CJ Spiller

[flopagamo]

So far, spiller is NOT doing particularly well. He has not been finding the holes and struggles moving forward following contact. The idea that we should compare him to other backs as equal after we remove their longer runs is frankly moronic. He appears to me to be hesitant and spends more time dancing than committing to the run. I was giving up all hope when he did produce the TD run. Gave me hope. Way too early to identify as a bust, but seriously what has he shown so far? He did average 4.5 in the preseason..... I really don't think Freddie loses any sleep hearing footsteps

 

He more likely loses sleep over how much money he is not making.

[John from Riverside]

My fear is they've given up on his ability turn a run outside the tackles and receiving skills out of the backfield so they're desperately trying to turn him into something he's not.

 

They didn't do that on the Touchdown run yesterday

[Kelly the Dog]

They didn't do that on the Touchdown run yesterday

That play was a run right up the middle, which he cut to the outside that for some outlandish reason people here don't seem to think he should do. He beat two tackles and danced into the endzone. It wasn't an off tackle play.

[xsoldier54]

The problem is that they haven't built their offensive line for those types of plays. There is a reason you don't see too many sweeps being called - Urbik ("Jerry Crafts Light") and Pears would collide and trip over each other while trying to kick outside. This is not a finesse line. I've wondered about that since the Spiller selection, as his skills don't seem to fit what Gailey has built up front.

I think you may have hit the nail on the head. In order to run those types of plays, you have to have lineman who can get out front and block. Our guys may not be capable of doing that. Too bad as I believe he could be much more effective if we could get him in situations where he can use his speed.

[please stop the pain]

He more likely loses sleep over how much money he is not making.

no kidding. that has to rankle somewhat.

Hopefully the Bills will reward him. He has been one of the few bright spots over the past couple seasons. Still hoping spiller turns out to be incredible, but meanwhile freddie is

[truth on hold]

That play was a run right up the middle, which he cut to the outside that for some outlandish reason people here don't seem to think he should do. He beat two tackles and danced into the endzone. It wasn't an off tackle play.

I think the only hope is to find a way to use him in the originally intended design, which was a triple threat running outside, receiving and on special teams. Thats why this trend of trying to force him up the middle as a power back is unsettling

[Kelly the Dog]

I think the only hope is to find a way to use him in the originally intended design, which was a triple threat running outside, receiving and on special teams. Thats why this trend of trying to force him up the middle as a power back is unsettling

You don't like him running up the middle, breaking to the outside and beating two defenders with his speed to the endzone?

[bruceisloose78]

deangelo williams, darren mcfadden, felix jones. not every running back gets it within the first 2 or 3 years. That doesn't mean Cj is useless or that he wont eventually get it. Some backs just need to alter their running styles a bit and learn to be patient and hit the hole in the NFL. It is obvious that Fred Jackson is the best running back on this team and should get the bulk of the carries, but that doesn't mean CJ can't turn into an awesome compliment to him or be a productive running back for the bills in the future. People seem to forget that there wasn't much there at the 9 spot in that draft and that CJ was the consensus number 1 back by all the scouts, sometimes you take the best player there. I am not giving up on CJ just yet and none of you should either

[truth on hold]

@ Bruce, honestly the only thing that somewhat settles my mind about the spiller pick is they may have taken Anthony Davis @ LT instead, who I understand is close to officially wearing the bust lable with the 9ers.

[EastRochBillsfan]

I really liked him on that one early pass play that I think went for a first down (which had been preceded by about an 8 yard run by him - although Marv Alberts said it was Freddie (poor Marv has hit the wall - he used to be so great).

 

So, I'm expecting more of him doing that Thurman set up wide thing, and then nothing. I don't think he caught another pass.

 

Freddie is the man, and CJ's ceiling is low. What a terrible wasted pick at #9. Ugh - we all hated it here that night, and we were all right.

 

Please speak for yourself. I didn't hate the pick at all. You have NO IDEA if you are right yet. And further more, I vehemently disagree that cj's ceiling is low. I think some of you guys are just being too impatient and nitpicking. We played an awesome game but people still gotta B word about something so here we are with yet another stupid spiller sucks thread. How many of these do we have to put up with??

