Is McKelvin a bust?

[first_and_ten]

Cosidering the fact that McKelvin was an 11th pick overall, going into his 4th year in the league,would you consider him a bust? Our first round selections in recent years have been very disappointing , to say the least.

Edited August 21, 2011 by first_and_ten

[LGB]

There are only four first-rounders left on the team (the more recent draft picks by the Bills):

Leodis McKelvin (2008), Eric Wood (2009), C.J. Spiller (2010) and Marcell Dareus (2011)

 

9 of Buffalo's last 13 first-rounders selected are now no longer with the team:

Nate Clements, Mike Williams, Willis McGahee, Lee Evans, J.P. Losman, Donte Whitner, John McCargo, Marshawn Lynch and Aaron Maybin.

 

Right now, McKelvin and Spiller are not looking like the type of impact players you like to see after being drafted so high.

[1B4IDie]

Yes McFumblin is a bust.

Next question.

[outsidethebox]

Eric Woods hasn't looked to great either this preseason. He seems to get man handled at the line of scrimmage quite often. Before any one says anything, I am a big fan of his. I don't think this OL is very strong. Big yes, strong not so much.

Edited August 21, 2011 by westside

[OldTimer1960]

I have no problem with Woods' play. The center is at a disadvantage vs. big NT/DTs as he has to snap the ball

with one hand and block the defender with only 1 hand until he can get the snapping hand back. Wood is

big and plenty strong, IMHO.

 

I also have NO idea what they seem to think Levitre is doing wrong. I re-watched every snap he played from the

first game and I thought that he made every block. Now, I don't know what his assignments were, but he made

solid contact and moved people in the run game and pass blocked effectively from my point of view.

[outsidethebox]

I have no problem with Woods' play. The center is at a disadvantage vs. big NT/DTs as he has to snap the ball

with one hand and block the defender with only 1 hand until he can get the snapping hand back. Wood is

big and plenty strong, IMHO.

 

I also have NO idea what they seem to think Levitre is doing wrong. I re-watched every snap he played from the

first game and I thought that he made every block. Now, I don't know what his assignments were, but he made

solid contact and moved people in the run game and pass blocked effectively from my point of view.

I am sorry oldtimer, every center has that problem. Maybe it's because the guards around him are so bad, he has to compensate for that. I don't know, he gets blown up by bigger DL and blown past by faster DL on a regular basis. Watch the tape if you can. You will see what I mean. Does this mean he isn't the best OL on the team? No, he is the best of a VERY bad line.

[Bill from NYC]

Eric Woods hasn't looked to great either this preseason. He seems to get man handled at the line of scrimmage quite often. Before any one says anything, I am a big fan of his. I don't think this OL is very strong. Big yes, strong not so much.

 

Levitre is average sized at best. Bell is small and weak.

 

Cosidering the fact that McKelvin was an 11th pick overall, going into his 4th year in the league,would you consider him a bust? Our first round selections in recent years have been very disappointing , to say the least.

 

Yes. McKelvin is an absolute bust for a #11. Seriously, what would even raise this question. Do you have any doubt at all that he is a bust, and a stupid draft selection?

[outsidethebox]

Levitre is average sized at best. Bell is small and weak.

 

 

 

Yes. McKelvin is an absolute bust for a #11. Seriously, what would even raise this question. Do you have any doubt at all that he is a bust, and a stupid draft selection?

Levitre is smaller I give you that. But Bell is over 300 lbs. How can you say he is small? I always thought Levitre was weak. He gets pushed around an awful lot. This OL has taken a huge step backwards this year. Considering they weren't anything special says a lot about that statement.

[box0life]

McKelvin and Spiller are both busts. First round picks are supposed to be instant starters unless you are a QB which may take a year or two. Just like Maybin, if you don't provide an immediate impact my feeling is that you are a bust. This does not mean he is a bad player, but for his draft status in the first round they should be starters at a minimum. It looks as if McKelvin will never be a starter and Spiller is no where near as good as Jackson.

[silvermike]

He's a disappointment. Five years ago, I would have called him a bust, but given our track record, I can't call any player who has at least shown enough to stick on an NFL roster a true bust. He is an NFL quality nickelback, which is a big letdown given how high we drafted him and who else was on the board. But he's better than Maybin, McCargo, Losman, or Williams, so he's not quite yet in that ungodly territory our front office has made so familiar.

