GunnerBill
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Posts posted by GunnerBill
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The only guy who the rumour mill has as possibly availabe that I would give a pick for is Foles. I like Bradford a little more than Foles but wouldn't trade for him and take on the salary.... I'd only bring him in if he was cut.
Glennon, Cousins or anyone else I might take a FA flier on but I am not giving a pick for.
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he was playing against a backup DL that was in the midst of a blowout and a unit that didn't prepare for his style of play. Once he came back out again and they had like 5 min to prep, he consistently sucked for his next 7 quarters.
And he did it running two plays and a scramble drill. That drive whilst exciting was a red flag to me - I think it showed they were not confident that he knew the playbook.
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He is poor. No mobility and as inaccurate as EJ on those key intermediate routes with tight windows. He just drops back and slings it as far as he can every snap. No. No. No.
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I still believe that the Bills have missed a trick in the past 3 or 4 years not using more split backfields with Fred and CJ on the field and in the backfield at the same time. The fact that they are both different styles of runner and the fact that they are both catching threats out of the backfield too I just think it would have made teams think more about how to defend the Bills. When Nate Hackett arrived he said early on "we are going to get the best 5 skill guys we have on the field." I refuse to believe that in year 1 of the Marrone era Fred and CJ were not among our best 5 skill players..... probably along with Woods, Stevie and Chandler. Instead we had guys like Frank Summers, Lee Smith and TJ Graham on the field.
Am I in favour of using Boobie as a full back / 2nd running threat? He would have to be better as a blocker or on the plays where you don't run him you are going to get into trouble in both run and pass situations. Fred did talk about how hard Boobie worked on that side of his game, let's hope the work pays off.
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These guys have been around for a couple of weeks of off-season. Even if they would normally give all sorts of great insight (they wouldn't), they don't even have that ability right now.
Correct. That is part of my point. It's why these press conferences actually add little value.
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Or any Marketing guy in America.
Or I can just listen to these changing talking heads in Bills gear every 1 or 2 years saying the things they are supposed to say in January and February and then repeat them in written form?
I get that a lot of people like the press conferences, even I watched the videos of them last night, but they do not tell you anything and in all honesty I'm not sure I would want them to. The test will be what do they put on the field. They both have decent pedigree, let's hope it translates.
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But as a model of accuracy, arm, and mobility, he had tons of potential. Maybe he won't realize it, but it exists.
That is not a fact, it is an opinion. I do not believe that potential is there at NFL level. Not sure the game will ever translate even if he does get his head right.
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Good list of questions John, but I can already give you the answers.
- Do you feel Sammy Watkins was underutilized last year?
"I wasn't here last year so I can't speak to that, all I can tell you is we are going to look at every way to get the ball in the hands of our playmakers and Sammy Watkins is an outstanding playmaker. We are excited to have him."
- Do you feel that running a dive on 1st down is critical to drive success?
"I think you have to be balanced. That is what every team is striving for - balance. We will try to mix it up and not be predictable but we are going to run the football."
- What is your opinions on OT's moving to OG....is that a good thing or a bad thing (Kujo)
"I don't think there are any hard and fast rules. We are going to look at the guys on the roster on the o-line and evaluate what we have and go from there. I looked at Koundjio coming out and I thought he had some strengths and we are excited to see how he comes along."
- How vital are TE's gong to be in this offense
"We are going to try and fit the offense to the strengths of the guys we have. If we have a guy at tight end who is making plays for us then we are going to get him the ball often."
- Do you feel we have a true NT on the team if we are going to run 3-4
"I think we have some terrific players ont he defensive line. We are going to look at them and evaluate their stengths and fit our scheme to the talent that we have."
- Do you feel that our secondary is better suited to play press coverage........is that a important factor in your defense
"We are not going to just do one thing on defense, we will make sure we are able to play some press and some zone and put our guys in the best situations to make a play."
- What is the plan now for Kiko Alonzo as he was out all year and now comes back to yet another DC
"The first thing is making sure Kiko is ready to go physically. If he is we are excited to have him back he is an explosive player who makes plays."
- Spikes?
We are still in the evluation phase and part of that is looking at our guys that are free agents and seein which ones we need to try and bring back."
- What will Hughes role be in this D? Do you feel he is a every down player in this D?
"Jerry Hughes is an outstanding football player. Clearly he has the option to explore free agency if he chooses but we want him back here, and if he is we will put him in positions to make plays."
- When we hear that "competition" will be brought in at QB......exactly what TYPE of competition? Former QB starter, trade for a starter, draft?
"We are not going to tie ourselves to a specific type of guy. I think as Rex and Doug have said we are going to leave no stone unturned."
