Arthur Moats has received a lot of reps with the starters thus far at training camp, and now we know why.


Defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt said Tuesday that Moats has the lead in an open competition with Kirk Morrison for the starting strong side linebacker job. Wannstedt first broke the news in an interview with WGR 550 AM radio Tuesday morning and later confirmed the report with members of the media.

“Arthur Moats and Kirk Morrison are in a battle and to be quite honest with you, Arthur probably gets the nudge a little bit,” Wannstedt said. “They’re going to split time (Thursday) in the game. Arthur might have outperformed (Morrison) a little bit at this point in training camp. So we’ve got real competition going on right there. How it unfolds? The games will determine that.”

The news comes as a minor surprise because the strong side position was not considered completely open heading into training camp, and Morrison was re-signed to take over the starting role. But Moats has earned plenty of reps with the first team at camp and has taken advantage of his opportunity.

“He’s made very few mistakes and he’s playing fast, he really is,” Wannstedt said.

One reason for Moats' improvement could be that this is the first time in his career that he has a set position. As a rookie, he showed flashes as a situational pass rusher. Last year, he switched back and forth between inside and outside linebacker in the 3-4. This year, he’s worked mostly as a strong side linebacker in the team’s new 4-3 scheme, while occasionally moving to the weak side or middle position in subpackages.

The third-year pro is encouraged by his current standing, but also knows that he hasn’t won the job yet.

“I feel like every day you have to continue to get better and continue to practice and play as if you’re trying to win that job,” Moats said. “Just because you got there, as soon as you got there you can lose it that quickly if I go out there and play terrible. It’s definitely a boost of confidence, but it doesn’t change my approach in any way.”


For more updates on the Bills follow correspondent Mark Ludwiczak on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLBUF and@MarkLud12.