[NaPolian8693]

Is McKelvin a bust?

 

Does a bear **** in the woods?

[thewildrabbit]

Considering the amount of draft picks this franchise has put into DB's & D linemen the Bills should have a top ten defense.

 

But, looking over the last decade of bad coaching, bad scouting, and bad drafting... this is what you get when you hire inferior personnel.

 

 

 

To correct this crap all the Bills would really need to do is find the right head coach like they did with Chuck Knox. He would would make everybody else on the football side look brilliant!

 

 

And no, its not Chan! he allowed Green, Spiller & Trent Edwards to start last season, so he can only judge players after they fail!

[Bill from NYC]

Levitre is smaller I give you that. But Bell is over 300 lbs. How can you say he is small? I always thought Levitre was weak. He gets pushed around an awful lot. This OL has taken a huge step backwards this year. Considering they weren't anything special says a lot about that statement.

 

I don't trust listed weights. Do you? Bell imo does not look like an NFL LT in terms of his frame. He could barely budge 225 at the combines. This is why an agile kid like him lasted until round 7.

 

Jason Peters has more strength pushing people away with his arms than Bell has when running into someone. Bell, agility notwithstanding, will probably always be hampered by his physical limitations which are real. This is why he is consistently banged up. In the long run, he will probably prove to be not strong enough to compete at this level, although I must admit that he would make a decent backup LT imo.

 

Dick Levy killed this team by drafting DBs and RBs with our best resources. Nix isn't quite as bad, but he went the same direction in terms of Spiller and Aaron Williams. I wanted to be happy about Nix, but he is proving to be just another old, inept hire.

That said, I do think that Gailey is 100x better than Jauron (sorry C Biscuit).

[JohnC]

I don't trust listed weights. Do you? Bell imo does not look like an NFL LT in terms of his frame. He could barely budge 225 at the combines. This is why an agile kid like him lasted until round 7.

 

Jason Peters has more strength pushing people away with his arms than Bell has when running into someone. Bell, agility notwithstanding, will probably always be hampered by his physical limitations which are real. This is why he is consistently banged up. In the long run, he will probably prove to be not strong enough to compete at this level, although I must admit that he would make a decent backup LT imo.

 

Dick Levy killed this team by drafting DBs and RBs with our best resources. Nix isn't quite as bad, but he went the same direction in terms of Spiller and Aaron Williams. I wanted to be happy about Nix, but he is proving to be just another old, inept hire.

That said, I do think that Gailey is 100x better than Jauron (sorry C Biscuit).

 

Last year, when Nix and his regime took over, the Bills were essentially an expansion caliber team. In another year or two most of the Jauron/Levy/Modrak/Brandon era players will be moved out. The Bills are not going to be a competitive team for the next couple of years until a new nucleus of players is brought in.

 

Could there be an accelerataton of the rebuilding process? It could if the Bills were a normal organization. This is a Ralph Wilson owned franchise. What incentive does he have to invest in the team when the 92 yr old owner has aleady made arrangements to auction off the franchise after his departure.

 

The Bills are very much under their own imposed cash to cap payroll structure. They have been under the that miniscule line for the previous few years and they will follow that stringent policy next year because under the terms of the CBA they will be allowed to get away with that scam.

 

If the owner was a serious owner (clearly he is not) the rebuilding process could be augmented with the addition of more mid-level free agents. That is not going to happen. If there are complaints about the caliber of our starting offensive linemen then what happens when injuries occur? That is a frightening thought. Wang at LT? Are you laughing or crying? Bringing in some serviceable OL backups would have been the right thing to do.

 

It is easy to lament about a particular draft pick or the philosophy of drafting. It is a futile exercise. That isn't the main problem. The truth of the matter is that the real issue is the caliber of ownership and the peculiar way he has staffed and structured this organization. Until there is change at the ownership level then it is like dogs chansing after their own tails.

 

The best way to judge this season is certainly not from a won/lost perspecitve. The most sane way to judge a successful season is to note whether Nix's drafted players (last year's) improve and make a contribution. This year's draft class can be more fairly evaluated next year.