 

I'm high on Spiller. I generally think that Bills fans who go after him with statements like 'he doesn't know how to hit holes and he can't block' have no idea what they are talking about. Spiller has talent and he's developing his vision. He gets like 5-6 carries a game and somehow people are making these huge judgments on his career. Though I don't love Jackson as much as most Bills fans do, I will openly admit that he runs a style that really works with this offense. Spiller is just not a back that is going to break tackles at the 1 yard line. The Bills O-line is improved, but its not going to open huge holes. Look at Chris Johnson's numbers from yesterday. Or even Jamaal Charles and Adrian Peterson. If you take away their huge runs (a 22 yarder and a 46 yarder respectfully), their YPC go way down. Peterson would be at a 3.5 average w/o his 46 yard run and Charles would have been around 3.7 w/o his big 22 yarder. And these guys are the featured backs. My point is, for a lot of these running backs, they will get stuffed behind the line or run for 3 yards a carry on a good amount of their runs. But they will also break off some huge gainers to offset the small gainers. Until Spiller gets his name called 10-15 times a game, I think its completely unfair to make a judgment. Anyone who doesn't think this guy can break off huge runs in the same way Charles/ C. Johnson do, just haven't watched him play/don't know football. I agree that Fred is the right choice now. But calling a RB a bust when he only gets 5 runs a game is crazy.

 

^^^^^^

this

[bbb]

Hey, maybe I didn't look for your vote that night, but this place was blowing up as soon as that pick was made....."WTF do we need a running back for!?!"......And, that's when we thought he must be the next Chris Johnson. We had so many more pressing needs.

[CSBill]

Spiller just frustrates me, and I think it's more an intelligence issue than an ability issue.

 

What was his wonderlic score? I think I heard single digits. I know it was mentioned as one the all time lows. I know this doesn't sound nice, nor is it politically correct, but it seems to me that lack of ability to make a quick decision hurts him (I know, there are many exceptions to this theory; for example, I'm sure Trent Edwards had a much higher score than CJ and he seemed to have the same issue--but I would add, that there are many poster here on TBD who will point to the concussion game in Arizona and say he was never the same, and I tend to agree with that perspective).

 

Back to Spiller: I think it shows when he is running, he seems to lack that mental acuemn to make an instant assessment and decision to hit the hole and go forward, or to try an alternative route (which he usually does, to the outside, and other than the TD yesterday, it seems to always be the wrong decision).

 

If you've ever read the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, he explores this theory of mental process in a very engaging way. And I can't help but see applications to Spiller. The subtitle of the book is: "The Power of Thinking Without Thinking." Isn't that exactly what great players do? They make quick, instinctive decisions, and go without hesitation. Gladwell talks about and gives many good examples of how indecision causes so many problems in situations that call for quick mental process (like police work). I have to think playing football at it's highest level is a place where instant/instinctive decisions are called for on every play.

 

Well, I hope he does get it one of these days. There is no doubt he has the physical tools, but he just hasn't put it together yet. But as a huge Bills fan, I really hope he does.

Edited September 13, 2011 by CSBill

[spartacus]

Bingo.

 

And we have White as a good backup short yard guy if he develops.

 

White has already looked better than Spiller

[Kipers Hair]

Spiller just frustrates me, and I think it's more an intelligence issue than an ability issue.

 

What was his wonderlick score? I think I heard single digits. I know it was mentioned as one the all time lows. I know this doesn't sound nice, nor is it politically correct, but it seems to me that lack of ability to make a quick decision hurts him (I know, there are many exceptions to this theory;

 

To your point -

 

By FITSNews || Former Clemson University running back C.J. Spiller won’t be designing rocket launchers for whatever NFL team selects him in next month’s draft – he’ll be running with (and catching) footballs.

 

And that’s a good thing.

 

Spiller reportedly received the lowest mark of any member of the incoming NFL “Class of 2010″ on the Wonderlic Test, an aptitude assessment used to measure a prospect’s problem-solving abilities.

 

Spiller received 10 out of a possible 50 points on the exam – or twenty points below Stanford running back Toby Gerhardt, who paced the incoming running back class with a score of 30. Other strong Wonderlic scores? BYU’s Manase Tonga (29), LSU’s Charles Scott (26), Tennessee’s Montario Hardesty (25), Mississippi State’s Anthony Dixon (25) and North Dakota State’s Pat Paschall (25).

 

The average NFL player scored a 20 on the exam.

 

As bad as Spiller’s score was (10 is the minimum Wonderlic score for a subject to be designated as “literate”), it’s actually not the worst score ever. Former Texas star Vince Young reportedly scored a 6 on his first Wonderlic exam.

