Roscoe Parrish is unhappy. He made that clear last week when he spoke briefly with the media.

Parrish doesn’t like his limited role on offense. He has felt that way throughout his first four years in Buffalo.

He won’t admit it publicly, but Parrish probably would rather play somewhere else. It’s not that he doesn’t like the coaches or his teammates. He just isn’t happy the way he is being used.

The Bills see him as a tremendous punt returner. He sees himself as more than that. He believes he can contribute more as a wide receiver, if the Bills would just give him more opportunities.

But they have such a crowded depth chart at the position that it’s hard to imagine where Parrish will fit in the rotation.

That said, it’s a problem the Bills should be happy to have.

It was widely reported that the Bills tried to trade Parrish this offseason. Whether they couldn’t get what they wanted or had a change of heart is not known. But in this case, the best deal was the one not made.

The Bills are heading into a must-win season and they need every possible weapon at their disposal. That’s why they should have perished the thought of trading Parrish in the first place.

He doesn’t see the field often, but when he does he’s one of the few players on the roster who is a threat to score every time he touches the football.

Even with the addition of Terrell Owens, the Bills’ offense figures to have its struggles moving the ball from time to time. Parrish’s incomparable punt return skills are worth an extra 15 to 25 yards in field position, which could mean all the difference in the world for a team that has had trouble finding the end zone.

In Parrish’s opinion, he can have just as much impact catching passes as he does returning punts. I agree with him.
With Owens, Lee Evans and Josh Reed demanding their touches and young lions Steve Johnson and James Hardy needing more playing time, there won’t be enough balls to go around. That will only add to Parrish’s frustration.

Parrish will never be a 50-or 60-catch guy. But surely offensive coordinator Turk Schonert can devise a package of plays to take advantage of Parrish’s big-play speed and open-field elusiveness.

How many times have the Bills used Parrish on bubble or jailbreak screens or other throws where he gets the ball in his hands quickly?How many reverses has he run? Not nearly enough.

Parrish averaged a mere 9.7 yards on 24 catches last season. That’s unacceptable for someone with his explosiveness.

Parrish suggested that his receiving skills might blossom with another team. But it would be foolish for the Bills to let him leave. It’s not like he has any leverage to force his way out. He is still under contract and he’s being paid very well for a player who makes cameo appearances.

Parrish isn’t trying to rock the boat here. He just wants more opportunities to help the Bills. There is nothing wrong with that.

So why doesn’t he play more on offense? Coach Dick Jauron has spoken often about the concern of exposing Parrish to injury because of his lack of size. Another school of thought is the 5-foot-9, 168-pound Parrish is too small to get off the line of scrimmage cleanly against press coverage.

But he counters by saying his size didn’t stop him from playing at a big-time school like Miami and it didn’t prevent him from making it in the NFL.

He says he’s not going to grow any taller or get any bigger, so the Bills have to make do with what they have.
And what they have is lightning in a bottle. It’s up to them to figure out how to unleash it.



(buffnews.com)

With Josh Reed not in attendance at practice, Roscoe Parrish had more opportunities to make plays in the passing game Thursday. But Parrish is convinced that when the full receiving corps is on hand he’s viewed as a substitute on offense and nothing more. Parrish believes he’s a legitimate NFL receiver, but going into his fifth season he’s convinced the opportunity to prove he can make a difference on offense won’t happen with the Bills.

“It’s a tough situation that I’m coming into and as of right now I’m just coming in and know my main role is punt return and I know I made a couple of plays today because Josh Reed wasn’t here and if he was here I probably wouldn’t have made the plays,” said Parrish. ”It’s just… I’m just trying to take advantage of my opportunities and that’s all I can really say about it. It is what it is.”

When asked what it is that he can do to convince the coaching staff that he can be a bona fide wideout that makes plays for an offense, Parrish seemed at his wits end.

“I feel like there’s not too much more that I can do,” said Parrish. ”This is my fifth year and they’ve seen me and they know my ability and what I can do and if I’m given the opportunity, it’s just that I haven’t been given the opportunity.
“In the NFL it’s all about opportunity. If you give a guy an opportunity in the NFL he’s probably going to make plays. If you don’t give a guy an opportunity then you’ll never know the ability of what he can do.

“As far me I know I’m a true receiver, but going on my fifth year most people probably don’t see that,” Parrish said. ”Maybe if I was to go to another team, I’m not saying I want to, but I might blossom more as a receiver.

“But right now all I can control is what I do on special teams and I’ve done a good job at that. I’ve been in the NFL a few years and I’m going to keep doing the same thing and if that’s what keeps me in the NFL that’s what I’m going to do and what I’m going to stay on top of. As far as receiver there’s nothing more I can do about that. I can’t control my own destiny with that.”

Knowing there were reports of trade talk involving Parrish this offseason, he was further asked if he was disappointed he wasn’t traded, and this was his response.

“No, not really,” Parrish said. ”I don’t want to put too much emphasis on that. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

(buffalobills.com)

Roscoe Parrish who was the subject of trade talks, is back in Buffalo and has re-joined the team for workouts.





(rosenhaussports twitter)

After trading away left tackle Jason Peters just a few days ago, another current member of the Buffalo Bills could be suiting up in a different uniform for the start of next season.

