Key Position Battles After Day 1 Of Camp

It's official, Training Camp practice is here! The players are all moved in and ready to go, and just concluded their first practice today. Training Camp will be competitive as usual, as many of these fresh faces look to make an impact and solidify their spot on the 53 man roster. Even after today, many position battles are already brewing. There are a few key ones to look out for in the coming weeks.

Wide Receiver:

After Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, the Buffalo Bills receiver depth is foggy. There are currently 12 wide receivers on the Bill's roster right now, and that number will lost likely fall to 5 or 6 once the 53 man roster is set in stone. There's several key names to look out for, including Dezmin Lewis, rookie Kolby Listenbee, Greg Little, Greg Salas, and Davonte Allen, another rookie. The coming weeks will hold a lot for this team, and the best receivers will rise to the top.

Cornerback:

Stephon Gilmore and Ronald Darby are holding down the top 2 spots, but after that, there's some indecisiveness of who holds the final few spots. Nickell Robey-Coleman, formerly Robey, is believed to remain the 3rd CB, but with some new faces, such as Corey White and Sterling Moore, the final few spots will be tough to grab. The Bills will have a tough choice, but keep an eye on these players.

Runningback:

Lesean McCoy is of course holding it down as the #1 back, but with him aging, it is likely that the backup and 3rd string backs will see increased snaps this season. Both Karlos and Johnathan Williams got themselves in trouble, which leaves the door open for new faces, like James Wilder Jr. and Mike Gillislee. Add in Reggie Bush, if the Bills sign him, and the Bills have a stacked backfield. Only 3-4 backs will make the roster, so the competition will be very tight behind Shady. Look out for Wilder Jr, he appears to have the potential to be a real stud in this Bills #1 rushing attack.

Competition will be tough, as usual, but with our starting QB set in place, it's time to turn to other battles going on in camp. There's a lot of talent on this team, but it must all come together to be an impact in the NFL this year. Thanks for reading and as always, let's go Buffalo!

Image #1:http://prod.static.bills.clubs.nfl.com/assets/images/imported/BUF/photos/article-assets/Story-Photos/2014-july/14BB_TrainingCamp-CandF_Logo_cmyk_fin.jpg

Image #2: http://www.buffalobills.com/assets/images/imported/BUF/photos/article-assets/Story-Photos/2016-06/robey-coleman-story.jpg

Buffalo's Backfield Depth Proving Valuable As Training Camp Approaches

"I told our players to 'win July'. We won the offseason," Rex Ryan states at a post mini-camp presser back in June. We are now in mid-July and as training camp approaches, the Bills are not "winning July." In fact, some could say they are losing July. The past few days have been not pretty for the Buffalo Bills running backs, as Karlos Williams and Jonathan Williams alike find themselves in hot water. 2016 5th round pick, Jonathan Williams, was arrested this past Thursday morning and is now facing a DWI charge. Karlos, who had already shown up to mini-camp much overweight, has been suspended for 4 games after violating the NFL's PED policy. Karlos, the rookie standout, is not having a great start to his 2nd season in the NFL, and Jonathan is not having an ideal start to his NFL career in general. Both backs were expected to be productive in this offense, but in the world of sports, the show must go on.

Losing any player for any amount of time is not ideal, but with a backfield like Buffalo's, they can afford some absences if they need to. Buffalo's backfield is one of the best in the NFL, filled with talent top to bottom. Even With Karlos and Jonathan Williams out, this RB corps can still be dangerous. Led by the horse of the offense, Shady McCoy, Mike Gillislee, James Wilder Jr, and Boom Herron, it's still not a backfield to sleep on. We know all about what McCoy can do, but Gillislee and Wilder are sneaking under the radar headed into camp and into the upcoming season.

Mike Gillislee:
Gillislee made his first splash in Buffalo against the Houston Texans on December 6th, 2015. Since then, he's made his presence known as a Buffalo Bill, getting a contract extension after putting up 47 carries for 267 yards and 3 TD's in 5 games played. Gillislee stands at 5'11" and weighs 208 lbs. The 4th year back is a one-cut type running back who can pick up speed quickly once he hits the open field. The open field is truly where he thrives, as he can separate himself from defenders when he puts it into 2nd gear. Not to mention he can really make a defender look silly, as he can perform solid cuts. His production will be expected to jump in 2016 as he will be in the regular rotation for the first several games of the season.

James Wilder Jr.
James Wilder Jr. is an interesting player as he has a lot of mystery of what he can actually bring to the table. Wilder was brought in on a future/reserves contract on January 20th, 2016. Since he was signed, there's been a lot of fan hype online about what his potential may be, as his highlight reel shows he is a sturdy back [standing at 6'3" and weighing 232 lbs], who can throw men around and bounce off tacklers. The 2nd year player appears to be an excellent downfield runner who can put his head down and gain extra yards through his "second push." He's not afraid to dive for the endzone, or that extra yard either. His speed also assists in his contribution in the passing game. As a gritty, quick, all-around back, it looks as if Wilder could be an excellent addition for the Bills if he can reach his full potential.

Buffalo's done an excellent job finding RB's for the team, and the depth they've stockpiled may really begin to be seen this upcoming season. As for Karlos and Jonathan Williams, they've got to get it together. The poor decisions they make hurt themselves as well as the team. In the mean time, Gillislee and Wilder will look to training camp and the season, as they would love to make a great impression to the coaching staff. Thanks for reading, and as always, let's go Buffalo!

Stats: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/
Image #1: Mark Mulville/Buffalo News
Image #2: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Mike_Gillislee.jpg/220px-Mike_Gillislee.jpg 
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