If McKelvin is out, what is the next option?

[QCity]

Right now we have 3 DBs on this team that can play outside, and one of them is playing safety. Darby will be a good CB someday, but he's not ready for primetime just yet. And temporarily moving a CB (Graham) back to his natural position is not a "panic" move, it's a shrewd one. If Leodis can't go, I would say the odds of kicking Graham outside are a lot higher than lining up a rookie against Andre Johnson and Hilton.

[DrDawkinstein]

No need to move Graham to CB when he will be on the field regardless, AND providing Safety help to Darby which he didn't get last night.

[John from Riverside]

 

Funchess dropped the ball in the end zone which spared Darby further embarrassment.

 

Darby did whack him in the head which was good but he was kinda lost and nowhere near the ball.

 

Funchess lasted till round 2 because he has David-Boston-hands so Carolina fans will have to deal with his drops like Michigan fans did.

 

Darby has physical talent but so did Leodis coming out of Troy.

 

If you can't play the ball you become a target REGARDLESS of how close you cover and that was the scouts knock on Darby at FSU.

 

Took Leodis about 6 years go get his head around so I am not just going to assume Darby will get it by opening day.

Sorry....not letting you get away with misinformation

 

- The Funchess TD pass was a jumpball in which they were fighting for the ball......Darby got his hands in there and Funchess did not secure it....end of story. There is no embarrisment its simply a good play by Darby.....next

 

- Darby was being targeted because he was a ROOKIE.......and the fact that there was no coverage rolled his way.....REX RYAN SAID AS MUCH after the game........with a rookie they are gonna roll coverage...they did not do that in this game because they want Darby to experience covering big receivers with no help. In a real game that would not have happened.

 

- It is way early to be comparing Darby to McKelvin......McKelvin didnt look this good in his initial camp actually

[Mr. WEO]

Graham as good in coverage as Leodis. Put him back at CB.

[BADOLBILZ]

Graham as good in coverage as Leodis. Put him back at CB.

 

 

No that would be panicking!

 

People say some seriously dumb sh*t on this board.

 

The guy is a veteran CB by trade....played in a related system in Baltimore....graded out as the Bills best corner with PFF last year....but moving him over to corner versus Andrew Luck would be an utter panic move!

 

I get that people don't want to weaken the safety position but give me a break for chrissake..... Baccari Rambo did pretty well against Aaron Rodgers in a pinch last year so I am a little more comfortable with him at safety than a struggling rookie matched up one-on-one with TY Hilton or Andre Johnson.

[John from Riverside]

 

 

No that would be panicking!

 

People say some seriously dumb sh*t on this board.

 

The guy is a veteran CB by trade....played in a related system in Baltimore....graded out as the Bills best corner with PFF last year....but moving him over to corner versus Andrew Luck would be an utter panic move!

 

I get that people don't want to weaken the safety position but give me a break for chrissake..... Baccari Rambo did pretty well against Aaron Rodgers in a pinch last year so I am a little more comfortable with him at safety than a struggling rookie matched up one-on-one with TY Hilton or Andre Johnson.

Yes you are correct

 

In that people do say dumb @hit on this board.

[BADOLBILZ]

Sorry....not letting you get away with misinformation

 

- The Funchess TD pass was a jumpball in which they were fighting for the ball......Darby got his hands in there and Funchess did not secure it....end of story. There is no embarrisment its simply a good play by Darby.....next

 

- Darby was being targeted because he was a ROOKIE.......and the fact that there was no coverage rolled his way.....REX RYAN SAID AS MUCH after the game........with a rookie they are gonna roll coverage...they did not do that in this game because they want Darby to experience covering big receivers with no help. In a real game that would not have happened.

 

- It is way early to be comparing Darby to McKelvin......McKelvin didnt look this good in his initial camp actually

 

Darby had no idea where the ball was on the Funchess play and he didn't make a play on the ball he grabbed at Funchess head gear after the ball already landed in his hands and Funchess dropped it..

 

I know you guys think that watching the broadcast makes you an expert but when you are sitting at the 50 yard line and the QB is releasing the ball you can see what is going on in real time with the CB.

 

Being a CB is not just about playing chase. Awareness is a separator.

 

As for McKelvin.....you are dead wrong. His rookie year was by far his best until Donnie Henderson got here. There was no indication that he was going to be bad for most of his first contract when he was a rookie.