Speedy wide receiver and return specialist Roscoe Parrish could be on the move to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Matt Pawlikowski, of Examiner.com, reported today that according to an NFL source, the Bills have been in talks about dealing wide receiver Roscoe Parrish to the Steelers.  It is also being reported that the Bills are looking for a draft pick or multiple picks in return for the wide out.

Parrish has been one of the best punt returners in football during the past few years and has a career average of 14 yards per punt return to go along with three career return touchdowns.

He also hauled in 24 catches for 232 yards and one touchdown last season.

The move would be because of a numbers game within the Bills organization.  What is comes down to is that there are too many wide receivers on the roster, so someone has to go and Parrish would fetch the most in return (other than Lee Evans of course).

The Bills have their top two wide outs in Evans and new comer Terrell Owens.  Josh Reed is a zone busting machine, and will fill in the number three spot.

Steve Johnson, a 7th round selection in last year’s draft, has showed that he has the physique (6′-2″, 202 lbs) and most importantly the skills, that he belongs in the NFL.  Johnson got more playing time as the season went on, and towards the end of the season, was even starting a game or two while hauling in two touchdown receptions on the year.

In my eyes, Johnson has passed Parrish on the depth chart, and also makes a lot less.

Johnson makes $385,000, $470,000, and $550,000 in salary over the next three seasons.  Parrish on the other hand, is due to make much more over those same years due to roster bonuses and signing bonuses that came with his extension he signed back in 2007.  This year for example, Parrish has a $2.7 million cap hit against the salary cap.

Even with this possibility being the last season with a salary cap, $2.7 million is way too much to be paying a 5th string wide receiver.  I haven’t even mention last year’s second round pick, James Hardy, who the Bills are not just going to give up on.

It all makes sense for the Bills to trade Parrish now, and take what picks they can get.  It hasn’t been reported what rounds the Bills are exactly looking to get, however a late day 1 pick can’t be out of the question.

While Parrish brings a lot to the table in terms of his special teams ability, the Bills don’t really need him anymore.

They have players they can put back there to return, so there shouldn’t be too big of a drop-off in terms of return yardage on punts.

Bills corner back and first round selection, Leodis McKelvin, could pick up the punt return duties. He had seven touchdown returns on punts in college as he is starting to turn into the Bills special team ace.

Fred Jackson could also move back to catching punts, something he has done sparely during his time with the Bills. He did average 16.6 yards a return and had a long of 35 yards. He can certainly step in too.

While Parrish leaving would create some upset fans, it would be a step in the right direction for a team looking to become a contender in the next year or two.

That possible draft pick (or picks) in return for Parrish could help the Bills address more of their needs this off-season, and move them one step closer to becoming a winning team.

It would give them more possible pieces to add to the puzzle.

(nfltouchdown.com)

With a glut of wide receivers and a 2008 first-round defensive back (Leodis McKelvin) who can return kicks on the roster, the Buffalo Bills are testing the waters for interest in Roscoe Parrish.

According to a league source, the Bills are shopping Parrish, primarily as an exploratory measure.

Parrish was a second-round pick in the 2005 draft, and he has appeared in 55 of a possible 64 career games.  He has served primarily as a kick returner, with only 1,097 total receiving yards in four NFL seasons.  He also has more fumbles (seven) than receiving touchdowns (five).
Signed for three more seasons, Parrish is due to earn base salaries of $1 million in 2009, $1.025 million in 2010, and $1.025 million in 2011.
The Bills currently have nine receivers on the roster:  Parrish, Terrell Owens, Lee Evans, Josh Reed, James Hardy, Felton Huggins, Justin Jenkins, Steve Johnson, and C.J. Hawthorne.

(profootballtalk.com)

The Buffalo Bills’ Roscoe Parrish is a punt returner who sometimes catches passes. That’s not where his career his heading; rather, it’s where his career is and will be, as he’s been unable to show in any of his four seasons that he can be a credibly consistent threat on offense. His catch and a half per game in 2008 seems at first glance like the sort of total that would render him obscure and/or unemployed, but the Bills should be fine with burying him on the wideouts’ depth chart as long as he continues to top the league’s punt return depth chart.

The good news is that Parrish -- who averaged 15.3 yards on his 21 returns in 2008 -- remains sublime at what is nominally his second job. That rate, best in the NFL, put him an impressive 1.2 yards ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Clifton Smith, the second-place finisher; the significant margin is the equivalent of Parrish being the only player onscreen during a return, something he’s good for every couple of tries.

The Miami man not only came in first in the league this past season, he’s one place behind coming in first in history. Parrish stands at second all time in the category at 14.0 YPR; he’s a mere tenth of a yard behind Jim Cason, whom you may not remember as a safety for the San Francisco 49ers and a team in Los Angeles named the “Rams” during the 1940s and '50s.

Almost as unmemorable was Parrish’s time as a wideout last season, as he gained a paltry 232 yards. That was good for a bad sixth on the team in receiving yardage, as he was sandwiched between tight ends Robert Royal and Derek Schouman. Even less impressive was the fact that Parrish’s 9.7 yards per reception tied him with rookie James Hardy for worst among wide receivers; Parrish would have actually finished third among tight ends, as both Royal and Schouman got themselves to double-digit yardage averages per reception. Parrish generally used his renowned velocity in very, very short bursts on offense.

