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Posted

http://www.cbssports.com/#!/nfl/story/15168205/breakout-players-stafford-leads-class-of-20

 

C.J. Spiller, RB, Buffalo Bills: Spiller was expected to add a dynamic presence to the Buffalo offense last season, but it never happened. He was slowed by injuries and had only one start. He played in 14 games, rushing for 283 yards on 74 carries. That 3.8 per-rush average isn't too impressive for a player with his speed. With a year under his belt, I think that speed shows up a lot more this season. Look for a 1,000-yard season from Spiller with a lot of big plays

Posted

http://www.cbssports.com/#!/nfl/story/15168205/breakout-players-stafford-leads-class-of-20

 

C.J. Spiller, RB, Buffalo Bills: Spiller was expected to add a dynamic presence to the Buffalo offense last season, but it never happened. He was slowed by injuries and had only one start. He played in 14 games, rushing for 283 yards on 74 carries. That 3.8 per-rush average isn't too impressive for a player with his speed. With a year under his belt, I think that speed shows up a lot more this season. Look for a 1,000-yard season from Spiller with a lot of big plays

Not really the injuries that did it.

Posted

http://www.cbssports.com/#!/nfl/story/15168205/breakout-players-stafford-leads-class-of-20

 

C.J. Spiller, RB, Buffalo Bills: Spiller was expected to add a dynamic presence to the Buffalo offense last season, but it never happened. He was slowed by injuries and had only one start. He played in 14 games, rushing for 283 yards on 74 carries. That 3.8 per-rush average isn't too impressive for a player with his speed. With a year under his belt, I think that speed shows up a lot more this season. Look for a 1,000-yard season from Spiller with a lot of big plays

 

I sure hope so, but being a realist, I think He'll be a bust...

Posted

I sure hope so, but being a realist, I think He'll be a bust...

If he only gets 5 carries per game or so what do you expect? The guy has to get 15 carries per game fromscrimmage and about 3 to 5 passes as well for him to be an impact.

Posted

I sure hope so, but being a realist, I think He'll be a bust...

 

I'll go on record as disagreeing. I think CJ has had an opportunity to see the difference between what he faced in NCAA vs. what he faced in the NFL. He did not change his running game to accommodate for the differences last year, but I saw the explosiveness that scouts saw at Clemson. I look forward to a breakout year from CJ with a good mix of plays out of the backfield and receiving yards.

Posted

I am worried about CJ and where he fits in with this team. He was a total liability in pass protection last year. Blitzers blew past him, uncontested on a few occasions, and landed some big shots on Fitz. It was obvious by mid season that Gailey did not trust CJ at all in passing situations. It did not take long for opposing defenses to realize that whenever Spiller was on the field the play was either a run or a screen. When the opposing defense can pretty much rule out half the playbook, its not very difficult for them to shut down a RB. I found it particularly discouraging that he wasn't even given the opportunity to pass protect late in the season, which really made we wonder whether CJ is getting better at picking up the blitz or if Gailey just gave up on it.

 

CJ also had difficulty running between the tackles. Trying to bounce everything outside doesn't get you far in the NFL. I think we will see CJ get used more like a Reggie Bush, Marshall Faulk (late in his career with the Rams), and Brian Westbrook type back. Lots of short passes and relatively few carries out of the backfield. CJ did show some promise splitting out wide and running some deep routes as well.

 

He's got a ton of talent for sure, but will the Bills be able to use him if he doesn't develop as a more traditional feature back?

Posted (edited)

I really hope CJ finds a way to make an impact this year. He is not going to be the starter, and he is not supposed to be despite his high draft status. We want him to produce BIG PLAYS ...Something he never even showed glimpses of last year (Ok, I think he actually had one pretty impressive play).

 

Gailey clearly likes these kind of guys, and tried to use him in many different situations so he could use his abilities. What concerns me is the consistent failure to get even a few yards, in many different formations. He doesn't show good vision, and never seems to be able to find the right gap. I think this is a guy that needs a good O-line to open up that initial hole, and get him up to speed. Something the Bills haven't had.

