Robert Woods not taking snaps with the Buffalo Bills' first-team offense turned out to be one of the more surprising aspects of Sunday'sHall of Fame Game.
Three days after Woods exclusively played with the backups, coach Doug Marrone pulled aside the second-year receiver to discuss the matter.
Apparently, the coaches were trying to motivate Woods.
"We know Robert can play three positions for us. We're just trying to figure out what's the best combination that we have out there," Marrone said Wednesday, per ESPN.com's Mike Rodak. "When Robert first came to camp, he didn't do that. Not to say he was complacent or not, but I told Robert today, when he plays with that little chip on his shoulder, he's a darn good football player.
"I said, we need to see you play more with a chip on your shoulder every single day, and I think you'll see that same result as you saw in the game and today."
According to Rodak, Woods arguably had his best practice in more than a week on Wednesday, so perhaps the motivational tactic is working.
Woods "has done a great job, he's playing hungry" quarterback EJ Manuel said, per the team's official Twitter feed.
Mike Williams' play during training camp has impressed coaches, which allowed them to slide Woods back to the second group.
Woods' talent when focused is undeniable, but he had an up-and-down rookie season. The receiver possesses the ability to shift between the outside and the slot to go along with shifty route running. How long he'll be buried on the depth chart is something to monitor, but we expect the cream will rise to the top at some point during preseason.
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