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No that was Jim Hostler.
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Release Foles and sign Sanchez? Why would they unless his shoulder recovery isn't going well? Foles is signed, and he's cheap. Why not keep him unless you are offered something really really juicy in exchange - a potential game changing player like Dareus, say.
Because if they want to get up for Mariota they need ammunition. Sanchez is a UFA and has no value beyond a late round pick even if you try and sign him and trade him. If you can get someone to part with a 1st or (more likely) a 2nd for Foles then you can use that in your bundle to get up the board.
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They started last year with 4 running backs and a full back. I think if Roman intends to use one a lot then they will carry a specialist rather than splitting the FB load between Dixon and Gray. I repeat that traditionally Rex Ryan hasn't been big on keeping WRs and given our weakness at the position I never really understood keeping 3 TEs (except for Nate / Doug's genius 3 TE packages where we take talented players off the field and bring in Lee Smith and Chris Gragg). If we want to be ground and pound keep 4 running backs and a full back... they are going to more important than having a plethora of receivers. Unless Rex does a Doug and dresses 5 guys just for special teams.
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I am not a massive Foles fan either and think Bradfird is the better option. Foles play in 2014 was pretty terrible for the most part before injury. I think when his career ends that 2013 year will be the outlier in his stats. Regardless, I would be happy at the right cost for the Bill to take a shot at either.
The Foles to the Rams thing..... could this be a way of Chip stocking his picks to get up for Mariota? Would St Louis give up a 1st for Foles? If they would then you would think Chip could package #10 and #20 to try and move up.... but given that there are two QB needy teams at #1 and #2 and there are only two guys generally seen in this draft as potential franchise guys would those two picks and a later ound pick get Philly there? Or would they need to give up next year's first as well? And what if the best St Louis will give up is a 2nd.... Would this year's 1st, two 2nds, next year's 1st and 3rd get the job done? It is certainly intruiging. I am starting to believe Kelly wants to find a way to land Mariota, maybe the Bills could be the beneficiary of whichever one of Foles or Bradford shakes loose?
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I think the Bills picked the right guys to keep. But Cohen turned up in camp and worked his ass off so you can only wish him well for the future.
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If you want cheaper options guys then anywhere in the boroughs of Camden or Ealing would provide easy access to central London and the Stadium. Or Brent, Hillingdon and Harrow which are a bit further out from the centre of the City, but close to the stadium.
The thing to focus on when booking somewhere further out is proximity to a underground train network (tube) station. The closer the better for getting around. That is less of an issue the more central you are.
EDIT: If anyone has found somewhere and wants to check it is a sensible location feel free to PM me.
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I honestly would rather take Connor Shaw off their hands and have him take Tuel's spot
+1
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EVERYONE had Sammy as a level above ODB as a prospect.
Including, interestingly, the New York Giants. They had Watkins rated higher. They made an early decision that they were not willing to move up to where the Bills got and so focused on "who might be there." Get Sammy Watkins better Quarterback play, hope that he avoids injury and he will end up in the Hall. No doubt in my mind.
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PFF makes you pull you hair out. Defies all sense of reason and logic sometimes.
I think part of the problem, without wishing to completely denegrate my countrymen is that a load of their analysts are British guys who have been watching the NFL since the mid 80s but who have, at a guess, never played at any kind of serious level. I find some of their analysis is interesting but it is not an expert's eye, not by a long chalk in fact.
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I've felt this way for a while. I think the sheer number of guys who came out early last year has played a major part in that. I think this is a draft where you might pick up a good hybrid DE/OLB pass rusher or a good running back in the second round that will not be that different from a guy that went from 12-32 in the first round. If Hughes does not re-sign then both of those positions are in play for the Bills I think. I think in all other position groups last year's draft was stronger and had better depth.
Quarterback I think is a little different. My board would have Mariota and Winston ahead of all the guys who went in the 1st and 2nd last year, but it would then have all 5 of last year's 1st and 2nd rounders before the third Quarterback this year. I do think the two year drought of a Quarterback going #1 overall will end this year.
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My "surprise" cut might be Maquise Goodwin. I think he ended last season firmly #4 on the depth chart and Rex has generally only kept 5 on the active roster through his time at the Jets, preferring instead to keep extra DBs and D-Linemen. I would look for the Bills to add at least 1 experienced vet receiver in free agency (a solid contibuter type not a big splash) and then all of a sudden it wouldn't take a lot to knock Goodwin off the roster.
I hope not, because I think utilised properly he is a real weapon, but I do see a scenario where he ends up on the bubble come training camp.
