By Tim Graham
Paul Posluszny would like to have known the Buffalo Bills' interest in a 3-4 defense was a mere flirtation.
The main reason Posluszny departed in free agency was his desire to play in a 4-3 system again. He signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Bills' 3-4 experiment lasted two seasons. They named Dave Wannstedt defensive coordinator and switched back to a 4-3 this year.
"If someone would've gave me the heads up," Posluszny said with a laugh.
Posluszny was on a conference call today to preview Sunday's game between the Jaguars and Bills in Ralph Wilson Stadium. It will be his first regular-season game in Orchard Park since he left.
"Obviously, you can't go back now," Posluszny continued. "But when that happened, I said, 'You've got to be kidding me.' Coach Wannstedt's there. They're going back to a 4-3. What are you going to do, though? The decision was made."
Posluszny said he has "all the respect in the world for Coach Wannstedt." They've known each other casually since Posluszny starred for Hopewell High in the Pittsburgh area. Wannstedt is one of the Steel City's more prominent football sons and became Pitt's head coach after Posluszny committed to Penn State.
"I haven't spent a whole lot of time with him," Posluszny said, "but I feel like I know him for some reason."
The Bills drafted Posluszny 34th overall in 2007 to be their top 4-3 linebacker.
The Bills switched to a 3-4 when Chan Gailey became head coach in 2010. Posluszny's impact declined significantly. He recorded 151 tackles with two sacks and no forced turnovers that season.
A year earlier, Posluszny had 111 tackles, one sack, three interceptions and three forced fumbles in just 12 games.
"My last year, going to that 3-4, I didn't feel like I played well," Posluszny said. "I didn't feel like I was a fit. I needed to get back to what I knew the best and what I felt I could play the best football at."
Posluszny hasn't missed a game since joining Jacksonville. He leads the Jaguars this year with 156 tackles (based on the team's coaching film review) and has recorded double-digit tackles in nine of their 11 games. He also has two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
"I think when it was time to make that decision with the information that I had and the surrounding circumstances, I think I made the right call," Posluszny said. "Obviously, when you play for anybody, you want to win, and we haven't had success in my two years here, which has been difficult.
"When you have a losing record consistently, it's tough. It wears on you. Obviously, everybody wants to win. You want to go to the playoffs. But that's something I've obviously not been able to experience. Hopefully, somewhere in my career I will."