Had the defense forced a few more three-and-outs, Parrish might have made more returns than catches in 2008; as it stands, his 24 receptions means he only finished three ahead in terms of his quantity contribution on offense. Factor in his 10 fair catches, and Parrish was actually busier on possession changes than on possessions.

That fact makes his role easy to define. He’ll only be 27 in July, but he’ll be preparing for his fifth season by the time that birthday arrives. What he, and we, should accept by then is that Parrish is a better track athlete than footballer, as he needs open space to get up to his notoriously high speed.

While elite receivers can get up to pace in a matter of a handful of strides, middling wideouts need more ground. Parrish falls into the latter category, but that’s why he’s been great at winning field-position battles. If he can make one gunner miss on a punt return, he can get enough field in front of him to get motoring. The fact that bringing back punts is a skill that’s closer to a dash than a pass route makes him better at his other task.

Parrish has emerged as a player good for a special teams touchdown per season, getting one in each of the past three campaigns, and maybe one or two more as a member of the offense, amassing five of those over his career. But that’s it. Arguing that J.P. Losman will open under center for the Bills in 2009 is only slightly more outrageous than thinking Parrish is finally going to break through on offense.

His best hope for notoriety is to overtake the top punt returner ever. As with Cason, Parrish is more likely to end up as a football trivia answer and not as an unforgettable icon. That’s fine, as long as both he and the team accept that he’s a special teams specialist who makes the occasional catch.

Think of the second-best punt returner all time in the same way as the best kicking coverage man all time: Steve Tasker, who had 51 career receptions and 10 over his first 10 seasons, provides an ideal example of how saving certain players for special teams might just be a good strategy. It’s not like Parrish is going to suddenly emerge as a player worthy of being Lee Evans’ tag team partner, so the Bills may as well happy with 20 or 30 catches from him as long as he’s only below adequate in one of his two areas.

(realfootball365.com)

Roscoe Parrish and Josh Reed do the same job in the most different way imaginable. With the utilitarian Reed still absent last Sunday, Parrish tried to do a little possession receiving against the New England Patriots in his team's 20-10 loss; still, the speediest Buffalo Bills wideout remains dreadfully underused.

(buffalobillsinsider.com)

ORCHARD PARK — Roscoe Parrish doesn't say a whole lot, but the pint-sized wide receiver lamented his lack of playing time the other day after the game in Miami, and then reiterated his point Wednesday in the Bills' locker room following practice.

"I don't know Josh Reed's status, but I'm always here," Parrish said Sunday after learning that Reed would miss some time after suffering ankle and Achilles' tendon injuries in the 25-16 loss to the Dolphins.

"I always want a bigger role on offense. That's what I came in for, not to be a special teams player. I don't want to start a conflict, but I want to have more on offense and do what I do which is make plays and do whatever I can to help the team."

After running with the first string the past two days while Reed has watched practice wearing a protective boot on his foot, Parrish did not back down on his request to become more involved in Buffalo's offense.

"I don't want to make an issue about it, we're winning games and we're doing good," he said. "But you don't have to do special things to utilize me. I heard before you have to use gadget plays, but it's not true. I run routes, I do everything. Just call my play."

Whether that will start happening more frequently come Sunday — when the Bills play host to the New York Jets and Reed won't be on the field — is uncertain, but quarterback Trent Edwards sure likes the fact that Parrish has expressed his opinion.

"I'd expect a guy like Roscoe to say that," Edwards said.

"I want to have receivers in my huddle that want the ball. I'm very happy that you told me he said that. That's what I respect about Roscoe Parrish and hopefully we can do that on Sunday."

Parrish has established himself as one of the NFL's premier punt returners, but his contributions on offense have been limited given his status as a second-round pick in the 2005 draft.

In his first three seasons the 5-foot-9, 168-pounder had 73 catches for 820 yards and 4 TDs, and this year he has tacked on only 10 receptions for 82 yards and 1 TD.

He has one career 100-yard receiving game — against the Jets in 2006 — and he has three six-catch games, but his highest yardage total in those was only 56 yards. Among his 83 catches, only four have gone for 40 or more yards which is perplexing considering his big-play ability.

Asked if it's difficult to get Parrish the ball in spots where he can do something with it, primarily because of his size, Bills coach Dick Jauron neatly sidestepped the issue by saying, "We definitely have plays for Roscoe. Size-wise, clearly Roscoe plays in a league of big men and he succeeds. He really performs well in this league in whatever he does."

Edwards was asked the same question, and he said it's more a function of him getting in sync with Parrish, which is tough to do because he doesn't get as many practice reps as Lee Evans and Reed.

"The thing with receivers is that you have to get in rhythm with them and I'm slowly coming around with Lee, I'm slowly working around with Josh, and it comes with a lot of repetitions and game repetitions," he said.

If Parrish gets the start in place of Reed, rookie James Hardy will be the No. 3 receiver, and like Parrish, Hardy has been largely invisible on offense thus far, though being a rookie gives him special dispensation. Hardy has just seven catches for 66 yards and one touchdown.

"The thing that held me back the most is that most of the stuff I've learned here, I hadn't learned at Indiana," Hardy said. "I have so many things being thrown at me at once and I have to pick my poison to see what I need to get better at in each category. I can't do it all at once, but it's starting to come."