 

When you have a aged, out of town owner who states the obvious that the team lacks talent, then chuckles about it--why would anyone be surprised with the continuation of the status quo. This garbage has been going on for half a century. What do you really expect? Dramatic change? Urgency? Let's get real here.

[Thoner7]

Yes. He wasnt the best CB in the draft but he was the first one taken at the 11th overall pick. the next 3 or 4 CBs taken after him are all better than him. On top of all that, we never shoulda drafted another CB. Just resign out great CB Greeer and we are good at the position.

 

All that didnt stop Modrak from Callin McKelvin the ebst talaent out there

 

I really wanted Keither Rivers or Sedrick Ellis to fall to us but they both went high. Then we passed on 8 OTs who could be playing for us right now

[Rico]

Levitre is average sized at best. Bell is small and weak.

 

 

 

Yes. McKelvin is an absolute bust for a #11. Seriously, what would even raise this question. Do you have any doubt at all that he is a bust, and a stupid draft selection?

McKelvin is the poor man's JD Williams.

[1B4IDie]

Yes. He wasnt the best CB in the draft but he was the first one taken at the 11th overall pick. the next 3 or 4 CBs taken after him are all better than him. On top of all that, we never shoulda drafted another CB. Just resign out great CB Greeer and we are good at the position.

 

All that didnt stop Modrak from Callin McKelvin the ebst talaent out there

 

I really wanted Keither Rivers or Sedrick Ellis to fall to us but they both went high. Then we passed on 8 OTs who could be playing for us right now

That's not entirely true McKelvin was the consensus #1 CB in the draft and expected to be a top 10 pick.

He fell to the Bills at #11.

 

I think other teams we worried by McDrainBramages' interviews too much to pick him that high.

 

Just to be clear he absolutely was not considered a reach at all at #11. Two minutes before the draft started McKelvin was expected to be off the board when the Bills picked and Aqib Talib was more realistic to be there at #11.

 

So let's call a bust a bust but not put this in the McCargo class of draft mistakes.

Edited August 21, 2011 by Why So Serious?

[JohnC]

McKelvin is the poor man's JD Williams.

 

Very smart point.

 

Players such as McKelvin and JD Williams have very enticing physical abilities. However, being a great athlete doesn't mean that you are a good football player. If you break down JP Losman's physical abilities to throw and run it is impressive. But the fundamental question is still: can he play the position at the pro level? Is he a good football player? No matter how impressive Maybin was as an athlete and workout warrior he had absolutely no feel for the game. A liability that he could never overcome.

Edited August 21, 2011 by JohnC

[Ghost of Leonidas]

This is all revisionist history.

 

First off, do you remember how bad our CB's were in '07 that prompted us to draft one in the first round? Greer had not yet solidified himself as a starter in the league, McGee had played solidly but not spectacularly, and we had Ashton Youboty/Kiwaukee Thomas battling it out for the nickel as Brady passed for a thousand yards on us in two games. Does anybody remember the '08 draft? Our top positions of need were WR and CB, but there were no WR's worthy of a first round pick, so we took a CB first. McKelvin and DRC were the top two ranked CB's, but the knock on DRC is that he couldn't tackle. He has certainly turned out to be the better cover corner thus far, though.

 

Second, the next four corners are better than McKelvin? I'm not so sure about that. DRC played so well he got shipped off to be a backup in Philly. Aqib Talib can't seem to stay out of prison. Mike Jenkins has played well, but there was a lot of talk of him moving to safety early on (imagine if we had drafted a potential safety at #11). Besides, wasn't he the one burned twice by Sidney Rice in the playoffs two years ago? The fourth is Antoine Cason in SD, I can't speak to his production.

 

Third, it was a pretty underwhelming draft class, who would you preferred we draft? Sure, now we're weak at tackle, but then we had Jason Peters anchoring the left side and Langston Walker on the right. We certainly weren't in the market for a first or second round tackle.

 

Is McKelvin a bust? Certainly not. But he has not lived up to expectations thus far.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Some will say that compared to Maybin and McCargo, he was a solid pick.

 

Now that those two are gone though, yeah, he's pretty much a bust. The first CB taken and in the prime of his career and he's, well, still a backup prone to looking bewildered on several plays a game.