deceptiveness of the scheme means he may still lineup as a pure defensive end on most plays.
In many respects, the defense spearheaded last year’s first winning season for the Bills in over a decade. It may have to continue to do so if this franchise wants to erase their long postseason drought, and Williams will undoubtedly play a prominent role.
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