The Bills need both players to produce because without Reed, things are only going to get more difficult for Evans. Evans leads the Bills with 31 catches, and his 20.5-yard average is tops in the NFL among receivers with at least 20 receptions.

However, he's going to get blanket coverage with Reed out, and it's not going to stop unless Parrish or Hardy can pull some defensive attention their way.

"We know we have to pick it up," Parrish. "We know what we have to do with Josh down. Lee is a big part of our offense. Whenever a ball comes our way, we have to do what we can do. We want to make plays."

(democratandchronicle.com)

The bye week has apparently done the Bills quite well. Not only was Trent Edwards back throwing passes and taking snaps with the starting unit, but receiver Roscoe Parrish also participated in practice for the first time since undergoing thumb surgery more than two weeks ago.

“Everything went pretty well,” said Parrish following Monday’s practice. “It went better than I thought it would be. I went out there and ran routes pretty good, caught the ball pretty good and caught punts.”

Parrish participated only in individual position drills for the first 15-20 minutes of practice, and did not take snaps during the team portions of the workout.

The first thing he did was catch punts knowing the impact on his hand would be less severe than catching passes from Buffalo’s quarterbacks. But he did run routes and catch passes and was pretty satisfied with how his thumb felt.

“The training staff did a good job of supporting my thumb with a pad and everything, so I didn’t really feel a lot of pain,” said Parrish. “It was just uncomfortable and I had to get used to (the pad). As far as the pain I didn’t really have any pain.”

The Bills wideout and return specialist is just trying to get his full endurance back by Sunday. Not practicing with his teammates the past three weeks left him slightly winded after running routes during individual position drills.

Moving forward the plan is to have Parrish participate fully on Wednesday, and how he comes through that practice will largely determine his status for Sunday.

“Everything right now is looking pretty good,” he said. “I’ll be full go on Wednesday and we’ll see from there. I feel pretty good about Sunday. I have a real good chance.”

(buffalobills.com)

Receiver/punt returner Roscoe Parrish practiced for the first time since surgery to repair ligament damage in his right thumb that forced him to miss the past two games.



(espn.com)

Buffalo Bills receiver Roscoe Parrish is busy this week carrying a Nerf football.

The Bills hope it won’t be too long before he’s grabbing a real pigskin.

Parrish said he is recovering well from the torn ligaments in his thumb, which he suffered in the Bills’ win over the Oakland Raiders on Sept. 21.

“Everything went pretty good with the surgery,” Parrish said after Bills practice this week. “The surgery was only 20 minutes, so it wasn’t a long process. We have everything going pretty good right now, and I’m just taking it day-by- day.”

After his surgery, it was estimated he would be out of the lineup for four to six weeks. So he is expected to miss the Bills’ next game, against San Diego, on Oct. 19. The four-week mark is Oct. 21. So there’s a chance he could be ready for the game in his hometown of Miami on Oct. 26. If Parrish were to miss six weeks and have no setbacks, he would return for the game at New England on Nov. 9.

“I don’t want to say I’m going to be back on this day, I’m just taking everything day-by-day and I’m going with my rehab every day,” Parrish said. “This bye week is helping me out a lot.”

Parrish was watching practice inside Ralph Wilson Stadium this week. He suggested he might try to do some sort of limited practice work in the coming week.

He was walking around the locker room this week squeezing an orange Nerf football to build up strength in his left thumb.

“Each day I’m feeling better about it,” Parrish said. “I’m squeezing the Nerf ball to get the strength back. As far as the movement of it goes, I have that back.”

Parrish adds an explosive element to the Bills’ offense and special teams. He had seven catches for 60 yards and a touchdown in the first three games. The TD came on a 14-yard pass in the fourth quarter of the Oakland game. Parrish actually had injured the thumb before the touchdown play. But it wasn’t too painful so he went back in the game.

On punt returns Parrish is averaging 15.2 yards on 11 returns, with a 63- yard score, which came in the season-opener against Seattle.

Parrish broke his left wrist during training camp of the 2005 season. He came back and played with a cast on his wrist over the final 10 weeks of the regular season. Parrish said he’s expecting an easier adjustment this time.

“It’s a much different process than the wrist injury,” Parrish said. “If you look at it, I still finished the game with the injury against Oakland and caught a touchdown pass. It’s not as difficult this time. With the wrist injury, I was in pain when it happened and wasn’t able to do anything.”

(buffalonews.com)

Receive Roscoe Parrish provided an update as he appeared in the locker room for the first time since his thumb surgery.

“Right now I’m just taking it day by day and everything is going pretty good," said Parrish. "I don’t want to say I’m going to be back on a specific day. I’m just taking it day by day and going with my rehab every day.”

The stitches were still in Parrish's hand from surgery, but he said it was a quick surgery. He's hopeful that he'll be able to practice next week. BuffaloBills.com

(buffalobillsinsider.com)

Well, those of you that hit the waiver-wire on Sunday night or Monday to nab Bills' WR Roscoe Parrish, your effort was all for naught.

Parrish underwent thumb surgery to repair a damaged ligament.  He suffered the injury late in Sunday's win over Oakland.  He played through the injury the rest of the game, including his touchdown late in the fourth.

