Interview with Dave Razzano by Dewey Hammond.
Dave Razzano is a former NFL scout and Playmaker Mobile correspondent with more than 22 years of professional scouting experience with the San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals under NFL coaches including Bill Walsh, George Seifert, Chuck Knox and Dick Vermeil. He's been a part of five Super Bowls with three Super Bowl wins (49ers, 1989, 1990; Rams, 2000).
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Q: Will it be another last place season for the Buffalo Bills?
A: Yes. They lack talent across the board. Especially the offensive line and the quarterback. The quarterback is really the question mark. I don't think they have a solid starting QB on the roster. I think it's going to be a struggle and I expect them to be picking way up in the first round again this season.
Q: Who do you think will get the bulk of the snaps this season?
A: If I had to guess I'd guess Trent Edwards. He's the most talented on the roster, but then there's Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Ryan Fitzpatrick will work his way in and get playing time during the season. Edwards is the most talented, but he still should be a backup. They have all backups — Fitzpatrick, Edwards, Brian Brohm. That's going to be a huge problem until they get a real starting QB.
Q: With Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch currently out with injuries who do you think will get the bulk of the carries early in the season? CJ Spiller?
A: To me Spiller is more of a third-down back and a kick returner. He's not really an everyday pounder. They've got to be careful with him. With Fred Jackson out right now they don't really have the pounder. And Marshawn Lynch, he's got to get healthy, but he's always been an underachiever too. I've never been crazy about Lynch. So they're real thin there as well. Their entire offense is a question mark, not just QB but the backfield too. They'll work Spiller into the equation but he won't be the bell cow, he'll be a situation guy.
Q: Do you see any bright spots on the offense?
A: I think Shawn Nelson, the tight end, he could have a breakout year. He's fast, he's athletic, he's got really good hands. I think he'll be a bread and butter guy because Lee Evans is the only proven outside threat so I can see Shawn Nelson really coming on this season and catching a ton of balls.
Q: What about a bright spot on the defensive side of the ball?
A: They've got an outstanding secondary. That's the strength on the defensive side. They've got a couple of good young safeties, good corners, corner depth, pretty good linebacker depth. They don't have depth at the front three — they're playing a 3-4 — so that's going to be a problem. But their back end is awfully talented.
Q: What do you expect out of Paul Posluszny this season?
A: I think he's a leader. Highly productive, really consistent, great motor. He's a typical Penn State linebacker. Hard nosed, great work ethic, all those things. A little injury prone, gets nicked. It might be his body type. He's got a little bit of stiffness and those guys tend to have muscle pulls and strains and things like that, so I'd be shocked if he made it through an entire season unscathed but I think he's definitely a solid starter for them. Andra Davis was also a good pickup for them. They're solid in the middle of that 3-4 especially if Davis and Posluszny stay healthy.
Q: What's it going to take to get the Bills out of basement.
A: Obviously the QB and offensive line. They need to continue building both of their interior lines and get some more playmakers on offense. They need more receivers, another guy to step up. But most importantly they need a quarterback and until they get one they're going to continue to be at the bottom. Just continuing to draft and go after the right type of free agents, and having a plan in place. It's a little tough when you've got ownership in question. I know at some point Ralph Wilson is going to be letting go of that team — he's 90 years old and he says he definitely doesn't have plans to keep it in the family. So there are a lot of questions with that franchise. They brought in Buddy Nix, who is 70 years old. He's a pretty good personnel guy, but he is 70. He should probably be sitting somewhere on the beach in Florida. But he's a good scout. We'll see what he can do. I wasn't crazy about taking Spiller that high. Running backs are pretty easy to find, and receivers, but they really need to build up their interior line and QB and more skill on offense.
Q: Best case scenario for the Bills this season?
A: 6-10 is the best you can expect with that offense.
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