Marcell Dareus: Going to Jaguars “changed my life”

[teef]

Just now, SaviorPeterman said:

 

What's done is done Teef.

 

I just hope MD don't tear it up with St. Doug and the Jags, but ook for him to have a huge game this week against the Steelers. I remember a preseason game a few years ago when Dareus destroyed David DeCastro (now one of the best guards in the NFL) and broke his leg.

 

If Dareus gets back to that type of dominant form obviously this discussion doesn't go away.

if this team goes on to become a regular in the playoffs, and marcel goes on to be a stud, who cares?  

[BuffaloBill]

The Bills organization did things some were made public and some were not to help Dareus outside of football.  He’s benefiting from a new scene?  He said he was benefiting from what the Bills were doing for a period of time.  The real question is whether he will sustain this “refreshed” perspective on life and whether his on the field performance shines as a result.

 

 

[2003Contenders]

1 hour ago, Peter said:

 

Again, he still takes up at least the third highest amount of cap space in 2018 even though he will not play for us next year (and most of this past year).

 

OK, you have made this point like a half dozen times in this thread, and it may very well be true.

 

The undesirable dead cap money for Dareus is more a product of the poor contract that the prior regime signed him to when his bargaining leverage was at an all time high (coming off a season when the entire DL was loaded) and without any safe-guards against off-field issues and on-field lack of motivation AFTER signing the big contract.

 

That said, let's not over-exaggerate the cap ramifications. While the trade hurts the cap in 2018 (in the sense that he takes up cap space while playing elsewhere), the reality is that getting rid of Dareus saved the team over $54 M in cap money (not to mention REAL money) over the next few years. The trade saved the team over $5 M this past year, over $7 M in 2018 and $47+ M from 2019-2021. The fact that the Jags were willing to eat that AND cough up draft compensation is actually a good thing for the financial (both from a monetary standpoint as well as a cap standpoint) future of the team. The saved $ also gives the Pegulas and the team additional leverage in constructing contracts (if they desire) that pay larger up-front bonuses to help circumvent the cap. Hopefully the team will be smart in the manner that they do this, as the Dareus situation represents a cautionary tale.

 

Regarding Dareus himself... in Sunday's game, I recall one big play in which he tackled McCoy for a loss. He was otherwise fairly quiet. The Jags largely elected to take him off the field on passing downs -- and it is not as if he has been the missing piece of puzzle that got the Jags into the playoffs. Their defense was elite before he got there -- and they have remained elite. The Bills defense did a pretty good job Sunday too without him, didn't they?

 

It really is a shame because MD certainly has the talent to warrant the 3rd overall pick and the large contract he ultimately signed. The new regime simply tired of his inconsistent effort and elected to move on AND vacate over $54M of dedicated cap/cash for essentially a part-time player.

 

So, while he may take up the 3rd highest cap hit by NOT being here, he will still cost less even n 2018 than he would have cost if he were still here saddling the team with the future contract obligation. That savings are -- as I said -- over $7M in real money (and $2M in cap money) in 2018. Something tells me that McD and Beane will find someone who provides similar/better production at the position with the remaining $ that was cleared in 2018 (and beyond).

[Buftex]

I wish things had worked out for Dareus in Buffalo, but at some point, the team can only go so far to help him. How many times in his years here did he express how grateful he was to the Bills, the fans, etc, etc. and appreciative of his opportunity in Buffalo.  We've heard him say the right things before...but eventually he seems to backslide.  I like the guy, I really do, he is a great talent, when he is motivated.  I hope it works out for him in Jacksonville...but he is very much in the "show me, don't tell me" phase of his NFL career.  Getting suspended in the pre-season was not a good move on his part.  It sucks, because our defense was better when he was motivated...but it just didn't happen consistently enough.

[ndirish1978]

His next infraction will result in a year long suspension. I would be willing to bet he doesn't make it through two seasons in Jax

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, OldTimer1960 said:

A person in an organization does not have to be purposely disruptive to have a negative impact on that organization.  In Dareus' case, his lack of effort, commitment, conditioning, buy-in and accountability were strongly counter to the culture that they are trying to build.  Dareus was the opposite of a leader - he was someone who needed prodding to do the minimum expected and even then he wasn't doing it.  Kyle Williams may have liked Dareus, but I am sure he doesn't miss having to baby-sit him and doesn't miss being impacted by his absences due to suspensions and injury (due to lack of conditioning).

 

In fact, I'll go a step further.  From a teambuilding/people managing perspective, if you have a person who is not generally liked or highly regarded outside the organization, it is less disruptive if they don't buy in than someone regarded as a "star" outside the organization and generally well-liked within it.

 

In the first case, other team members say "That's Morose Marcell.  He don't care and he's blowin' his chances.  Don't be like Morose Mart."  Like an abscess, he walls himself off.   In the second case, other team members say "Our buddy Big Stuff don't care and he's rolling in money.  I do what he does!"  He takes the edge off the team.

