How well was Kelly received here his first few years?

[row_33]

2 hours ago, Gordio said:

 

Remember when Bill Polian said to Art Wander "Jim Kelly is our QB, Marv Levy is our coach & if you don't like it you could get out of town." 

 

Sport quotes were so much more interesting back then, when guys for the most part said what they felt like & didn't care how politically correct they were.

 

Art Wander had no trouble saying whatever was on his mind, his team-up with The Coach was very entertaining during the post-peak-Kelly Era days.

 

Edited November 8, 2017 by row_33

[Kelly the Dog]

35 minutes ago, row_33 said:

 

Art Wander had no trouble saying whatever was on his mind, his team-up with The Coach was very entertaining during the post-peak-Kelly Era days.

 

Yep. If you liked two guys who liked speaking their mind with nothing in it. 

[K-9]

2 hours ago, Gordio said:

 

 

That is not true, he could of sat out the year & became a free agent after the year as the bills rights to him were going to expire.  Most players would of sat out & held an auction the following year.  He would of got more money.  But Kelly was a football player & to sit out a year in his prime wasn't even an option for him I imagine.

 

It is funny him going to the USFL was probably the best thing for the Bills as they would of never landed Bruce Smith in 85 with Kelly on the roster.

Making him the highest paid player in the league was a great incentive for him not to wait a year. 

 

And I agree that him going to the USFL was a blessing in disguise. Sure we were worse and got Bruce and good picks but more importantly, those two years with Mouse Davis taught him how to read defenses and run an offense. He was just more NFL ready as a result.  

[Kelly the Dog]

Just now, K-9 said:

Making him the highest paid player in the league was a great incentive for him not to wait a year. 

 

And I agree that him going to the USFL was a blessing in disguise. Sure we were worse and got Bruce and good picks but more importantly, those two years with Mouse Davis taught him how to read defenses and run an offense. He was just more NFL ready as a result.  

Yep. And cocky/confident, if that was possible. 

[TheBrownBear]

He was a complete rockstar from day one.

[K-9]

2 minutes ago, Kelly the Dog said:

Yep. And cocky/confident, if that was possible. 

Bordering on arrogance, but yeah, he had confidence in spades. And more than a few entrenched vets resented it at the time, too. You could see it in that first game vs. the Jest. After the second series he came off the field and got right up in the grills of his OLine when they were all seated on the bench and DEMANDED they give him time because his receivers were getting open. Far cry from Bruce Mathison, that's for sure.