frogger Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 I remember when they (bears) drafted him, they called him soft.
C.Biscuit97 Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 Overall, Whaley did have a very good first year. I like him a lot. The one place he struck out was at LG but you cannot fix everything in one year. His draft was terrific, albeit with EJ being an unknown still. The trade for Hughes was great. His FA signing were pretty solid with Lawson, Branch, and UDFA Robey, as well as the Leodis extension. That's a nice first year. He needs to do it again but he seems to be starting on shakier ground. Â Agreed across the board. But he still can nail another draft. And it mainly comes down to EJ. If he stays healthy and progresses, we wll be in good shape. Even after losing Byrd, I think our overall team talent level is the highest it's been since 2002. You agree?
Billsguy Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 The Bills business model "Sign crap, maybe they get good" Â I cant see a flaw here at all. Â According to ProFootballFocus.com, a service that grades every player in every game, Williams was the 74th best guard out of the 81 that qualified in the NFL in 2013. He was the 53rd best run blocker according to the service, but just the 76th ranked pass blocker. Â The Bills formula for success: if the good teams are doing something, try something else. What a dysfunctional franchise!
artmalibu Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 its simply not a trustworthy rating system, which ive mentioned in a few threads. if you want to bypass every other ranking out there and only look at it though, youll wonder why theres any fuss over byrd walking and think we just hit a grand slam despite the guy being a first rounder already hitting his third team and being described as shakey by his local press last year and rated lowest on his line by PFF. Â this board has REALLY latched onto polians tracker though. Â I cant speak of the quality of the tracker, but I cant say I have seen this guy play either. My thought is that may thought the Bills were in dire need of a guard and they got one that they believe is better than anyone they have. If some of the "experts " put him higher on the list how bad of a grab is he. Sometime the best of the worst is still the best option and better than doing nothing.
John from Riverside Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 A couple of things to think about here..... Â - Williams has been a starter EVERYWHERE he has went....that means that NFL talent evaluators (not armchair quarterbacks and GM's like us) thought he was good enough to start on their teams. Â - I know I have heard this before from the bills....but the "drafting OT's and moving them to guard" thing......well...this guys started out as a 1st round OT who is getting moved to guard. Â - I am willing to wait and see on this. Lets keep in mind that the big name big money guards are off the board at this point with the exception of Mack....who is transition tagged. Â This guys is a NFL quality solid player.......if we dont expect him to turn into a pro bowler then I think he will be fine.
Big C Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 Just hoping it's another Jerry Hughes-type situation.
thebandit27 Posted March 12, 2014 Author Posted March 12, 2014 Â Â There are times when you seem coherent and then others when you just say something utterly ridiculous.....like demanding that people not make a negative comment about the signing of a player who has been considered a career disappointment. Â Let the "discussion" fall where it may. If you have a point, make it. Â First and foremost, I started this thread to discuss Williams, and I'd like it to stay on track. If folks want to repeat themselves over and over bashing the FO with generalities, they can do it in one of the other 12 threads that are open for that discussion. Â Secondly, stop insulting me in your posts; this is the 2nd time in a row you've done so...for some reason I cannot understand, you seem to be a respected poster around here. Act like one. Â Lastly, you've contributed zero content to the thread, so I'll say to you: if you have a point, make it.
YoloinOhio Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 I cant speak of the quality of the tracker, but I cant say I have seen this guy play either. My thought is that may thought the Bills were in dire need of a guard and they got one that they believe is better than anyone they have. If some of the "experts " put him higher on the list how bad of a grab is he. Sometime the best of the worst is still the best option and better than doing nothing. Everyone cried all year about the LG position. Now they find one, sign him, and everyone is crying they wanted someone else. The FO does not use PFF. They have their own analysis, they didn't just find this guy this morning, and their analysis is not done in a vacuum, it is in conjunction with how he will into their scheme and their OL, which is different than the one he came from. They gave him a basic veteran contract. Not sure why the complaints.
dubs Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 This is one of the best times of year. Armchair GMs coming out of the woodwork claiming we suck because we don't overpay for guys or go out and sign the highest priced FAs. Â Â
beerme1 Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 Â Â According to ProFootballFocus.com, a service that grades every player in every game, Williams was the 74th best guard out of the 81 that qualified in the NFL in 2013. He was the 53rd best run blocker according to the service, but just the 76th ranked pass blocker. Â The Bills formula for success: if the good teams are doing something, try something else. What a dysfunctional franchise! Â And they also rated Jerry Hughes 67th or something like that. So...