 

I am definitely not ready to say he is a bust though. He is lightning fast, and I still have hope that Gailey can figure out how to get him going...If not, the pressure is on Gailey for selecting him...

Edited by Turbosrrgood
Posted

If he only gets 5 carries per game or so what do you expect? The guy has to get 15 carries per game fromscrimmage and about 3 to 5 passes as well for him to be an impact.

Maybe if he made some plays he'd get more opportunities.

Posted

Maybe he is not very good. Maybe he will be good but is earning. If its the latter, the lockout hurts his chances of doing much more than he did last year which was ride the pine. If its the former, he will be CJ Splitter.

Posted

As with all young players, it's a gamble and hard to tell what they will do. With all that the Bills were biting off last year I believe his rookie year was sub-par due to overly high expectations and a combination of factors beyond just his abilities. I'm hoping Chan has a much better grasp on this team and its players than he did last year and that he will use both Spiller and other players much better this year (if there is a season). My money is on Spiller breaking out this year but the longer the CBA dispute drags on, the more it will hurt the younger players performances. Let's hope it gets settled soon!

Posted

I sure hope so, but being a realist, I think He'll be a bust...

Judging whether a Player will be a bust after 1 season is foolish. What is it with people here that automatically call a player a just if he doesn't go All Pro in their rookie season.

Posted (edited)

Judging whether a Player will be a bust after 1 season is foolish. What is it with people here that automatically call a player a just if he doesn't go All Pro in their rookie season.

 

I agree, but thinking that he was a bad draft selection is not unreasonable.

Edited by Bill from NYC
Posted

I really hope CJ finds a way to make an impact this year. He is not going to be the starter, and he is not supposed to be despite his high draft status. We want him to produce BIG PLAYS ...Something he never even showed glimpses of last year (Ok, I think he actually had one pretty impressive play).

 

Gailey clearly likes these kind of guys, and tried to use him in many different situations so he could use his abilities. What concerns me is the consistent failure to get even a few yards, in many different formations. He doesn't show good vision, and never seems to be able to find the right gap. I think this is a guy that needs a good O-line to open up that initial hole, and get him up to speed. Something the Bills haven't had.

 

I am definitely not ready to say he is a bust though. He is lightning fast, and I still have hope that Gailey can figure out how to get him going...If not, the pressure is on Gailey for selecting him...

Except for the wide open fly pattern he ran against the Chiefs in OT that would have won the game if Fitzy didn't overthrow him by 5 yards. But then again he doesn't have any skills...

Posted

I think it all comes down to pass blocking and how chan can get him the ball. If he can improve and no longer be a liability, the game changing plays will happen. It's just all about percentages and opportunities.

 

Here are some numbers for the top 10 guys in the league last season as far as the number of 20+ runs go:

 

Player | Attempts | 20+ runs | % of 20+ runs

Darren McFadden | 223 | 14 | 6.278026906

Ahmad Bradshaw | 276 | 13 | 4.710144928

Chris Johnson | 316 | 13 | 4.113924051

Arian Foster | 327 | 12 | 3.669724771

Rashard Mendenhall | 324 | 11 | 3.395061728

LeGarrette Blount | 201 | 10 | 4.975124378

Jamaal Charles | 230 | 10 | 4.347826087

Brandon Jacobs | 147 | 10 | 6.802721088

Matt Forte | 237 | 9 | 3.797468354

Adrian Peterson | 283 | 9 | 3.180212014

 

 

Now spllier's:

CJ Spiller | 74 | 1 | 1.351351351

 

He only had 1 run of 20+... but he did have 2 other runs of 19 yds. Add that and his percentage becomes much more respectable at about 4%.

 

CJ Spiller | 74 | 3 | 4.054054054

 

The point I'm trying to make is that if he gets opportunities the big plays will come. They happen about every 5% of the time for the top guys so it is a small percentage of the time.

 

Now let's just hope he learns how to block and/or chan can give him more...

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