Replacing Parrish will be rookie James Hardy and second-year vet Justin Jenkins, who is yet to register a stat this year.  On special teams, rookie Leodis McKelvin will resume the punt return duties, where he has experience during his years at Troy.

“Roscoe, we anticipate, will be out for a good while,” said head coach Dick Jauron. “We’re hoping four to six weeks, in that range. That obviously sets us back a little bit."

It's really a shame based on Sundays break-out performance, but it's in Parrish owners' best interest to drop him, and ignore his replacements.  Parrish's real value was in the asset of his punt return ability, but now the Bills will have a separate player (McKelvin) to fill in.  Parrish isn't expected to return until their first meeting with New England on Nov. 9.

(sportingnews.com)

Roscoe Parrish was limited in practice today while nursing a sore knee, according to the Bills' official website. He has also been dealing with a rib ailment.




(rototimes.com)

Roscoe Parrish's big 4th quarter punt return was HUGE, gving the Bills a field position advantage with the game on the line. If the Jags had been able to pin the Bills back in their own territory in a one point game, the Bills might have had a much more difficult time holding onto the lead. Edwards missed Parrish on a deep throw earlier in the game, but Parrish looked to be more of a threat that the defense had to be concerned with in this game than in the Bills' win over Seattle.

(billszone.com)

Bills receiver Roscoe Parrish was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Seattle in which he returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown. Parrish said he heard from his college buddy, Chicago Bears star return man Devin Hester, after Sunday’s game.

“We’re always calling each other throughout the week,” Parrish said. “He actually called me because they had the night game. He texted me, saying, ‘Good play, good play, I play tonight so don’t forget about that.’ We just feed off of each other, and that’s a good thing. . . . I always enjoy watching him.”

Parrish sat out practice with sore ribs and a sore knee but is expected to play Sunday. Also sitting out practice was linebacker John DiGiorgio (back). Reserve tackle Matt Murphy, who injured his shoulder last month, returned to practice. The Bills worked out on the grass field behind the stadium. Jacksonville has a natural- grass field.

(buffalonews.com)

Maybe this is the year.

From the time wide receiver Roscoe Parrish arrived, Buffalo Bills coaches have talked about getting him more involved on offense. The plan didn’t have a chance to get implemented during his rookie year because a broken wrist robbed him of much of the season.

Parrish has been healthy the last two years, but he’s still waiting for the Bills to maximize his receiving talents.

Is this the year? Parrish hopes so.

“It’s been three years since they’ve been saying they will get me more involved,” he said after Saturday’s preseason opener against the Washington Redskins. “But I just don’t let that get into my head. I do what I can when I get my opportunities and make the best of them.”

Parrish had limited opportunities Saturday night, but he made them count.

He had three catches for a team-high 50 yards during the Bills’ 17-14 loss. Quarterback Trent Edwards said Parrish was the lone bright spot in an otherwise sputtering offensive performance.

“It was good to get back into a game situation,” Parrish said. “I wish we could have played better as a team, but we’ll get it together and make some things happen.”

Already one of the best punt returners in the NFL, Parrish led the NFL with a team-record 16.3-yard average. But he had just 35 catches for 352 yards and one touchdown. He also ran the ball three times, including a 24-yard touchdown.

Parrish believes he’s ready for a bigger workload at receiver because he is a better player than he was coming out of the University of Miami.

“As a veteran now, I have a better feel for the game and knowing coverages and running routes better,” he said. “My playing ability just steps up a little notch every year and I try to learn something new every time I come to training camp and continue to progress.”

Parrish is quick enough to break in and out of routes without breaking stride. He showed that on his first catch, gaining separation on a defender to haul in an 18-yard pass from Edwards.

Parrish’s 30-yard reception from J. P. Losman in the second quarter was the offensive highlight of the night. The pass was underthrown, but Parrish made an adjustment on the ball and pulled it in while being wrapped up by backup Redskins cornerback Byron Westbrook.

“I turned and saw the ball coming before the defensive back did,” Parrish said. “J. P. laid it up there for me, so I had to go get it.”

The Bills have been hesitant to use Parrish too much, concerned that the 5-foot-9, 168-pounder wouldn’t hold up under a heavier workload.

But head coach Dick Jauron acknowledges that Parrish has too much ability to remain off the field.

“He’s such a unique player,” Jauron said. “As we know, he’s very small for our league. But boy, he plays big. He just makes plays. He’s a great competitor and he competes all the time. He competes in practice, competes in the games and competes in the kicking game. I feel happy we have him and we’ve got to keep working with him and give him chances.”

That was music to Parrish’s ears.

“I’m always ready,” he said. “I’d love to get more playing time on offense, but that’s everybody’s goal in the National Football League.”

(buffalonews.com)

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Roscoe Parrish has already demonstrated that he’s proficient in the West Coast offense, sort of. Specifically, his most prominent knack, namely the ability to juke gunners on punt returns and then race downfield, is similar to the offensive system’s reliance on yards after catches. While he’s been most spectacular on kicking plays and not out of a traditional formation, the man who has too often been left idling could finally be energy efficient in the Bills’ 2008 system, especially considering that he’s already made himself mildly noticeable at training camp.