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Brandon Weeden? Seriously? Is this what it has come to? Yuk.
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I think the truth is Buffalo needs very few pieces to be a Superbowl contender. However, it needs the single most important piece - a top 15 Quarterback. Teams have got to the Superbowl in recent years without an elite guy but nobody has got there since the Bears in 2006 with a Quarterback that isn't top 15 (although you might argue that Kaepernick has regressed from that category since).
Other than that I think we need at lest one high level guard in the hope that it improves our line in 2 ways - improves our Guard play and improves the play of Wood with one side of him locked up.
A running back - I don't think the Bills have a guy who you know is going to find a way to get yards when the opposition know you want to run it.
The rest? Meh... could we use an upgrade at the other guard spot and possibly at Right Tackle (depending on how Henderson comes on?) Sure. Could we use an upgrade at Tight End? Sure. Might we be that one absolute shutdown guy away in the secondary (where we have lots of very good players but no 1 elite guy)? Maybe.
But the fact is I look at the reigning Champions Seahawks and they are weaker than us at receiver, I would take Chandler ahead of any of their tight ends and the right side of their O-Line has been inconsistent for 2 years. Their defensive backfield is stronger than ours but I'd give our front 7 the edge over theirs..... so I really think the difference between us and them is 3 pieces. The problem is that one of those is the most important and the hardest to solve.
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I was classed a Johnny "Hater" on here in the run up to the last draft. I was even told that my strength of feeling against drafting him was based on a jealousy for his lifestyle (seriously). My view on his then was the same as it is now. He was a terrific college Quarterback, when the defenses are less complex and the talent levels aren't as consistently high and I said then (and people told me it was the other way round) he was playing with a genuine playmaker at receiver who caught errant passes that frankly shouldn't even have been thrown. Mike Evans was, and is at the next level, a stud. Johnny Manziel is, and was, a huge project at the NFL level.
I saw a game that would struggle to transition. I saw average arm talent, I saw an inability to read defences from the pocket, I saw a guy who was first read or tuck run and scramble drill, and I saw a guy run away from defenders in a way that you knew would not be available to him in the pros. These were not criticisms based out of some subjective hatred of Johnny Manziel, these were things I saw watching his games. I was not invested personally in his success or failure, I don't follow a college team I watch college football on a Saturday evening here in the UK when I am not out for the evening. But there was not question there was something inherently intriguing about him, he played with an arrogance and was fun to watch and sometimes there are players where the Xs and Os don't tell the whole story... players who have that little bit of magic. Tebow had that to an extent (Johnny can actually throw), and probably a better example would be Doug Flutie.
My stance from there was this - IF you have a guy whose attitude is unquestioned, who you know is gonna work his tail off and who appears to be a sponge wanting to learn and wanting to be taught then maybe you take a risk on the magic transitioning and being able to correct enough of the other elements. If you have a guy who was always questionable off the field then it is simply a waste of your time.
Having said all of that - I was surprised by just how much he struggled. That drive against Buffalo they basically ran 2 plays and a scramble drill. That was a red flag.... as exciting as I'm sure that drive was.... it was a "uh oh - does Johnny not know the playbook?" moment. Turns out he absolutely didn't know the playbook. But they should absolutely not close the book on Manziel after whatever it is, 6 quarters of football. My pre-draft prediction for his success or otherwise in the NFL was Vince Young. Now if the Browns could get a level of play out of him that resembled the best of Vince Young he would offer more than Brian Hoyer will ever offer.
But my view when he came out was that his chances of finding success as a long term NFL starter were less than 20%...... I'd now say they are half of that at best. I would not be in favour of bringing him to Buffalo, if indeed the Browns do part ways with him. I believe he would add nothing to our roster.
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Go to the NFLUK website and follow the links. Easiest way.
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I genuinely felt more positive about EJ than most coming out of year 1. I thought he played well in the season opener at Chicago too but it was downhill from there. He was below average against the Dolphins, poor against the Chargers and awful at Houston. I could not argue with Marrone's decision to bench him at that point. I said here in the shoutbox at the end of that game - "that is a performance that can get a guy benched." The chance that the light turns on and things switch around with different and hopefully better coaching is really based on the kid's attitude and work eithic. If they can simplify it for him I have no doubt in his desire to succeed. But to follow Monos' sentiment and the sentiment of others on here now.... the odds are against EJ becoming a top 20 Quarterback right now, let alone top 10.
Polian's Failure
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
Yep, that was my thinking. Those years were before I was watching the NFL so I didn't feel in a position to be the first one to say it but surely the idea was we can score big and score quick, we are going to make you take a long time to get your points and you simply won't be able to keep up.