Spiller haters take a look at some Bills history

[starrymessenger]

I like CJ too. He looks like a really great kid and frankly I'm glad he got paid - if he turns out not to be great investment, thats on the FO because CJs got great attitude and I'm sure is willing to learn and improve.

The problem I have, in addition to the oft cited "lack of vision" and "failure to adjust to the pro game" is the lack of burst, for a guy who was supposed to be all about burst. You see it especially on kick off returns, where he should excel. He seems somewhat tentative and I just don't see the explosion you have in good return guys (who are often not high draft choices). That is probably what worries me most. He is not the most dangerous return man on this team. Leodis is. Trouble is Leodis is as dangerous to the Bills as to the opposition. McGee was also better (so far at least) in his day.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

CJ Spiller's a bust. There. I said it.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

If your referring to Fred Jackson, you've got problems.

 

[DreReed83]

OJ Simpson had over 1000 yds from scrimmage his rookie year, in an era where 1000 rushing yards was the mark to reach if you were a RB. In today's game, 1000 yds is nothing. Times have changed.

 

spiller has a ton to prove.......

 

look at Blount down in tampa, he's having a great year and I think was undrafted. Proof that RB's are a dime a dozen.

 

Blount, Corey Ivy, Ryan Mathews, and Best have all outperformed Spiller. Spiller's a joke.

[Spiderweb]

Can't earn playing time over a guy who is old and not very skilled?

 

I see a problem.

 

Cj lack of progress, production, and ball security are all legitimate concerns. Yet, your comments about Jackson are way off the mark. Jackson is a very skilled, tough runner, with vision, who basically only lacks real speed to be elite. Alas, Fred is no kid and may have only a year or two left in the tank. Has developed into a passable blocker, and prior to this year, he was very dependable receiver (for whatever reason, he's had a few too many drops this year). Fred has been a very good back the past couple years.

[Bill from NYC]

There are many ways to judge a draft pick. Whitner has been here for 5 seasons and has a ton of tackles. On paper, he did his job, but I would determine his selection, more than Donte himself to be a bust. His limitations, and the Bills lack of strength up front made him a lousy pick at #8.

 

Wrt Spiller, he is a little scat back imo, a part time player on a team which needs a ton of help up front on both sides of the ball. If he improves and puts up some decent stats, a case could be made that he isn't a bust. However, a smart team wouldn't waste such a high pick on a situational player when the team has huge holes in such vital areas.

 

In summary, it will be very hard for Spiller to live up to the #9 selection, especially on a team with a marginal to OK LT, probably the worse RTs in the NFL, and possibly a hole at OG, depending on where they put Wood.

Edited December 29, 2010 by Bill from NYC

[Dorkington]

Cj lack of progress, production, and ball security are all legitimate concerns. Yet, your comments about Jackson are way off the mark. Jackson is a very skilled, tough runner, with vision, who basically only lacks real speed to be elite. Alas, Fred is no kid and may have only a year or two left in the tank. Has developed into a passable blocker, and prior to this year, he was very dependable receiver (for whatever reason, he's had a few too many drops this year). Fred has been a very good back the past couple years.

Like I said in other replies, I should have worded it a bit differently.

 

When I mentioned skills, I meant athletic skills. Freddie is a starting RB simply based on vision, and shiftiness, imo. He's not fast, he's not that strong, his hands are ok at best. He does though, see holes that CJ (and Lynch, unfortunately) don't see, or at the very least he's willing to take a 3 yard gain, instead of dancing around looking for a homerun and failing.

 

I *like* Freddie, a lot. Same with Fitzpatrick, and Kyle Williams. All guys who lack in athletic skill, but make plays with their heads.. usually. Unfortunately, that only goes so far, and you can't depend on a team full of guys like that.

 

We need a RB that can both see the holes/pick up tough yards AND hit homeruns. Right now we have one guy that can get a few yards, and another guy that can run fast but never has the opportunity because there is no gaping obvious hole.

[RealityCheck]

Since CJ is not a douchebag thug, I am happy to withhold judgement on him for quite a while. I think it is funny that over the past decade we have seen what ignoring our lines has done to the team, and that they flat out suck nowadays. However, we wonder why our RBs suck so bad in light of this. Has anyone even wondered why EVERY pass play is a quick 2 and 3 step drop? How can you go deep when you never have the time to run the 5 and 7 step drop plays.

[BuffaloBill]

Can't earn playing time over a guy who is old and not very skilled?

 

I see a problem.

 

 

Yeah ... the guy who had over 2,000 all purpose yards last year and may still break 1,000 rushing despite the idiotic coaching staff decision to give him very limited playing time through the first four games of the year.