 

Initially teams weren't aware of how to attack him but they figured it out. And it finally got to the point where they were just wearing him out despite his elite movement, quickness and speed. If I recall correctly the low point was that game in Minnesota where Moats knocked out Favre but McKelvin just couldn't stop f*cking up.

[John from Riverside]

 

Darby had no idea where the ball was on the Funchess play and he didn't make a play on the ball he grabbed at Funchess head gear after the ball already landed in his hands and Funchess dropped it..

 

I know you guys think that watching the broadcast makes you an expert but when you are sitting at the 50 yard line and the QB is releasing the ball you can see what is going on in real time with the CB.

 

Being a CB is not just about playing chase. Awareness is a separator.

 

As for McKelvin.....you are dead wrong. His rookie year was by far his best until Donnie Henderson got here. There was no indication that he was going to be bad for most of his first contract when he was a rookie.

 

Initially teams weren't aware of how to attack him but they figured it out. And it finally got to the point where they were just wearing him out despite his elite movement, quickness and speed. If I recall correctly the low point was that game in Minnesota where Moats knocked out Favre but McKelvin just couldn't stop f*cking up.

I suggest you go back and watch the Funchess play again......

 

Or

 

Your just seeing what you want to see

[BADOLBILZ]

I suggest you go back and watch the Funchess play again......

 

Or

 

Your just seeing what you want to see

 

Let me sum up your football opinions since you have been on TSW:

 

The Bills know best and if you don't like it I am going to complain about your opinion until you do.

 

How's that been working for you for the past 15 years?

 

I hope for the best out of all the Bills but the fact remains that some players excel and others do not. Darby had a bad game. I am FAR from the only one with that opinion but we all should defer to your expertise. Really?

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

 

As for McKelvin.....you are dead wrong. His rookie year was by far his best until Donnie Henderson got here. There was no indication that he was going to be bad for most of his first contract when he was a rookie.

 

Initially teams weren't aware of how to attack him but they figured it out. And it finally got to the point where they were just wearing him out despite his elite movement, quickness and speed. If I recall correctly the low point was that game in Minnesota where Moats knocked out Favre but McKelvin just couldn't stop f*cking up.

2008 and 2010 McKelvin was a mess. clueless with the ball in the air and every double move he saw faked him right out of his spikes.

2011 he got a little better, started to learn not to jump every cut immediately and fared better against double moves, more consistent in coverage, still struggled with ball skills.

It wasn't until the last 4-5 weeks of 2012 that he looked like a legitimate NFL starting corner. Then he took off with Henderson

[Buffalo Barbarian]

If McKelvin's ankle injury is significant enough to where he will not be ready to start the season, will Graham or another CB start in his place? I understand that Rex fed Darby to the wolves last night to help him with his development, but Darby is nowhere near ready to assume a starting role and will get picked on big time by Andrew Luck in week 1.

 

they will give him help if need be

[John from Riverside]

 

Let me sum up your football opinions since you have been on TSW:

 

The Bills know best and if you don't like it I am going to complain about your opinion until you do.

 

How's that been working for you for the past 15 years?

 

I hope for the best out of all the Bills but the fact remains that some players excel and others do not. Darby had a bad game. I am FAR from the only one with that opinion but we all should defer to your expertise. Really?

With 75 posts how in the world would you know what my football opinons are (if you even had the capacity to make an assumption like that which you dont)

 

Unless your a banned poster who created another screen name to come back onto the board in which case I just feel sorry for you.

 

Darby has such a bad game that he was hardly thrown at in college......has been outstanding in camp.......frankly did not play that badly in the game....his own coach admits he threw him to the wolves and would have given him help if he was in a real game oh and HE IS A ROOKIE

[BADOLBILZ]

2008 and 2010 McKelvin was a mess. clueless with the ball in the air and every double move he saw faked him right out of his spikes.

2011 he got a little better, started to learn not to jump every cut immediately and fared better against double moves, more consistent in coverage, still struggled with ball skills.

It wasn't until the last 4-5 weeks of 2012 that he looked like a legitimate NFL starting corner. Then he took off with Henderson

 

He wasn't very good in 2008 but even though he was just a rookie it was easily his least disappointing year. is that better?

