Could WR D. Hagan become the #2 WR for the Bills??

[ChanOverChin]

I like hagan's size and play-making ability. I thought that he really started to show something towards the end of the year last year when he finally go the chance to play. This guy is a keeper. He is ready to contribute in a big way this year.

 

Here's the skinny on him in case you weren't aware of what he brings to the table:

 

 

1. He has prototypical WR size and speed. He is 6'2", 210 lbs, and ran a 4.45 40 at his NFL combine.

 

2. His college numbers show he has potential to put up big numbers. His sophomore, junior, and senior years at Arizona State all saw him putting up more than 1000 yards receiving and more than 8 TDs. Twice he was a Biletnikoff finalist.

 

 

 

3. He has many of ASU's record. He finished his career as their all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and 100-yard games.

 

 

 

4. As a rookie, many people viewed him as having potential. He was drafted in the 3rd round by Miami despite a poor showing at the Senior Bowl.

 

 

 

5. He started his career with the Joey Harrington led Miami Dolphins and was cut shortly after their 1-15 season. Not exactly the best franchise to start your career with.

 

 

 

6. Prior to last year, he had only earned 7 starts in the NFL. He has yet to really have the opportunity to shine.

 

 

 

7. He has experience. He has played on a variety of teams in a variety of systems. He has spent seven years in the NFL, learning and studying to become a better player.

 

 

 

8. He has matured. He told Chris Brown that he feels that he has learned from his mistakes and is a better player as a result of his experience in the league.

 

 

 

9. He learned the Bills' playbook fast and quickly got in sync with Fitz last season.

 

 

 

10. He performed well when he was given the opportunity last year. Despite not joining the Bills until week 12, he caught 13 balls for the Bills and had a fantastic game against the Pats (7 catches 89 yards).

 

Your thoughts on Hagan??

 

 

[Meathead]

you have to wonder if he had the potential to be a significant contributor why he hasnt done it up until now. but with nobody established past stevie the opportunity is about as wide open as you can get. although wr2 isnt as important in an offense that employs so many wideouts, the bills desperately need somebody to show they can consistently pressure the dbs and give some space to stevie. hagan seems to have as much chance as anybody else to be that guy

[Buftex]

Hagan impressed the hell out of me, early last season, when he was on the Raiders, playing against the Bills. When he joined the Bills late in the season, I thought he was one of the best players on our offense the last few weeks. The guy seems motivated to stick on a roster... he is my "dark horse" surprise player for the Bills in 2012. I fully expect him to not only make the roster, but to give Donald Jones some serious competition for the #2 spot.

Edited July 14, 2012 by Buftex

[Pete]

Derek Hagan is the darkhorse here. He has the size/speed combo we could use at #2 WR. Plus he has experience. The #2 battle is very compelling with Jones, Easley, Graham, and perhaps Hagan, Aiken, or Clowney. Anyone could step up and win that spot

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

Hagan impressed the hell out of me, early last season, when he was on the Raiders, playing against the Bills. When he joined the Bills late in the season, I thought he was one of the best players on our offense the last few weeks. The guy seems motivated to stick on a roster... he is my "dark horse" surprise player for the Bills in 2012. I fully expect him to not only make the roster, but to give Donald Jones some serious competition for the #2 spot.

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[Optometric Insight]

Could he? Yes

 

Will he? Probably not.

 

Its not so much that he can't play WR. I think he is one of the tallest receivers on the team and has the most games played next to Steve. He seems to be consistent when looking at the stats but stats don't show what happened in the game.

 

But the number 2 WR position is only relevant when looking at the depth chart. The Bills run the spread offense, meaning that multiple receivers are on the field. But this isn't Madden where when you run the shotgun, the 1st receiver is always on the right outside, the 2nd receiver is always on the left outside, the 3rd is always on the right slot, and the 4th is always in the left slot; this offense has every receiver playing everywhere. Him making the team depends on how well he knows the playbook.

 

To me, there are only 1 or 2 spots left depending on how many receivers they keep. If you include Brad Smith, the Bills have 4 locks: Johnson, Nelson, Graham, and Smith.

 

Two players aren't going to get cut unless they mess up the bed/room/field or whatever your guys' term is on here: Jones and Easley.

 

That means the Bills already have six receivers on the roster but since Brad is primarily the 3rd QB, they will probably keep one more guy, maybe 2.

 

Now it all depends on who the Bills want to keep. Do they want Roosevelt who has speed, hands, youth, and experience in the system?

 

Do they keep Session who has absolutely no experience or any stats in the NFL?

 

What about Clowney who supposedly has wheels and could become a nice compliment next to Graham?

 

There's also Ruvell Martin who started off hot in GB and has slowly declined into oblivion.

