(by Ross Jacobs)
When I first turned this game on, I immediately saw that the Bills had mostly 3rd stringers and guys that were going to be cut in the game against the Bucs 2nd team, and I instantly lost interest that anything fun or interesting might happen. I was on autopilot mode for a bit…and then 3 players started to flash again and again…one in particular that I really need to talk about, a player that I’ve had an interest in for a very long time, a guy that has the potential to have a very large impact…
The game itself was fine. The Bills began the game with the scrubs, and they were clearly better than many of the Tampa Bay 2nd teamers…not a great sign for the Bucs potentially. The Bills are obviously one of the deepest and most talented teams in the league though, so it’s no great sin. The Bills got a nice 14-3 lead before Tampa cut the lead, trying hard to fight their way back in it. But the Bills were just too good and slammed the door shut, although the Bucs did score late to make the score look closer than it was.
Player Notes…
-- I wouldn’t normally start one of these reports with a defensive player, much less a rookie, but this needs to be talked about. It’s that important.
Deone Walker was dominant here.
Not good. Not great.
Dominant.
He was unblockable by the Tampa backups, quite literally rag-dolling people. I wish I could find a clip online to link here, but one play stands out in my mind. At the snap of the ball, it’s a run play...the QB turns to hand the ball off to the RB. Before he can get there, Walker grabs the guard assigned to block him by the shoulder pads, forcibly drives him to the side and down into the ground like he was a child, and then smacks the RB in the face before he can get back to the line of scrimmage. I have not seen a defensive lineman do something like that to professional NFL offensive linemen since Ndamukong Suh.
We previewed Walker for our Devy series two years ago, and I was blown away by Walker then. Last year he certainly had a down year, but it seems that the severe back injury he played through really was the culprit for his poor play. I meant to write a rewind report on him all spring, but just never got around to it. Well, no need now.
I recall that one criticism many people had for Walker was that he often tried to play too finesse in college. At 350+ lbs he is definitely still very quick and can swim or dance around blockers on occasion, but he tried to do it too much instead of just using his size and strength to overpower much smaller blockers.
Against the Bucs he did just that, throwing 300 lb guys around like toys. Yes, they were backups. But what I just watched will translate, and he’s just getting started.
If the Bills can get this guy into really good shape, at his size and with his movement abilities and strength…he could be a perennial All-Pro. I do not say that lightly. What Walker just did is the single most dominant and impressive thing I’ve seen from any player all preseason.
Now that’s not to say that he’s perfect or already there. He’s not. He’s still a rookie and has things to work on including his run defense technique, leverage, and conditioning, but assuming he does improve in those areas, the sky's the limit with this guy.
-- The two other players that flashed here were also rookies, both with the Bucs.
The one with name recognition is Tez Johnson. He’s improving rapidly and looks very fast and very quick. There’s a little Tank Dell to his game.
The other is a RB that got all but ignored in the draft, a guy that RC and I talked about a couple of times as someone that deserved more attention than he was getting…LSU’s Josh Williams. He’s not very big, about 5’8” 200 lbs give or take, and he’s not fast, especially for his size, but man does he have some quick feet and he runs way bigger than he actually is.
Williams shared the backfield at LSU with several other talented backs, and his combine numbers didn’t stand out. That’s why he got ignored. But this is a tough, capable little back with good hands and blocking to boot. Oh, and he returns kicks and ripped off several long ones here, which forced Tampa to keep him on the roster despite already having 3 other really good backs. He reminds me of a smaller version of Damien Williams, another undrafted back, if anyone remembers him. He was a nice utility player and backup for the Chiefs for years and even stepped in to carry the load for a playoff run in 2019 when injuries hit that unit.
Williams isn’t a future star or anything, but he’s a really nice guy to have around. Whoever is scouting RBs and WRs for Tampa really knows what they are doing.
