E-Mail
Print
If those struggles continue, you just have to wonder how long until the Bills start looking elsewhere to try and solve their woes in that part of the secondary. If the team elected to stay in house, the next man in would likely be second-year player Justin Rogers, a former seventh-round pick out of Richmond.
In his rookie season, Rogers saw an increasing amount of time in the second half of the season as the team's nickel corner. The only reason Rogers saw that time was due to injury. By many accounts he held his own fairly well, including that of head coach Chan Gailey.
"He did a good job the little he did in that spot," he said. "I think we want to try and see what he can do there."
Now in his second year, Rogers is keeping himself equipped if the day comes that he gets a chance on the defensive side of the ball.
"I know that I'll be ready whenever my number's called," said the cornerback. "I'm just gonna keep preparing on the field and in the meeting room. Just gonna do whatever they ask me."
Rogers was thought to be a part of a two-man battle to be the team's nickel corner to open up 2012 along with the aforementioned McKelvin. However, a hamstring injury early in to training camp limited his repetitions on the field, and his main competition excelling as much as he did led to the battle being over before it started.
"He was in position, before all this injury, he was playing there and doing pretty well," Gailey said. "So, we have to give him an opportunity to get him back on the field somehow."
"It's always frustrating when you have an injury and it prevents you from being on the field. Especially when you feel like you were doing the right things," Rogers remarked. "I really had a grasp of the defense and things were really looking good for me and then something like that happened. Some things you just can't control. All I can do is focus on the things that I can control and that's studying, making sure I know my assignment and when I am on the field, make sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to do."
Rogers insisted on Thursday that his hamstring, which those that have suffered it will tell you it's a nagging injury you just have to take precautions with, is back to feeling the way it should.
"Yeah, it's just a mental injury. It's just one of those tricky things," he said. "Some days it feels good, some days it kind of… you don't know how it's gonna hold up. But I think I'm past that now. It's been feeling pretty good as of late."
Is it good enough to warrant some playing time against the Kansas City Chiefs, much like what the Bills did with Terrence McGee in spelling for Aaron Williams during Week One? Gailey said only time will tell.
"Possibly. We'll have to see how this week goes. You have to go through a week of practice and get some reps here and see how it looks and then we'll make a decision about whether to put him in there or not put him in there," the head coach said. "He still gets some treatment and stuff like that, but I haven't seen any issues on the field and he hadn't missed a rep of practice."
Whatever the coaching staff decides to do with that role in the defensive backfield, both men are sticking together to try and better one another for the sake of the team. Rogers admits that he and McKelvin often talk as the two main players that have those responsibilities for the Bills.
"Playing the nickel, we've always done that going back to OTAs, last year especially as a nickel, because it's tricky when you're inside," he said. "It's different reads and different things you see, and then you play things differently. You may play it one way and then me and Leodis just go, 'Hey what would have done right there,' and stuff like that. So, we're always helping each other out."
After New York Jets receiver Jeremy Kerley, among others, carved up the Bills from the slot position last Sunday, the Bills have to wary of every potential opponent that they'll face. But they may just want to pay a bit more attention to Chiefs slot receiver Dexter McCluster.
Drafted out of Ole Miss as a running back and wide receiver hybrid, McCluster has settled quite easily in to a role as the Chiefs' main inside receiver. In Week One against Atlanta, McCluster had a team high 10 targets, roping in six of them for a total of 82 yards.
"What makes him so dangerous, he's so quick and shifty," Rogers said. "In the slot you want to kind of slow guys down and get your hands on them because there's so much space in there."
The nickel corner is one of a handful of questions that arose following the Bills' first loss of the season, but one that needs to be fixed before too long.
Buffalo has their next opportunity to get a win Sunday afternoon at Ralph Wilson Stadium, taking on the Chiefs for the home opener.
Twitter: @JoeB_WGR