Parrish deserves a better fate

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)