James Hardy Signs With Buffalo Bills

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

Less than 24 hours before the the Buffalo Bills open their 2008 training camp in Rochester, NY, the team agreed to terms with rookie wide receiver James Hardy today. This is significant because not only do I feel James will be a integral part of the 2008 Buffalo Bills, I believe he’ll make an impact as one of the best rookies to enter the National Football League this season. Naturally, head coach Dick Jauron likes what James brings to the team:

“Having a big receiver helps us. You can cover him and he can still be open. He can out-reach defenders for the ball. He can out-jump defenders for the ball in the red zone. In my opinion, very seldom does the jump ball occur except in the red zone, but reach is a big thing in our game and he’s got reach.”

Rarely does a rookie wide receiver make a big splash (it’s more likely in year three if it’s going to happen at all), but I feel James has the potential to be one of those players — a superstar at this level in his first year. At 6′5″ he seems to tower over most defensive backs. That, in part, makes his red zone potential otherworldly. Plus, James has a great chance to start opposite WR Lee Evans, so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to make catches all over the field. And take this into consideration. James has been mentored by Bills safety Donte Whitner (one of my favorite players), so his NFL learning curve won’t be quite as steep as most rookies. I think his success will be immediate.

Source: BuffaloBills.com, Photo: Newscom