By Mike Holbrook
July 24, 2007

Things are going good for Bills DE Chris Kelsay on the home front and on the field as he heads into his fifth NFL season.

Personally, Kelsay and his wife, Natalie, are enjoying the company of their 17-month-old daughter, Harper. Professionally, Kelsay enters his fifth pro season entrenched as the Bills’ starter at defensive left end.

The Bills made sure to lock up the 6-4, 261-pound Kelsay, who started all 16 games in 2006 and recorded 88 tackles with 5½ sacks and one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, with a four-year contract extension that will pay him a reported $23 million.

He expected to enter free agency but was blown away by the Bills’ lucrative offer and stayed put in Buffalo, where he told PFW in the following exclusive interview that he loves the “college atmosphere” surrounding Bills home games, enjoys the family feel of the franchise and loves playing for head coach Dick Jauron.

PFW: Having been in Buffalo for a few years now, what is the fan base like in western New York?

Kelsay: I love our fans. In fact, I’ve said from the get-go, it’s a real college atmosphere. You know, with the exception of the past couple years when the Sabres have done really well, Buffalo has been strictly a football city. And it’s a very blue-collar city, so you’ve got people who are going to be very loyal to the Bills, regardless of wins or losses, and you’ve got people who are going to fill the stands week in and week out. Even with the success of the Sabres, I really think this is a football city. I think it’s just a college atmosphere because other than this, there really isn’t a whole lot else around as far as teams go. It’s all about Bills and Sabres here. I mean, you can drive down the street on Monday morning and you can tell by the expression on people’s faces whether the Bills won or lost on Sunday. That’s how serious people take it here. It reminds me a lot about back home. That’s the way it is in Nebraska, too — it’s all about Cornhusker football.

PFW: The fact that the Bills have sold out five games already for the 2007 season — what does that say to you?

Kelsay: Well, it sounds like everybody’s excited about the season. I think they should be, because there’s been a lot of changes made — most specifically gains on the offense. We’ve had some key losses on defense; we’re going to be very young on defense, which I don’t think is a bad thing. People are excited. I think our offense is going to be better this year. It’ll hold on to the ball longer so our defense isn’t on the field as long. And I think it’ll be an exciting defense because you’ve got guys that don’t know anything than what’s here. The guys that have been here under this coaching staff — the rookies have obviously never been under another scheme or situation as far as the coaching staff goes — and I think we’re all going to be playing with the same goal: winning football games for each other. I think when you see us on the football field, you’re just going to see 11 guys flying around, making plays.

PFW: How do you see your role on this defense — has it changed over the years?

Kelsay: Yeah, especially with the departure of London (Fletcher), Takeo (Spikes) and Nate (Clements). I’m going to have to take on more of a leadership role this year because I will be one of the oldest guys on the defense. Obviously, London was our heart and soul at the middle linebacker position, Takeo has been banged up the past two seasons, and Nate was never a big talker to the team — he led by example. We’re going to have to have a couple of guys step up and kind of put this team on their back. That said, through minicamps and the OTAs, I see 11 guys who can be leaders on our defense at one time. That’s how I think we are. We’re just going to play for each other, we’re going to play hard, and we know what to expect of each other. If the rookies and young guys who are going to play can get on board with that, then I think we’ll be all right.

PFW: I know veteran DT Darwin Walker hasn’t reported and that’s a disappointment. How’s second-year DT John McCargo doing? Are you confident there are enough bodies to take care of things inside this season?

Kelsay: Well, right now I feel like we’ll be all right. Time will tell. John was still rehabbing a little bit during the minicamps and OTAs. He was able to do a few drills, nothing contact-wise, but I think he’s coming along. That’s been over a month now, so he should be healthy. The biggest thing for him is to get back into game shape. That’s the case for pretty much everybody, even myself. There’s nothing that can simulate an actual game condition. You can work out hard in the offseason and run all you want, but until you actually get into a game setting, you won’t get into condition. For a guy who has been out of it as long as John has, it could be tough. But, I think it’s a thing that hopefully he’ll pick up quick because we need him. … Obviously, Darwin Walker would’ve been a great addition, but that doesn’t look like that’s going to happen, so we’ve got to move forward.

PFW:  What about the LB situation now that London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes are gone?

Kelsay: You have Keith Ellison, who came in as a rookie last year and played a lot. They’ve got high expectations for him. Angelo Crowell, obviously, is a proven starter. That middle position is pretty much open for competition between John DiGiorgio and Paul Posluszny. (Posluszny’s) a guy they drafted in the second round and really like. But J.D. has played very well and made the most of the opportunity they gave him. He ran with the first group the entire offseason and he played really well. They love his speed. The guy’s lightning-fast and he has a knack for the football. It’ll be a good, heated competition. Posluszny ran with the second group in the offseason and he did some good things, but it’s tough, especially being a play-caller and to come in as a rookie, get your defense lined up pre-snap and play at a high level yourself. I think he can do it, but it might be a situation where it takes a little bit of time.

PFW: What are your impressions of Posluszny?

Kelsay: I think he’ll be a great player. He’s physically talented, he’s got all the skills and all the gifts that you need. It’s just a matter that’s it’s a tough position to play. Not only do you have to know your stuff, you have to know your front, you’ve got to know the guys behind you, you’ve got to know the entire defense. He did it in college. Obviously, things are a little different at this level, but I think he’s got the tools to get it done. It’s just a matter of when that happens — right away or a couple games into the season?

PFW: What are you impressions of (first-round draft pick) Marshawn Lynch?

Kelsay: The little bit I did see, I was very impressed with him. How versatile he is. He’s a good receiving back, he makes a lot of guys miss. He’s got great feet. A lot of times, I think Willis (McGahee) would try to run guys over where Marshawn will try to use his agility a little bit more. I think he’s also a guy who can push the pile a bit too. I’m looking for great things from Marshawn.

PFW: What are your impressions of Coach Jauron?

Kelsay: I’m very impressed with Coach Jauron. He’s so even-keeled. He’s the same guy all the time. He loves to win, he loves the game and he coaches hard. He expects a lot of us, but he gives us a lot in return. He’s a real players’ coach. I’m just really impressed with how he handles himself around the media, around us, around the fans. He’s just an all-around good guy. He’s a moral guy, which I think is important. He’s a family guy. He’s just been a blessing so far.