Hazed and Amuzed Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 Saw that he came in for a visit, kid looks like a player. I'd love to grab him in the mid rounds. Reminds me of a current Bill named Fred Jackson- very smooth, good vision and has some power. He's not a burner but I think he'd do well in this offense.
YoloinOhio Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 He's being called a sleeper in the draft. Looks like a good prospect.
The Big Cat Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 His numbers boggle the mind...so did Xavier Omon's. I don't like how much he bounces to the outside, though. Then again, who the !@#$ cares about my opinion?
Luxy312 Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 Running back seems like almost a forgone conclusion to add depth to the team. However, I share concerns with other posters that this kid seems a little too much East West for taste. You get away with that when you have elite speed. This kid doesn't have elite speed.
Luxy312 Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 He did at Towson. Sure. Xavier Omon looked all world at SWMS as well. See how well that did for him when he had to face superior athletes at the pro level.
zow2 Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 If they don't bring in West, they should take a flyer on Brandon Oliver of UB. He's more of a between the tackles, shifty RB. He short but very powerful. I think he did 26 reps on the bench press which is more than his teammate Mack.
Beerball Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 Then again, who the !@#$ cares about my opinion? checking....checking...still checking... Can I get back to you on this?
bills1960 Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 Reminds me of Frank Gore. Good combo of size and slashing ability.
dollars 2 donuts Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 If they don't bring in West, they should take a flyer on Brandon Oliver of UB. He's more of a between the tackles, shifty RB. He short but very powerful. I think he did 26 reps on the bench press which is more than his teammate Mack. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jvQFAR5i4U I liked his chances of going to the Bills more than Mack's. He is either going to be a mid to late round pick or a FA pick-up. The NCAA's 12th leading rusher this year will probably not become a star in the NFL, but he is a bruising little fire plug between the tackles with quicks...not trmendous top speed, but quicks.
PromoTheRobot Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 If they don't bring in West, they should take a flyer on Brandon Oliver of UB. He's more of a between the tackles, shifty RB. He short but very powerful. I think he did 26 reps on the bench press which is more than his teammate Mack. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jvQFAR5i4U Olver would be a great pick up and you can probably get him as a UDFA too.
Bob Malooga Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) He reminds me of another small-school RB the Bills took a chance on, who was just rewarded with a new contract. Joique Bell (5-11, 220 lbs., 4.68 forty yard dash) http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/joique-bell?id=497145 Terrance West (5-9, 225 lbs., 4.54 forty yard dash) http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/terrance-west?id=2543664 I like him, and would love for the Bills to take a shot at him in the mid-rounds...we could certainly use another young RB. *Also, he may have had a hard time staying between the tackles because of the skill (or lack thereof) of his blockers. Given better holes and timing in the NFL, may allow him to be a better north-south runner than he was in college. Just a thought. *One more thought after actually watching that highlight reel...watch him pick up that blitz/block at .45 seconds! WOW, PANCAKE! Edited April 9, 2014 by Bob Malooga
Astrobot Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 My notes from lots of sources on West: excellent lateral quickness, balance and vision. Has value as a pass catcher too. thicker ball carrier 2,509 yards and scored 42 total touchdowns this season Towson coach Rob Ambrose Broke FCS record and led Tigers to national title game received 3rd round draft grade should vie with North Dakota State offensive tackle Billy Turner and Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to be the first FCS player taken in the 2014 draft. 4,854 yards in his three seasons at Towson, including 84 touchdowns. lacks elite speed, but he has been clocked as fast as 4.5 seconds in the 4 patience and good vision quick feet tough, powerful downhill runner who is right at home working between the tackles. workhorse, averaging 260 carries per season in his college career (21.7 per game) didn’t score high enough on the SATs to qualify for Clemson/Maryland Started for all three seasons at Towson, setting FCS records for rushing yards and touchdowns. Makes nice cuts once he sees the hole open, not fast but has a bit of explosiveness. Doesn’t seek out unnecessary contact but can lower the shoulder for extra yardage. Uses the stiff-arm often and effectively to create separation from would-be tacklers. Exhibits more wiggle than might be expected from a top-heavy runner; nice jump-cuts. Also developed as a receiving option as a junior, dramatically improving catch totals. Was able to stay healthy long enough to touch the ball nearly 450 times as a junior. Some tread wear (26 carriers per game his last year) Will be making a steep jump in level of competition after playing at an FCS program. Build’s pretty uneven, looks big in the upper body but his legs are comparatively thin. Certainly not someone who’s going to be able to run away from NFL defenders easily. Must do a better job of running behind his pads with consistency to maximize his bulk. Too finesse for someone so thick, also not as effective in short-yardage as expected. Doesn’t run with great balance, can be tripped by arm tackles too often for a big guy. Wasn’t retained too often in pass protection; probably a two-down back in the pros.
The Big Cat Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 checking....checking...still checking... Can I get back to you on this? Let's plan to regroup in August. Surely by then...
Bob Malooga Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) My notes from lots of sources on West: Doesn’t seek out unnecessary contact but can lower the shoulder for extra yardage. Wasn’t retained too often in pass protection; probably a two-down back in the pros. I would certainly have to disagree with these 2 from what I saw in that video. He seems like he has no issue being a violent runner, trucking over defenders. (1:45-1:52 is a great example.) And I already pointed out picking up a blitz very well and laying the defender out on his back. (.42-.46 is a good example.) Obviously one video is a small sample size to make a correct evaluation of the kid...but he already shows he has some of those traits, as well as many others that cannot be coached into a player. As long as he is opening to coaching/correcting mistakes, I see no reason he cannot find success in the NFL. Edited April 9, 2014 by Bob Malooga
drinkTHEkoolaid Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 If they don't bring in West, they should take a flyer on Brandon Oliver of UB. He's more of a between the tackles, shifty RB. He short but very powerful. I think he did 26 reps on the bench press which is more than his teammate Mack. I would love this idea. I like Oliver a lot. He reminds me ofMJD
PromoTheRobot Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 Astro, what's the book on Branden Oliver from UB?
SRQ_BillsFan Posted April 10, 2014 Posted April 10, 2014 Sure. Xavier Omon looked all world at SWMS as well. See how well that did for him when he had to face superior athletes at the pro level. Sorry, that was my point as well.
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