Monday, June 10, 2013

New Bills DE Jamie Blatnick: 'Look out for me'

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

With the transition into Mike Pettine's new defensive system, Buffalo Bills fans will certainly be honed in on players such as Mario Williams and Marcell Dareus to see how their proven ability carries over.

One player who may also draw some attention is recently-aqcuired defensive end Jamie Blatnick. (photo: KT King, Flickr)

According to Mark Armstrong of buffalobills.com, Blatnick, an Oklahoma State alum, has caught the eyes of coaching staff this offseason. And if given the chance to show what he's got to offer, Blatnick wants fans to know that he'll take full advantage of the opportunity.

"Look out for me," Blatnick said. "I’m going to be out there making plays and trying my hardest."

He certainly showed he had what it took in college, tallying 118 tackles and 16 sacks in 51 games. Blatnick spent most of last year with Denver's practice squad, and he's yet another Bill touting Pettine's schematic. 

"I love it. Nothing like I’ve been in," Blatnick said. "It’s just so fast-paced and so complex yet somewhat simple. It’s one of those things where everyone has a little bit more leeway.

"Not everyone has to fit a gap, everyone has an opportunity to make plays."

Blatnick has worked to accommodate Pettine's system, reportedly dropping 20 pounds to help his speed on the edge as a pass rusher. The Bills could definitely use another set of quick feet, as the team tallied only 36 sacks last year (18th), with Williams and Dareus accounting for half of those.

Armstrong noted that Blatnick seen some first-team reps already this offseason, and the 23-year-old "sees an opportunity" to contribute on a weekly basis. 

"(It) really it wouldn’t matter where I was at," he said, "I mean if you don’t see opportunity what are you out here doing? I’m just trying to do the best I can and make myself the best player I can be and make players around me better."

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