While offensive coordinator Turk Schonert seems intent on installing a scheme using Bill Walsh’s principles and not the late genius’ wholesale structure, it’s still apparent that the Bills will be inclined to use quick drop backs, brief routes, and plenty of targets. The primary beneficiary should be quarterback Trent Edwards, as his penchant for delivering accurately thrown short passes and capacity to supervise are good skills for quarterbacks mentally residing on the West Coast.

But Parrish could get a payoff from the new philosophy, too. He’s only compiled 73 receptions over his three campaigns, and the Miami product’s career average of 11.2 yards gained per catch isn’t overwhelming, either. A bit of math leads to an outcome of 820 career yards gained on offense, a threadbare total even for a specialist who isn’t counted upon to be a top two receiver.

So what could change his fringe status in the offense? The key is the same as it’s been his first three seasons, namely finding a way to use what he does well. Lawfully, Parrish must be referred to as a “speedster” in any piece about him, and it’s for good reason: His fleetness is his defining characteristic as a footballer, even though he’s also showing an uncommon toughness for his frame by absorbing licks at recent practices to complement his displays of velocity. But he can’t use said pace without first making a reception.

The fact that coaches have failed to get the ball in his hands to begin with has impeded Parrish from becoming a kinetic threat, as his potential remains bottled. It’s like watching an American-produced Jackie Chan film and seeing the star’s talent go to waste, as people who have no idea what to do with an individual’s skill set nonetheless get to misuse the poor soul.

But the good news for the Bills is that former offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild is now preparing to bore a college team (Colorado State) to death by leading it to a wretched performance, and new boss Schonert is sympathetic toward concepts that should benefit frustrated yet dynamic components such as Parrish.

Quick throws in his direction will allow him to send prospective tacklers out of position before racing downfield, especially if the staff uses Parrish on slants where he could jet past cover men either before, during, or just after making a catch. If it helps him visualize success, he can pretend that he’s just fielded a punt.

With Parrish, it’s not a matter of sending him long; rather, it’s sending him short and then letting him sprint away after the reception. A style of offense utilizing rapid connections will allow Parrish to do his best work, specifically by schooling secondary members the same way he’s already embarrassed so many special teams foes.

(realfootball365.com)

After watching punt returner Roscoe Parrish stop on a dime and spring backwards three feet to avoid a would-be tackler, and then spring forward and be back up to top speed in an instant earned a doffing of the cap from April. It was a pretty amazing display of athleticism as Parrish seemed to almost hover for a second before darting forward again.

(buffalobills.com)

Roscoe Parrish was the Bills' first-team slot receiver as the team began training camp practices.
Josh Reed appears to be a step behind. Buffalo says it wants to open up the offense, but we can expect a conservative approach from any Dick Jauron coached club. That may not be conducive to many three-receiver sets.

(rotoworld.com)

Roscoe Parrish, who has been primarily a slot receiver for the Bills in three-receiver sets, got extensive work on the outside. That allowed Josh Reed to work more in the slot, a role that fit him the best and was recognized as the season concluded.


(espn.com)

Roscoe Parrish made perhaps the most difficult catch in practice. Parrish fell down at the top of his comeback route, but still managed to get to his feet and get to the end of his route to make a diving catch just as the ball arrived. The offensive line deserves credit on that play as well as they effectively picked up the blitz on that play.

(buffalobills.com)

Roscoe Parrish also snared some difficult passes outside his body frame. Parrish was also part of what was likely the play of the day as he pulled in a pass over the middle from Trent Edwards. Edwards had accurate placement dropping the pass in between three defenders.


(buffalobills.com)

4. Andre Johnson
Houston Texans
Johnson is big (6-3, 219), physical, runs solid routes and makes plays. In terms of physical tools, he is every bit as good as the three guys in front of him. He may have been overlooked in the past because of poor quarterback play (see David Carr 2003-06) but should improve as he works more with Matt Schaub. Johnson's numbers last season (60 catches, 851 yards) would have been more impressive if he had not missed seven games with an injury.

5. Reggie Wayne
Indianapolis Colts
The only real knock on Wayne is that he has always been 1B to Marvin Harrison, who was 1A. That's no longer the case as he is Peyton Manning's top option now. Wayne has sneaky speed, which can catch a corner off guard. He has a great feel for Indianapolis' system and the ability to find holes in a defense.

33. Santana Moss
Washington Redskins
Moss is small (5-10, 200), but few players in the league can rival his deep speed. He gets pushed around too much, can wear down and has trouble staying healthy. Also, he was tied for third in the league with 10 drops last season, according to Stats LLC. However, with new coach Jim Zorn expected to throw more often than the Redskins did in the past, Moss could have a resurgence. It is clear he will never be a top red zone option or a No. 1 wideout who can consistently handle double-teams, but Moss can be a difference-maker as a complementary option. Zorn will get the ball in his hands.

51. Roscoe Parrish
Buffalo Bills
Parrish has been a versatile player for the Bills. He is a No. 3 receiver who is best in the slot and using his quickness and run-after-catch ability in space. His biggest contribution, however, may come on special teams handling punts and kickoffs.

Click here to see the rest of the list...

Roscoe Parrish caught three passes for 43 yards in Friday night's exhibition victory over the Saints.
Parrish beat Jason David along the sidelines on consecutive second-quarter plays. While it’s clear David is struggling to adjust from a zone defense to a man-to-man scheme, Parrish could make a move up the depth chart if he continues to produce. Peerless Price should not be locked into a starting job by any means.

