Chris Kelsay

[Chandler#81]

1338408561[/url]' post='2477333']

Let's get real here... Chris Kelsay is no Phil Hansen. You say he hasn't had a dominating DE on the other end of the line...? I agree. That Aaron Schobel guy was a real bum. Not dominant by any means, but when the old #94 was playing opposite Kelsay, you never saw #90 in, or around the QB. Chris Kelsay is just a guy, folks. That's all. Not a difference maker, or a factor. Does he perform his job to the best of his abilities? Yes. Does he have limitations? Yes. Should he be cut? Assuming the Bills go into the season with 4 DEs, he should get the ax ONLY if he doesn't prove better than his competition: Mario Williams, Mark Anderson, Spencer Johnson, and Shawne Merriman. Of course the team could keep 5 DEs and 4 DTs, that is also a strong possibility.

 

+1

Saying CK is Hanson is blasphemy. Hanson always pushed the pocket and made a career of running down players from behind. Neither of which is in CK's game.

My gripe with his long tenure of adequate play here is that the many FO's he saw come and go apparently saw 'bigger fish to fry' at other positions, then they didn't last long enough to effectively find a better player. If he was an early FO change casualty, it's very likely we'd have a better player in his spot by now. JMO.

I think we can all agree that if he makes the team THIS year, it will truely be earned for his play -not his good guy, selfless character.

[Rico]

From 2005 thru 2011, the Bills D has been putrid for the most part. There are 2 players that have been around & started for all of this miserable stretch: Terrence McGee & Chris Kelsay. McGee has had a overall positive impact on the field; his play has directly contributed to quite a few Bills wins, and the fanbase views him positively.. And then there's Kelsay. Like it or not, he is the poster child for 7 years of ineptitude on D: not always the worst player, not close to the best, but always mediocre. If you really want to turn this team around, IMO it would be best served without having him and his 'leadership' around.

[K-9]

From 2005 thru 2011, the Bills D has been putrid for the most part. There are 2 players that have been around & started for all of this miserable stretch: Terrence McGee & Chris Kelsay. McGee has had a overall positive impact on the field; his play has directly contributed to quite a few Bills wins, and the fanbase views him positively.. And then there's Kelsay. Like it or not, he is the poster child for 7 years of ineptitude on D: not always the worst player, not close to the best, but always mediocre. If you really want to turn this team around, IMO it would be best served without having him and his 'leadership' around.

 

That says more about the 9 guys who haven't been around for those 7 seasons than the two that have.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[mrags]

I think you guys are forgetting a player who I think will be a wild card at DE. His name is Alex Carrington. He too suffered through the switch back and forth between a 3-4 OLB and DE(sometimes DT). He was a DE in college and I think he will help out alot at RDE. Merriman seems soooo out of place on this team right now.

I'm not forgetting him Dopey. I was just listing my opinion of week ones top 2 on the DL at each position. I would probably prefer Carrington to Kelsey actually but I don't see it happening as soon as week one. That's unless Carrington lights it up at camp, and preseason and makes Kelsey or S. Johnson expendable. I think they keep both Carrington and Johnson for the pure aspect that they can play both DE amd DT in a pinch of needed. That's my predictions though.

[Brandon]

And then there's Kelsay. Like it or not, he is the poster child for 7 years of ineptitude on D: not always the worst player, not close to the best, but always mediocre.

 

That's pretty much my thinking on Kelsay as well. He's usually been the 5th or 6th best player on some bad Bills defenses. That's not a ringing endorsement. He's not terrible, but I have a hard time believing he's anything more than an average starting DE. I certainly don't understand this recent push to make him out to be some key component of the Bills D over the years. He's been an OK player, but that's about it.

[papazoid]

Kelsay is the 5th highest salary cap player on the team. he wouldn't even make my top ten best player list of current bills. he is overpaid. at best he is mediocre (he did have one great game vs denver). the fact he is even in the discussion for a starting role reflects badly on depth at that position. i'd cut him if it was up to me....i'd rather use that money signing players to extensions like wood & levitre.

 

hopefully his injuries have healed and he will benifit from Mario on the other side. i would love for him to prove me wrong.

[biglukes]

Kelsay is the 5th highest salary cap player on the team. he wouldn't even make my top ten best player list of current bills. he is overpaid. at best he is mediocre (he did have one great game vs denver). the fact he is even in the discussion for a starting role reflects badly on depth at that position. i'd cut him if it was up to me....i'd rather use that money signing players to extensions like wood & levitre.