[simpleman]

The problem is that they haven't built their offensive line for those types of plays. There is a reason you don't see too many sweeps being called - Urbik ("Jerry Crafts Light") and Pears would collide and trip over each other while trying to kick outside. This is not a finesse line. I've wondered about that since the Spiller selection, as his skills don't seem to fit what Gailey has built up front.

 

Exactly, I know everyone expects instant gratification, but if things go as we all hope Nix has planned next year, our draft will be about the O line. With the right O Line talent Gailey can use Spiller's talents and skills the way it was probably envisioned when he was drafted. Spiller was a piece of the puzzle that was just taken earlier than the rest of the pieces around him. Right now he does not quite fit in, but if we draft the pieces we need this year Spiller can finally get a chance to be the back Nix imagined.

[Billy in 4C]

Lay off Spiller. He had 1 touchdown and you couldn't possibly take Freddy out.

[T master]

I think anyone would agree, Buddy and Chan have done a pretty good job shaoing this roster into the team they envisioned before they signed up for thier tour of duty at One Bills Drive, however, how long do you think it will take until they cry uncle on the CJ Spiller choice? I don't get where he even fit's their M.O. of what they want their team to look like...he is simply a poor man's Reggie Bush and will never be anything more than this... Sure' he has done infinitely more than the Aaron Mayhem pick, but considernig all of the needs we had/have and the clear vision for a team they have - we missed the mark greatly taking Spiller where we did. I would argue that Chief's second round pick McCluster is more electrifying and is doing what we had expected from Spiller-time....

 

Sounds like your expecting O.J's rebirth in this kid or a devine intervention of some sort as far as a #2 or back up RB . It's only his second year for god sake & Gailey is just getting the other guys figured out .

 

You sound like a typical Bills fan never happy & inpatient as you can be , give the guy a break he'll come around & then you'll be the one saying "I knew he was gonna be great" man oh man !!

[Bill from NYC]

I'm sure NYBill is going to grow tired of my standard response that CJ will ultimately turn out to be a positive contributor for this team.

 

I am sorry that you feel this way. Actually, I think it is great that we have a forum in which we can exchange differing views. Both of us have valid reasons for our opinions. Neither of us pulled them from you know where.

 

Imo Spiller was a wasted draft selection. I don't think that we were in a position to use a #9 on a situational player. And he MIGHT improve and contribute to this team. This would be ideal John. Otoh, if yesterday showed us anything, it that getting bigger and stronger worked.

And it was a pleasure to see.

 

GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CSBill]

To your point -

 

By FITSNews || Former Clemson University running back C.J. Spiller won’t be designing rocket launchers for whatever NFL team selects him in next month’s draft – he’ll be running with (and catching) footballs.

 

And that’s a good thing.

 

Spiller reportedly received the lowest mark of any member of the incoming NFL “Class of 2010″ on the Wonderlic Test, an aptitude assessment used to measure a prospect’s problem-solving abilities.

 

Spiller received 10 out of a possible 50 points on the exam – or twenty points below Stanford running back Toby Gerhardt, who paced the incoming running back class with a score of 30. Other strong Wonderlic scores? BYU’s Manase Tonga (29), LSU’s Charles Scott (26), Tennessee’s Montario Hardesty (25), Mississippi State’s Anthony Dixon (25) and North Dakota State’s Pat Paschall (25).

 

The average NFL player scored a 20 on the exam.

 

As bad as Spiller’s score was (10 is the minimum Wonderlic score for a subject to be designated as “literate”), it’s actually not the worst score ever. Former Texas star Vince Young reportedly scored a 6 on his first Wonderlic exam.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

 

speaking of the Wonderlic, I just found this quote related to it:

 

"Vince Young made headlines last year when it was rumored that he scored a 6. As we all saw in 2006, the Wonderlic doesn't mean much. St. Louis' Ryan Fitzpatrick scored a 50, and he's nothing more than a backup quarterback." . . . hummmm, maybe it does mean something, which one is the back-up now?

 

Here's a link to anyone who wants to try it: http://walterfootball.com/draftwonderlic.php

 

It would be interesting to know the regular TBD posters' scores

Edited September 13, 2011 by CSBill

[Lurker]

In the meantime, Fred is doing great and let's enjoy yesterday's big win on the road against last year's AFC West champs.

Nah, this is Bills nation, where if we're not bitching, we're not breathing.

 

Gotta find scabs to pick, pick, pick...