(rotoworld.com)

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Receiver Roscoe Parrish was treated after experiencing symptoms of dehydration while the Buffalo Bills practiced in 90-plus degree temperatures Wednesday.

Coach Dick Jauron said Parrish was expected to be OK after he was sent as a precaution to a cooling tent located just off the team's practice field.

"I wouldn't say he did overheat, but we didn't want him to, and it was clearly gaining on him," Jauron said. He added the team took extra precautions because of Parrish's slim, 5-foot-9, 172-pound build, which hardly includes any body fat.

"Athletes like that, we've got to watch carefully," Jauron said. "So when he looked like he was starting to get to a point where he might have trouble, we decided to get him out and cool him down."

Parrish made his way to the tent on his own about 75 minutes into practice. Under the supervision of Bills trainers, Parrish spent about a half-hour soaking in a pool before being led to the locker room.

The smallest player on the field had the biggest impact at the Bills first night practice of training camp as Roscoe Parrish electrified the crowd in attendance with some big plays in the passing game.

All of them came in the 11-on-11 team work portion of the night practice. After pulling in an intermediate reception on the third play from scrimmage, Parrish went deep two plays later. Lined up as an outside receiver Parrish ran a go route on the fifth play of the series got behind Ashton Youboty and J.P. Losman timed his pass well for a 60-yard touchdown hookup with the ball doing all the work.

The crowd loved it as those in attendance cheered boisterously.

"Well J.P. did a good job throwing the ball downfield and earlier this offseason I said I wanted to help contribute on offense as much as possible this year," said Parrish. "J.P. threw the ball well down the field and that's what we have to continue to do to get better each day out here."

"Some big plays tonight," said head coach Dick Jauron. "It's a controlled practice so you don't know what would occur in a real game, but the timing was good and the throws were good. Roscoe has got unique skills. It was good to see it."

PITTSFORD — Each of the three touchdowns Roscoe Parrish scored last year were among the most exciting plays of the season for the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills’ coaches are determined to find a way for him to create more fireworks this year.

“Roscoe is probably the most dangerous player we have on offense right now, because he can do so many things with the ball in his hands,” Bills receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said.

Consider that Lee Evans caught 82 passes last year for 1,292 yards. Parrish caught 23 for 320.

The most dangerous player? Parrish?

Tolbert is by no means discounting Evans’ role as the Bills’ best receiver. His statement is simply a sign of how excited the coaches are about Parrish’s breakaway ability.

There was a running joke in the Buffalo Bills media room during April’s NFL Draft. It centered on the Miami Dolphins’ selection of Ohio State receiver Ted Ginn Jr. with the ninth overall pick.

“The Dolphins just drafted Roscoe Parrish,” the joke went.

Whether that’s an insult to Ginn or a complement to Parrish, the Buffalo Bills third-year receiver, remains to be seen. But one thing is clear, Parrish doesn’t care for the comparison.

“I don’t compare myself to anyone at all. I’ve been in this league longer than him (Ginn),” he said.

Unfortunately for Parrish, as long as he and Ginn are battling each other in the AFC East, the comparisons will continue. Both receivers are small by NFL standards, with Parrish listed at 5-foot-9, 171 pounds and Ginn at 5-foot-11, 178 pounds. Both players also excel on punt returns.

When one thinks of Bills wideout Roscoe Parrish, what often comes to mind is his electrifying 82-yard punt return that turned the tide in Buffalo's upset of the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.

And while Parrish is proud of that effort, the diminutive receiver would prefer to be recognized differently.

Not many remember the fact that in that same game Parrish had a pair of catches on the final drive covering 36 yards which helped to set up the game-winning field goal.

"I consider myself a receiver first who also happens to return punts," said Parrish. "I'm a receiver-punt returner in that order, not a punt returner-receiver."

According to Parrish he's been trying to alter the order in which most view his dual role as a football player since high school.

"I used to hear about how people said I was going to be just a special teamer (in the NFL)," said Parrish. "Growing up I played receiver and I knew that more than I knew the punt return position. I didn't start returning punts until my high school and college years. I started playing receiver long before I started returning punts."

The final week of OTAs began Tuesday and there were some impressive plays turned in by the offense with Roscoe Parrish one of the more impressive performers. But the defense had its share of plays too.

(buffalobills.com)

Standouts
Roscoe Parrish made a few nice catches, one in particular was made against a zone coverage where he found a soft spot and Losman delivered a strike to him. He also beat his coverage deep as he got inside on Thomas, but the pass was underthrown as it fell incomplete.

(buffalobills.com)

In a back-and-forth game full of big plays, Buffalo's Parrish made one of the biggest with an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the third quarter for a 27-24 home victory against Jacksonville. With 4:11 to go in the third quarter, Parrish fielded a Jaguars punt on his own 18, spun around would-be tacklers for daylight along the left sideline following an exceptional block by rookie teammate Donte Whitner and motored for the score to give the Bills a 24-14 advantage in the eventual win. The play marked Buffalo's first punt return for a touchdown since 2004 when Nate Clements returned a Rams punt 86 yards for a score. Parrish also notched a 22-yard punt return earlier in the third quarter to establish a single-game club-record 104 punt return yards on the afternoon, surpassing the 98-yard mark held by Ike Hill since 1971. Parrish leads the NFL with a 13.9 punt return average. He also caught two passes for 36 yards, including a crucial 30-yard reception with 17 seconds left in regulation to set up a game-winning field goal.