 

Finally, we have Derek Hagan who has only player 4 games for the Bills but caught 13 passes for an average of 10.6 yards per catch.

 

 

So it seems like the only players for a legit shot at the final spot is Roosevelt and Hagan. Hagan has a shot at the 2nd receiver spot but there are a lot more proven players ahead of him so I think his first problem is to make the roster and then he can work his way up the depth chart.

 

So to answer you question on D. Hagan becoming the #2 receiver for the Bills, I need to know what time frame you are talking about. Season opener? The answer would be no. Latter half of the season? There is a possibility. Next season? If he's still on the team, had a solid season, and the world didn't end then the position could be his to lose.

Edited July 14, 2012 by Teen Insight

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Hagan impressed the hell out of me, early last season, when he was on the Raiders, playing against the Bills. When he joined the Bills late in the season, I thought he was one of the best players on our offense the last few weeks. The guy seems motivated to stick on a roster... he is my "dark horse" surprise player for the Bills in 2012. I fully expect him to not only make the roster, but to give Donald Jones some serious competition for the #2 spot.

 

When Hue Jackson had Hagen inactive for the 1st game last year, I seem to recall a bit of fan outcry. Hagen had 5 catches for 61 yds against us and looked pretty good to me, too. I don't know, is it one of those things where a player looks good to fans but the coaches see something else? It must be, because he seems like a favorite book, always being passed to another team. He was seen as having a lot of potential in college and slipped in the draft largely because of a bad senior bowl, a lot of drops. That potential is still intriguing fans, but it doesn't seem to be realized.

 

I just hope someone - Hagen, Aiken, Clowney, Easley - steps up and irrefutably "wins the job" and the roster spot.

[John from Riverside]

Could he? Yes

 

Will he? Probably not.

 

Its not so much that he can't play WR. I think he is one of the tallest receivers on the team and has the most games played next to Steve. He seems to be consistent when looking at the stats but stats don't show what happened in the game.

 

But the number 2 WR position is only relevant when looking at the depth chart. The Bills run the spread offense, meaning that multiple receivers are on the field. But this isn't Madden where when you run the shotgun, the 1st receiver is always on the right outside, the 2nd receiver is always on the left outside, the 3rd is always on the right slot, and the 4th is always in the left slot; this offense has every receiver playing everywhere. Him making the team depends on how well he knows the playbook.

 

To me, there are only 1 or 2 spots left depending on how many receivers they keep. If you include Brad Smith, the Bills have 4 locks: Johnson, Nelson, Graham, and Smith.

 

Two players aren't going to get cut unless they mess up the bed/room/field or whatever your guys' term is on here: Jones and Easley.

 

That means the Bills already have six receivers on the roster but since Brad is primarily the 3rd QB, they will probably keep one more guy, maybe 2.

 

Now it all depends on who the Bills want to keep. Do they want Roosevelt who has speed, hands, youth, and experience in the system?

 

Do they keep Session who has absolutely no experience or any stats in the NFL?

 

What about Clowney who supposedly has wheels and could become a nice compliment next to Graham?

 

There's also Ruvell Martin who started off hot in GB and has slowly declined into oblivion.

 

Finally, we have Derek Hagan who has only player 4 games for the Bills but caught 13 passes for an average of 10.6 yards per catch.

 

 

So it seems like the only players for a legit shot at the final spot is Roosevelt and Hagan. Hagan has a shot at the 2nd receiver spot but there are a lot more proven players ahead of him so I think his first problem is to make the roster and then he can work his way up the depth chart.

 

So to answer you question on D. Hagan becoming the #2 receiver for the Bills, I need to know what time frame you are talking about. Season opener? The answer would be no. Latter half of the season? There is a possibility. Next season? If he's still on the team, had a solid season, and the world didn't end then the position could be his to lose.

 

Hagan is gonna make this club......

 

From an :outside in" perspective I can tell you that when Hagan was cut for a "name" receiver.......raiders fans were pissed.....because regardless of whether he started ornot Hagan produced when he was on the field.....

 

Honestly I think this is the type of team that would give a WR like Hagan a new lease on life.....keep in mind who our primary receiver is and where he came from......

 

I love Easley.....but he still needs to prove he can make it tothe regular season

 

Jones has the measurables....but hasnt done squat and is injury prone

 

TJ is a rookie with a lot to learn

 

To let lose of a vet guy who has shown he can get it done would be a huge mistake. Honestly It would not shock me at all to see Smith get cut.....he is a so so WR.....the new rules have nullified him on specialteams.....and lets face it......a QB? They dont even let him throw the ball. Then there are salary cap implications.

 

Other guys like Ruvell Martin, Namon Roosevelt, etc etc.....goners. They can stash Aiken on the practice squad for another year.