3rdand12 Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 Williams looked good in a snowstorm . sign em ! : )
BADOLBILZ Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 Overall, Whaley did have a very good first year. I like him a lot. The one place he struck out was at LG but you cannot fix everything in one year. His draft was terrific, albeit with EJ being an unknown still. The trade for Hughes was great. His FA signing were pretty solid with Lawson, Branch, and UDFA Robey, as well as the Leodis extension. That's a nice first year. He needs to do it again but he seems to be starting on shakier ground. Â All of Doug and Buddy's positive work in the offseason last year was done on the defensive side of the ball. I'm just saaaaaaying that Mike Pettine might have had A LOT to do with making those guys look better than anyone expected. He's gone. Enter a career mediocre DC with an entirely different background wrt scheme and aggressiveness. Â Offensively......the offeason was an abject failure. They failed to upgrade ANY position. They created a crater of a whole at LG. Granted, the hope is that Mauel, Woods and Goodwin play MUCH better this year than last, but they were no better than Fitz, Nelson and Donald Jones and Buddy and Doug did the offense no favors. Bringing a rookie QB into a diminished OL was a big mistake and the running game suffered because of it as well.
Cash Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 Yup. And I don't think one person has said it was an amazing signing. But the majority who are supporting it (which you would think all Bills fan would) is to give it a chance. Whaley had a really good offseason last year (Hughes, Kiko, Woods, Branch, etc.) He hasn't been the GM for the last 14 years. Only the last 1. Â Whaley's really good offseason improved the Bills from 6-10 in 2012 to... 6-10 in 2013. I have a feeling he'll have another really good offseason this year, and we'll wind up pretty close to 6-10 again. Â I think the 2 things that bother me the most about this Chris Williams signing are: Â 1.) He was at least a full-time starter last year, which is something. But while the Rams allegedly had some interest in bringing him back, they also allegedly wanted an upgrade. Does that sound like a guy who deserves a big raise? The Bills more than tripled his salary from last year, and gave him about 5x the value of his last contract in guaranteed money. Sure, sign Chris Williams, but sign him to a 1-year deal for $1.5 million or something. Â 2.) This goes hand-in-hand with the last point, and in fairness, could be invalidated if the Bills surprise me: At the money & length of deal Williams signed, he is 100% definitely our starter next year unless he's an absolute train wreck. And if he gets beat out in 2015 or beyond, he will be cut. Anyone talking about a "depth signing" in this thread is way off base. Geoff Hangartner, Langston Walker, and Cornell Green were all signed as starters, none for huge money. (Walker was the closest at about $5mil/year.) All of them got cut when they lost their starting jobs, 2 in training camp and 1 in mid-season. Williams' guarantees pretty much make him cut-proof this year, but it might be open season next year. I'm getting way off track, but my point is that I don't expect the Bills to do anything else to address the interior of their line this offseason, except maybe a mid or late round draft pick. I think we'll be fed a line about "competition", and the Bills will keep talking up their existing backups like 'Unga and Asper, but that's it. And if Williams turns out to be worse than the Bills think, we're headed for another season of garbage at LG.
Pete Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 A couple of things to think about here.....  - Williams has been a starter EVERYWHERE he has went....that means that NFL talent evaluators (not armchair quarterbacks and GM's like us) thought he was good enough to start on their teams.  - I know I have heard this before from the bills....but the "drafting OT's and moving them to guard" thing......well...this guys started out as a 1st round OT who is getting moved to guard.  - I am willing to wait and see on this. Lets keep in mind that the big name big money guards are off the board at this point with the exception of Mack....who is transition tagged.  This guys is a NFL quality solid player.......if we dont expect him to turn into a pro bowler then I think he will be fine. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the Texans are interested in free agent G/T Chris Williams. Williams started all 16 games at left guard for the Rams last season, but was overmatched both as a pass protector and run blocker. The former No. 14 overall pick of the Bears shouldn't be looked at as a starter, though the Rams appear to still see him that way and remain interested in re-signing Williams.Mar 12 - 1:29 AM Source: St Louis Post-Dispatch    Bills signed G Chris Williams to a four-year, $13.5 million contract with $5.5 million guaranteed. The move is a head scratcher after Williams graded out as Pro Football Focus' No. 74 guard among 81 qualifiers in 2013, and finished 76th in pass blocking. The Rams wanted him back, but certainly not at this price. Buffalo ostensibly plans to pencil in Williams at left guard, which was a gaping hole following Andy Levitre's 2013 departure. Williams turns 29 before next season. Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter Mar 12 - 10:44 AM
H2o Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 This was a hefty contract for a bottom tier OG. PFF had him in the 70's out of a possible 81 I think. Not a good move.
oman128 Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 Actually, I was thinking about the Bills going after OG John Jerry from the Dolphins.
oman128 Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 Actually, I was thinking about the Bills going after OG John Jerry from the Dolphins.
YoloinOhio Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 This was a hefty contract for a bottom tier OG. PFF had him in the 70's out of a possible 81 I think. Not a good move. hefty contract? It is a basic veteran deal.
Pete Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 hefty contract? It is a basic veteran deal. it tripled his salary from the previous year. !@#$ I bust my balls at work and would love a 5% raise, let alone a 300%
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