[Dorkington]

Yeah ... the guy who had over 2,000 all purpose yards last year and may still break 1,000 rushing despite the idiotic coaching staff decision to give him very limited playing time through the first four games of the year.

See my other responses.

[bkc]

I am not saying that CJ Spiller is going to be the next Great Bills back but if you look into Bills history you will find that his rookie season avg. ypc 3.9 is the same as both OJ and Joe Cribbs. This intrigued me so I then did some more digging. I remember looking at Spiller's college highlight reel shortly after the draft last year and being very impressed. At the time that was that and I was done. Through the course of this season my brother in law, who watches alot of college football, has been suprised at C.J.'s lack of success. He thought he was one of the greatest college running backs of all time. So I decided to reinvestigate youtube.com/watch?v=5qMzVNKp2tw take a look at OJ college running style and compare it to CJ college running style . Spiller is not as powerful as OJ but it is the changing of gears and gallop that are very similar. Perhaps CJ just needs a season or two to adjust to the NFL and in the mean time Freddy J is alot like Thurman. I think we as Bills fans are really spoilled with our rich lineage of running backs. Even the backs we discard other teams have coveated. Think about the long line of good to great backs:

 

Cookie Gilchrist, OJ Simpson, Joe Cribbs, Greg Bell, Thurman Thomas, Antowain Smith, Travis Henry, Willis McGahee, Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson, CJ Spiller???? everyone but Spiller is a 1000 yd rusher. I just don't think we should be so quick to throw in the towel on CJ. Even our change of pace backs historically have been high round draft picks that another team would use as a feature back. See Robb Ridick, Kenneth Davis, Ronnie Harmon if CJ falls into this categorie but is still a major contributor he is not a wasted pick. I think he will be a star though lets give him a season or two.

 

 

agreed

[AF88Bills]

I think those of us who are unhappy with the Spiller pick are focused on the last 20 years of Bills history, during which they have started each season without five NFL-quality offensive linemen.

 

This is key. The bills woes at running back have less to do with the runner, and more to do with the o-line. you see it every year in the NFL. Take NE's Danny Woodhead. Put that guy on the Bills and Bill's fans would be fussing about him too. He wouldn't do squat with the line Buffalo has.

Edited December 29, 2010 by AF88Bills

[34-78-83]

This is key. The bills woes at running back have less to do with the runner, and more to do with the o-line. you see it every year in the NFL. Take NE's Danny Woodhead. Put that guy on the Bills and Bill's fans would be fussing about him too. He wouldn't do squat with the line Buffalo has.

 

And neither would Chris Johnson for that matter

[Lenigmusx]

Jeez. If you're going to compare him with Juice and Cribbs... two of the best backs in Bills history, why not make it a bigger stretch and include Thomas. Or, why don't we just take a look at Bills Running backs that were taken in the first round and were career utility backs... Miller, Bell, Harmon, McCahee, Lynch. Spiller is in that class.

 

Back to your comparison to Juice and Cribbs. Ahem, both were starters in the very first season and were MAJOR contributors to their offense. Spiller wasn't even a minor contributor... he didn't even get on the field enough to to qualify. If you're a RB, and drafted #9 and don't start, something is not just wrong.... it's extremely wrong. If you don't have even one big game, that speaks volumes. It says to me it was another horrendously poor draft pick by the Bills.

Here is his stat line- Rushing 71 att 5.5 cpg 278 yds 3.9 ypc 21.4 ypg receiving 24 rec 157 yds 6.5 avg 12.1 ypg 41 long He also has 933 return yards. Total yards from scrimage = 1368 2 Td's not great but still a fair contribution.

[DreReed83]

This is key. The bills woes at running back have less to do with the runner, and more to do with the o-line. you see it every year in the NFL. Take NE's Danny Woodhead. Put that guy on the Bills and Bill's fans would be fussing about him too. He wouldn't do squat with the line Buffalo has.

 

Yet Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, Travis Henry, Willis McGahee produced even with an inept line. Yet Spiller struggles. hmmmm

 

And neither would Chris Johnson for that matter

 

Spiller was taken top 10. Where was Chris Johnson taken? And Chris Johnson grinded out 1000 yds his rookie year while sharing carries with Lendale White. I already made you look stupid in the other post. Don't make me do it again in this one.

Edited December 29, 2010 by DreReed83

[John from Riverside]

Can't earn playing time over a guy who is old and not very skilled?

 

I see a problem.

 

I was going to jump all over this but then read your other responses.......

 

Love me some Jackson....considering how he came up and through the guy is very talented.....both running and receiving.....and our OL has not been great in the run blocking department

Edited December 30, 2010 by John from Hemet