Parrish may be luxury receiver Bills can't afford to keep

The very first day of his very first mini-camp Roscoe Parrish dazzled. He flashed catch-me- later speed, now-you-see-me, now-you're-toast quickness. It didn't take keen football smarts to recognize from the outset that Parrish qualified as unique, the kind of player who could turn nothing into an electrifying, circuitous romp to the end zone.

Bobby April, the Buffalo Bills special teams coach, reacted like a teenager who'd just been gifted a Ferrari. He couldn't wait to utilize this new addition in the return game, let him roam, free and wild. And Parrish didn't disappoint, averaging double figures in punt returns each of his first four seasons, leading the league in average each of the last two.

Yet as the Buffalo Bills played their second preseason game of 2009 Saturday night, beating the Chicago Bears, 27-20, at Ralph Wilson Stadium, the prospect loomed large that Parrish will be wearing another jersey by season's start, or perhaps soon thereafter. The Bills are short on room in their receiving corps. They have other, albeit more risky, options in the return game. And, significantly, the elimination of Parrish's three-year, $10 million deal that runs through '11 would free up dollars and cap room as they tend to other expiring contracts, such as cornerback Terrence McGee's.

Trouble is, the one-year contract that made Terrell Owens a Bill distorts the long-range perspective. With Owens in uniform, Parrish seems somewhat of a luxury, much more a return specialist than a receiver. The other starting spots belong to Lee Evans and Josh Reed. Justin Jenkins' value is magnified by his role on special teams. Two of last year's draft choices, James Hardy and Steve Johnson, aren't going anywhere. Unless the start of Hardy's season is delayed by his recovery from knee surgery, the Bills would have to carry seven wide receivers to retain Parrish. It's unlikely.

Given that he's been utilized primarily as a return man, Parrish isn't sure he wants to stick around, although he wasn't quite that specific after Friday's walkthrough at St. John Fisher. He carefully walked the line, saying only that he covets an opportunity to prove his worth at receiver. But it's known that he feels undervalued in his current role, and that his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is pushing for the Bills to move him and give him a chance to flourish elsewhere in a more complete capacity.

If the Bills deal Parrish — and they made an effort to do so before last April's draft — it would be a mistake. Their two starting cornerbacks, Leodis McKelvin on punts and Terrence McGee on kicks, would become primary return men, a burden that increases the risk of injury at a position where depth is a concern. There's no guarantee that, on punts, McKelvin would be as consistent a returner as Parrish, and, let's face it, until the no-huddle proves legit this offense can use all the help it can get. What's more, the Bills would be letting go of a player who they've never fully strived to employ in ways that exploit his speed and quickness.

Parrish is frustrated by the way it has worked out, doubly frustrated after seeing Devin Hester, his close friend and former University of Miami teammate, take a huge leap forward at receiver last year with the Bears. Hester didn't catch a pass in 2006. In 2007 he caught 20. Last year his numbers soared to 51 catches for 665 yards and three touchdowns while Parrish backtracked from 35 receptions to 24. Hester had six passes thrown his way in the first quarter alone Saturday night, making two receptions. Parrish ended up with three catches out of the slot, but the Bills remain resistant to lining him up wide and letting him fly.

No, Parrish isn't envious that Hester has evolved from the league's top return specialist to a regular at wide receiver. Instead, Parrish is hopeful that coaches throughout the league will take note and cease regarding return men as one-dimensional niche players.

"I'm glad it happened like that because it opened up a lot of coaches' eyes for guys that with the ball in their hands they're just not always gadget players," Parrish said.

"I can speak for me and probably him too. That's a thing that stresses a lot of guys out, that they're just a gadget player or a punt returner, a kick returner, or they can come in at wide receiver and do a screen reverse pass. And they just overlook our talent, thinking that we can't run routes."

It's just all about opportunities and taking advantage of them, and I guess he just took advantage of his time in Chicago and now he's a receiver. And I'm pretty sure that he's happier than he's ever been because he's at wide receiver right now."

He's right about that.

"We do get labeled as just return men," Hester said. "But I'm getting an opportunity to go out and be the one [or] two receiver. That's a big opportunity for me and I'm just trying to make the best of it. ..."

You get the feeling Parrish would like to use the preseason to showcase himself for other teams if the Bills remain unwilling to expand his duties.

"I'm just trying to do whatever I can do when I get the ball in my hands, just trying to make the coaching staff believe that I am a primary receiver and not just a punt returner," Parrish said.

He's made little headway.



(buffalonews.com)