 

hopefully his injuries have healed and he will benifit from Mario on the other side. i would love for him to prove me wrong.

So Kelsay playing reflects poorly on our depth at the position but you want to cut him which would actually kill our depth at the spot? Seriously, we're always complaining about lack of depth on this team but we have a loaded DE spot that we can come after teams in waves with and people want to ruin that depth because of blind hatred of Kelsay. I'm sure Lionel Dotson is a much better option....

[Tcali]

To all those who rip on Kelsay, let me ask: CK has been with the Bills since 2003. In that 9 years, when have you ever felt the Bills coaching staff (particularly on defense) knows what the hell they are doing?

 

Kelsay, like most of his teammates, has been asked to play out of position for most of his career. Somewhere along the way, Kelsay's job (which he was painfully ill-equiped for) was to drop back into pass coverage...I really don't want a defense that asks D-line men to drop into pass coverage on a regular basis...it is a recipe for a defensive disaster. I blame poor schemes on this, as much as I do the players.

 

Kelsay is a good back-up. The fact that he has been a starter reflects nothing negative about Kelsay.Its not ripping on kelsay as much as its ripping on an organization poor enough to have this guy as a starter on D.--It reflects on the caliber of this franchise.This franchise has stunk in general. Giving an honest opinion about a player doesn't mean you are 'ripping' him.

 

True he was played out of position.-That just further points out how bad this franchise is. But that doesn't mean that kelsay was ever a good starting DE.

[Webster Guy]

First of all, our GM and coach have said Carrington will not play DE this year unless there are some major injuries. He is a rotational DT.

 

As much as I like Kelsay as a team guy and a hardworker and a Buffalo Bill, he simply isn't very good at beating NFL tackles and putting pressure on the quarterback.

 

He's good at playing to the whistle, at identifying screens and play action early, sideline speed, consistent high motor effort-- those are the things Chan is referring to. But I've watched every play he's been on the field since Donahoe drafted him (like a lot of you have) and I'm sorry but the guy is a below average pass rusher. In fact, I'll go so far as saying most NFL tight ends can handle him in pass protection with no help, much less the offensive tackles.

 

I still love that interception TD he had against Romo on prime time television. What a great play. I hope he has a few more like that this year, I'm rooting for the guy and I'm glad he kept his number 90, he's earned it.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Chan Gailey after day one of OTAs:

 

On his thoughts about DE Chris Kelsay:

 

"He’s a good football player. That’s the bottom line for Kelsay. He’s just a good football player. There’s going to be a three or a four man rotation in that group all year long, hopefully. Hopefully everybody stays healthy and we’ve got a great rotation going there. In my mind they’re almost all starters."

 

I know we've got "professional" scouts and armchair heroes of all sorts on this board, but I'll take the word of the freaking head coach. Enough already.

As I predicted not only his staying but will be the day one starter at RDE.

 

for a 33 year old guy who has never had more than 5.5 sacks in a season, people seem to act like he is the second coming of Bruce Smith

Bruce wishes he was as good as Kelsay, 24 sacks this year!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dragonborn10]

Kelsay is a quality back-up DE. He was the worst OLB in a decade. He was never a great starter but never truly horrible either. He provides leadership and depth and the occasional QB pressure. Definately would keep over Dwan Edwards and probably Spencer Johnson as well. If Carrington moves back to DE which I think he should and outplays Kelsay in camp I would not be shocked to see them keep 5 DE's(Williams, Anderson, Merriman(can also play OLB), Kelsay, and Carrington) along with 4 DT's (Williams, Dareus, Troup, and Heard).

[Sisyphean Bills]

Kelsay is a quality back-up DE. He was the worst OLB in a decade. He was never a great starter but never truly horrible either. He provides leadership and depth and the occasional QB pressure. Definately would keep over Dwan Edwards and probably Spencer Johnson as well. If Carrington moves back to DE which I think he should and outplays Kelsay in camp I would not be shocked to see them keep 5 DE's(Williams, Anderson, Merriman(can also play OLB), Kelsay, and Carrington) along with 4 DT's (Williams, Dareus, Troup, and Heard).

You can't really fault him (or Spencer Johnson) for being told to play LB. It was a disaster however.

 

Before the George Edwards train wreck, he was a decent DE in Jauron's defense. Not a superstar, but decent.

