PITTSFORD - Tim Krumrie has been known to call players into the gym and challenge them to a wrestling match. But the Bills' defensive line coach may have finally met his match.
Enter Tim Anderson - Buffalo's third-round draft pick - a 6-foot-3, 307-pound defensive tackle who has an impressive background in wrestling.
"(Coach Krumrie) hasn't challenged me yet," said Anderson, a former state high school wrestling champion in Ohio. "I did sort of have a wrestling match with him on our pro day (at Ohio State) before the draft. If that's anything like he wrestles, I definitely wouldn't want to take him on."
During that predraft workout, Krumrie - who also was a state champion high school wrestler - took on Anderson in an abbreviated match. Though there was no official winner, Anderson had caught the attention of the Bills.
"I liked the effort he gave when I worked him out," Krumrie said. "There was no nonsense and no stop - that goes a long way in my book. (The match) was more of a character check than anything else."
Anderson has continued to impress, showing himself to be stout in the middle of the line. When nine-year veteran Oliver Gibson was cut Sunday, it was an indication the Bills were happy with the progress of Anderson and their other reserve tackles.
"Tim has gradually gotten better and better," said Bills coach Mike Mularkey. "The more he understands, the more comfortable he is. You can just see it in his play, he's gotten better."
Sam Adams and Pat Williams are the Bills' clear-cut starters at defensive tackle, but it is a position that calls for depth. Buffalo likes to rotate its tackles in order to keep them fresh.
Behind the starters, the Bills have Anderson, Justin Bannan, Ron Edwards and Lauvale Sape.
"(Adams and Williams) are two of the best people at this position in the league," said Anderson. "They're definitely guys to learn from, even just to watch how they take on blocks and beat them."
In Buffalo's 4-3 scheme, one tackle lines up over center while the other is at an under-tackle spot, lining up on the outside shoulder of a guard. Anderson has spent most of his time working at the under position, but Krumrie says all of his tackles are capable of playing either spot.
"I just have to stay on my feet and plug that gap," Anderson said. "What I need to do is go in there, know my assignments and do my job to the best of my ability."
Anderson played a fair amount against Denver in Sunday's preseason opener but did not record any tackles.
"(Anderson) is getting better every day," said Krumrie. "We just have to see how camp finishes out. I'm looking for him to grow with each thing we do.
"He's doing his part. I just have to do my part now - don't give him too much to learn, just let him execute the things he's got right now."
Anderson, an All-Big Ten first-team selection as a senior at Ohio State, was originally projected to be a second-day pick. But his work after the college season quickly moved him up the ladder to where Buffalo selected him at No. 74 overall. "I want to contribute to this team as much as possible," said Anderson. "(The Bills) took a chance in picking me in the third round, and I want to show them that they didn't waste their pick and that I'm capable and I can play."
e-mail:
gnason@buffnews.com