Edited January 10, 2018 by Hapless Bills Fan

[dpberr]

We will see.

 

He had it easy going to Jax in the middle of the season.  

 

There will be expectations of him in the off-season by Coughlin/Marrone that will exceed those that he had in Buffalo. Getting in far better shape.  Learning the playbook.  

 

It won't be enough to just stay out of trouble.  

Edited January 10, 2018 by dpberr

[Doc]

6 hours ago, SaviorPeterman said:

In the end, no matter how you feel about Dareus there is no disputing that McD/Beane made the wrong short term move.

 

And all the metrics validate that this defense fell off a cliff after we traded Dareus, both in terms of QB pressure and especially rushing defense.

 

I wish Dareus well with St. Doug but the pressure is on this regime to replace Dareus and fix the entire front seven (among all the other offensive issues) and not sure one offseason will get that done.

 

I too thought it was the wrong short term move to trade Dareus, but I understood it was made with a long term view in mind.  However with the Bills still making the playoffs after dealing him, IMHO I was wrong about it being the wrong short term move.  And at best, if the Bills kept him, they possibly get the 5th seed, possibly go to the 2nd round, and definitely lose there while worsening their draft position.  And he doesn't have this epiphany while still in Buffalo.

 

 

[Freddie's Dead]

On the day Buffalo traded him, Dareus was a Bag o'****, Tub o'Goo, pick your nickname for a fat, lazy, out of shape guy with all the talent God ever gave a human being who couldn't be bothered to work hard enough to be the best.  This guy should have had a HoF career, but he pissed away the last two-three years with the Bills.  I predict that once the bloom wears off the rose in Jax, he will once again be in Maroon's doghouse for being a lazy slob.  BTW, he had problems going back to 2014:  http://www.espn.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/70558/marrone-follows-up-on-marcell-dareus 

[John in Jax]

9 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

I can tell you from personal experience this last weekend, they are DEFINITELY NOT better in Jacksonville. Worst/weirdest strip club experience of my life Saturday night. 0/10, would not go back.

Which one(s) did you patronize?

[C.Biscuit97]

I hope it does.  I forgive him more than any other Bill because he has dealt with some awful things.  

 

Hes not a mean spirited guy. He was just immature. He has all the talent in the world. Would have rather had him in playoffs than a 5th round pick but hey, trust the process.

[TigerJ]

10 hours ago, SaviorPeterman said:

Back when this trade happened, I said if St. Doug and Tom Coughlin couldn't get Dareus career back on track nobody could. Also it's very troubling the Beane and McD were focused soley on Dareus contract and not trying to support him and harness such a talent.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000904990/article/marcell-dareus-jaguars-organization-changed-my-life?campaign=Twitter_atn

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/01/10/marcell-dareus-going-to-jaguars-changed-my-life/

 

 

You have no documentation to suggest that Beane and McDermott were solely focused on Dareus' contract.  If Dareus had been playing like a pro bowler, I don't think Beane would have made the trade.  If anything, it was a combination of Marcell's ineffectiveness combined with his cap number.  You can suggest that coaching had something to do with his ineffectiveness (yeah he clogged up the middle in the running game but was a non factor in passing defense and McDermott needed more), but sometimes a player just needs a fresh start in a new setting.

[Schmuggs]

Uh yeah. Moving out of the Siberia of the United States would improve anybody’s life. 

 

I mean you cant even go outside without being uncomfortable for 7 months out of the year. 

 

Humans are not supposed live in environments like this. It’s counter productive to heath and happiness.

 

Only the cursed, banished and scared remain. ..

 

Of course it changed his life. 

[DrDawkinstein]

3 hours ago, John in Jax said:

Which one(s) did you patronize?

 

Just the Doll House (out on Lenoir I think).

[BobbyC81]

13 hours ago, OldTimer1960 said:

Yes, he was a nice guy who his teammates have said they liked. 

He was suspended multiple times and unavailable due to injury quite a lot too.  Bottom line, he was unreliable as a teammate and employee. 

 

He has talent, but has been in the league several years and hasn't seemed to mature much at all.  Add that he has not performed at a high level since he got his new contract and it seems easy to me to conclude that this was addition by subtraction.

 

A person in an organization does not have to be purposely disruptive to have a negative impact on that organization.  In Dareus' case, his lack of effort, commitment, conditioning, buy-in and accountability were strongly counter to the culture that they are trying to build.  Dareus was the opposite of a leader - he was someone who needed prodding to do the minimum expected and even then he wasn't doing it.  Kyle Williams may have liked Dareus, but I am sure he doesn't miss having to baby-sit him and doesn't miss being impacted by his absences due to suspensions and injury (due to lack of conditioning).

 

Maybe, being sent packing will *finally* be the wake-up call that causes Dareus to ramp up his effort and meet his responsibility level - I hope so.  I wish him well.

 

Yeah, how many times after a transgression did he say he would learn from it and try yo be a better teammate and person, then get in trouble for something else?