[K-9]

Kelsay is a quality back-up DE. He was the worst OLB in a decade. He was never a great starter but never truly horrible either. He provides leadership and depth and the occasional QB pressure. Definately would keep over Dwan Edwards and probably Spencer Johnson as well. If Carrington moves back to DE which I think he should and outplays Kelsay in camp I would not be shocked to see them keep 5 DE's(Williams, Anderson, Merriman(can also play OLB), Kelsay, and Carrington) along with 4 DT's (Williams, Dareus, Troup, and Heard).

 

As bad as CK was as an OLB, Spencer Johnson made him look like a Hall-of-Famer.

 

Starting those guys at OLB says more about Batten, Moats, and all the other backups' ability to play OLB.

 

No player likes to be put in positions to fail. The fact that neither of those guys bitched and moaned about playing out of position at a spot neither had played before speaks well of both of them.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[QB Bills]

From what I've read in this thread, its pretty clear that many Bills fans are too used to watching terrible football if they think Kelsay should still be on the roster eating up 3 million in cap space. For that amount of money, he should at least be good at one aspect of the game. Bringing oranges for the team during halftime doesn't count. He's not good against the run. Everyone already knows about his pass defense skill. He's not fast, agile or all that strong, and he's only getting worse. He seems like a nice enough guy and I hope he proves the doubters wrong, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[biglukes]

From what I've read in this thread, its pretty clear that many Bills fans are too used to watching terrible football if they think Kelsay should still be on the roster eating up 3 million in cap space. For that amount of money, he should at least be good at one aspect of the game. Bringing oranges for the team during halftime doesn't count. He's not good against the run. Everyone already knows about his pass defense skill. He's not fast, agile or all that strong, and he's only getting worse. He seems like a nice enough guy and I hope he proves the doubters wrong, but I wouldn't bet on it.

He doesn't really have to prove anything to his doubters. The people who don't like Kelsay are going to continue to not like him no matter what. What matters is what the coaching staff thinks of him and considering that he's been around as long as he has and that he's still running with the first team, they must see something in him. All he has to do is what the coaching staff asks and expects of him not the fans who expect him to be something he's not.

Edited May 31, 2012 by biglukes

[MikeSpeed]

We should keep Kelsay. He'll make a good special teamer.

[Dopey]

First of all, our GM and coach have said Carrington will not play DE this year unless there are some major injuries. He is a rotational DT.

 

As much as I like Kelsay as a team guy and a hardworker and a Buffalo Bill, he simply isn't very good at beating NFL tackles and putting pressure on the quarterback.

 

He's good at playing to the whistle, at identifying screens and play action early, sideline speed, consistent high motor effort-- those are the things Chan is referring to. But I've watched every play he's been on the field since Donahoe drafted him (like a lot of you have) and I'm sorry but the guy is a below average pass rusher. In fact, I'll go so far as saying most NFL tight ends can handle him in pass protection with no help, much less the offensive tackles.

 

I still love that interception TD he had against Romo on prime time television. What a great play. I hope he has a few more like that this year, I'm rooting for the guy and I'm glad he kept his number 90, he's earned it.

Thanks for the info on Carrington playing DT.

[BillnutinHouston]

First of all, our GM and coach have said Carrington will not play DE this year unless there are some major injuries. He is a rotational DT.

 

As much as I like Kelsay as a team guy and a hardworker and a Buffalo Bill, he simply isn't very good at beating NFL tackles and putting pressure on the quarterback.

 

He's good at playing to the whistle, at identifying screens and play action early, sideline speed, consistent high motor effort-- those are the things Chan is referring to. But I've watched every play he's been on the field since Donahoe drafted him (like a lot of you have) and I'm sorry but the guy is a below average pass rusher. In fact, I'll go so far as saying most NFL tight ends can handle him in pass protection with no help, much less the offensive tackles.

 

I still love that interception TD he had against Romo on prime time television. What a great play. I hope he has a few more like that this year, I'm rooting for the guy and I'm glad he kept his number 90, he's earned it.

 

Carrington as a DT this year was also what I recalled Chan and Buddy saying.

 

I agree with everything stated above.

[Adam]

he would not say he is good. he is above average at best.

Can you please tell us what it feels like to be wrong?

[You herd it hear last]

yes because as everyone knows sacks are the only measure of a quality defensive end

And everybody knows how 1 dimensional bruce smith was and could never play the run very well... rolleyes