NFL
Bills' Kelsay rushes to keep his job
Chris Kelsay has never had to worry about job security. But that was before the Buffalo Bills drafted fellow defensive end Aaron Maybin in the first round. That was before trade rumors surfaced earlier this offseason.
It's enough to make a player feel uneasy about his future. But Kelsay only worries about the things he can control.
"It'll play out however it plays out," Kelsay said after another day of organized team activities. "Just give it your all and do everything to the best of your ability. That's all you can control anyway."
The Bills have never had to worry about Kelsay giving it his all. Throughout his career the seventh-year veteran has taken pride in playing hard on every snap.
But for all the good things Kelsay does on the field, he can't escape criticism for his inability to rush the quarterback. That shortcoming was magnified last year when right end Aaron Schobel's season ended after five games because of a foot injury.
Kelsay had only two sacks in 2008, a paltry sum for any team's No. 2 defensive end. In fact, he has just 4• sacks since signing a four-year $23 million contract two years ago.
He has averaged more than 80 tackles over the past three seasons and been sturdy against the run. But he gets a big part of the blame for the Bills ranking near the bottom of the NFL in sacks the past two years. Their 24 sacks last season tied for the fifth-lowest total in the NFL and prompted the decision to draft Maybin.
"I think it's the expectation that people put on the game and our position," Kelsay said of his critics. "Do I think they're wrong? No, because I could be thinking the same thing if I were in their shoes. I would be expecting a guy who is drafted fairly high or a guy who gets a big, lucrative contract to be productive in the sacks area, so I really can't criticize them for criticizing me.
"There is more to being a defensive end in the National Football League than sacks. Schobel's a sack guy and even he says that. But at the same time, sacks are very important because a lot of times they change momentum and cause turnovers. And at the defensive end position, a lot of emphasis is on us getting to the quarterback."
Maybin was a needed addition to the Bills' defense, but was his arrival a sign that Kelsay's days in Buffalo are numbered? Kelsay's status was questioned even before the draft, when the Bills reportedly explored the possibility of trading him.
The Bills have denied any exploration took place and Kelsay believes them.
"Obviously, you ask yourself how did [the trade rumor] get started?" he said. "But I don't feel like they would lie to me. I feel real comfortable in our relationship. Teams are always inquiring about certain guys, especially with the Jason Peters trade, and my name got thrown around. Whether trading me is in the back of their mind or not, I'm going to try my hardest to make sure they can't get rid of me."
Kelsay acknowledged he needs to be more productive on passing downs to stick around. To that end, the focus this offseason is on becoming a better pass rusher.
He has been working on improving his rush moves and techniques with new defensive line coach Bob Sanders since early March. Kelsay said Sanders has taught him more about the art of pass rushing than previous line coaches Tim Krumrie and Bill Kollar.
"I know that I'm not satisfied personally with my sack numbers," said Kelsay, who has just 17 career sacks. "Just because I've said in the past that I'm not a sack guy doesn't mean I'm not working to become one. I definitely believe I can increase my production there, and I need to increase production there."
Kelsay remains the Bills' starting left defensive end. For now. He knows the Bills didn't draft Maybin to sit him on the bench. He'll play a lot, and it's expected that he'll eventually become a starter.
But Kelsay doesn't mind the competition. He sees Maybin not as a threat but as a challenge.
"Before we drafted Aaron, my prior six years I considered Ryan Denney competition and a challenge every training camp," Kelsay said. "In this league there are obviously some people who have guaranteed jobs because they're such good players. But I don't believe that you can go into any camp or OTA just assuming that your job is secure.
"I've tried to earn everything I've gotten in this league and I'll continue to do that as long as I'm here. As long as you give all-out effort on every play and do everything you can do to help the team get better and have success, what more can you really ask?"
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