In his second year from Miami, this is the first Player of the Week Award for Parrish.

(nfl.com)

Buffalo second-year wide receiver Roscoe Parrish wasn't even a blip on the Bills' radar screen before Sunday, and since then, has been bigger than legends on most maps.

Parrish is commonly used as a return man, and showed why in Sunday's 27-24 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo already had the lead, and Parrish padded it with an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter.

(November 27, 2006) — ORCHARD PARK — For five weeks, Roscoe Parrish had been a speedy guy going nowhere fast. He was a Maserati stuck in neutral, more suspect than prospect.

The Bills second-year receiver/punt returner had not caught a pass in more than a month. He had become an afterthought in the Buffalo offense, and had not done anything memorable on special teams.

But that changed in a hurry Sunday. Parrish impressed with his feet and his hands and his daring. As he had done so many times during his electric senior season at the University of Miami three years ago, he changed the complexion of a game. Not once, but twice.

Roscoe Parrish fields the punt on the second bounce and you know he's going nowhere because not even Clark Kent can tie his cape in a phone booth that small.

And when he reverses field and hits the left sideline you just know he'll step out of bounds because not even the Flying Wallendas could walk that lean a line.

And when he makes it to midfield you just know this is where it all ends until he uses EZ-Pass to maintain speed while dismissing the left-arm tackle of overmatched punter Chris Hanson.

The Buffalo Bills need to find more open receivers. Roscoe Parrish's exceptional quickness should allow him to get open.

Conclusion: The Bills need to find Parrish.

Parrish, the Bills' second-year smurf receiver, should get more of a chance to show what he can do to help the Buffalo pass offense over the next several weeks.

ORCHARD PARK — Before he gets set to field a punt, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Roscoe Parrish has just one thought.

“I’m trying to take one to the house every time I get back there,” Parrish said. “You don’t need to be back there if you don’t think like that. You’ve gotta think big in everything you do.”

Parrish has had eight chances at punt returns this season, piling up 80 yards, good for a 10 yards-per-return average. Teamed with Terrence McGee on kick returns, Parrish gives the Bills two big weapons in the return game.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - If Roscoe Parrish grew an inch every time someone knocked him for his lack of size, the Bills receiver would be bigger than Goliath.

No such luck, though.

"I was always the smallest guy, even when I started Pop Warner football," said Parrish, generously listed at five foot nine and 169 pounds, by far the smallest player on Buffalo's roster.

The blur you saw across your television screen in the first quarter was Bills wide receiver Roscoe Parrish streaking past the New York Jets' secondary for a 51-yard touchdown reception.

The play started a big day for Parrish, who finished with a career-high 104 yards on four receptions.

"We saw the guys blitzing, so my role in the offense is make the right read and adjust [my route]," Parrish said of his touchdown. "We made the right read, J.P. made the right throw and it so happens to be a big play for a touchdown. When I turned around I saw no one in front of me. I just gave it all I got to the touchdown."

ORCHARD PARK — Since becoming a member of the Buffalo Bills, Roscoe Parrish has waited for the opportunity to break a long play.

That chance came Sunday, and he didn’t disappoint.

Parrish took a short pass from J.P. Losman on the Bills’ second play from scrimmage and raced 51 yards to the end zone, showing the break-away speed he was known for coming out of the University of Miami.

“Everything worked good for us (on) that play,” he said. “It felt good to get involved .”

There are NFL clubs with good special teams units, and then there are the Buffalo Bills.

According to the Dallas Morning News' comprehensive ratings, which include several key statistical categories, the Bills have owned the best special teams in the league over the last two years.

The Bills showed Sunday in Miami that they have no intention to relinquish that title.

There may be hope for Roscoe Parrish. The smurf-sized wide receiver/punt returner was a non-factor last season as a rookie. He still doesn't look like he'll ever be good enough to start, but he's starting to show some elusiveness on punt returns, and offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild appears intent on trying to get him the ball in the short zones where he can use those moves to make someone miss and then pile up run-after-catch yards.
(democratandchronicle.com)

(September 5, 2006) — ORCHARD PARK — Every time Roscoe Parrish fields a punt, the potential for the big play, that game-breaking return, always exists.
Speedy, elusive and slippery, Parrish can be a return-team nightmare.

While at the University of Miami, Hurricanes coach Larry Coker called Parrish "the most exciting player I've ever coached."
Parrish would like Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron to soon be saying the same thing.

Except not just for his work returning punts and kickoffs. Parrish is hoping he can be on the receiving end of passes from quarterback J.P. Losman when the NFL season kicks off for the Bills on Sunday in Foxboro, Mass., against the New England Patriots.

"I'd like more of a chance to show what I can do on offense," said Parrish, who caught just 15 passes last fall in 10 games. "I just want to contribute on offense and on special teams."

Best moves: Roscoe Parrish. The wiry receiver juked at least half a dozen linebackers and defensive backs as well as Moorman on a punt return during camp with his lightning quick maneuvers.
(buffalobills.com)