[Canks]

nope. it's johnson's spot to lose

[ChanOverChin]

I happen to think that Hagan will prove to be one of our top 3 WRs this year. St. Johnson is easily #1. He's ready to make a big step up in the league. D. Nelson is tall, runs good routes and has great hands. He's a clutch player and a very good possession receiver. I like Hagan next because he's the next best producer. He has the size to catch the jump ball and the speed to keep deep.

 

I would rate our current WR corps as follows currently:

 

Tier 1 - St. Johnson (proven, clutch, pretty much uncoverable)

 

Tier 2 - D. Nelson/D. Hagan (solid veterans, dependable, great size)

 

Tier 3 - D. Jones/B. Smith/M. Easley/TJ Graham/D. Clowney/R. Martin (mostly unproven, various abilities)

 

Tier 4 - Roosevelt/Aiken (unproven, talented but inexperienced)

 

Tier 5 - Session (unproven, unknown, inexperienced).

 

 

Because the Bills will use mostly 3 and 4 WR sets I believe they will keep 6 WRs plus B. Smith. But that's only if all of the guys above are healthy when they make their final selections. I don't think there's a very real chance that Nix could acquire a vet WR at some point. He did try to sign vet WR R. Meachem at one point. Martin is more of a ST specialist, but with Brooks on the roster his services won't be needed.

 

If I were to have to pick the top 6 WRs to keep at this point they would be: Johnson/Nelson/Hagan/Jones/Easley/Graham. Clowney could knock one of them off the roster, but right now he's the odd man out.

 

I have to disagree with John from Hemet (whose opinion I respect) regarding B. Smith. Last year the Bills had very little time to work with him prior to the season so he wasn't a very big part of the offense. This year they have a lot of time to work with him and they also have the Wildcat guru (new QB Coach M. Lee) helping Gailey gameplan. For those reasons and more I expect Smith to get his share of touches. He could prove to be very valuable in 3rd and short situations, which are critical to keeping the chains moving and ultimately leading to scores or winning the field position battle. You don't cut guys like Smith who can help your team in so many different ways.

[NewEra]

1342294718[/url]' post='2504544']

I happen to think that Hagan will prove to be one of our top 3 WRs this year. St. Johnson is easily #1. He's ready to make a big step up in the league. D. Nelson is tall, runs good routes and has great hands. He's a clutch player and a very good possession receiver. I like Hagan next because he's the next best producer. He has the size to catch the jump ball and the speed to keep deep.

 

I would rate our current WR corps as follows currently:

 

Tier 1 - St. Johnson (proven, clutch, pretty much uncoverable)

 

Tier 2 - D. Nelson/D. Hagan (solid veterans, dependable, great size)

 

Tier 3 - D. Jones/B. Smith/M. Easley/TJ Graham/D. Clowney/R. Martin (mostly unproven, various abilities)

 

Tier 4 - Roosevelt/Aiken (unproven, talented but inexperienced)

 

Tier 5 - Session (unproven, unknown, inexperienced).

 

 

Because the Bills will use mostly 3 and 4 WR sets I believe they will keep 6 WRs plus B. Smith. But that's only if all of the guys above are healthy when they make their final selections. I don't think there's a very real chance that Nix could acquire a vet WR at some point. He did try to sign vet WR R. Meachem at one point. Martin is more of a ST specialist, but with Brooks on the roster his services won't be needed.

 

If I were to have to pick the top 6 WRs to keep at this point they would be: Johnson/Nelson/Hagan/Jones/Easley/Graham. Clowney could knock one of them off the roster, but right now he's the odd man out.

 

I have to disagree with John from Hemet (whose opinion I respect) regarding B. Smith. Last year the Bills had very little time to work with him prior to the season so he wasn't a very big part of the offense. This year they have a lot of time to work with him and they also have the Wildcat guru (new QB Coach M. Lee) helping Gailey gameplan. For those reasons and more I expect Smith to get his share of touches. He could prove to be very valuable in 3rd and short situations, which are critical to keeping the chains moving and ultimately leading to scores or winning the field position battle. You don't cut guys like Smith who can help your team in so many different ways.

 

While Jones hasn't done "squat", the Bills coaches sure like him. He was a big factor in our win vs the Pats and has good measurables as well. Plus, he's a good blocker. I'd put him in Tier 2 based on last year and from what we've heard from chan so far. I believe Jones will be the WR opposite Stevie in 2 WR sets. Hopefully it's because he improves, not because the other guys just aren't that good.

[ChanOverChin]

I hav e high hopes for Jones, but as of today, he hasn't done jack diddly squat in the NFL. Thus, the ranking above.

