Aaron Maybin has started only one game in two NFL seasons, and he hasn't recorded a sack -- not exactly what the Buffalo Bills wanted from their 2009 first-round draft pick.
But Maybin knows what he must do to lose the "bust" tag: Put in the work, and win over coach Chan Gailey, who deactivated the linebacker for five games last season.
"Coach obviously feels he has not seen what it is that he needs to see out of me thus far in order to have the confidence to rely on me to be the dominant piece of the puzzle that this organization needs in order to help us move in the right direction," Maybin told NFL Blog Blitz on Friday. "I'm fighting to show him that that's exactly what it is that I have to bring to the table. It's a trust issue, and whenever you're dealing with a head coach, it's my responsibility to earn his trust, plain and simple.
Gailey recently told ESPN.com that Maybin, 23, needs to "understand about pass rush" and improve against the run and on special teams. So Maybin has his work cut out for him amid some harsh criticism.
"My whole career, my mindset has been the same: Work as hard as you can, harder than anyone else is willing to work, and let the rest take care of itself," Maybin said. "Control what I can control and put the rest in God's hands, that's all I know.
"I've been playing the game of football since I can remember and have faced criticism at every level. Whether it be my size, strength, experience, whatever; the one thing that never gets questioned is work ethic. And at the end of the day, that's always what pays off."
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For Maybin, that work ethic includes training five days per week while the lockout prevents him for talking to Bills coaches and staff. Maybin said he's trying to improve his core strength through powerlifting and cardio, and he's also mixing in yoga, boxing and pool exercises.
Because of that work and staff continuity, Maybin expects success in his third NFL campaign.
"This will be the first season that I can start with primarily the same core staff that I finished with the year before," Maybin said. "Being comfortable with a system is very important for an athlete at any level, but none bigger than the professional arena. And with a year under the scheme we have in place already, making the adjustments that this year's staff wants to make going into this year will be much easier to grasp and implement."