 

That is the year he had his first two interception game......scored his only defensive TD......registered 5 PD's and forced a fumble in those 6 late season starts.

 

John will be predicting HOF for Darby if he has a start like that.

 

And he was excellent as a KOR man with an average of 28.3 ypr and his only career TD KOR.

 

Sorry to disagree with you but nobody could have projected the degree of problems he was going to have at that point.

[rstencel]

I think Darby will be starting opening day as well, and has played his way in camp into that role. Yes he struggled playing on an island against a taller very good receiver with some well thrown balls. Its the first preseason game of his rookie year, that's kind of what the preseason is for, to get these types of things worked on. Now if he's not improving through the preseason and doesn't grow, then yeah, move Graham back.

[John from Riverside]

 

He wasn't very good in 2008 but even though he was just a rookie it was easily his least disappointing year. is that better?

 

That is the year he had his first two interception game......scored his only defensive TD......registered 5 PD's and forced a fumble in those 6 late season starts.

 

John will be predicting HOF for Darby if he has a start like that.

 

And he was excellent as a KOR man with an average of 28.3 ypr and his only career TD KOR.

 

Sorry to disagree with you but nobody could have projected the degree of problems he was going to have at that point.

Once again....who are you to speak on how people will fill about Darby should he have a 2 interception game? You make too many presumptions and are jumping the gun too early on Darby's demise.

 

Right now he isnt showing ANYTHING that would make a prediction of being a bad player anything but lauphable

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

 

He wasn't very good in 2008 but even though he was just a rookie it was easily his least disappointing year. is that better?

 

That is the year he had his first two interception game......scored his only defensive TD......registered 5 PD's and forced a fumble in those 6 late season starts.

 

John will be predicting HOF for Darby if he has a start like that.

 

And he was excellent as a KOR man with an average of 28.3 ypr and his only career TD KOR.

 

Sorry to disagree with you but nobody could have projected the degree of problems he was going to have at that point.

I'll agree '08 was his least disappointing year but only because it's more acceptable for a rookie to be bad than a non-rookie.

He had athleticism and some coverage skills but he was wildly inconsistent and gave up a lot of big gains and touchdowns those first 3 years. I thought he had a chance to get better but considered it slim because 3 healthy seasons in his play just hadn't made the grade.

 

Your opinion is yours, no need to apologize but I clearly remember not being the only one who thought he was likely to bust.

 

As for Darby I thought his coverage was more consistent than McKelvin's was two years in, but Darby's ball skills are simply lacking at this point (at least on that night) and I agree it's hard to imagine such a drastic turnaround in a month's time. I also wonder if Hilton, who I love, is actually a better matchup for Darby at this point in his career than these 6'5 guys, because Darby CAN stay with his man and that's the challenge Hilton presents. They're gonna have to do some serious work with the kid though on back shoulder throws, get his head around MUCH quicker and get across the WR's body to play the ball. It does look like a tall order right now imo

Edited August 16, 2015 by Aaron

[BADOLBILZ]

With 75 posts how in the world would you know what my football opinons are (if you even had the capacity to make an assumption like that which you dont)

 

Unless your a banned poster who created another screen name to come back onto the board in which case I just feel sorry for you.

 

Darby has such a bad game that he was hardly thrown at in college......has been outstanding in camp.......frankly did not play that badly in the game....his own coach admits he threw him to the wolves and would have given him help if he was in a real game oh and HE IS A ROOKIE

 

I've been posting on the forum since Hyperbills in 1996.

 

Never been banned.

 

The moderators that helped make this board......the people who did it because they loved football AND Bills football......people like Lori and Simon and Rich......we've always got along great.

 

They aren't afraid of hearing something negative if it is the truth because we come here to discuss the game......not to pretend to be a super-fan or create a clique of buddies to do nothing but share private jokes with in the Shout Box.

 

Some of the people that Scott has had to settle for because the site needs people to moderate and he can't be choosy.....people who treat the place like their own little social circle jerk........they don't like the fact that I have an occasionally controversial opinion and since Scott won't entertain letting them ban me they f*ck with my email and attach cookies that prevent me from accessing the site.

 

Not a complicated fix but usually it requires you to change names to post again.