[NoSaint]

One of the troubles I have right now is that someone will be our number 2, but if that guy is a bench player on 25-30 teams that's not an accomplishment. I don't see a guy that plays average to above average in that role this year. Hagan graham and Easley are the three that could be that guy down the line from a raw talent standpoint. Unless someone really upped the game in the offseason it will be up to scheme to cover for this spot this year - we should be ok, but even if one of them puts up numbers I have a feeling it will be chans doing more than their own (especially early in the season)

Edited July 15, 2012 by NoSaint

[Bufcomments]

Hagen did play well the the end of the season and it seems Fitz trusts him. That cant be underestimated.

 

It seems like the Bills coaches like Jones more. I think there is gonna be some good comp at WR. But if Hagen does win it means 2 things. Easley getting hurt again and Hagen beats out Jones. Think it will be Jones but he better have a strong camp.

 

We will find out soon enough.

[NoName]

Don't be so quick throw Donald Jones under the bus. Last year was his first year as a starter and his second in the league. Compare his stats with Stevie's over their first two years and you might be surprised. Is he the next Stevie......no but there is no reason that he won't improve. Given the Bill's spread attack, the #2 spot isn't as big as people are making it out to be. Someone with speed who can keep a safety honest is really important. I do agree that the Bill's will keep 6 plus Smith. And by the way, the poster who described Roosevelt as having speed is way off. He is slow. The six will be:

1) Johnson

2) Jones

3) Nelson

4) Hagan

5) Graham

6) Easley vs Clowney (will battle for the last spot)

[Buffaloed in Pa]

Their really isn`t a # 2 receiver in Chans offense. 4 and 5 wide sets,hit who is open. Our receivers are just fine. We have size and speed receivers. It`s all on Fitz. MLB is the spot that scares me.

[boyst]

Nothing to add here, but just wanted to say this is a great thread, thank you to all who posted.

[NoSaint]

Their really isn`t a # 2 receiver in Chans offense. 4 and 5 wide sets,hit who is open. Our receivers are just fine. We have size and speed receivers. It`s all on Fitz. MLB is the spot that scares me.

 

The talent level of our second best receiver is still a legit question. Between a "by committee" approach and scheming we should be an effective passing game but it's a likely real weakness. Formation dictating matchups, playing to situational strengths, and route combinations are all good but I don't see a guy that consistently can win matchups without help.

[sllib olaffub]

I think it falls like this: Johnson has the #1 reciever spot locked down. Funny thing, though, Johnson is really the kind of reciever that would look like an excellent #2 reciever opposite a more traditional, pro-bowl #1 type, in the mold of C. Johnson, or A.J. Green - those guys are tall, FAST, lengthy, route runners - and where Stevie would normally fall in is the possession type spot, because he's not the fastest WR. However, he is so good, and our other WR's are so bad, he merits the #1 spot for us.

 

Now, when you look at a traditional #1 WR - Marcus Easley has the build for such a role. He is very fast, tall, and athletic. However, since Stevie has the #1 spot locked down, the Bills, I think, are looking for a more traditional #1 WR type to fit in opposite Stevie - which is why I believe they are holding out hope that Easley will be that player - but, he has this year to prove it. I think if he shines in camp he'll have the chance to play that role, simply because they want that kind of dynamic talent on the field.

 

But, because they run 4 reciever sets a lot, and because Nelson has locked down the slot spot, they are looking for another speedy talent to play and stretch the field. T.J. Graham, who isn't as small as a lot of people think, would fill that role. Donald Jones could, as well. The problem the Bills have with those two - as well as Easley, Hagan, Roosevelt, Aiken, and Clowney, is that none of them have proven the ability CONSISTENTLY enough to just pencil in a spot on the roster.

 

Stevie being the #1 WR automatically makes the lineup a rather untraditional one - as I said, if we find the dynamic, fast, tall WR to compliment him opposite side, it'll be the reverse of how a lot of teams would line up. Gailey has just decided - and I love the IDEA of it, but you've got to have the WR's - like Green Bay does - to have the WR's be more or less interchangeable, so that they can line up all over the field, and the defenses will really be hard pressed to know what is being run.

 

Therefore, I say Easley has the first shot at the opposite role, and if he can't deliver it'll go to either Jones or Hagan, unless Aiken really blows people away, and T.J. Graham will definitely have a spot with Nelson for the slot type routes. I'd guess they keep Johnson, Nelson, Graham, Jones, Easley, and Hagan, with Aiken to the P.S.

[BobChalmers]

I don't take it for granted that Brad Smith makes the team.

 

He was a pretty big disappointment running the wildcat and returning kicks - if Vince Young does well enough adn can run the W/C, I could see Smith gone.

 

Jones is my #1 guy I don't get on the roster. Coaches love him - I can't see a thing in games he does that makes him anything more than backup material. I'd rather have Roosevelt or Aiken with their size and hands.