Day three of our Secret Superstar series finds us in Buffalo.
This won’t be easy.
That’s not meant as a slight. We all know the guys who played well (Kyle Williams) and that there’s plenty of room for improvement. Outside of that, what else is there?
There were guys who looked like they could contribute. Spencer Johnson certainly impressed at times, and Alex Carrington looks like a guy with a lot of potential. Minus that horrible game against the Steelers, we liked what we saw in Steve Johnson as he broke out. But a secret superstar? I just don’t see one that saw a lot of action in 2010.
Maybe I’m coming at this from the wrong angle. What about a guy who didn’t see much action in 2010 but has proven his worth before? Someone who recently signed a new contract. Someone named George Wilson.
There you go Bills fans. There’s your Secret Superstar.
Undrafted and Unused
Back in 2004, George Wilson was just another NFL prospect trying to make his way into the big league. The former University of Arkansas wide receiver went undrafted before catching on with the Detroit Lions. This relationship was a short one, but he found a new gig – landing on the Bills’ practice squad in October of that same year. Wilson spent the next three years trying to make it as a receiver, but didn’t record a single reception.
It was becoming pretty clear that Wilson wasn’t going to make it as a receiver with the Bills, as high on him as the coaches reportedly were.
Then 2007 came along. With the Bills needing defensive reinforcements (and Wilson not doing much on the offensive side of the ball,) the decision was made to move him to safety. It was like those 144 receptions and 2,151 yards at Arkansas never happened.
In hindsight, it was a blessing.
Playing it Safe
After going years without a reception, Wilson was finally contributing. 2007 presented an opportunity for him to start, and the converted safety was a success in replacing Jim Leonhard, before a rib injury ended his season. The following year saw Wilson relegated mainly to backup duty, but he did pick up three starts and 167 snaps as he was a game day active even if he wasn’t always used on defense.
Clearly the Bills liked Wilson – he played well on special teams and was capable of performing in a pinch – they just didn’t like him enough to start him. Then injury forced their hand. Well, two injuries to be precise, as Donte Whitner and Bryan Scott went down, Wilson and Jairus Byrd became the starting safeties.
Sizzle or substance?
When you think of safety play in the Bills’ 2009 season, you’re likely to think of one man: Jairus Byrd. The rookie free safety sat deep and recorded more than his share of interceptions … nine of them to be exact. Enough that it earned him a selection to the Pro Bowl, All Rookie team and 2nd team All Pro Honors.
But while Byrd was picking off passes, Wilson was quietly showing himself to be one of the most well-rounded safeties in the league. It wasn’t unnoticed by the Bills who, even when changing coaches, kept faith with Wilson. Rewarding this trust, he led the Bills safeties in defensive snaps, defensive stops, and quarterback pressures.
So good was Wilson that we graded him positively in every area of his play. That included penalties, where he wasn’t flagged once, and blitzing where he turned just 19 rushes into two sacks, two hits, and a hurry. Still, the best from Wilson came in the main areas of safety play: in run support and in coverage.
Finishing 12th in our safety coverage rankings and 16th in run support, we had Wilson ranked third overall on a list headed by Ed Reed. High praise indeed, and it was a unanimous decision to elect him to our AFC Pro Bowl squad.
The numbers alone made a good case for those who didn’t see Wilson play. He missed just five tackles, didn’t allow a single touchdown in coverage (just 122 yards in total) and intercepted four passes. However you want to dice it, Wilson had an exceptional year. While some prefer safeties that get themselves into the highlight reel, we’ll take the guy who makes a pile of plays and avoids mistakes.
Fixing what ain’t broke
Unfortunately for Wilson, the 2010 season brought with it another new coaching staff. Perhaps dazzled by the interception numbers of Jairus Byrd and lofty draft status of Donte Whitner, they set George Wilson aside. Wilson got just two starts and saw significant action in only one other game (week 11 at Cincinnati where he received a +2.2 rating.) He ended up making nearly as many tackles on special team (13) as he did on defense (14) as the Bills stuck with the Byrd-Whitner combo at safety.
With his contract expiring, and the Bills expressing interest in both Bob Sanders and O.J. Atogwe, it looked like the end of the road in Buffalo for Wilson. Often overlooked but rarely outperformed, the veteran safety was set to get mention from us as a hidden free agent gem before the Bills put $7 million and a three-year deal in front of him. That’s starter money … especially when considering the fact that a move for Atogwe or Sanders didn’t materialize, and the common thought that Donte Whitner will be moving on.
In not making those deals, the Bills made the smartest decision. Because, while it took them some time to realize it – and they may not yet be completely sold on it – they’ve already got a guy that is better than most are prepared to acknowledge.
A secret superstar, if you will.
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