 

But clearly I am not hiding my frickin' identity. I have a stack of tied up names in the register. BADOLBILZ, BADOLBEELZ, BADOL......I mean, c'mon John.

 

It's nuisance stuff and since I only post a few months out of the year it's not uncommon for me to go 6-8 months between posts.

 

I see you've been getting awful sassy lately so you'd better watch out who you piss off or....judging by your exceptionally high post count......you could be updating your ID a lot.

 

As for Darby......I made my point. If you think he had a good game then more power to you. It doesn't surprise me that you are wrong.

[John from Riverside]

I'll agree '08 was his least disappointing year but only because it's more acceptable for a rookie to be bad than a non-rookie.

He had athleticism and some coverage skills but he was wildly inconsistent and gave up a lot of big gains and touchdowns those first 3 years. I thought he had a chance to get better but considered it slim because 3 healthy seasons in his play just hadn't made the grade.

 

Your opinion is yours, no need to apologize but I clearly remember not being the only one who thought he was likely to bust.

 

As for Darby I thought his coverage was more consistent than McKelvin's was two years in, but Darby's ball skills are simply lacking at this point (at least on that night) and I agree it's hard to imagine such a drastic turnaround in a month's time. I also wonder if Hilton, who I love, is actually a better matchup for Darby at this point in his career than these 6'5 guys, because Darby CAN stay with his man and that's the challenge Hilton presents. They're gonna have to do some serious work with the kid though on back shoulder throws, get his head around MUCH quicker and get across the WR's body to play the ball. It does look like a tall order right now imo

Good post.....

 

I honestly dont think big physical wide receivers would be Darby's assignment in real games? The battles between him and Goodwin in camp sound like real tests........where as Goodwin runs away from everyone else reports are that Darby sticks with him (so Hilton is probably a better assignment)

 

There is a reason WHY teams look for these 6'5" wide recievers that can high point balls.....because 90 percent of the dbs in the league are in a absolute mismatch......

 

Not just Darby....but all of them not named Revis

 

I've been posting on the forum since Hyperbills in 1996.

 

Never been banned.

 

The moderators that helped make this board......the people who did it because they loved football AND Bills football......people like Lori and Simon and Rich......we've always got along great.

 

They aren't afraid of hearing something negative if it is the truth because we come here to discuss the game......not to pretend to be a super-fan or create a clique of buddies to do nothing but share private jokes with in the Shout Box.

 

Some of the people that Scott has had to settle for because the site needs people to moderate and he can't be choosy.....people who treat the place like their own little social circle jerk........they don't like the fact that I have an occasionally controversial opinion and since Scott won't entertain letting them ban me they f*ck with my email and attach cookies that prevent me from accessing the site.

 

Not a complicated fix but usually it requires you to change names to post again.

 

But clearly I am not hiding my frickin' identity. I have a stack of tied up names in the register. BADOLBILZ, BADOLBEELZ, BADOL......I mean, c'mon John.

 

It's nuisance stuff and since I only post a few months out of the year it's not uncommon for me to go 6-8 months between posts.

 

I see you've been getting awful sassy lately so you'd better watch out who you piss off or....judging by your exceptionally high post count......you could be updating your ID a lot.

 

As for Darby......I made my point. If you think he had a good game then more power to you. It doesn't surprise me that you are wrong.

Nobody has been proven wrong

 

And having multiple handles on a message board is LAME

[Rico]

With 75 posts how in the world would you know what my football opinons are (if you even had the capacity to make an assumption like that which you dont)

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

Good post.....

 

I honestly dont think big physical wide receivers would be Darby's assignment in real games? The battles between him and Goodwin in camp sound like real tests........where as Goodwin runs away from everyone else reports are that Darby sticks with him (so Hilton is probably a better assignment)

 

There is a reason WHY teams look for these 6'5" wide recievers that can high point balls.....because 90 percent of the dbs in the league are in a absolute mismatch......

 

Not just Darby....but all of them not named Revis

 

Nobody has been proven wrong

 

And having multiple handles on a message board is LAME

Agreed, credit where it's due to Yolo for talking up Gilmore on Andre Johnson and Darby on Hilton. If I recmember correctly there were camp reports of Darby even holding his own against Watkins so I'd say yes he needs to get better but there's some hope he can be ready for TY.

 

Too bad it's Luck but nice to have the best pass rush in the league.